Center for Executive Coaching

A Tale of Two Coaches, One Great and One Horrible – with Lessons for What Makes a Great Coach

Coaching athletes is different than coaching leaders, executives, managers, and other professionals in a business setting. However, recently I had the opportunity to see two athletic coaches in action – one terrific and one horrific – and the comparison offers some lessons about what makes a great coach in any environment.

My 13-year old son swims and this past week he got the opportunity to go to a clinic run by a former Olympic swimmer and medalist (one who is only 5’2” and still managed to earn medals for the USA despite her smaller height!). The comparison between her approach to coaching and his usual swim team coach was like night and day.

The Olympic Coach:

The impact on my son is that he feels motivated, excited, and willing to work hard. It is amazing what happens when someone with substance also cares about your success!

In contrast, his regular coach:

The impact this coach has on my son is demoralizing. I think the reasons he stays with the program are that he has made great friends on the team, and has a true love of the sport.

I don’t want to talk more about this second coach, because it is depressing that he is the coach for the only swim team in town near us. I am hopeful that enough parents come together to demand better coaching on this team.

Meanwhile, the first coach is a great model for what all coaches should bring to the table:

There are more coaches entering the market every day. The ones that succeed will need to be 100% sure that they emulate the qualities of the first coach described above. They are great for our profession and make the world a better place. I hope you are like her in your coaching practice, or will be when you get into the field, and that this article puts into words some of the attributes of the best of the best.

 

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