Stories of deeper purpose
Read moreThese past few weeks, I have been travelling, and having some noteworthy experiences in places such as Boston, Buenos Aires, and Mendoza, Argentina. This week, I will be speaking at several venues in Uruguay. At some point in the coming weeks, after taking time to reflect a bit on some of my learning from these places, I plan to write
Using story and ritual to forge a sense of deep purpose
Read moreThis week, I continue on the example of Phil Jackson’s use of stories of identity and group rituals to shape the culture and mindset of his teams. The basic elements of any group’s culture are expressed in its stories of identity and in its rituals. It all begins with the leader’s personal stories—stories of who I am, what I stand
Slow management, and taking the time to frame and co-create a culture
Read moreLast time, I discussed one of the soft skills I consider among the most important for a leader: the capacity to cultivate and maintain deep relationships with individual team members. When I think of the outstanding sports coaches I have worked with, interviewed or studied, I often find that they share three key characteristics—all of which I have come to
The most important of all soft skills: cultivating and maintaining individual relationships
Read moreThis week, I have been preparing an article for the British website trainingzone.co.uk, who have asked me to write something about “soft skills”. So, I decided to write about how effective leaders rely on their relationships with the individuals they manage. We often cling to the mistaken notion that the key role of the leader is to be inspirational at
Vicente Del Bosque: a study in low-key leadership, humility and authenticity:
Read moreThe more I read about Spain’s Vicente Del Bosque, or observe him at his press conferences during the recent European Nations Championship, the more I like the man and his style. He embodies characteristics that seem increasingly rare in the world of elite sports: humility, respect, and genuineness. Throughout Euro 2012, there was much talk about the difficulty of getting
The power of stories of identity in the context of sport
Read moreIt is surely not my intention to turn this into a blog about football. However, events and commentary around the European Nations cup piqued my interest last week, mostly because of the connection between sports teams and storytelling. I have thought a lot in the past about successful groups and their stories of identity—in the context of business but also