Athletic Management, 16.2, February/March 2004, http://www.momentummedia.com/articles/am/am1602/leadership.htm
Today's athletic director must be an efficient manager and an
effective leader. The trick is doing both at the same time.
By
Dr. Elizabeth Alden
Elizabeth "Betsy" Alden, PhD, is
President of Alden & Associates, Inc., and a former athletic
administrator and president of NACWAA. She can be reached through her
Web site at betsy@aldenandassoc.com.
As we enter the last season
of the school year, the question begs an answer: What have you
accomplished in your athletics program this year? The response to this
important question depends on two areas--your management skills and your
leadership skills.
An athletic director is generally expected to
oversee all aspects of the department from a management perspective
while also being a leader to the coaches and student-athletes. But how
many times, at the end of the day, do you wonder whether you actually
provided leadership to your program? Most athletic administrators
become so entrenched in the management-related tasks of their job that
they are left struggling to find the time and tools to analyze whether
they're also being effective as leaders.
In this article, I want to
answer these questions: What are the differences between management and
leadership? How does one find time to be a leader? What qualities are
most important for a leader in an athletics setting?
MANAGING
vs. LEADING
The management side of directing an athletic program is
like observing one's responsibilities through a microscope, while the
leadership side is more like looking through a wide-angle lens.
Management is micro, short-term, and smaller-scale. Leadership, on the
other hand, involves more macro, long-term, and larger-scale thinking.
And to be an effective athletic director, you need to do both.
What
makes an athletic director an effective manager? It's the ability to
systematically handle a multitude of responsibilities and tasks,
efficiently and with expertise. It is being able to ensure the bus
arrives on time to pick up the baseball team, the hazard on the
lacrosse field gets fixed, the softball coach gets an important message
from the conference office, and the track and field coach has help
setting up for her meet--all in one afternoon. With the volume of
detail-driven work facing athletic directors on a daily basis, good
management skills are necessary so that the activities of the
department can be executed in a cogent, coordinated
fashion.
Leadership is not as easy to define. It can be summed up as
the ability to lead others toward a common goal--to understand people,
build their loyalty, and nurture their abilities. But its underlying
components are more complicated. Often it is much easier to focus on
managing rather than leading because managing seems to encompass
concrete projects, daily interactions, and general administrative job
tasks.
Leadership, of course, means different things in different
settings, so let's look at the concept as it applies to intercollegiate
and interscholastic athletics. Ultimately, our job is to serve the
student-athletes from an ethical and educational perspective, with
integrity and passion--we are to be role models with a clear and honest
vision for our programs. Those words might seem unrealistically
high-minded, yet that is exactly what is expected of a leader.
In
fact, departing from those objectives is the best way to drop the ball
as a leader. For example, if we take personal liberties with the use of
facilities, such as using the swimming pool after hours when it has
been made clear that this is not allowed for others, our leadership is
questioned. Although it might seem insignificant to some people, others
will feel you only "talk the talk," but don't "walk the
walk."
Consider the less obvious examples, too. If you ask your
student-athletes to form a leadership council to give you advice, but
you never use their advice, what educational message are you sending?
If you talk about promoting your women's sports better but never
provide money or resources to make this happen, how will your staff
know when to trust you?
Another part of being a successful leader in
athletics is being competent. Coaches want a leader who follows through
on what he or she says he or she will do. They want a leader who can
set up systems that work. They want a leader who can get things done.
They want the schedule to be set, the officials paid, and someone who
can answer any questions they have--which brings us back to the
management side of the job.
Ultimately, leadership and management
are constantly intertwined. The best leadership strategy is useless
without follow-through on the management side. A poor management
strategy can hurt your ability to lead.
As an example, let's look
at athletic team transportation. The managerial tasks are to reserve,
contract, deliver, and pay for the transportation that will get teams
to away contests. It also entails making sure that the policies which
have been established for team travel are followed. At first glance, no
leadership skills seem to be needed.
However, an athletic director
who is a leader pauses when making sure all policies are followed. He
or she keeps up on the trends in transportation and safety and
considers whether the usual policies might need some alterations.
Considering the institution's climate, current trends in liability, and
the coaches' requests, the athletic director might recognize the need
to re-examine a certain policy. He or she might look at safety issues
involved with using 15-passenger vans, or re-evaluate the number of
hours a coach should drive without a break. If the athletic director
feels changes are needed, he or she creates options and presents them
to an upper level administrator, complete with supporting documentation
and recommendations.
The difference between these two sets of tasks
is that the management duties need little judgment or subjective
reasoning, while the leadership tasks depend in large part on
judgments. The athletic director must rely on his or her understanding
and interpretation of factors that are hard to measure, such as
institutional climate. Then he or she must present or withhold various
options based on that understanding.
