Great coaches and leaders have their own coach

Within my role as a consultant for high performance coaches and executive leaders, believe me when I say, High Performance environments offer no hiding places.

It's ALL on the coaches. ALL on the leader.

They are Winners. At their heart, they love success and, those who have great humility and not self obsessed, love helping others on their way to world class outcomes.

A teams success, willingness to express, to perform with intensity, is a mirror of the coaches and leaders deep self awareness to be able to communicate and embody their vision, philosophy, be congruent of their values and relentless sense of SELF every single day.

Its a practise. When you live in the most ruthless environment in the world, where results are the only measurement to keep you in a job, every move and word seen by millions, It takes a tremendous amount of courage and vulnerability to be in this level of emotional intelligence on a daily basis.

Its only in courage and vulnerability can we connect deeply to others and are able to be in our TRUTH.

I support the Head of High Performance for one of the top 4 teams in the NRL in Australia, I'm his second set of eyes as well as his friend. An Englishman who has competed and won at the highest level, a winner who drives the highest of standards, yet a human being who also has self doubt and feels fear, as we all do.

We dived in to the fear he felt. The sleepless nights he was having due to knowing he had to have a conversation to release his head strength coach. He thought it was anxiety and apprehension. The guy has been in post 7 years, very, if not, too familiar with the players, and wasn't quite at the level to drive standards to world class level, at least that align to the 3 year vision for the players, staff and organisation to win everything on offer.

Now everything has a cycle. We meet things at a certain time, in our lives, at a certain place, only where our own feet are, and our duty is to, best we can, take that to a new level, then its over to someone else to take the reigns from us, from where we have placed it and again, take it to a higher place. That's the natural cycle of life, of sustained successful cultures. Right people, in the right places.

But this wasn't anxiety and apprehension.

'Am I making the right decision?'

'The boys like him. He's been a here a while, and very friendly with them'

'I've only been here 15 months, an English guy amongst all the Aussie lads'

'What if I lose the changing room if I let him go'

This was my guy feeling the ultimate performance blocker. Fear.

Fear of the The judgment of others.

Its a finite line here. If we don't sit in and understand this, we people please. We conform. We start to logically justify a decision making process, our behaviours, based on the ego staying safe and thus dimming our own light and sense of self. We repress and lose all our instincts and intuition.

'But what's the TRUTH here brother?

You, are a WINNER. You do what whatever it takes. You did as a player. You have at international level as both player and in your roles as head of performance.

What's the TRUTH? You care deeply about the players being the absolute best they can be, as athletes, as men. You want success and are so driven for them to be successful TOO.

What's the TRUTH? You have felt frustrated and angry, knowing that a career in sport is so so short, and as a player you want to achieve every success you can, and you care so deeply that the lads you work with only have the best around them, because you didn't and at times were left frustrated that some potential was left unexposed.

What's the TRUTH? That you want an environment and culture that challenges, builds resilient and fulfilled individuals, you know when your are deeply connected and fulfilled at work, you are a better man at home, a better friend, teammate, father, husband, man of the community.

What's the TRUTH J**? You are a deeply caring, loving, extremely driven, highly competitive man, that wants the only the best for himself and those around him.'

'Fuck Rick. I've tingles down my spine, and feel so clear on what needs to be done and where we are going. I know what I need to do. From a place of love and care, I'll talk to **** and let him go. I'll Sign post him to developmental areas and connect him to help him develop with the potential to one day operate at this level again, if he so has the innate drive in him to do so.'

'*** afterwards sit down with the squad, in a communication circle, and bare your soul. Tell them the above. Show yourSELF. If you want to win and be aligned with what you say you want, you have to be connected to them. Its only going to come from sharing this fear of what they would think, AKA vulnerability, the courage to share your truth, with the energy and passion of what drives you. You was a player, how would that have made you feel if your coach did that?'

'I'd run through fucking walls for him!'

The worlds best become better by having a dedicated coach for their leadership, performance and wellbeing.

He's been rewarded for his authenticity with a 3 year deal, unheard of for a Head of High Performance, because his willingness to show it all creates a level of trust and belief felt in others, reciprocated back.

Coaching and leading, be it pro sport and executive level, has changed. Winning and being number one in industry is no longer about the individual, its nurtured from the ability to elicit the gifts of collective greatness, creating win : win relationships and environments.

Having someone in your corner who has your best interests and that of all involved in the organisation in their heart.