This week’s focus: My son was playing football for a team where the coach is both competitive and highly strung. A few weeks ago, the coach became so frustrated with how the team was playing that he saw red. “RELAX!” he screamed at one of the boys as the ball looped in the air towards the hapless teenager, perhaps in the mistaken hope that this would somehow transform the lad into a ball-playing genius.
Unsurprisingly, the boy froze and, instead of controlling the ball and curling a delicious shot into the top corner of the goal, the ball simply bounced off his body as if he was a brick wall and went out for a throw-in.
As a leader it’s not what you say that people necessarily notice; it’s how you behave. It’s not your speeches or the banners in the hallways or the messages on the intranet that tell people what’s important; it’s your off-the-cuff remarks, your decisions and how you behave that are more important.
What are the behaviours that you’re exemplifying and how could you make sure that they always reflected your real priorities?
Off the record: Relax by Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Shoot it in the right direction
Make making it your intention
Live those dreams
Scheme those schemes
Got to hit me, hit me
Hit me with those laser beams
© Stuart Cross 2016. All rights reserved.