Leadership lessons I learned from my soccer coach.
My mom was a teacher and my soccer coach in junior high and high school. She passed away last month from a long battle with Alzheimer’s.
This is an emotional piece, and I wanted to share the leadership lessons that I learned from her as I’m thinking about her and how they’ve applied to my leadership.
These are some of the leadership lessons I learned from her:
- Delegate
- Foundation
- Consistency
- Change
Leadership Lesson #1 – Delegate
Oh, my gosh, my mom was the queen of delegation. And not only did her students and her faculty know it, but so did her immediate the extended family. It was the running joke to see what my mom, Valerie or Val, used to get you to do. My mom had this unique, amazing gift for getting people to do stuff all the time. They would never push back. And everybody would gladly help. It was very nice to watch her do that and learn from her.
Leadership Lesson #2 – Foundation
As a former tomboy and high school athlete, it was no surprise mother became a Physical Education (PE) Teacher. And so it was almost natural that she coach my soccer and basketball teams.
In high school, she was my soccer coach. My mom understood a firm foundation would make us competitive. We were at the smallest school in the district and competing against other schools that had very solid programs that had been around for a long time. She understood how to do well in the game you had to know the basics – pass, dribble, trap, and be in shape. Valerie started with that as the basic strategy of the game. She went to the playoffs almost every year she coached.
I use that lesson from sports (in shape and skills) to business (focus on the solid product, systems and delivery). I find many people overlook having the basics, a firm foundation, before you move on and do all the fancy stuff. Before you put the bells and whistles on, or the shiny strategy, if you don’t understand the basics of the game of life or the game of business.
Leadership Lesson #3 – Consistency
She was tough and fair and all the students knew it. The students knew if you were going to Mrs Nelson’s PE class, she would not take any excuses. She was consistent with what she said and did. The students knew which teacher to go to when they were going to ask for something, or to bend the rules, and they were NOT going to Mrs. Nelson.
I get similar responses from some of my coaching clients. They come to me to get results and know that I don’t take excuses.
If we were out in public, it was common for kids to say hello. And some would comment that they were glad that she didn’t let them get away with stuff when they were in her class.
Leadership Lesson #4 – Change
Mother taught me in action to stay fresh, relevant, and accept change. She moved from Canada to Oklahoma to go to college. Partly because she didn’t want to work and partly because she wanted an adventure.
When she graduated from college, she went to California to find a teaching job. She began teaching high school PE. She returned to teaching after taking a break to take care of me and my brother.
Once again, she added some fresh adventures – run the school track meet, teach in the classroom for the AVID program, which is Advancement Via Individual Determination. She kept things fresh and mixed it up and learned.
As a former consultant and business owner, I learn every day.
I hope you learned from your your coaches, your girl/boy scout leaders, your clubs, your childhood and from your parents and mentors.
Please share what lessons you learned by posting below.
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