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LESSON 7: LEADERSHIP IN SPORTS
LEADER
is someone who can see how things can be improved and who rallies people to move toward that better vision. Leaders can work toward making their vision a reality while putting people first. Just being able to motivate people isn't enough leaders need to be empathetic and connect with people to be successful.
LEADERSHIP
the art of motivating a group of people to act toward achieving a common goal.
Gardner (cited in Murray and Mann, 2001) defined leader as a person who significantly influences the thoughts, behaviors, and feelings of others. A leader guides the members to achieve goals and objectives. A coach as associated with a leader ensures that each athlete must attain team success by monitoring the team members daily sport activities, motivation, and realization of goals. Team members need a leader who is confident, self-controlled, disciplined, trusting, credible, knowledgeable, decisive, understanding, and communicative.
Sugarman (2004) pointed out that a great leader is a master in the art of communication.
Onorato (2004) described the qualities of a leader to become effective in communicating
Chelladurai (1999) defined leadership as a behavioral process aimed ng members to work toward the goals of the group. As mentioned earlier, thoughts, feelings, and actions are strongly influenced by the leader either individually or collectively in accomplishing tasks or achieving goals.
APPROACHES TO LEADERSHIP
Trait Approach
Cox (2002) defined leadership traits as relatively stable personality dispositions such as intelligence, aggressiveness and independence. Wu (2004) explains that leaders who viewed leadership traits acquire certain innate or inherent personality traits that distinguish them from non-leaders.
Behavior Approach
Wu (2004) and Cox (2002) viewed this approach as leadership with observable actions instead of personality traits. Contrary to traits, behaviors could be observed, measured, acted, and motivated. Ratzburg (2001) examined the behaviors of successful leaders based on the researchers studies from the University of Michigan that identified the two styles of leader behavior:
Production Centered Behavior. When a leader pays close attention to the work of subordinates, explains work procedures, and is keenly interested in performance.
Employee Centered Behavior. When the leader is interested in developing a cohesive work group and in ensuring members are satisfied with their tasks.
Initiating Structure Behavior. When the leader clearly defines the leader-subordinate, establishes formal lines of communication, and determines how tasks are to be performed.
Consideration Behavior. When the leader shows concern for subordinates and attempts to establish a warm, friendly, and supportive climate.
THEORIES IN LEADERSHIP
Chelladurian’s Multidimensional Model of Leadership
Chelladurai (Chelladurai, 1999), (cited in Glyn, Spink, and Pemberton, 1999), and (citedin Eiche, 2001) proposed a Multidimensional Model of Leadership that explains the characteristics of the leader and group members will interact with situational factors. The specific characteristics of an effective leader are hypothesized to distinguish as a function of model.
Eiche (2001) reveals that sport leader characteristics are the most effective for male tennis players than the various characteristics of effective leaders in other sports like women’s lacross team.
2. Mediational Theory of Leadership. Smoll, Smith, and associates (cited in Roberts, Spink, andPemberton, 1999) formulated this sport – specific theory of leadership in the youth sport.
It has two phases:
The first phase was the development of Coaching Behavior Assessment System (CBAS). It is composed of many categories describing coaching behaviors such as reactive behaviors and spontaneous behaviors.
The second phase was the use of CBAS to determine the relationship between the behavior of baseball coaches and player perceptions of coaching behaviors.
Reactive Behaviors:
Responses to desirable performance.
Reinforcement – A positive rewarding reaction(verbal or nonverbal) to a good play or good effort.
Non reinforcement - Failure to respond to a good performance.
Response to mistakes.
Mistake – contingent encouragement given to a player following a mistake.
Mistake-contingent technical instruction - Instruction or demonstration to a player on how to correct a mistake he or she has made.
Punishment - A negative reaction, verbal or nonverbal, following a mistake.
Punitive technical instruction - Technical instruction following a mistake given in a punitive or hostile manner.
Ignoring mistakes - Failure to respond to a player's mistake.
Responses to misbehavior.
