Former rugby league player and coach Billy Slater discusses leadership, coaching, and playing to strengths. He emphasizes creating moments for players and focusing on bigger goals. The episode delves into letting go of control, embracing mistakes, energy management, teamwork philosophy, and unity in sports.
Focus on strengths over weaknesses for effective leadership.
Practice 'letting go' as a component of good leadership.
Create a supportive environment by recognizing accomplishments before constructive criticism.
Deep dives
Embracing Indigenous History and Ancestry
Acknowledging the traditional landowners and the rich history of storytelling cultivated by the indigenous culture, the podcast highlights the importance of respecting and understanding the impact of ancestral roots and acknowledging the history of the land.
Positive Feedback and Leadership
Encouraging regular positive feedback to create a supportive environment, the podcast emphasizes the significance of building trust and relationships through acknowledging and rewarding accomplishments before providing constructive criticism, enabling effective leadership and team development.
Adapting Leadership Styles and Importance of Empathy
Reflecting on the balance between control and delegation, the podcast underscores the value of allowing others the space to grow while adapting from player to coach roles. It showcases the importance of responding thoughtfully overreacting and fostering a culture of growth through embracing mistakes and moving forward with empathy and resilience.
Understanding Individuality and Team Dynamics
As individuals mature, they develop better coping mechanisms, similar to how with age, people handle situations and adversities more effectively. In modern successful sports teams, there is a shift from conforming to a single team identity to celebrating individual differences. Embracing these differences provides a framework for recognizing and harnessing the strengths of each team member, recognizing that not everyone reacts or performs the same way.
Embracing the Concept of 'Earning' Over 'Winning'
The concept of 'earning' resonates deeply with personal and professional growth, contrasting the notion of 'winning' which implies an element of luck. Earning respect, leadership, and opportunities through hard work and dedication is emphasized. This principle extends beyond tangible rewards to encompass self-respect, inner drive, and recognizing personal achievements irrespective of external accolades.
Unfortunately, we all know what bad leadership looks like, for many of us, it doesn’t take long to think of examples…but what does it actually take to be a ‘good leader’?
This week in the Academy of Imperfection, Hugh, Ryan and Josh are joined by a legend of the sport, former rugby league player and current coach of the Queensland Maroons, Billy Slater. Billy has been called the best fullback ever to have played the game. As a player, he’s won more awards than we could possibly list. As a coach and a leader, he is nothing short of inspiring.
In this episode, Billy talks about leadership, coaching and how he approaches it. He shares how playing to your strengths can actually be more beneficial than lingering on weaknesses; he discusses how sometimes, good leadership requires ‘letting go’; and he shares why he spends so much time creating feelings and moments for his players, reminding them that what they’re trying to achieve is something bigger than themselves.
You can watch the full episode with Billy on youtube here. https://bit.ly/4c45lih
Links mentioned in the episode and extra resources:
The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.