Chapter 8: The Methods of a Mentor Leader- “The Seven E’s of Enhancing Potential”
1. How are you enhancing potential & training your replacement?
This is something I learned from John C. Maxwell’s books. Lead with the intention of training your replacement with the tools, skills, and abilities to do a better job than you. Not because you set expectations of your current position are so low, but because you trained the future so well. We have our players train their replacements & make it known that it’s a requirement in our program. I train my assistant coaches the same way because I want one of them to take over the program when I leave and create more success than I ever imagined possible. I was terrible at this in the past. Of my assistants I have had over the last 7 years of head coaching, only 3 of my former assistants are currently still coaching baseball. A few moved into administrative roles or decided to focus on coaching football, but as I looked back on my career I realized the amount of impact I have left is very small. I rarely stayed in touch with most of them or tried to continue to help them grow as leaders. What I can tell you through my experiences is I learned a lot more from my failures than I ever did from my victories. I still chase down wins, but what I consider a win is not measured on a scoreboard. While I look forward to the day I can celebrate at Isotopes Park, my first priority will always be to make better people. Better People, Make Better Wildcats. I’ll finish with one of my favorite lines from Ray Birmingham’s speech this summer, “Don’t look for another job, do your job so well they come looking for you”.
Important Takeaways
Engage
-“Teamwork doesn’t tolerate the inconvenience of distance.”
-It’s critical for mentor leaders to engage those they lead. It’s impossible to mentor from a distance.
Educate
-Education is an essential building block of mentor leadership
-Because mentor leadership is all about helping others become the best they can be, it is built on a foundation of teaching, helping, & guiding.
Equip
-“Our job as a coaching staff is to show you what to do and how to do it. Your job as a player is to do it consistently”- Chuck Noll
-Mentor leaders create an environment in which others can be productive and excel.
-Equipping is an ongoing process for a mentor leader. As various tools are mastered, we can keep honing them and looking to add more.
-“Leaving the game plan is a sign of panic, and panic is not in our game plan.”-Chuck Noll
Encourage
-Encouragement is the fuel that powers our efforts to engage, educate, & equip.
-Mentor leaders care. Mentor leaders lift others up, encourage.
-Everyone needs encouragement, even when things are going well.
Empower
-True empowerment: preparation followed by appropriate freedom
-At some point, a mentor leader must turn others loose to do their jobs
Energize
-Great leaders energize and inspire those they lead.
-“Powerful Beyond Measure” –Perry Fewell (Buffalo Bills Coach in 2009) Concept that together they were more powerful than the measurement of their individual talents.
-Energize, inspire, motivate- a mentor leader does this- intentionally.
Elevate
-“Teamwork: Simply stated, it is less me and more we.”
-The ultimate goal of mentor leaders is to build other leaders