Keeping control - Reactions intended to restore or maintain among team members.
Spontaneous Behaviors
Game-related
General technical instruction - Spontaneous instruction in the techniques and strategies of the sport (not following a mistake).
General encouragement - Spontaneous encouragement that does not follow a mistake.
Organization - Administrative behavior that sets the stage for play by assigning duties or responsibilities.
Game-irrelevant.
General communication - Interactions with players unrelated to the game.
3.Fiedler’s Contingency theory.
Fiedler (1967) originally posits that this theory is a two – way interaction between a measure of leader task – motivation versus relationship motivation, and a measure of what was initially referred to as “situational favorableness” and later relabeled “situational control”.
4. Path-Goal Theory.
House and his associates (2000) explain this theory as leaders who are effective
because of their impact on subordinates motivations, ability to perform effectively, and satisfactions.
5.Life cycle theory.
Cox (2002) maintains that this theory emphasizes the leadership behavior on the
subordinates and not on the leader. Cox (2002) defined maturity as the capacity to set and obtain goals, willingness and ability to assume responsibility, and education and or experience. The appropriate leadership style for any specific situation depends on the maturity of the subordinates.
6. Normative Theory of Leadership.
Vroom and his associates (cited in Wann, 1997) proposed this theory to leaders who make decisions must have the proper amount of input given to the subordinates.
Autocratic I (AII)
The leader makes the decision alone with the information already available.
Autocratic II(All)
The leader acquires information from subordinates and then makes the decision alone, using the information gathered.
Consultative (CI)
The leader consults with subordinates individually, acquiring information and their suggestions/comments. The leader then makes the decision alone, using the information gathered.
Consultative II (CII)
the leader consults with subordinates in a group meeting, acquiring information and their suggestions/comments. The leader then makes the decision alone, using the information gathered.
Group Decision (GII)
the leader consults with subordinates a group meeting, acquiring information and their suggestions/comments. The leader and subordinates then make the decision together.
7. Attributional Theory of Leadership.
Wann (1997) maintains that this theory focuses on leaders' evaluations of the performance of subordinates and chat the attributional process has an impact on the evaluations.
COMPONENTS OF EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP
Leader's Qualities. Parcells
(cited in Weinberg and Gould, 1999) mentioned the qualities of the footballcoach and a winner of two Super Bowls which had proven successful in leadership.
Integrity - A leader's philosophy must have a sound structure, must be rooted in his basic values, communicated and accepted throughout the organization, resistant to outside pressure, and remain in place long enough to allow for success.
Flexibility - If you're doing something just because it has always been done that way, then you may be missing an opportunity to do better.
Loyalty - The first task of leadership is to promote and enforce collective loyalty, also known as teamwork
Confidence - If you want to build confidence in your players and coaching staff, give them responsibility and decision-making capabilities and support them in their attempts.
Accountability - You can't build an accountable organization without leaders who take full responsibility.
Candor - When sending a message, it's nor enough to he honest and accurate. The impact of the message will hinge on who is receiving it—and what they are willing to take in at that time.
Preparedness - Well-prepared leaders plan ahead for all contingencies, including the ones they consider unlikely or distasteful.
Self-discipline - There is always a way to compete, even against superior forces, but it requires strict adherence to a calculated plan.
Patience - Patience is rarest—and most valuable—when an organization is performing poorly. Its not enough to know what changes must be made; it's equally important to decide when to make them.
POWERS OF LEADERS
Expert Power.
The ability to change another individual's attitude or behavior because a person is believed to be knowledgeable, skillful, or talented in a certain area.
Legitimate Power.
The ability to change another individuals attitude or behavior because of a persons position in the organization.
Referent Power.
The ability to change another individuals attitude or behavior because a person is liked and respected by the group members.
Reward Power.
The ability to change someone's attitude or behavior a person has access to one or more desired rewards.
Coercive Power.
The ability to change someone's attitude or behavior because a person controls access to one or more punishments.
Power Source.
