Leadership

How do you cultivate a dynamic personal brand?  Many coaches think that focusing  on personal branding is unnecessary.  They shy away from engaging in personal branding–viewing it as self-promotion.  However, the reality is that we all have personal brands, whether we focus on them or not.  We should be aware of how others view us, ...

As a leadership educator your main task is to create a psychologically safe environment in which your players want to learn how to become team leaders.  This is not a trivial distinction. A learning climate characterized by trust and openness is critical to encourage young people to respect and appreciate their teammates, coaches and the ...

  Teamwork Intelligence Conversational Exercise The following questions are intended for leadership conversation involving coaches and players. The deeper your conversation goes the closer and clearer you get to understanding the heart and mind of each team member. The deeper the better; adverse incidents happen daily—it’s a guarantee.        What Can You Do When Something Unfair Happens?   Let’s Talk About ...

The number one priority of every coach, player, and administrator is building the team’s culture—not winning. And if you get that right, most of the other stuff—such as tactical precision, selfless behavior, teamwork intelligence, and mental toughness—will happen as a natural by-product of the culture created by the team. This is how culture works: players ...

Beyond IQ: How Grit and Reflection Can Change the Way You Coach Dr. Cory Dobbs (7/29/21)      (3 to 4 minutes reading) Angela Duckworth has been one of the leading researchers and voices on the topic of “grit” –something  she defines as “perseverance and passion for long-term goals.”  Duckworth has found that grit can be a powerful predictor ...

Have you ever coached a team that was talented but something was just missing and as a result it simply underperformed? If the answer is no … then either you haven’t been coaching long or you are one of the all-time great coaches. The truth is a lot of teams fall short of expectations. But why? According to Dr. Cory ...

The information presented here was provided to me by another coach and I know how important it is to develop our young athletes into leaders not only for the present but also for the future wanted to share this with you because it says so much that can help assist in developing a leadership academy ...

Cory Dobbs, Ed.D. The Academy for Sport Leadership Time and again, through my own eyes and those of student-athletes, I have seen the impact of poor leadership. Leadership from the ranks of the players and leadership from the coaching staff, when not actions of character, almost always turn out badly. Teams underperform, players drift from the team, ...

The R.E.A.L. Man Program is a strategic and progressive character development program designed to help middle school, high school, and college-aged students to reach their full potential, in every aspect of their lives. The 20-lesson program is a blueprint for success, which is aimed at helping students understand and live out the principles of a positive and ...

There is a new breed of leaders and coaches in the world of sports. They insist on cultivating healthy, strong relationships where deep caring, respect, integrity, trust, love and loyalty are forged. These coaches are the ones doing great things. They are inspiring their athletes to do great things on and off the field. The athletes that play ...

Answering the question “What is leadership?” begins by grounding it in theses 7 core assumptions By Dr. Cory Dobbs The Academy for Sport Leadership Excerpt from A Leader in Every Locker (2016) “I’m not used to supposing. I’m just a working man. My boss does the supposing . . .” This quote is a line from the classic movie 12 Angry ...

This post can be found at The Coaches Toolbox, a collection of resources for coaches of all sports. An Interview with Dr. Cory Dobbs, President of The Academy for Sport Leadership Q:  Why do you find it necessary to add the role of Leadership Educator to the practice of coaching?  Aren’t coaches already modeling leadership for their student-athletes? A:  Let ...

By Dawn Redd-Kelly, If you’re not happy with the culture of your team, how are you working daily to change it around? Here are five Tips As was said over at Leadership Freak, “Toxic environments are the result of neglecting culture-building and tolerating toxicity.” When we find ourselves with a negative team culture, it’s easy to blame the athletes, but ...

Every team is only as strong as its weakest relationships. The good news is that when conflicts and dysfunction rear their ugly heads, you can, and should, turn them into team building teachable events. by Cory L. Dobbs John chose Yoko over Paul, George, and Ringo.  Shaq couldn’t stand Kobe.  Steve Jobs was fired by John Scully, his ...

Building a great team is tough to do. It takes a clear sense of direction, passion, commitment, clearly defined roles, and clearly defined goals. By Dr. Cory Dobbs, The Academy for Sport Leadership KERI SANCHEZ Women’s Soccer Coach University of Texas Former Head Coach, Claremont Mudd Scripps After the Chicago Bulls “three-peated” winning the NBA Championship in 1996, Michael Jordan reflected ...