There are differences, but also
interactions, between management and leadership, and a good athletic
director needs to be able to flex between the two roles at a moment's
notice. He or she must manage the tasks, while noticing when to put on
the leadership hat.
THINK LIKE A LEADER
Okay, be honest with
yourself for a minute. Are you ready to be a leader? Do you have a good
grasp of the management principles and tasks needed to effectively
operate an athletic department? Do you want to be a leader? Are you
comfortable with responsibility, or does it make you nervous? These are
big questions that need honest answers.
I can hear many of you
answering, "Yes, I'm ready, but how do I find the time to lead, when
I'm so bogged down with the management stuff?" That's either a really
good question, or an excuse, depending on your situation. If you are
truly inundated with signing papers, ordering supplies, and putting out
little detail fires, you may have to work especially hard to find those
leadership moments. The good news is that they are not all that hard to
fit in.
In athletic administration, leadership does not have to be
about those big "sermon on the mount" visionary speeches in front of
large audiences. Rather, you can lead by your style of management,
inclusiveness, and teamwork. Great leadership can occur during meetings
with your staff, while talking with student-athletes, and by modeling
the kinds of behavior and values that are part of your overall vision
for your program. Leadership by example is one of the most effective
leadership styles of all, because your very behaviors reinforce that
which you feel is important.
Sometimes all it takes to be a great
leader is recognizing that you want to assume the challenge of
leadership. From there, you can begin to approach the management tasks
you're already performing from a leadership perspective. This begins
when you integrate the notions of vision, institutional consistency,
and integrity into each facet of your job description. Try to view your
daily "to-do" list through that wide-angle lens--see each task as part
of the whole, not as an independent action with no philosophical basis
in anything. Lead while you manage.
However, no matter how busy you
are, from time to time, your "to-do" list ought to include an item or
two directly related to leadership, as a concrete reminder of your
larger responsibility. Maybe you could list something like "spend 15
minutes in the athletic training room talking to student-athletes and
athletic trainers," as a concrete way to provoke interaction and a
chance to reinforce your vision for the department. Engaging students
in substantive conversation about their teams and the team's place in
the institution helps create dialogue in which you can repeat those
values and behaviors that you hold in high regard. However, if you
continually put off this 15-minute chat, that opportunity probably
won't present itself, unless you are confronted by those same people
with a list of complaints.
QUALITIES TO WORK ON
Integrating
leadership into your daily routine means paying more attention to how
you make decisions, interact with others, and prioritize. Listed below
are some of the qualities that I believe are found in effective leaders
in athletic administration.
Plan for the Future: Leadership is about
understanding the past, operating effectively in the present, and
providing vision for the future. Understanding the past is
critical--having an appreciation for where your department has been will
serve you well in the present and allow you to better understand where
you might be going in the future.
Good leaders are thinking several
steps ahead, and have a plan for getting where they want to go. Many
athletic directors put together strategic plans, which create a roadmap
for their department and reduce anxiety about the future.
Proper
strategic planning involves your staff and allows for their input. By
delegating work to others, you show your confidence in them, while also
providing direction as they arrive at conclusions. Strategic plans are
also viewed very positively by senior administration. They attest to
strong leadership on the part of the director of athletics and allow
upper-level administrators to see the direction the program is trying
to take and what resources will be needed in order to get
there.
Play Follow the Leader: In this case, the "leader" is your
institution, its overall mission and vision, and the campus culture. It
is arrogant to assume that the institution will adjust to you and your
way of thinking, and that it is up to "them" to change. You need to
make the adjustments necessary to develop your vision and ideas within
the context of the larger organization. State your views in private, to
your supervisor, and try to persuade when you have your chances, but do
not be stubborn--taking on the central administration is a battle that
you will lose.
Face it, if you don't have the support of the heavy
hitters of the institution, it doesn't matter if your vision is
perfect, because it won't be allowed to see the light of day. Learn to
follow the leadership of upper-level administrators with grace.
Be a
Team Player: In my career as an athletic director, I found that
pitching in to help my staff was an effective relationship-building
method. When I was handing out equipment, working in concessions,
helping to unload a bus, or even serving as a public address announcer
for a contest, my staff could clearly see how much I respected their
job duties. It showed them that I felt their jobs were just as
important as my job. I was repaid by increased appreciation on the part
of most of the staff, and greater respect and loyalty. The extra time
spent with my managers also provided opportunities to get to know them
better, and vice versa, and sent a message that "I'm here for
you."
Don't Be Chicken: Leadership is being comfortable with risk.