The source elements are enablers who possess competence, relationships, and motivation.
Power Impact.
The impact elements are what the enablers influence in an organization that include knowledge, integration, and energy/edge.
SUMMARY
In sports, leadership involves directing a team to a common goal and also requires motivation, discipline, and teamwork. A leader is someone who has a vision of achieving something and inspires others to achieve it with them. Yet, motivation alone is not sufficient; leadership also needs understanding, proper communication, and genuine people skills.
Gardner claims that a leader has the great power to control and shape the thinking, doing, and feeling of those around him or her. In sports, coaches serve as primary leaders, for they, for instance, make sure that all members of the team are motivated, disciplined, and working for the common good of the team. Sugarman notes how other great leaders had to learn to communicate, think, and give actions that improved a team's performance. Onorato states the further point that a good leader does not only talk but motivates his or her athletes, analyzes them, and trains them to become leaders themselves as well.
Leaders can be categorized differently. The Trait Approach indicates that there are qualities that a leader must possess, such as brains and being self-sufficient. On the other hand, the Behavior Approach places more importance on what a person does rather than what they are. Studied cases point out two main behavioral patterns in leadership: organization-centered leadership, which refers to leaders who are concerned about how things get done and how well they do them, and people-oriented leadership.
“Chelladurai’s Multidimensional Model” Supporting Chelladurai, he said that the effectiveness of leadership depends upon the leader and team’s members characteristics, and circumstantial components. He said that the effectiveness of leadership involves a system where leaders and employees interact to determine decisions and perform activities. With the second author missing. “The Mediational Theory” The second author’s argument shows how coaching acts affect an athlete's perception of performance so them as a performer. With missing authors still in. “Fiedler’s Contingency Theory” The succeed of the leadership depends with what the leader is in control of, either relationship-focused or task-oriented and how dominant they are in a given situation. Path-Goal Theory To these leaders, motivation, ability, and satisfaction can be increased with attention from the athlete with a change of their approach to his athlete. He is very knowledgeable on Life Cycle Theory Ability of a team members indicates the amount of control that is needed and exercise by a team leader. Subordinate's decision making involvement in the organizational constituent's structure is decided and defined by Nomative Theory. The managers are the last one within employees the final decisions are decided upon what they consider appropriate, that the performance shows an individual's failure because of external determinants Attributional, effective sports leaders possess certain personal traits that include integrity, flexibility, and self-discipline, confidence, accountability, and preparation. In addition to that, they are expected to know the different forms of leadership power. Power that is derived from the authority of the person’s position grants legitimacy power. An expert's power comes from a person's knowledge and Referent Power has different leaders and peers relatable to The Power of Relation.
REFLECTION
The school environment is unlikely to be the place where the individual may develop a personal discipline and lead a school life with discipline, for it is the environment of participation in sports that can rarely be developed in school. Besides promoting individual's progress, sports also highly contribute to the development and prosperity of a team or an organization, in particular, a well-rounded leader who motivates and captures the attention of the team is likely to promote success. From my point of view, a leader is not just a captain or a coach but a person who gives motivational speeches, fulfills the role of a model, and is a reference for others on how to act and move forward. To my mind, the most powerful thing I have realized is leadership is not just a marketing word, it is a relationship, an interaction, and above all, it is empathy. Leadership supposes that the leader plays the roles of both inspiration and support but that they are kept in perfect balance. It is of course a quite central idea that everybody can be a leader unlike born leaders so true leaders take a long time to become. As far as some people are concerned leadership comes naturally while others develop the required skills along with the consciousness of it. So, I can dare to say that my leadership skills have no limits for they are only exploited by my imagination. I have just started to figure out how it works, having confidence that self-discipline and self-directed change will work wonders in sports and help me improve in other life areas. Leadership in sports is a reflection of collaboration too. The leader can do nothing without the assistance of the team, hence, a leader is also nothing in isolation. It pushes me to develop my skills as a leader and become a person who can motivate and inspire others.
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