YOU MUST LOVE TO LEAD

       Someone once told me, if you aspire to be a good coach,mentor,teacher,leader, you MUST have LOVE( not necessarily the romantic kind) in your heart. As the Beatles once proclaimed,"All you need is love", you ( me too) must have unconditional positive regard for those under our guidance. If this is not true for you, try another road. Effective leadership is all about caring, respectfulness,trust and service. I refer to such leadership as Wu Shi, from the Chinese, "the Warrior Spirit", OR The Path of Heart, one that has a clear sense of "emotional engagement". I am talking about the power to influence and inspire, not the power over others in an authoritative way, old school leadership and coaching. It is only in this way can we ever hope to create and cultivate in others, peak capacities and limitless possibilities. Such leaders,lead with their hearts not heads( EGO) as they guide others to learn from failure, take necessary risks( see my Blog on Risk taking), push past perceived personal parameters( say that fast 10X), encourage progress and inspire them to AWAKEN( caps intended) to higher and more satisfying levels of performance...IN AN EMOTIONALLY SAFE ENVIRONMENT. Interesting side note...most coaches crave mental toughness in their athletes AND such cravings proliferate in emotionally safe places where there is much love. You don't win tough competitions with talent. You win tough games/events by being tough and THAT toughness comes when there is LOVE all around. When I feel safe,respected and cared for, I will lick the dust off the basketball court if asked, and I will go the distance,all out, relentless...so darn mentally tough that I begin to annoy my opponent. I become a huge pest. I believe we all do under the right environment of love.
     In addition to this toughness factor, environments where love proliferates are filled with DISCIPLINE. When athletes have love, they refuse to let their team and staff down and this is what creates discipline in that sacred environment.
      Now, how do you demonstrate this intangible yet "feeling" concept of LOVE? I have many ideas that stand the test of time.  Attend to the deepness of COMMITMENT. By this I mean, talk about how to nurture the commitment with athletes to each other. Then there is the commitment between coaches themselves . Then there is commitment between coach and athlete and vice versa.  Such commitment is aided by GIVING to others... giving your trust, respect, selflessness, integrity,  and work ethic. Giving is, in my opinion, one of the more powerful expressions of LOVE. So we have Love which brings about Giving that then leads to Commitment. According to the late and great Martin Luther King, the most important question one can ask in life is:"what am I doing for others?".  How can I give vs. how can I get is a nice focusing statement to keep you on track. And remember this truth: you may think you have a lot but if you are without love, you have nothing.
    I suggest that you may want to try the RULE OF ONE: one athlete, one positive comment, one day at a time. Of course when you do this, it becomes contagious and you wont be able to stop like any habit. And you will see the results. You may say:" Hey Britt, I love the way you show up ready to play each practice. You really set a terrific tone for this team". That will last for at least three weeks when it will be time to begin again. Try this: send an email or leave a note in a locker telling another how in awe you are of him/her. Tell the group/team how fortunate you are to be part of their amazing lives. But most of all, always, every day, hour,minute, treat those you lead with respect,kindness and take good care of them. Be firm and set boundaries where and when needed BUT always do it in the spirit of the Warrior, just the same way that YOU love to be loved. When that happens, others will follow you to the end of the Earth and jump from a cliff and build their wings on the way down. ( a concept I latched on to from author Ray Bradbury).
     While this may be a "sea change " for some of us, it is simple yet powerful. John Wooden, former coach of the UCLA Bruins basketball( I probably didn't need to even say this) when asked why he was so darn successful, he quipped "There was a lot of LOVE in my coaching".  No Love...No Leadership. Next time I write on this subject I will address the concept of SERVICE: To Lead is to Serve.
    How is what you read relevant to your life? How does it relate to what you are trying to accomplish?

    Come back again soon...I'm on a roll of sorts. Let me know your thoughts on these blogs.
  