Cory Dobbs, Ed.D.,Founder, The Academy for Sport Leadership A maxim of team building is that the biggest wins start small. This too is true of the biggest losses. Recently, I was called in by a successful coach to help him save his season from becoming a complete disaster. At the time of the call the team ...

Dr. Cory Dobbs, President, The Academy for Sport Leadership a national leader in providing leadership resources for coaches and student-athletes. The most recent resources include Coaching for Leadership and Teamwork Intelligence: a workbook for the student-athlete along with a facilitator’s guide for the coach. Excerpt from “Coaching for Leadership”   Are you a talented coach on the rise? Do you want to be ...

Everybody wants to be somebody.  Once this becomes a fundamental way of viewing your teammates, classmates, and everyone you meet, you will become a person of influence. Dr. Cory Dobbs The Academy for Sport Leadership Homelessness is a complex problem. Not just because a person without a home needs money and other essential resources—but because the psychological consequences ...

So, how do you get student-athletes to learn together? There are no simple answers. However, knowing that the context greatly affects learning is a step in the right direction if you’re serious about your players learning how to lead. By Cory Dobbs, Ed.D., The Academy for Sport Leadership It didn’t dawn on me that there might be anxieties ...

Are you a leader who has reached a point in your coaching career where you no longer measure success in wins and losses, and in trophies and medals? If so, you are a coach of positive significance.  Coaches of positive significance realize that when you invest in people off the field, success on the field ...

Why is it that student-athletes fear leadership roles and responsibilities?How then can you change the outcome of inaction? Practice, practice, practice.  Just as you practice your offensive and defensive systems, you must practice your leadership system. Dr. Cory Dobbs, The Academy for Sport Leadership One of the deepest needs within people is belonging.  If you’re a coach you ...

The following seven questions require you to turn off the noise for fifteen minutes daily and sink your mind into your walk and your talk for the day. This article may be found at Coaches Toolbox, a collection of free resources for coaches of all sports By Cory Dobbs, Ed.D., The Academy for Sport Leadership In 1953 New ...

Winning starts with setting goals. Building a great team is tough to do.  It takes a clear sense of direction, passion, commitment, clearly defined roles, and clearly defined goals. By Dr. Cory Dobbs, The Academy for Sport Leadership KERI SANCHEZ Women’s Soccer Coach University of Texas Former Head Coach, Claremont Mudd Scripps   After the Chicago Bulls “three-peated” winning the NBA Championship in 1996, Michael ...

Do you consider it your responsibility  as a coach to teach leadership to your athletes? If you do not, you are missing an opportunity to improve your program and your players lives. Submitted by by Cory Dobbs, Ed.D., The Academy for Sport Leadership   You’ve likely heard the proverb that reads, “Give a man a fish, and you feed ...

The Team Leadership model creates an environment in which members are accountable not just to the coach, but to the team as a whole. If you are willing to give up some control, and believe that all team members can inspire each other, your team will reap the benefits This article can also be found on ...

Want to be a Servant Leader. The servant leader dedicates herself to uplifting followers, bringing them closer to achieving their full potential. The end goal of servant-leadership is for those served to grow and develop as a player, as a teammate, as a worker, and as a person. By Dr. Cory Dobbs, The Academy for Sport Leadership JENNY ...

By Dr. Cory Dobbs Founder, The Academy for Sport Leadership *This Following is An Excerpt from the workshop workbook: A Leader in Every Locker. Authors Note: The workshop workbook for A Leader in Every Locker(excerpt below) provides a very disruptive approach to team building. The idea of a leader in every locker is borderline laughable according to most coaches. I ...

Leadership is without a doubt the most important thing that you can provide for your team. How can you help you athletes learn to lead? Here are some tips for teaching them how to take the risks needed to lead. Cory Dobbs, Ed.D. Founder, The Academy for Sport Leadership Lessons from the Art Studio “Students who are truly student-athletes have a ...

By John O’Sullivan, founder of Changing the Game Project A few nights ago I went to a graduation. Not a high school or a college graduation, but one far smaller, and far more personal. In fact, there were only seven kids, one of which was my 9-year-old son TJ. He and six others were being recognized ...

This article is also found at the Coaches Toolbox, a collection of free resources for coaches of all sports. By Cory Dobbs, Ed.D., The Academy for Sport Leadership “A team is not just a collection of individuals.  When everyone clicks into place, a team is truly a community, a tightly knit fellowship.”  Many coaches are expert tacticians, strategists, and ...