Why I Coach with a Little 'C' Mindset
I know little about soccer (football to most of the world). I absolutely can not at this time always tell you when someone is offside, but at least two of my 3rd-grade players can. And that is why I coach with a little c.
Coaching with a little 'c' is a mindset. It is something that I learned in my 22 plus years of studying taekwondo, among other things. We practice having an empty bowl, always striving to learn more. I take that same mindset on to the pitch or even the basketball court. It means that even as an authority, I can still learn too. In that openness to learning, which is two-way communication, I can lead.
Some may say that is fine for a bunch of 3rd graders. After all, I have coached other sports, and the basics of spacing, ball control, passing, scoring, and communication are a basic foundation. I think any coach will tell you that communication is the largest by far.
What does all of that have to do with leading? There are basics to being a leader that many of us also know, but we don't put into a positive effect. We know we have to be authentic, listen, empower, inspire, make decisions (that no one wants to), and make a plan.
The little 'c' mindset allows me to be able to follow, not just lead. It allows me to stop and find positive new ways to do things. It keeps me humble enough to recognize my shortcomings before pointing out someone else's. Most importantly, is, of course, it allows me to communicate openly. Doing the communication allows for all of the other things to happen.
The art of communication is often lost in our day-to-day interactions with those we communicate with the most. We create a mindset of being an authority on the person we are talking to. We all do it, including me. I am thankful that I can bring awareness back to myself and check my consideration of what I interpreted as potentially not being what that person said.
Being open to not being the authority allows others to contribute to me as much as I contribute to them. It doesn't make us even as in I contribute to them and them back to me. It means that we are both growing together, and that is inspiring. Those interactions can be seen by others and allow for them to contribute too. Suddenly, we are all contributing, and no one keeps score of who did what because we are all winning. Coaching with a little 'c' mindset.
Please understand that as applicable as many of these thoughts are to business, I didn't specifically, until now, mention business operations. I am talking about life. Be it being a business leader (not necessarily a manager or supervisor), or coach, or parent, or volunteer, you don't have to know everything to be a good coach, but you do have to be coachable. I try to do that with a little 'c' mindset.