Courage of Conviction
How courageous are you as a coach? Your team will sense any trepidation you have in your decisions, and you have to make tough choices as a head coach. It’s part of the job.
To make tough decisions I’ve always felt you have to be confident in who you are and what you believe in. You have to have a clear set of values that matter to you, that you won’t bend on when things get tough. For me our compete level every day, the way we treated others, and trust were not negotiable. If somebody didn’t go to class they weren’t going to play - I can’t trust you. If someone went through the motions in practice they were going to lose playing time - practice was sacred, and our compete level was our identity. We controlled that.
When you have a clear vision of your values and you stick to them, the tough decisions aren’t actually that tough. It allows you to lean on and strengthen your culture, rather than show cracks in it in search of winning.
In one of my early years as a head coach I had a key player screwing around in study hall two days before a big road game against our rival. It wasn’t clear what exactly happened - he had an excuse - but he didn’t get his hours in for the week. Our academic coordinator and our AD said we should just get through the weekend and we’d figure it out on Monday. But that didn’t sit well with me. He hadn’t gotten his hours, and if you didn’t get your hours in, you didn’t play. I sat him for the big game on the road that weekend, but made him come on the bus and sit on the bench in street clothes. We had a huge win that helped us win the league, and he had to sit there and watch his teammates play without him.
Was that a tough decision? I guess you could say that, but ultimately if our culture was important to me, and our values mattered, it wasn’t that hard. If you screwed around in study hall you weren’t going to play. Our guys knew that. He didn’t play. I’m glad we won the game - and part of me believes that the strength of our culture helped us win that game. Our culture got a lot stronger that day.
Your core values aren’t actually values until they are tested. If, once they are tested, you don’t follow through on them, they aren’t values. They are preferences. And there is a big difference.
I really enjoyed this post from Admired Leaders on courageous leadership:
Courageous leaders have the same fears and trepidations as everyone else but make the choice to act anyway. We know a leader is courageous by what they do.
We’d all agree that it takes courage for leaders to admit their mistakes, buck a trend, challenge consensus, ask for criticism, and send tough messages.
It’s not clear to many experts as to why some leaders can act courageously and others seem to fold in the face of challenge and discomfort. The idea that leaders can develop their courage seems a foreign idea to those who believe courage and bravery are innate qualities leaders are born with.
Yet, studies of leaders who consistently exhibit courage have revealed that values play a much more important role than any link to family history. A deep commitment to a potential outcome or a strong belief about an issue or person allows leaders to behave more courageously.
This is commonly known as the courage of conviction. Leaders rally their ability to stare down their fear when they have a powerful conviction about the people or issues involved.
Look a little closer at leaders who behave courageously and you will learn that it is the steadfast commitment to personal values that matters most. Leaders who know their values and stick to them regardless of the circumstances or social pressure are more likely to act courageously. In the face of extreme challenge, where fear can easily take over, they brace themselves with their values and do what needs to be done.
Leaders can learn to become more courageous by reviewing their core values and establishing a deep and abiding commitment to them. Reminding themselves of what they stand for and saying so frequently with their team helps to bolster courage when it is needed. Any leader can become more courageous by becoming a more values-based person.
Having courage doesn’t mean leaders run toward danger or relish trepidation. It means leaders don’t let fear stop them from acting. Knowing and acting on their most deeply cherished values is how the best leaders push through and act courageously.