{"id":934,"date":"2020-02-14T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-02-14T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/reports\/in-2020-successful-leaders-will-have-their-ears-open\/"},"modified":"2025-12-15T05:12:22","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T05:12:22","slug":"leadership-culture-2020","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/leadership-culture-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"In 2020, Successful Leaders Will Have their Ears Open"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n\t
\n\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t
\n \n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n Feb 14, 2020 <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>Articles<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

In 2020, Successful Leaders Will Have their Ears Open<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n \n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
Category<\/div>\n Coaching & Development<\/a>, Leadership & Culture<\/a> <\/div>\n
\n
Share<\/div>\n Facebook<\/a>\n Twitter<\/a>\n Email<\/a>\n Copy Link<\/a>\n
https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/leadership-culture-2020\/<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

In this increasingly athlete-centric era it is essential for leaders to create an environment for their charges to thrive.<\/p>\n \n \n \n

\n

A Leaders Performance Institute article brought to you in association with our Partners<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

As we enter the 2020s, high performance sport is as athlete-centric as it has ever been but it is incumbent upon leaders – head coaches, general managers, directors of performance – to create the environment for athletes to thrive.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n
\n
By John Portch<\/h6>\n

It is not, however, a one-person show. Diverse skillsets and ways of thinking are needed to navigate the modern sporting landscape. \u201cIt\u2019s really important,\u201d Toni <\/span>Cumpston<\/span> of Hockey Australia tells the Leaders Performance Institute. \u201cIt\u2019s probably my role to make sure that we are hearing diverse views because what happens is that people often just go with what the head coach wants<\/span>,<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0she says of the nation\u2019s men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams, who will be medal favourites at the Tokyo Olympics this summer.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2020, e<\/span>v<\/span>en\u00a0<\/span>those\u00a0<\/span>coaches whose personalities fill the roo<\/span>m<\/span>\u00a0point to\u00a0<\/span>the input of their staff<\/span>\u00a0– at least the most successful ones listen with open ears. \u201cThe mindset of the head coach is a critical success factor,\u201d says Dave Reddin<\/span>, who formerly served as Head of Team Strategy & Performance for\u00a0<\/span>the Football Association<\/span>\u00a0[FA]<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0when discussing the<\/span>ir<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>ability to listen.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He work<\/span>ed<\/span>\u00a0closely with Gareth Southgate who, as Head Coach of the England men\u2019s national team, leads one of the favourites for this summer\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>Uefa<\/span>\u00a0European Championships. Amongst So<\/span>uthgate\u2019s strengths, Reddin describes his all too rare desire to listen. \u201cIt\u2019s not common but Gareth is an example of someone who naturally respects the opinions of others. Some can feel threatened by that or consider it a waste of time but you\u2019ve got to persist until it becomes the norm; until it becomes the culture. The head coach has got to believe that everyone can make a contribution; that there aren\u2019t any stupid ideas. They\u2019re prepared to listen and give people time to speak who will, inevitably, get it wrong.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As performance and coaching staffs proliferate<\/span>\u00a0and the performance environment becomes ever more complex<\/span>, the figurehead needs to be pre-disposed to using the resources at their disposal. It shows in England\u2019s results over the past four years but, beyond\u00a0<\/span>the headline-grabbing\u00a0<\/span>uncontrollable outcomes, there is a sense of cohesion and purpose emanating from behind the scenes.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The same can be said of the Brisbane Lions, who had not been to the AFL Finals Series in six seasons when Chris Fagan took the reins in 2016. His diligent work away from the oval gradually helped to create the conditions for the playing group to express their ability and, in his third year, the Lions reached the AFL semi-finals.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The aim for Fagan, as it is for Southgate, who led England to the\u00a0<\/span>Fifa<\/span>\u00a0World Cup semi-finals in 2018, is to go a step further. Fagan and the Lions can point to numerous critical success factors, as Reddin might put it, but listening was his chief concern on day one. He began his tenure with open ears as he interviewed every member of his playing group and support staff. \u201cThere\u2019s 46 players so it took a long time, plus every single staff member,\u201d he recalls. \u201cI wanted to know them as people so I listened and asked a lot of question<\/span>s; I wanted to find out about their personalities, their families, their backgrounds.