We are all battling our own demons. I respect that. As long as you are in the fight, you have the right to stand in front of others and ask them to better themselves. The worst trainer, coach, instructor…. is the person who stands in front and holds students to a higher standard than they have ever held themselves or are willing to even attempt. I don’t think anyone is perfect or can be perfect, but we must be in the struggle to find perfection if we are demanding it of others.
The coach who quit on themselves should never be surprised when their followers quit in any way. You don’t have to be a world champion to be a leader or create a champion, but you have to demonstrate the desire, the discipline, and the skills necessary to be world class. In many cases you have failed athletes that learned from their mis steps that went on to be amazing coaches. These are people that were never defeated because they turned their experience into championship caliber coaching.
If you choose to be a leader, lead and hold yourself to a standard that inspires. If your followers are making excuses for you, you have a problem. If the only history you have to celebrate is distant, you have a problem. It is not what any of us did yesterday, it is what we do today. Yesterday matters but only if it is making today better. Stop being a storyteller and start being a leader who gets things done better and better each day to the accumulated knowledge and experience of yesterday.
To many people let the room do the work. It is not the coaching but the group of talented people that are pushing each other. Coaches that take credit for this work are frauds. Real leaders lead from the front and put in the same time as their team. Leading comes in many forms but none of it involves absentee leadership. If you are not committed to putting in the time, go do something else.
Respect has to be earned daily. Past glory fades when the lessons are not carried forward. Demons unchallenged will become the burden of everyone around you. Everyone has their own struggles to deal with, don’t make them carry your’s too because you feel people owe you for something done in years past. Carry your own load and teach others to do the same.
Brian Wright