https://youtu.be/kIOeWPZIy4w
In the gym and probably every business, everyone wants to be the leader when things are going well. Everyone wants the credit when there is success but no one wants to be held accountable during rough water.
A leader is there at the helm of the ship in calm water they do their best to avoid rough water but unexpected storms come up. That leader needs to be willing and able to navigate those waters as well.
When I go into gyms for clinics, I get to see everyone on their best behavior. The gymnasts, the coaches, the parents. I always try to follow up through e-mail to see if they have any questions. This tends to be when I hear about any problems in the gym. How they are dealing with the rough water.
As an owner of my gyms, I try to be hands on as I can with out micro managing. Like a marriage, My staff need to know that I am there for them through good times and bad, in sickness and in health. When things are running smoothly I want my staff to bask in the glory and feel the reward. When things are rough, they need to know I’ve got their back.
Do I take credit for their accomplishments?
Hell yes.
I was smart enough to hire them and let them do their job.
A leader at any level, can choose to lead by example. Or not… and not play by the same rules you expect others to. But why would you want to?
There are two highly practical reasons why leading by example makes excellent sense in the gym.
1) It’s effective.
2) It makes people want to follow you.
It sets the right tone for other coaches and teachers in your gym. Those coaches tend to closely watch how their leaders behave. It disarms any resentment that may be felt, rightly or wrongly, toward those higher up the chain. It’s difficult to resent managers and head coaches who “roll up their sleeves” and wade into the trenches when they need to, and who share the same sacrifices their teams do. As famed philosopher and physician Albert Schweitzer once put it, “Example is not the main thing in influencing others; it is the only thing.”
The flip side of this coin is that not leading by example is one of the simplest and most needless ways to alienate people in the gym. In my experience, I have seen numerous gyms undermined this way. I have seen the careers of extremely talented coaches not reach their full potential because they didn’t exhibit the same behavior they asked of others. It’s a quick recipe for lost loyalty.
https://youtu.be/cwN_DlsC8PY