    Ciao for now with Tao,  DocJ

COACHING SACRED SPORTS

    Coaches may want to be aware more often about the sacred nature of sport...For many of athletes and performers,their relationship with sport,movement,fitness and LIFE is often a confusing one,filled with conflict,contradiction and confusion. So often there is this existential dilemma between how they compete or go about their training and fitness programs AND their deeply held values and ideals...what I call the soul qualities that really matter and make a difference. If you want more from these athletes, it would be helpful to tune them into this concept. Qualities like integrity,dependability,reliability,courage, patience,persistence,honesty and perseverence ...are how they would define themselves to others as individuals yet when it comes to working out, they fail to "work within" ( see my book "Working Out,Working Within") and not live up to our notion of who they are. they fail to realize the intimate connection between the physical and spiritual and as a result, perform "out of character" as it were. They seek to be genuine yet fear and pain throw them off track. They perform contrary to their essence , that which makes them who they are. For example, because of their obsession with winning,victory and being the best, they may resort to cheating,drugs,cutting corners,fighting and hurting each other to get what they obsessively desire. They basically become driven in ways that are inconsistent with the sacred values they cherish.
  What is needed is a new relationship with performance and athletics...one that takes the higher road and functions with integrity...one where all of our physical work, rather than be a battle against score,time,opponent and outcomes becomes and arena for the battles within against our fears, self-doubt and failures. We win these battles with "weapons of the heart", those very virtues that we hold in high esteem, those qualities of the heart that define who we are...the one's I refer to above. This is when profound change can occur and sport becomes the conduit for inner growth. This is when we live,play and compete in alignment with our hearts, that sacred space of greater meaning and value to all of our needs and accomplishments. As a coach begin to help them to narrow the gap between what they say they will do and what, indeed they actually do.  When in the space of soul, they will act with such integrity, they will do the workouts, the training and compete with all that they have in themselves. They will be courageous and committed. they will recognize the inherent value of the sport, the game, the contest and respect their opponents and themselves and life as well. They will be grateful for the gifts of health and wellness they have been given and make their physical lives a reflection of these gifts. They will admire a dedication to the little things accomplished with brilliance rather than the brilliant things done marginally.  They will be open,confident in controlling what can be controlled, let go of what they can't control( outcomes and results) and aware( Mindful) that they are a part of a larger more significant game greater than any they play.
  Encourage them to let their physical activity be an opportunity to strengthen their souls...what they stand for, who they are. Impress upon them that if they complete their daily work with integrity,they must be sure to complete their "workout" in the same way. As we do one thing, we must do all things.
   I'll be back here soon. Appreciate your attention.   JPL

LEADING THE TAO OF LOA FING

       TAO is generally the Chinese word that is used to mean "The Way", the way of nature, the way things were meant to be. In this series of posts on the subject of Leadership, I wish to suggest to all leaders the importance of showing your followers the way ( TAO) of LOA FING, the NOT so Chinese word meaning to "chillax, to kick back, to simply loaf.  This is nature's way. Great  music is the result of the pause between the notes, rather than the notes themselves. The pause is what  makes it what it is, otherwise you will just will have noise.  We need to consider the relevance of pausing in our lives...doing nothing. In his classic work,The Importance of Living, Chinese scholar and author, Lin Yutang,  writes a whole chapter on "the Importance of Loafing". Now there's a word most of us despise as well as those who practice it. Growing up,I learned early on that it is a serious offense to loaf...a major sin. Daydreaming was punished by the nuns in Catholic elementary school..."stop your daydreaming, Lynch" common words uttered by these poor unimaginative and ignorant souls. After all, I am here to tell you that everything I am today, every book that I have written, and my best work to date has all been the direct result of,yes, DAYDREAMING while LOAFING.   As an established and recognized professional in today's world, I must not let on that I love to loaf too much... after all, others will think I am not serious enough or busy enough...therefore not "good enough" right?  Wrong!!!
    Too many people whom I know WANT to look/be busy...this makes them feel important and needed. But this leads to complications. In Chinese, the word for "BUSY" clearly means, the killing or death of the heart. You draw your own conclusion. The only thing I want to be busy about is LIVING. I want time to have lots of clients and meetings and appointments. My clients are my family,my meetings are with my friends as we run for hours in the wilderness and my appointments are with myself as I take the time to create,write,think and design...a life that fits skin tight over my spirit.  I alos must shop for good nutritious food and cook lovely( filled with LOVE) meals for those important others with whom I share my life . Then, I get to do my work and attend to my calling ...with amazing,open hearted people, athletes,coaches,CEO's and give them the time they desire, choosing,of course, those who understand the importance of loafing. This is good leadership.  Daydreaming should be seriously scheduled in the classroom, boardroom,bathroom and bedroom. As leaders and coaches,we must set aside the time where we can meditate, clear our minds and create what we are all trying to find but too busy to find it and pass this on to those under our guidance. The better we all feel inside, the better our lives work  outside but this takes time.. .time away from the maddening pace, the frenetic storm, the closing down of our hearts and open them to a way of child-like discovery. That's what good coaches do, good leaders do, good athletes do,good parents do...what you will you do, TOO...right?
  More later, I need to go loafing with my sons and stare at the sky... DocJ

LEAD & COACH THE STATUS QUO

In the play "No Exit" by Jean-Paul Sartre, some people are trapped in a metaphysical, self-imposed hell - one room, no windows, crowded together and not able to leave. After they had spent much time here, a door opened and they were free to go. However, they remained because the unknown was too risky and filled with perceived danger. They had become comfortable with the status quo (horrendous lives) and lacked the courage to experience something much better.

This story is a perfect metaphor for many of your athletes or workers who have become comfortable with the status quo of their competitive efforts. Frequent encounters with danger and taking risks are presented to you in sport and other arenas of life. As a coach and leader, make those whom you lead, become more often aware that taking on such encounters makes you inwardly strong...instilling in you a profound awareness of life...bringing new meaning and richness to your experience. In a word, taking risks makes you feel ALIVE as they invariably lead to significant breakthroughs in your sport as well as all of life. There is a risk to not risking...think about how this applies to all of life. 