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI also asked them all three questions; 1) What\u2019s good about this place, what are the positives? 2) Where do we need to grow and improve? 3) If you were the senior coach what would be the two or three things you would concentrate on to make this club successful? I did this for a couple of reasons; I wanted to build the relationships, I wanted to get some trust. I believe in empowering athletes so I took a lot of things they said and put them into practice. There were things I was going to do anyway but the fact is they mentioned them and they saw that put into action. I think it gave them a lot of confidence that they were going to be listened to.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fagan freely admits it was not always easy. \u201cIt took a while for us to become a good footy side and there are times when my approach was tested, but I\u2019m a big one for stability; standing for something. We stuck at it and, fortunately, it started to come into fruition in 2019.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Paul\u00a0<\/span>Gustard<\/span>\u00a0of Harlequins wished he had taken that approach sooner upon his appointment as\u00a0<\/span>the club\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>Head of Rugby in\u00a0<\/span>2018.\u00a0<\/span>He was appointed to help shape Quins into regular title\u00a0<\/span>challengers after an indifferent spell but need<\/span>ed<\/span>\u00a0his trust<\/span>ed<\/span>\u00a0lieutenants. \u201c<\/span>While I think emotional intelligence is one of my strongest skillsets, I probably didn\u2019t take time to pause,\u201d he concedes. \u201cI think the first thing is to pause and try to seek the advice of others.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Reddin and the FA are firm believers in cognitive diversity, the notion articulated by author Matthew Syed in his\u00a0<\/span>2019\u00a0<\/span>book\u00a0<\/span>Rebel Ideas<\/span><\/i><\/a>. Syed defines it as<\/span>\u00a0the inclusion of people with different ways of thinking, different views and different skill sets, as ably demonstrated by organisations such as Google or Amazon.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Syed<\/span>\u00a0is in no doubt that cognitive diversity has its place in the modern sporting landscape and Reddin\u00a0<\/span>concurs<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u201cOne very simple, practical thing we do is try to create an environment where anybody can have a voice on any topic. In other others: don\u2019t stay in your lane<\/span>.<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt is practically challenging as an organisation<\/span>\u00a0because it evolves; you don\u2019t have a homogenous group of people. I\u2019ve found in football in particular that there\u2019s a traditional, hierarchical power base; what you find in such circumstances is a reluctance amongst staff to be seen to challenge out of their lane or area of expertise. You\u2019ve got to try and create some safety around that.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI guess the easiest way of doing that is from the leader themselves,\u201d\u00a0<\/span>Reddin<\/span>\u00a0adds, returning to\u00a0<\/span>the idea of mindset<\/span>. \u201cThey welcome that input and they value the difference in perspective. Once you\u2019ve got that verbalised and role modelled, then I think it\u2019s about having the right people in the room.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Reddin\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0FA colleague Kate Baker voic<\/span>es similar views. \u201cThe FA has diversified its workforce over the last four to six years,\u201d she says. \u201cFrom a data perspective right through to a physical preparation and psychology perspective, we have practitioners from all sorts of sporting backgrounds \u2013 I came in from the Olympics and then professional rugby prior to that.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe more ideas we\u2019ve got at the table the better we are able to challenge each other and make the work better.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Gustard<\/span>\u00a0firmly believes in\u00a0<\/span>providing<\/span>\u00a0a forum for his staff. \u201cFirstly, you have to allow them the space to operate,\u201d he says. \u201cAllow autonomy, allow them to make decisions for themselves, allow people to fail; with failure you get growth<\/span>, you learn lessons. Give them trust and have faith in what they do.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Such an approach can be rewarding for the head coach, as Arsenal Women\u2019s Joe Montemurro<\/a> extols.\u00a0<\/span>The Women\u2019s Super League-winning coach<\/span>\u00a0says: \u201cIt\u2019s probably one of the most important things in my style of leadership; the ability to trust your group, the ability to give them the leeway to run with their department. I think it\u2019s one of the most beautiful and giving things in what we do.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the phrases I use a lot with my group is \u2018it feels good to give\u2019.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

What else does a winning team need in 2020?<\/strong><\/p>\n

This article featured in our latest Performance Special Report: The High Performance Manual: Winning in 2020<\/em>, which features sports organisations as diverse as Red Bull<\/strong>, the Brisbane Lions<\/strong> and the Royal Military Academy<\/strong> discussing the pertinent topics across Leadership & Culture, Coaching & Development, Human Performance and Data & Innovation. Download it now.<\/p>\n