THE POWER OF INFLUENCE

 Here is another excerpt from my book, WIN THE DAY. We can have a say in all outcomes

when we stay AWARE of the Power of our Influence. Here we go...

The greatness of a man is not how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.

Bob Marley

Perhaps the most challenging task of any coach is how to influence those they lead in a positive, forward moving manner. It is simple yet not easy; your influence can create or it can destroy; it can light a fire in an athlete’s belly or it can douse the flames. Understand this: your influence is powerful yet never neutral. I am always aware of this when I compete, speak, teach, mentor, parent, or coach. My body language, my tone, my expressions, my gestures, my words all have an impact on how things transpire. So does my behavior. One of my favorite things to do when I meet a team is to run up a hull together. By so doing, I demonstrate my willingness to experience what they do in training. I am leading by example using powerful influence I knowingly have. Ancient generals were considered influential because they were willing to experience the same heat, cold, toil, hunger, thirst and danger as their soldiers and were respected and admired because of this influential behavior.

When I enter a room full of coaches and athletes, I walk with a bounce, stand straight, keep my head up, look others in the eye and smile. The message I’m sending is “things are under control, all is fine, it’s all ok.” As a coach, the more often you become aware of the power of your influence, the more you have a say in the outcome, the direction athletes will go, what they do, and how they feel. It is that simple. When I am coaching one of my teams I usually begin the sessions by inviting the athletes to“huddle up” close, forming a tight series of concentric circles (assuming there are 25 or so athletes on the team) around me. This communicates togetherness, kindness, oneness, connectedness, and, most importantly, a sense of goodness. Then I say the following: “I love being here; I love being with you. There’s not another place I’d rather be or another group of athletes I’d rather be with in this moment than with you.” This spoken truth is visibly felt deeply by the entire group. They truly believe I care and I do. I often will touch a shoulder and establish good eye contact with one person. Being aware of this power to influence others is to win the day. The athletes love it. We then go back to where we were, sitting, standing, milling around and I

have their full, undivided, respectful attention. By doing this, I set a positive, heart-directed caring tone for all the good work we will then do together.