Most sports programs are organized with leadership and a chain of command. You have the athletes who listen to a team captain. The team captain listens to the coach. The coach usually listens to a director, who listens to the board of the organization. It is important to make sure that the leaders help to create a positive atmosphere.
Leaders Should Be Role Models
Being a role model is important in sports. The directors, coaches, and captains should model the behavior that they expect from the players. If they want the team to stand for certain values or goals, they need to show that they stand for it first.
One of the keys to this is open and honest communication, along with treating everyone with respect. This will make an impression and lift the attitude of the entire team. In these cases, leadership is always a full-time role model, and they need to know that they represent the organization they are involved with.
Leaders Should Be Decisive
Making decisions, sometimes on the spot, is part of a leadership position. The directors must make difficult choices about what is best for the entire program, and if they have trouble making decisions, it can cause everyone below them to feel uncertain. They need to make decisions with confidence and commitment.
They will also make decisions to prevent or mitigate conflicts. There are times when players may go to the coach to resolve a problem, or coaches may go to directors. The leader needs to be able to make a decision by weighing what is best for the organization as a whole.
Leaders Need to Communicate Effectively
One of the most important roles of leaders is effective communication. If the athletic director isn’t able to do this, the whole organization will fall apart. This involves more than speaking. They need to listen and understand the concerns of those in the organization. This helps to create a supportive environment, which creates loyalty within the organization.
After listening and showing empathy, directors need to share their decisions. This needs to be done clearly and confidently. Directors who are aloof end up with players and coaches who are less committed to the program, and there are likely to be higher turnover rates of both staff and players.