{"id":9840,"date":"2022-06-08T19:42:44","date_gmt":"2022-06-08T19:42:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/?post_type=article&p=9840"},"modified":"2025-12-15T05:11:35","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T05:11:35","slug":"in-an-era-of-player-power-how-can-you-protect-your-teams-culture-and-vision","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/in-an-era-of-player-power-how-can-you-protect-your-teams-culture-and-vision\/","title":{"rendered":"In an Era of Player Power, How Can you Protect your Team\u2019s Culture and Vision?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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\n 8 Jun 2022 <\/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 an Era of Player Power, How Can you Protect your Team\u2019s Culture and Vision?<\/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
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Category<\/div>\n Leadership & Culture<\/a> <\/div>\n
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https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/in-an-era-of-player-power-how-can-you-protect-your-teams-culture-and-vision\/<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n\n\n
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By Lorena Torres Ronda<\/h6>\n
At the top level of high performance, there is constant pressure to achieve success.<\/h6>\n

In the pursuit of success, there is likely to be more than one \u2018good\u2019 performance plan. Success can be viewed through a number of different prisms, can be defined in very different ways, and can be achieved through a range of approaches.<\/p>\n

Leadership styles can be formal (bestowed through job title or position) or more informal (such as the role of influencers) but it is the leader who sets the values and principles of work that will fundamentally mark the direction of the project. The vision for a project \u2013 and the path to success \u2013 will be determined by the leader.<\/p>\n

The identity of that leader, or leaders, is significant. There are, for example, world-renowned teams whose organizational values outweigh the aura of the individual. These include the New Zealand All Blacks, the NBA\u2019s San Antonio Spurs or, more recently, English Premier League champions Manchester City. They are known for being winners and have what is widely regarded as a \u2018great culture\u2019. Yes, they have or have had charismatic leaders, whether it\u2019s players, coaches or managers, but there is no single individual on these teams who is bigger than the team and their pursuit of success.<\/p>\n

Of late, however, there are certain organizations where leadership appears to be driven by an individual (often a star player). Are there serious repercussions to this approach in the present and future of these organizations?<\/p>\n

Organizational leadership<\/strong><\/p>\n

Who sets the overall vision of an organization? That person should know today\u2019s vision and understand where is it going. That sounds good in theory but, as noted above, this is an era where players have a lot of power \u2013 in some cases even more than the coach or the manager. In fact, there are some organizations who deliver the present and the destiny of the organization to the star, or franchise player, of the current moment. This can involve enlisting them to shape the vision and it can also include eliciting the ideas and opinions of the superstar in the construction and direction of the team, which remains paramount. Any team adopting this approach must do so with caution since it may negatively impact the direction of the organization and the individuals that collectively form the team. These people (from managers to interns) will be the ones that, at the end of the day, should promote and act according to the values on which the organization is based.<\/p>\n

The leaders who hold the vision, present and future, are the ones responsible for creating and communicating this vision, conveying direction and meaning. Moreover, they also have the responsibility for building the structure of the team, creating the roles, responsibilities or points of interdependence. And, finally, motivating individuals so that they follow the vision (with shared vision, goals and objectives) and support the development of its staff members with a view to retaining talent within the organization (especially in a moment where staff members are willing to leave when working under conditions that do not allow for personal development, professional growth; where there can be a frustrating environment, egos, unnecessary pressure, inadequate remuneration for responsibilities and role, and the like).<\/p>\n

Individual leadership<\/strong><\/p>\n

Leadership can derive from formal leadership \u2013 the leader\u2019s title or position in the organization \u2013 but also from a charismatic personality. As a leader, one has to ask: what kind of leader do you want and hope to be? In management or director positions, dedicating time to others, planning and guiding will be a fundamental part of those roles; a work oriented to the development of others is also part of the mission. Therefore, in thinking about what characteristics are going to define you as a leader, it will be essential to have a base of coherence, that your thoughts, words and actions are on the line.<\/p>\n

