Leadership Lessons from Wrestling

For many years, I had the distinct pleasure of serving as a wrestling coach, from youth through college levels. Incidentally, the photo above is of my daughter winning a match on her way to earning a medal at the first-ever girls' state wrestling championship sanctioned by the Florida High School Athletic Association last year. One of the many things I tried to impress upon the young wrestlers I coached was the importance of applying what they learned on the mat to real-life situations off the mat because I feel strongly that the lessons learned in wrestling can help make wrestlers better students, spouses, parents, employees, and leaders. To this end, I use the #wrestlingsuccess tag a bit differently than other coaches. Instead of highlighting who won what medals or who moved on to wrestle in college, I feature those former wrestlers who land their dream job, marry the love of their life, attain a new educational goal, or advance their career.

As a leader intent on helping create other leaders, I have found many lessons from wrestling that apply directly to being a better leader. In fact, I could write numerous articles on the topic. However, today I want to focus on applying specific wrestling advice from a legend of the sport to leadership roles in the workplace.

The Great JB

Those who are not fans of the sport of wrestling may not know the name Jordan Burroughs. The Great JB, as he is known among many in the wrestling community, is a reigning (and six-time) world champion, an Olympic gold medalist, a two-time NCAA national champion, and a Dan Hodge Trophy recipient, which is the equivalent to American football's Heisman Trophy. More importantly, he is an incredible person off the mat, a role model for athletes everywhere, and an amazing husband and father.

Burroughs recently made a LinkedIn post about a Saturday at a wrestling tournament where his young children competed. The post includes eight tips that the legend gives to his kids at all wrestling events. Here is the list of those tips, along with a breakdown of how this epic advice can apply to your role as a leader.

1.) Use all your moves.

Leaders face challenges every day, and there is often more than one solution to a problem. If one solution doesn't work, don't give up. Try something different. Sometimes, a variety of tactics implemented simultaneously can help improve results exponentially. For example, an organizational unit was recently assigned to me. This unit had experienced a decade-long decline in a key performance metric. After the first full timeframe in which this metric was assessed after the unit was assigned to me, we realized a nearly 17% increase in that measurement. It wasn't a single initiative that made this dramatic reversal possible; rather it was a combination of various endeavors. We used all our moves.

2.) Be willing to take risks.

The only certainty in leadership is uncertainty. If this wasn't the case, leaders would be replaced by spreadsheets and algorithms to automate decision-making. Alas, organizations depend on leaders to make tough decisions in times of uncertainty. There are times to play it safe, but wrestling coaches know that even when your wrestler is enjoying a strong lead, the situation can change incredibly quickly. As the old adage states, with great risk comes great reward. This does not mean that I condone risky behavior. Leaders must make educated, data-informed decisions that consider the long-term well-being of the organization and its employees. However, being willing and able to take calculated risks is essential to leadership.

3.) Try something new.

We live in a dynamic world, and change is accelerating. Now more than ever doing things "the way we have always done it" can lead to disaster. Before you know it, your organization is operating in a world that no longer exists. Therefore, leaders need to not only be open to change; they must embrace it. Leaders can be agents of change, but it is imperative that they also listen to their employees and support their innovative ideas that can affect meaningful, positive change in the organization.

4.) Shoot as many times as you can.

If at first you don't succeed...

In wrestling, "shooting" is an attempt to take down your opponent. Statistics indicate that the majority of matches are won by the wrestler who successfully scores the first takedown. In the workplace, leaders must try, try, and try again. We often find ourselves in unique situations where a solution is not obvious. Therefore, leaders must develop innovative solutions with little to no guarantee of success. Even when those attempts fail, a leader must strive to find yet another creative solution and continue trying until success is realized.

5.) Wrestle through every position.

The equivalent in boxing is "roll with the punches." You'll often hear wrestling coaches in the corner of the mat (and wrestling parents in the stands) yelling "keep moving!" during a match, because when a wrestler stops, his or her opponent has time to run their moves and impose their will. In the constantly changing environment where leaders operate, stagnation can be lethal. When one new initiative is successfully implemented, a leader cannot rest on their laurels. Instead, they must monitor the initiative and the environment to ensure that success continues and take appropriate action when it does not. In other words, they must keep moving!

6.) Listen to your coaches.

At first glance, this advice may look like a warning to follow orders and toe the line. However, while we all must take heed of directives from those to whom we report, more often than not in the workplace, at least for good leaders, our peers and those who report to us are encouraging us, rooting for us, and coaching us just as much as our bosses. If you're doing it right, your team members are intelligent, educated, and/or experienced professionals with valuable input that can help make them, their leader, and the organization look good. Listen to them. Most importantly, don't take credit for their ideas. You can, however, take credit for supporting their input and championing their causes.

7.) Kiss your mom after your match.

Work-life balance. This is no longer a buzzword, and it certainly isn't a fad, especially as our workforce increasingly consists of members of the Millennial generation and Generation Z. Leaders must not only support work-life balance for their employees, but they also must strive for that balance in their own life. Salaried leaders often work far more than a 40-hour work week. They attend meetings and events early in the morning, late into the evening, and even on weekends. Beyond these facts of leadership roles, I personally respond to emails, text messages, and phone calls from employees, peers, superiors, and organizational stakeholders at all hours on all days, including holidays. However, I use my sick and vacation time to unplug, refresh, and enjoy needed time with family. Additionally, I don't allow myself to feel guilty about the occasional late arrival or early departure from the workplace when workload allows. Finally, at least three days per week, my wife and occasionally my children join me for a lunch break. Remember, leaders, that you cannot pour from an empty cup. To be the best leader you can be, you need to prioritize finding that sometimes elusive work-life balance.

8.) Thank everyone who came to watch you compete.

I once heard a leader claim the unofficial title of Chief Thanking Officer, highlighting the importance of thanking those under your leadership. Showing gratitude for all of your team's efforts, big or small, not only impresses your appreciation for them but it encourages even more effective performance in the future. Perhaps more importantly, having a grateful heart improves your own attitude as well as those of the people around you, leading to even more positive change.

You Win or You Learn

As you can see, the Great JB's advice to his children as they begin their wrestling careers can also apply to your role as a leader. However, perhaps the greatest lesson from wrestling that can be applied to the real world is this. You never lose; you win or you learn. When good wrestlers lose a match, they don't despair. Instead, they focus on what they can learn from that loss and take into their next match. The lesson for leaders is, even when things don't go as you planned, reflect on what happened and apply lessons learned to the next challenge you are sure to face.