Courage, Leadership and The Matildas

Courage, Leadership and The Matildas

Our Matildas show leadership on the pitch

It has been nothing short of remarkable to see the Matildas, our national women’s soccer team, participate in the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Their historic efforts kept them in the competition all the way to the semi-finals, the best result for any Australian soccer team ever.

The nation was there with the team when they persisted through ten pairs of penalty shootouts against France (another record-breaking effort) and when they were there working so hard against England. The Matildas did us proud, finishing fourth overall following their match against Sweden on Saturday.

The Matildas have done so much and brought conversations about social, sporting and gender equality into lunchrooms around the nation. You might wonder how much room there is for leadership in a team sport- well, I say plenty. Those inspirational women showed what they were made of and brought their unique skills and attributes to form a powerful coalition.

Sam Kerr – a leader for our times

There was Sam Kerr, overcoming an injury to stand proud as captain. Sam has shown us how to be an authentic leader, determined, and tenacious. Kerr knows her strengths, embraces her individuality and urges the team to do the same.

Coach Gustafson said “Sam is an emotional player, but she has gotten much better in emotional control when she needs to say the right things. She can be the passion and the heart of the team when need be, and drive people.”

Her consistent presence on the pitch motivated and inspired the team. Kerr knows what each of her teammates is best at and does what she can to create opportunities for them.

Mary Fowler??dignity and discipline

The calm consistency of Mary Fowler, the youngest member of the Matildas team, inspired me. Can you believe this girl is only twenty years old? Even when under extreme pressure, Fowler showed nothing but poise and persistence. She’s got an incredible eye for the ball. And I was struck by what appeared to be an absolute awareness of what all the other players- teammates and opposition were doing.

Understanding your environment and assessing the challenges and opportunities is crucial for confident leadership.

Fowler clearly has a lot of insight into the importance of discipline in leadership too. When asked for the best advice she had ever received, she recalled being offered this gem “Wherever you are, start there.”

Mackenzie Arnold – the art of the comeback

Our goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold had a tough competition. But she totally brought her leadership attitude to every game. She’s living proof of my observation that success is 99% attitude and 1% aptitude.?

As a goalie, Arnold is surely accustomed to having her team rely on her. Her quiet confidence from the back row must have been so important to the Matildas during the competition. She chose to bring her familiar “I got this” attitude to every game and never once let fear get the better of her. She not only faced ten penalty kicks, she took one and scored.


Book Sonia for your next event, workshop or conference!


Corntee Vine – overcoming imposter syndrome

Then there is Cortnee Vine, one of the few Matildas based here in Australia for an Aussie team. Vine has spoken candidly about her feelings of imposter syndrome. In an interview, she commented “You think, ‘Do I deserve to be here?’, and you ask yourself, ‘Am I good enough?”

During the France game, Vine let her inner leader shine through; taking the shot that got the Matildas their ticket to the semis. Vine acknowledged those feelings of inadequacy but proved that she could show up and get the job done by pushing through the pressure.

When it comes to leadership on or off the pitch, we can learn plenty from the Matildas.

First Comes Courage

Just like I demonstrated in my book - First comes Courage. Courage in a team setting means harnessing the power of the collective. Of diversity. Of complementary strengths. Courageous leadership is essential when combining individual talents and accomplishments and directing them towards scoring those goals.

Confidence is key

Next, comes confidence. This means confidence in yourself and in your team. I truly believe that confidence is a choice. Even when there have been previous losses. Even in the face of naysayers. Even when Tall Poppy Syndrome gets in the way. Leadership means showing confidence in who you are and where you are going.

Team-based decision making?

Decision-making for a team is different to decision-making for just you. When there is a team involved, leaders need to make decisions for the team. They might not be the popular decisions.

Those decisions may cause someone to feel hurt, left out or overlooked. But a leader who understands the goal and the current conditions should make decisions for the team that give the best chance of achieving.

Great leaders make clear their approach to decision-making, they show kindness, and they share how their decision was made.


Looking for an exceptional program for Women in Leadership? Here it is!


By?Sonia McDonald?– CEO Of?LeadershipHQ?And?Outstanding Leadership Awards, Leadership Coach,?Global Keynote Speaker,?Entrepreneur, CEO, Mum and?Award Winning Author.

Our LeadershipHQ Programs

Executive & Senior Leaders

Today’s organisations need leaders who can communicate a clear vision, set and execute strategy, and drive change through uncertainty. Our Executive and Senior Leader development programs increase self- awareness, accountability and performance while supercharging leader confidence and focus. Designed for senior and executive leaders responsible for business direction, culture and performance.

Emerging Leaders

Making the transition from team member to team leader is both exciting and daunting. Our programs give executives, future, first time and frontline leaders the knowledge, skills and practical tools they need to thrive. The focus is on personal growth, communicating with impact and motivating people to achieve.

Women in Leadership

The world needs more great female leaders. Designed to accelerate and elevate women’s development, our Women in Leadership programs are delivered over 6-12 months and address the unique challenges women face in their leadership journey. Through these programs, women develop the confidence, mindset and practical skills to lean into leadership.

Women in Leadership (OWL)

Study at your own pace, in your own place as well as in-house programs

The?Outstanding Women Leaders program is a personal and professional high-impact development journey?developed by Sonia McDonald who has more than 25 years experience in Leadership and Human Resources.?The Virtual and In-House Programs offer you the flexibility you need to grow and develop as a leader, at a pace that fits with the demands of your life.

To support your journey, we combine expert online coaching plus networking with a community of like-minded women. The program includes?10?modules with a comprehensive toolkit, video presentations and masterclasses and visual?play sheets for each chapter.

LeadershipHQ Coaching

We coach individuals, leadership teams and groups, either to support self-development, as part of our leadership programs, or when a workplace conflict is unresolved.

Discover what drives and motivates you and leverage your strengths to improve personal and team performance and impact.

No matter where you are on your leadership journey, it’s never too early (or too late) to get a coach.

Cultural Transformation

Being stuck with a dysfunctional or wrong culture costs your business time, money and reputation. We’re here to help you shape the organisation and culture you want to enjoy.

We work with you to build or transform your current culture into one which is courageous, engaging and productive.

We implement strategies and workshops to design and implement vision, values, mission, and new leadership behaviours to create and nurture the organisational culture you need.

Assessments

We offer customised Pulse, Engagement, Cultural Assessments and Surveys and 360’s for YOUR Organisation, Leaders and Teams.

These tools are incredibly effective for performance management and improvement by gaining a well-rounded view of the attitudes, behaviour and performance in your organisation.

Online Self Paced Course

Looking to jump-start your leadership development?

LeadershipHQ’s Online Leadership Program is an online professional development program for emerging, first-time and frontline leaders, and professionals wanting to take their seat at the leadership table.

The program can be completed on its own or in conjunction with our facilitated programs and coaching. Work through the program at your own pace, in your own place.?

Making the transition from team member to team leader is both exciting and daunting. Our programs give executives, future, first time and frontline leaders the knowledge, skills and practical tools they need to thrive. The focus is on personal growth, communicating with impact and motivating people to achieve.

Contact us at [email protected]




CHESTER SWANSON SR.

Next Trend Realty LLC./wwwHar.com/Chester-Swanson/agent_cbswan

1 年

Thanks for Sharing.

要查看或添加评论,请登录

Sonia McDonald的更多文章

社区洞察

其他会员也浏览了