Let this paragraph set the tone for a new attitude toward how you coach/lead and how your athletes compete and why. The greatest "highs" in athletics have usually been the by-product of the courage you exhibit when you take the calculated risks to improve. Naturally, there are the failures and setbacks experienced when taking risks yet even they become your teachers as you learn from them, how to become more proficient at what you do.

LIVING THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR LEADER

     The Warrior LEADER dances with life. Ergo, the Dancing Warrior Spirit is alive when we adapt certain ways at work, with the family or simply running in the mountains of beautiful Colorado which I love to do. It is how I want to BE( since I am a human being,not a human doing).  The warrior follows orders of the heart( what is right) NOT orders from others ( unless you are a good soldier). Warriors fight battles within against self doubt,fear,failure...your stuff,your demons, your tigers. I find that in order to live like a warrior leader I must attend to the following on a daily basis:
1)Be Grateful
2)Meditate
3)Create...be creative
4)Contribute...make a difference...SERVICE
    When I am in this sacred space and live each day like this, I am HAPPY...and happiness is,indeed, a habit. It's a plan, it's work...it is SIMPLE...but not easy. It is part of the devine,a marriage of East and West, of science and mysticism.  See my blog on spirituality and leadership and the video about this on my video page.
     My mind-heart is filled with these thoughts and I hope yours are as well then I say "namaste",
     Love your way, JPL
    

WARRIOR LEADERSHIP

         Here are some thoughts about leadership and coaching that I have been pondering on this beautiful, gorgeous day in Boulder,Colorado as I embark upon writing session today for my eleventh book,Dancing Warrior Leadership. The following construct/poem that I have created( a paraphrase with the inspiration of Waldorf school originator,Rudolf Steiner) becomes the theme and touch stone for all the writing I will do on this vital subject:
                                      
                                                 "Regard those you lead in sacred awe,
                                                    Coach and serve them in Love,
                                          Cultivate and Teach in an environment of Heart
                                      and watch as they grow into Something Extraordinary".
                                                                            Jerry Lynch,  Ph.D
                                                                                            
       Astounding as it may appear,most who call themselves leaders and coaches today are clearly not. They are using strategies and methodologies that are ,in a word,obsolete. If one is to a be successful, influential, powerful and compelling coach and leader,one must master a "way" or a TAO ( Chinese for "The Way") that can INSPIRE and EMPOWER others. Leaning on the Chinese language once again, the word for this extraordinary way of leadership is called "Jingshen", a Mandarin concept meaning "to instill spirit,vitality,chi,passion and personal power". In this way, leadership becomes a spiritual practice( not religious) that helps to develop in ourselves and those we lead certain SACRED traits,behaviors and characteristics...courage,compassion,commitment,patience,persistence,integrity,selflessness,
humility, love,modesty and humility to name just a few. When we exhibit these traits, we create an emotionally safe environment where others will open their hearts and give us( leaders/coaches) permission to enter and it is THERE that we can influence them to be something other than ordinary. Effective leadership is all about relationships created in this way. This way, this Tao, this path is the path of the Warrior leader.
    I better get back to my book or it will never be written. Stay tuned in. In the meantime, think about this blog and imagine yourself being able to create such an inspirational environment for all those whom you are so fortunate to lead and coach.
Much love and good chi,  JPL

LEADING OTHERS TO FOLLOW THEIR HEARTS.

Today as I approach taking a risk in my life, I remember this: WHY WALK WHEN YOU CAN FLY? Yes,Jerry, you are standing at the edge of the figurative cliff and scared out of your mind... your heart tells you to jump and trust that you will build your wings during the fall...then you'll fly. As scholar Joseph Campbell once said, follow your bliss ( heart) and when you do, doors will open that never opened before. Doors will open where there weren't even doors. But remember that following your bliss is a journey that goes up and down...there are challenges along the path. It's never smooth. You lose, fall down, fail and have setbacks but these obstacles are never as painful as those you encounter when you are not following your heart. Remember as the Tao Te Ching says, "we lose and in this way win". All losses are our mentors and teachers that help us to forge ahead. You get knocked down and success is getting back up. I know all this is true yet I am still scared,frightened by change and risk. But with COURAGE, I JUMP,scream and pray that all will work out not as I think it SHOULD but as it suppose to. In his book, The Teachings of Don Juan, Carlos Castenada reminds me that the only mistake I can make in life is to NOT follow my heart, that inner,deep voice called intuition. So, if it feels right I must go ahead and jump. I have been following his advice for 35 years and haven't looked back . FOLLOW YOUR HEART ( in French, the word for heart is coeur...how we got the word courage). I'll return...I'm loving this Blogging stuff...after all I love to write. Check out some of the books I've written on my on-line store www.wayofchampions.com.  This is a good day!!!