8 Comments

  1. jclifford

    “Teams with a democratic leader will have more commitment to the team and a greater productivity. The team feels like their opinion matters and they all have say in decision. ”

    Thought this was a really interesting part in your paper Olivia. Leadership is something thats so unique and can really change how a team performs. The more I read about successful leaders in todays sporting environment it seems most of them are of the democratic style.
    However, I would comment this is a huge change from 15-20 years ago and beyond. Most of the successful leaders were Authoritarian and that was always just seen as the way to be a great coach. It is not just an old fashioned American Football Head Coach thing, I had the same coaches growing up in Scotland that just told us the way things were and there was no way we were allowed to question it. Todays world is definitely different and athletes want and input and perform better in most cases when they are bought in and feel they have an influence on the team.

  2. rmayhan

    As a middle school teacher for many years, I learned quickly that I needed to develop close relationships with our coaches. I knew that if a student was struggling academically I could go to the coach and have him or her talk to the student. I knew things would change. If the student forgot to do homework because of a game, I would also have a discussion with the coach. The student would get a talking too and the coach would reinforce what we were expecting in the classroom. I truly appreciated all the advice our coaches would give to the junior high kids in terms of that academic and behavior reinforcement. I think both types of coaches are important to get the goals of the team and students achieved.

  3. amiller17

    I completely agree with the statement you made about both styles of coaching are needed, just as both types are leaders are needed in a school. What I find the hardest is how to manage to be both types of leaders in myself. I, like you, grew up in a very authoritarian household. Thus, running my classroom that way felt the most comfortable. However, as an early elementary teacher, I had to remember that my students were learning and needed guidance to make the right decisions. As you described, I found the balance by being very strict in the procedures of how I ran my classroom, while being more gentle and guiding in social matters and matters of personal development. It is funny, that since becoming an administrator, I find myself in the same struggle again – how to enforce the rules but being sensitive to the individual circumstances of each teacher and working with them to problem solve.

  4. pmartinez48

    You used a lot of great personal experiences. In your paper you stated that, “there are two main ones that stand out in most leadership roles. The authoritarian and democratic leadership styles are used in all organizations.” As a leader one must determine which type of leadership style best suits themselves. I think that there should be a balance. A leader cannot always simply be a dictator, but should also know how, and when, to collaborate with others. This will take time. I am wondering if there have been any studies done that show the coach’s leadership style and if there is a direct correlation to wins/loses for a team.

  5. mlopez100

    Olivia,

    Your description of leadership styles you encountered as an athlete could easily be translated to what teachers use in the classroom and what educational leaders use with their faculty. I found your quote, ” The reason why I could handle this type of coaching is because of the way I was raised” (p. 3) very interesting. It made me wonder if teachers feel the same way in regards to the transition of administration. Different principals came in and some connected more with one admin than they did with another. A quote that really called out to me was when you said, “I led by example and I was a vocal leader” (p. 4). I think that this is very important on and off the field, in and out of the classroom. Leading by example shows consistency and persistence in all that you do, which shows others what is expected and they should not be caught off guard with your responses. Finally, the last quote that resonated with me said, “Unsuccessful coaches are the one that fail to recognize what their team needs to be successful” (p. 7). Again, in the teaching field, we need to know our students in order to successful in our classroom. Our ultimate goal is to teach our students in a way that they are contributing citizens to our community. That calls for a balance of leadership styles.

  6. ephillips8

    I really liked how you said “leaders motivate and inspire athletes,” leading is about a lot more than control and demands. Great leaders lead with positivity in order to motivate and inspire athletes to reach their fullest potential. Authoritarian leadership can be both a good thing and bad thing in my opinion, it is good to have set standards and regulations in an institution but controlling every minute detail about a persons life outside of the organization seems extreme. I personally prefer the Democratic leadership style, especially as you get into higher levels of play. Let’s say at the college level, at this point an athlete will know their sport inside out and usually will know they’ve made a mistake and take action to correct it, these athletes do not need constant harping to make the positive changes. Another reason I think the democratic style of leadership would be more beneficial in a college setting, is because if you keep windows of communication open and speak about expectations, the coach does not need to do all the work and the responsibilities are shared between coaches and players to maximize their potential as a whole.

  7. cboggess2

    Olivia,

    I great read on leadership, what it takes to be a leader, and personal growth you made as a leader. “Leadership is the way a coach leads their team. It’s an act of guidance, direction, control, management, and supervision. Leaders help create a vision for the future” (P2). You spoke on a lot of the same qualities which make teamwork successful. Some of the understandings that were similar were vision, goals, and trust. Teamwork isn’t just between the players but the coaches and players as well. You made that as a clear way to be a leader.

    Also, really enjoyed reading about how you changed as a coach and leader yourself. It is not always easy understanding that you have to change when you think something is the right way majority of your life. Being personable and caring with one on one attention goes a long way with showing that you are a leader who genuinely cares about their players. That open communication that you spoke about shows the type of leader you will be one day!

  8. jzibluk

    Leadership itself is such a strange position to have because no matter what you do, you will always have people who dislike what you’re doing or just want to cause problems. I think it’s a good idea to link your coaching style to the mindset you had as a player, as it increases the connection you have to your teammates and allows you to remain both empathetic and in-tune with their thoughts. This allows you to avoid detachment from the people beneath you, something I find causes a lot of trouble with people in a leadership role.

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