However, when a leader is at the service of others, a facilitator to accompany, direct, guide, etc., there must be a safe environment. Knowing who is \u2018the boss\u2019, meaning who will make the final decision (leadership or players) will be important in the process of building the entity’s vision and mission, for the short or long run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Quick leadership checklist<\/strong><\/td>\nExamples<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Determine a leadership objective based on specific and strong values.<\/em><\/td>\nPersonal: Authenticity, empathy, vulnerability<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Professional: Collaboration, Curiosity, Creativity, Courage, Communication, Trust<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Determine what kind of presence you want to project.<\/em><\/td>\nCharisma<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
How will you manage your emotions in times of change, stress or difficulties.<\/em><\/td>\nStable, firm and presence realistic attitude; keep calm in the chaos<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Think about what you say, when and how.<\/em><\/td>\nKnow the context, be visionary, be strategic<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Firmness and kindness at the right times.<\/em><\/td>\nRadical candor<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Body language for the different contexts.<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Determine key points in conversations.<\/em><\/td>\nAsking questions, listening, giving feedback, negotiating authority, linguistic style<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Charismatic leaders can present themselves as true towers of strength, but it is difficult to succeed alone. Create a work team that makes you a better leader, a work team that helps you, advises you, provides perspective and supports and celebrates the moments of success with you. It is also important to let others lead. Natural-informal (non-formal) leaders can have a lot of influence on certain projects, and on people, as they can be very powerful. Detecting natural leaders, guiding them and at the same time giving them autonomy can be a formidable tool for a high performance program.<\/p>\n

Strategic leadership<\/strong><\/p>\n

The mission, the vision and the core values should be above those of the individual, although they emanate from a visionary leader, and the management must ensure that the behaviors are in line with these. Defining who in the organization manages and leads the vision of where you are and where you are going should not be dependent on individuals, even if these individuals are strong promoters of the vision.<\/p>\n

Now: where does the balance need to sit between meeting long-term goals (such as player development, injury prevention or the future of the organization) and the need to win \u2018today\u2019?<\/p>\n

There is a trend across pro sports that organizations with less competitive pressure are capable of building projects with medium and long-term visions, working in safer areas, building from collaboration, guidance and delegation, managing egos, innovation, creativity and job security. Stability, trust, protection or support seems to allow talent to develop their tasks in a safer environment, with innovation and creativity and at the same time with room for improvement when things are not going in the right direction or aren\u2019t working well. However, the moment the team begins to have \u2018winning\u2019 goals and pressure, or when it builds around a certain core of players, does something then happen? Are those environments more pressured by the umbrella of fear? Does this happen specifically in big markets? Is there a different culture depending on the market (small vs big) in the long term goals? Who is responsible for ensuring the environment that protects the identity of the organization?<\/p>\n

In conclusion, it is worth reflecting on the words of renowned American investor Ray Dalio, who said: \u201cAn organization is a machine consisting in two major parts: culture and people.\u201d He explained that you need to get the right culture and the right people, and for any organization to function well, \u201cits work principles must be aligned with its members\u2019 life principles\u201d, so that the vision is clear, and the mission is shared.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n

\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the pursuit of success, there is likely to be more than one \u2018good\u2019 performance plan. Success can be viewed through a number of different prisms, can be defined in very different ways, and can be achieved through a range of approaches.<\/p>\n

Leadership styles can be formal (bestowed through job title or position) or more informal (such as the role of influencers) but it is the leader who sets the values and principles of work that will fundamentally mark the direction of the project. The vision for a project \u2013 and the path to success \u2013 will be determined by the leader.<\/p>\n

The identity of that leader, or leaders, is significant. There are, for example, world-renowned teams whose organizational values outweigh the aura of the individual. These include the New Zealand All Blacks, the NBA\u2019s San Antonio Spurs or, more recently, English Premier League champions Manchester City. They are known for being winners and have what is widely regarded as a \u2018great culture\u2019. Yes, they have or have had charismatic leaders, whether it\u2019s players, coaches or managers, but there is no single individual on these teams who is bigger than the team and their pursuit of success.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":9841,"menu_order":0,"template":"","categories":[20],"pathway":[295],"topic":[308,334,338,299],"sport":[324],"class_list":["post-9840","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-leadership-culture-performance","pathway-leadership-development","topic-influence","topic-leadership-of-self","topic-listening","topic-team-building","sport-basketball"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nIn an Era of Player Power, How Can you Protect your Team\u2019s Culture and Vision? - Performance Institute<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/in-an-era-of-player-power-how-can-you-protect-your-teams-culture-and-vision\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"In an Era of Player Power, How Can you Protect your Team\u2019s Culture and Vision? - Performance Institute\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In the pursuit of success, there is likely to be more than one \u2018good\u2019 performance plan. 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