Are You The Leader You Wish You Had?

One of my favourite parts of interviewing exceptional leaders and businesspeople on my podcast is hearing the stories that are unique to their journeys. While high performers have many similar traits, there are always insights to uncover based on each person's path and hard-earned lessons along the way.

With that in mind, I was especially looking forward to speaking with Sydney Swans Premiership coach and AFL Legend Paul Roos on my most recent episode. There were so many awesome insights across a range of topics. We covered everything from success and failure to culture and leading through to mentoring, succession, family, and parenting.

When he retired as a player in 1998, he compiled a list of 25 'Coaching notes’. These were the key attributes or actions he wanted from his coaches. The list was quite different from what you might think and was part of the revolutionary approach he brought to the AFL when he started coaching. He is adamant that he would never have won the 2005 AFL premiership without the list.

The list comes from a simple question that Paul suggests that every leader ask themselves:

“Are you the leader you wish you had?”

It is a question worth asking.

Paul Roos Coaching Notes (1998):

  1. Always remember to enjoy what you’re doing.

  2. Coach’s attitude will rub off on the players.

  3. If coach doesn’t appear happy/relaxed, players will adopt same mentality.

  4. Never lose sight of the fact it is a game of football.

  5. Coach’s job is to set strategies: team plans, team rules, team disciplines, specific instructions to players.

  6. Good communication skills.

  7. Treat people as you want to be treated yourself.

  8. Positive reinforcement to players.

  9. Players don’t mean to make mistakes – don’t go out to lose.

  10. 42 senior players – all different personalities, deal with each one individually to get the best out of him.

  11. Never drag a player for making a mistake.

  12. Don’t overuse interchange.

  13. Players go into a game with different mental approach.

  14. Enjoy training.

  15. Make players accountable for training, discipline, team plans – it is their team too.

  16. Weekly meetings with team leaders.

  17. Be specific at quarter, half, three-quarter time by re-addressing strategies – don’t just verbally abuse.

  18. Motivate players by being positive.

  19. After game don’t fly off the handle. If too emotional say nothing, wait until Monday.

  20. Surround yourself with coaches and personnel you know and respect.

  21. Be prepared to listen to advice from advisers.

  22. Keep training interesting and vary when necessary.

  23. Team bonding and camaraderie is important for a winning team.

  24. Make injured players feel as much a part of the team as possible (players don’t usually make up injuries).

  25. Training should be game-related.

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