Being willing to take new steps, create new programs, hire new people,
plan new buildings, and start new sports shows signs of leadership. You
need to be willing to make mistakes and learn from them--to be
vulnerable in a professional setting. It involves the ability to
analyze both the obvious, such as budgetary issues, and the less
obvious, such as political issues, and then select staff, strategies,
and tones that best suit the needs of each specific situation. And even
if you have some doubts, plan all the strategies with
confidence.
Concentrate on Communication: Great leaders are great
communicators who can utilize a variety of styles to communicate with
others. To excel in this area, you need to be an avid listener, and be
capable of delivering your message effectively. What works well with
one group may not work with others, so an athletic director must be
versatile enough to communicate effectively with all of his or her
different constituencies. Internal audiences are very different from
external audiences, and student-athletes are different from faculty. A
critical skill is the ability to discern what style of communication
would be most effective, and then choose the words, thoughts, and tones
that will get the best results.
Your method of communication will
invariably set the tone for your department, so it is better to be
positive, except in very rare circumstances. Creating a positive
atmosphere will allow your staff to relax and let their best qualities
come out, rather than being on the defensive all the time. People need
to sense that you are fair, trustworthy, and open-minded, and your
communication, both verbal and non-verbal, will go a long way to
establishing their impressions of you.
Don't Stop Coaching: I don't
mean continue being the coach of an athletic team--though if that works
in your situation, fine. I mean coaching in a broader sense. The best
leaders are those who select, train, and develop good managers and
coaches to be a part of their team. An effective leader motivates the
team to share a vision, and then cultivates staff members to support
the vision through their management decisions and practices.
Just
because you've hired them, don't expect your staff to be finished
products. Show them you care that they improve and grow. Provide
opportunities for them, both internally and externally, to gain new
knowledge and understanding. Remember, the more they develop, the
better they can implement your vision.
Foster Teamwork: They know
you're the boss, so don't remind them by being a dictator. A great
leader doesn't beat people over the head to get them to produce, but
rather encourages productivity by fostering an atmosphere of teamwork
and respect. Displaying understanding and compassion will likely earn
you more respect and loyalty than always being tough. Team members want
a leader with confidence, not arrogance, and a genuine
humility.
Ready, Set, Go
Neither management nor leadership is
easy. Both take skills, training, and practice. Since most people
perform management tasks in their daily lives, they have much more
experience in management than in leadership. Hence, the challenge of
leadership is decidedly more daunting.
As I have grown over the
years, I have found my interest in leadership increasing. Early on in
my career, I found it reaffirming to master tasks and details, as a
sort of personal "checklist of capabilities." Those management tasks
gave me confidence, but experience and maturity allowed me to make
better judgments regarding which strategy would best resolve each
situation. Only after I had gained experience and confidence managing
did I actually begin to "lead" my department.
Solid management
creates systematic competence, but solid leadership creates systematic
excellence. Effective managers help keep their organizations in place,
while effective leaders create the traction that moves organizations
forward.
sidebar
Making Decisions
Being a manager
means being prepared for all situations. Being a leader means handling
something you're not fully prepared for.
While I was the Director of
Athletics at San Francisco State University, our intercollegiate
athletics program experienced a terrible tragedy with the death of one
of our male basketball players during a practice. I was sitting in my
office on that terrible afternoon and was summoned into the gymnasium
by a frantic teammate. I walked into the gym and discovered that one of
the athletic trainers was indeed working hard to resuscitate this young
man. The coaches and team were gathered around him and it was a general
atmosphere of shock and panic.
This was a real turning point for
me. I had never dealt with the death of a student-athlete. In a matter
of seconds I seemed to experience a shift from manager of this program
to leader of this program--I started making decisions immediately in the
best interests of the student-athletes.
I knew the head coach was
working hard to deal with the situation, so I told the assistant
coaches to remove the team from the gym and to stay with them. I also
remember that during the memorial service, on a whim, I invited the
entire assemblage to come up and take a flower from a large wreath we
had in the front. By the time the service was over there was not much
left of the wreath. The days that followed were very difficult, but we
all stuck together and worked very hard to make sure the team members
got through it and that the family was taken care of.
Leadership is
about combining common sense, knowledge, experiences of others, and a
thorough understanding of the culture you are working within, and then
making decisions--sometimes very quietly--in the best interests of the
student-athletes, coaches, support staff, and others. It's not an easy
task. I remember when I first became an athletic director, having such
responsibility carried with it a weight that I sometimes wanted to
lose, even if for a brief period of time. But providing leadership can
also induce a real sense of pride in oneself, particularly if a
situation has been handled well.