| EliteFTS

John Maxwell is one of the most influential authors when it comes to leadership. I have over 20 of Maxwell's books and have read all of them. Maxwell' book The 360 Leader: Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization is one of my favorites for a few reasons.

First, the concept behind the book is relatable to people in every situation. I have always tried to relate concepts to coaching and athletics. This book speaks directly to assistant coaches, and underclassmen for sure.

Second, the book give specific, bullet-pointed concepts and expands on them . This works well for my brain. and ideas that are in lists, or acronyms usually stick with me. True learning is when you are living your lessons.

This article will hopefully serve as a leadership guide to assistant coaches and underclassmen. Three major components that will be discussed are myths, challenges, and leading-up.

MYTHS

The following is a list of myths that disable assistant coaches and "non-seniors" from truly reaching their leadership potential. The essence of leadership is influence and that influence can come form anywhere. Doesn't have to be words. We are over-saturated by the video clips of player and coaches with their rehearsed pep talks. Influence goes way beyond that and can happen from anywhere.

These 7 myths ring true with assistants. if you are an assistant, GA, or intern; see if these statements apply to you.

The Position Myth
"I can't lead if I am not at the top"
This is the biggest misconception. Leadership comes in many forms and directions. Leadership is not ingrained in a title. Head coaches should encourage their assistants to be head coaches and develop those qualities from day one.

The Destination Myth
"When I get to the top, then I'll learn to lead."
Don't wait until you are a head coach to be a leader. Those opportunities don't come around much and waiting until then may leave you with an mediocre career.

The Influence Myth
"If I were on top, then people would follow me."
Make people follow you because they want to not because they have to based on your qualities as a coach.

The Inexperience Myth
"When I get tot the top, then I'll be in control."
You control your actions and your attitude. And that, makes you who you are. What you control is enough to forge a path in your career.

The Freedom Myth
"When I get to the top, I'll no longer be limited."
Your limitations set by the head coach are there because he/she has the knowledge and experiences you may not. View limitations as guidelines and push the program forward within those limitations.

The Potential Myth
"I can't reach my potential if I'm not the top leader."
How in the world are you going to develop and display your leadership qualities if you want til you are in charge. Let me help you. You are going to need as much experience as possible to develop your leadership potential BEFORE you are a head coach.

The All-or-Nothing Myth
"If I can't get to the top, then I wont try to lead."
You will probably never be a head coach. nothing wrong with that. But what you have done is forfeit your right to complain about anything on your staff or in your situation.

CHALLENGES

We as leaders all face challenges. Those obstacles are magnified when you are trying to lead in all directions.

The Tension Challenge
The Pressure of Being "Caught in the Middle"
Assistants are often the buffer between the head coach and the athletes or the head coach and the interns. This is even more so when the assistant has their own teams and the head coach is not involved. There is a fine line between being loyal to the head coach and being the "go to" guy with the players. It is a position you can do effectively as long as you have the best interest of the program first. You can remain loyal without contradicting the head guy as long as your message to the team encompasses the vision of the program.

The Frustration Challenge
Following an Ineffective Leader
This happens a lot unfortunately. I have been in the position of working for a coach the players didn't like. (not so bad). I also had the experience of working for a coach the players didn't respect. This was difficult because nothing you can say to those players will get them back on board. If you are defending the coach, you look fake and the players see through your bullshit. The best course of action is to try and take as much of the plate of the head coach and try to reduce his contact with the team (without excluding him) with e-mails, etc. Make sure the players know it is their team regardless of who is coaching them.

The Multi-Hat Challenge
One head...Many Hats
In today's college and high school athletic landscape; the more you can do the more value you will have. From personal experience, I know how this goes as well as anyone. I was the defensive line coach, special teams coordinator, director of football operations, Director of Strength & Conditioning for 23 sports, Physical Education instructor, Practicum supervisor and internship coordinator. Needless to say I didn't do a great job at any of them. I was pulled in so many directions that I never found out how good of a football coach, recruiter, teacher, or strength coach I could be. Learn to say no if you have the luxury. And whatever you do, don't add things to your plate that will take time away from your family or job responsibilities like I did.

The Ego Challenge
You're Often Hidden in the Middle
You have to remember back why you got into the profession in the first place. If it is to get your name out there, become popular, and make a lot of money; then you should rethink your reasoning. Too many coaches are in the profession for self-promotion. There are guys out there with their own e-books and have been coaching a few years. You mean you got it figured out already? If you are looking for credit and the head guys doesn't give it is says one of two things.

