Today we want to start with a short story to better illustrate what is most important in a team.
This story is about a father with his children:
"Once upon a time there was a good man who worked in the fields. All his life he had dedicated himself to tilling the land to obtain food with which to support his large family.
He was older and had several children to raise. They were all good kids, but each one had such a different character that they spent the day fighting with each other over the most absurd things. At home you could always hear fighting, shouting and slamming doors.
The farmer was desperate. He no longer knew what to do to make his children get along, as it should be between siblings who love each other. One afternoon, he sat by the fireplace in the dining room and, in the heat of the fire, began to meditate. Those kids needed a lesson to make them understand that things had to change.
Suddenly, a little light illuminated his brain. He already had it!
– Everyone come right now, I have something to tell you!
The brothers obediently responded to their father's call. What would he want at that hour?
– I have sent for you because I need you to go outside and each one of you pick up a thin stick, one of those that are lying around the field.
– A stick? … Dad, are you okay? Why do you want us to bring a stick? –said one of them as surprised as everyone else.
– Do what I tell you and do it now! – the father ordered.
They trooped outside the house together and in a few minutes they returned, each with a stick the thickness of a pencil in his hand.
– Now, give them to me – he said looking them in the eyes.
The father took all the sticks and tied them together with a thin rope. He looked up and proposed a test.
– I want to see who of all of you is able to break these sticks together. Try to see what happens.
One by one, the boys grabbed the bundle of sticks and with all their strength tried to break them, but none of them succeeded. They were bewildered. Then, the father untied the rope that united them.
– Now, each one of you take yours and try to break it.
As expected, it was easy for them to break a simple twig. Without taking their eyes off their father, they waited to hear what he had to tell them and what explanation all that had.
– My children, I hope that with this I have been able to convey a clear message to you about how brothers should behave. If you don't stay together, it will be easy for you to get hurt. On the other hand, if you are united and do your part to support each other, nothing will be able to separate you and no one will be able to defeat you. Do you understand?”
Moral: always take care of and protect your loved ones. Unity is strength.
Our athletes, whether adults or children, must establish the best relationships with each other. Our team will not be better for having a good athlete, the key is in the way our team plays as such.
Our role as a coach is to promote this relationship with good leadership and there is not only one way to do it: Authoritarian, Coach, Conciliatory, Democratic, Exemplary or Coercive, regardless of the style we choose or exercise unconsciously, one thing is very clear, the key is in what is called emotional intelligence.
After having this clear, let's talk about the various leadership styles:
Authoritarian:
This is one of the most effective styles, since it makes the objectives clear, makes clear the importance of each member of the team and emphasizes the necessary commitment to the established objectives. In this way, an authoritarian leader always leaves room for the team to do its job.
Coach:
They encourage workers to set long-term development goals and conceptualize a plan to achieve them. They reach agreements with them about their role and responsibilities in achieving the development plans and offer a lot of direction and feedback.
Conciliator:
This type of leader values the personal state and emotions of his players above all else, ahead of the objectives and tasks of each player to guarantee harmony in his team. He cares about the well-being and harmony between them. It is dedicated to building strong emotional bonds and expecting them to provide loyalty. It does not impose unnecessary limits on the way its players proceed.
Authoritarian is the most effective style and is used especially in cases where trust must be rebuilt and harmony created in the team and its morale increased.
Democratic:
The person in charge of a team achieves trust, respect and commitment. By allowing others to have their say on decisions that affect their goals and actions, the democratic leader encourages flexibility and responsibility, and by listening to the concerns of others, they discover what to do to keep morale high.
This style is ideal for when we are not very clear about what direction to take and we are looking for advice and opinion. We discard this style if we train a very beginner team or one that does not have enough knowledge to advise appropriately and beneficially.
Exemplary:
Use it in moderation. In this style, the leader establishes very high levels of performance and illustrates them personally, demonstrating a certain obsession with doing things better and faster, demanding the same from his team, in this way he detects those who perform less to demand more from them, replacing them if they do not measure up. But be careful, this type of leadership destroys the good climate that has been generated in the team, fosters rivalry and fears of not being enough for the team.
Coercive:
Its main characteristic is defined in trying to ensure that its team fulfills the tasks it orders immediately, to do so it gives concrete and precise instructions. But be careful! This style is the one that offers the worst results, although it is the most used, given that it is easy to understand and has a very vertical current of thought, killing innovation and initiatives, weakening the team's sense of responsibility.
And what kind of leader are you? Comment us on our networks!
How to improve this quality? Take our master's degree in Sports Psychology and learn to apply different techniques and types of leadership in your teams.