The throughline of culture - from veterans to future stars

What’s the story?

Many great sporting leaders - John Wooden, Sir Alex Ferguson, Phil Jackson, Becky Hammon, Jen Welter and Sarina Wiegman to name but a few - were building culture before we even had the language to talk about it. Today, we not only have the words, we have the voices willing to speak up and an increasing number of teams and sporting organisations creating the space for everyone to be heard. 

Every example of a team or organisation putting a positive culture ahead of ‘winning at all costs’ is encouraging to see and speaks to a new way of being successful in your chosen sport. As we progress through a new period of generational leadership, increased influence from spectators and society, through to the never ending social media scrutiny, we’re seeing intentionally built cultures playing a bigger role in sporting success. 

Emerging coaches want to create something different than that which has come before. They recognise the importance of deliberate effort - something that, unlike results, can be controlled - and agreement around a shared goal in getting the best out of every athlete. It's illustrated in this video clip from Central Michigan Baseball and Softball, and can also be heard in this podcast with Kristof Vanhout of Netherlands rugby. 

That’s not to say the past, and veteran players, are not involved or important in the evolution of a successful culture. It’s evident in the comments of Jake Sabol, the head coach of Central Michigan baseball: "We've relied on [older players] a lot to have some say in our culture, in our environment, and in our program. Those guys have been through a lot, they know how to win, they know what the ups and downs might look like through the course of a year. Their knowledge and experience, being able to share that with our new guys, is so valuable."

What’s different is that Sabol also talks about fun in the dugout and a sense of excitement for the games and the recognition that every player is first a person. 

The Team Code Take 

It’s refreshing to see some modern sporting programs making their culture more explicit and intentional. It’s even better when the results speak for themselves, like in this example from the NBA where Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone took the team all the way with a consistent, stable culture that transformed the team and made them NBA champions for the first time in the franchise's history. 

One important element of any successful culture is the safety to speak up. Unfortunately, there have been too many examples in recent history where players and staff have not felt safe to do so and we need to continue to improve the inclusiveness, safety and feedback mechanisms to enhance sporting cultures. When we don’t, athletes can suffer mental health challenges, not reach their potential or worse, come to physical harm. Emerging generations are not prepared to accept these conditions. Behaviours and incidents that in the past may have been swept under the rug are increasingly being brought into the light. 

This cultural revolution is being led by the young coaches, however, the more experienced coaches have a role too. Not to dictate, but to explain the why behind the what. To mentor the new coaches through the legacy of stories only they can tell.

It's not young replacing old. It's young and old joining forces. Blending new ideas with battle-hardened wisdom. Youth unleashing its energy, guided by the scars and victories of the past.

All sporting teams spend a lot of time together but they don’t all intentionally craft a culture. Spending quality time together, purposefully creating deep connections and understanding each other as people first, players second, will become increasingly important in elite sports. 

Sport is shaping a new future, one that can't be conquered with whistles and clipboards. Culture is the new playing field and those who till its soil will reap its rewards. 

Suggested actions

1. Reset and review

New seasons, new campaigns and new coaches are opportunities to reset expectations, bring the team and staff together to agree on behaviours and generate excitement around a shared goal. Look at what has worked and not worked in previous seasons and use that intel to make decisions. 

2. People first

Elite athletes are not resources to be used up. When coaches take the time to tap into the motivations and personal values of athletes they are better able to unlock performance, build mutual respect and loyalty. 

3. History has its place

History is so important in the sporting world but it can also hold teams and coaches hostage. Understand your history and your star veterans but don’t be beholden to the past. The world is changing fast and what got you here won’t get you there.