You may be very needy
Your head coach is not a good guy to work for

The Fulfillment Challenge
Leaders Like the Front more than the Middle
It is very difficult not to have visions of running your own program. This falls back to the myths of leading from the middle. Everyone wants a situation where "the buck stops with me". It takes some courage and self awareness to accept the position you are in as an assistant without believing you can't make a difference.

The Vision Challenge
Championing the Vision is More Difficult when You Didn't Create it
This falls back to the absolute most of communicating organizational clarity (Lencioni). The vision has to be constantly communicated. One thing that will help assistants buying into the vision of a company (isn't that the #1 goal of a head coach?) is if they are involved in the decision making process. If assistants are able to "weigh-in" on critical topics of the program then they are more likely to buy-in. Even if they don't agree with the final decision, knowing that their opinion was heard reduces dissension after the fact.

The Influence Challenge
Leading Others Beyond Your Position is Not Easy
Athletes and other coaches will gravitate towards coaches who the like, respect, and trust. Most buy into the person and THEN the vision. Conducting yourself in a manner that athletes will admire and trust you is vitally important. Avoid being everyone's buddy and coach athletes as the highest level you are capable of. Remember, most athletes are not as excited about being in the weight room as you are. You will get results when the athletes realize they like you as a person while still respecting you as a coach. The won't ever work as hard as they are capable of until the trust you. They cannot trust you if they do not know you. Break down your barriers and get your athletes to commit to YOU. If your vision is consistent with the program's, your loyalty is to the head coach, and you have the athlete's best interest in mind; then buying into you is essentially buying into the program. Now you are moving the middle 60%

LEADING UP

One of the most difficult tasks is when you are in a leadership role but not necessarily a traditional leadership position. Leading up means becoming a leader and developing those skills when you are not "in charge" or have the final say. Again, this series is directed towards assistant coaches and their struggle to develop leadership skills in a situation where they must remain loyal to the program, the athletes, and the head coach.

As usual Using John Maxwell's principles, I will try to present a scenario for assistant coaches.

Lead Yourself Exceptionally Well
You have to have your shit together if you are going to be asked to lead others or assist in leading with the head coach. Your conduct is an example of how will lead others. Leading from the middle can be frustrating and Maxwell includes the ABCs of energy drain. This coincides with the 3 Signs of a Miserable Job from Lencioni.

Activity Without Direction
- doing things that don't seem to matter
Burden Without Action
- not being able to do things that do matter
Conflict Without Resolution
- not being able to deal with what's the matter

Lighten Your Leader's Load
You should always be attempting to take things off your head coach's plate. There is a fine line between handling things without him/ her knowing and keeping important information from them. Knowing what situations warrant which specific communication take time and truly understanding the values of the head coach.

Timing is also vitally important with this communication. Holding off a potential crisis from your boss until it is absolutely needed can work in your favor. Most coaches don't like surprises, so waiting too long can make the situation worse. Being the Director of Football Operations for several years, I experienced this first hand. Providing travel, lodging, and meal accommodations for over 100 people in a high-stress, competitive situation is difficult to say the least. Depending on 3rd parties for these arrangements should add to your communication. Take on the problems early and avoid communicating crisis.

Bottom line is your head coach should not need to worry about details. You should buy into the philosophy and keep things out of his way so he/she can make the best decision to lead the team. You should be a voice, a advocate, an agent of the head coaches vision.

The best case scenario is when your boss goes from thanking you for what you are doing, to needing you to do what you doing, to helping you do what you are doing.

Be Willing to do What Others Won't
Unless you are the only assistant on a staff, you are going to be compared to your co-workers. Be aware, there is a difference in giving the impression you are going above and beyond and really doing the groundwork.

It can be frustrating when your good deeds are not recognized by your supervisors or peers. It is human nature to want recognition for doing the things that are outside your responsibilities.

Doing the bare minimum is not a bad thing. that's if you have unbelievable job security and you have no ambition of being a head coach or moving up in the profession.

Do more than manage - Lead
There is a difference between managing and leading. Leading means you are in front, doing what needs to be done regardless of position. Leadership is about people, more importantly motivating people to do things they wouldn't do on their own. Getting others to go above their job description. Here are some questions that depending on how you answer, may give you some insight on your leadership abilities.

What do you do when your team isn't training but another team is on the floor?
How often do you really discuss training philosophies and exercise techniques with your staff?
How many coaches from other staff's have you talked to about training in the last week? the last month? the last 6 months?
How many of your teams's games or practices have you attended this season?
How many interns have you helped become better coaches and get better positions?

These questions can give you some ideas of some little things that can make a difference.

Invest in Relational Chemistry
Loyalty Publicly results in leverage privately. - Andy Stanley
I have been adamant about a few key points when it comes to head and assistant relationships.

If they don't know you, you can't expect them to trust you. You have to open up.
The most important aspect that formulates the athletes opinion of the assistant coach is how the head coach treat him in front of the athletes. This also works the other way.

Staff's need some time outside of the weightroom together as a staff. Sometimes during in a van to the conference is more valuable than the conference it self. Retreats are great and you should find time to organize them. Getting to know the head coach better will get you to know "the why" when you are in the weightroom.

Be Prepared Every time you Take Your Leader's Time
I am learning this more and more everyday. Be very aware, whether you think so or not, your boss is busier than you. No question. Unless you are the only employee of a company, your fraction of the boss's time and concern is limited. If you have a supervisor under the boss, then your fraction is well... a fraction.

I worked for a coach once that at the time I hated. I wanted out of coaching, bad It wasn't until the last few months of working for him that I realized how much he helped me as a coach. One thing I learned was preparation. He would ask specifics about a particular recruit out of a few hundred and I wouldn't know. I would think "how the f**k am I supposed to know everything about every recruit? Well I didn't need to know everything, all the time. Being prepared for meetings and anytime there is a scheduled interaction helped. If there are questions you don't know the answer to, your head guy always seems to ask. Don't wing it, follow up asap.

Know When to Push and When to Back Off
I never get this right. I am mostly pushing. What I had to learn was this:

Just because the head coach says no to your idea, it doesn't mean it's a bad idea or that it won't be modified and used later.

More importantly, it doesn't mean he doesn't like you. Take emotions out of the equation. Remember, function over feelings. You must be fearless when bringing things up to your boss. Remember, if your intentions are what you perceive as being the best for the University and the student-athletes, then you are on the right path.

Knowing when to address issues with your head coach is one of the most important aspects. Here are some tips that may help.

Get to the Point.
You may only have one chance to pitch it.
If in talking in person, don't blind side him. Set up a meeting and include the subject matter.
If by e-mail, include all the information and assume your tone may be misconstrued.
Give him the how and why. How will the benefit the program and why.
Take notes and accept all feedback.
Secure a follow up depending on how it goes.
Do not address issues in front of athletes or other staff members.
Know what time of the day, week, and even season is best to address issues or give suggestions.

Become a Go-to Player
This is a subject to interpretation but I will give you 2 example of 4 kinds of people on each staff. The first have been repeated an many conferences and are included in a book by Verna Cornelia Price. The second set is from Maxwell.

4 Types of People on every Staff

Adders - They add value to the staff
Subtracters - They add no value
Mulitpliers - They make others around them add to the staff
Dividers - They make others around them take away for the staff.

Maxwell's Kinds of People and What they do

Detrimental Players - never deliver
Average Players - sometimes deliver
Valuable Players - always deliver in their comfort zone
Invaluable Players - always deliver regardless of the situation

What kind of player are you, and more importantly, want to be?

Be Better Tomorrow Than you are Today
This is pretty self-explanatory, but most coaches may not know how to get better everyday. It is more difficult to come up with strategies to implement to assure you are becoming a better coach and leader. I am in no way an expert, but these may help. Now I cannot give you any advice for you to be more passionate about improving everyday. You have to want to be better. But, here are some "how to" tips from my man James Clear, Stephen Covey, and others.

Sticking to routines can help develop positive habits.
Plan your day, the night before.
Eliminate distractions. Try turning your WiFi off next time you are doing work on your laptop.

More details about these 3 can be found in this podcast I did with James. Here is some more info from James including the 3 Rs of Habit Change

Categorize your tasks. It is easier when you can put your general to-dos in a classification. I used Stephen Covey's Time Management Model.

Evaluate your day. Take some time to reflect back on what you were able to accomplish.

Teach and Learn. Every time my interns worked, I wanted them to learn at least one new thing and teach an athlete oar another intern one thing.

Make an impact. Ask yourself these questions before you go to bed every night.

Are the people I interacted with better because of me. Did I help them get better? Did I help them accomplish more? Did I become a bigger influence in a positive manner in their lives?