Definitions of leadership are fairly simple but executing its various styles and traits is anything but. At its best leadership inspires collaboration and guides a team to success. But poor leadership does the opposite, it erodes trust, stifles communication and leads to dysfunctional teams.
When I stepped into the role of Head Coach of Team Jets Netball Club I had some pretty huge shoes to fill. I was covering the maternity leave of Serena Kirsten MBE, widely renowned as the best netballer to have ever played the game. She has been bestowed an MBE for her contributions to the sport, has captained England to medals in every colour and now works with the England Roses as their leadership and culture coach. Prior to Serena it was Linda Andrews at the helm, an award winning coach, held in the highest esteem by not just netball players and supporters in Jersey but also UK Premiership teams. Imposter syndrome? Absolutely. I was pretty terrified. Having the backing of Serena and Linda was the only thing that gave me the courage to try.
I quickly realised that leadership wasn’t about always having the strongest voice in the room or having all the answers – because I didn’t. It was about creating an environment where a team could thrive, both individually and collectively. For me, this lay in transparency, two way open feedback, and – most importantly – leaving my ego at the door.
Ego is a double-edged sword. You need a certain amount of it to fuel confidence and drive but too much can disrupt team cohesion and ultimately create toxic environments. Ego-driven leadership often manifests as;
*Stifling Innovation : Leaders overlook, dismiss or even discourage the contributions of certain members of the team and rely solely on their own ideas (all that work on diversity undone!)
*Distrust: A lack of transparency filters down the chain and undermines psychological safety (time and money spent on recruiting the right person only to stunt their contributions and ideas!)
*Communication breakdowns: Hierarchal structures that block feedback from moving freely through a team (you also need feedback to improve as a leader!)
The above are as damaging in business as they are in sport. Teams don’t thrive on fear or hierarchy – they thrive on trust, shared goals and quality communication.
Transparency and Feedback in Action
In netball, much like in business, team members are constantly navigating changes – rotations, strategies, setbacks. While good coaches understand their players’ strengths, great coaches also know their players and can therefore anticipate the mental impact of various scenarios. They should also know how to create a culture where those insecurities (why me? have I let the team down? is someone else better than me?) are minimised.
Making tactical substitutions during a game is not always due to poor performance of an athlete, but is nearly always perceived that way. Players sent to the bench may feel they’ve failed, sinking into self doubt and loosing their confidence. This can affect the athletes reentry into the game and the whole team morale. Even decisions aimed at optimising strategy – like matching shooters to specific defensive styles – can unintentionally create anxiety and a false hierarchy based on court time. The challenge lies in ensuring these necessary coaching decisions don’t undermine confidence or disrupt team dynamics.
In an attempt to stop uncertainties and insecurities from festering I adopted a transparent approach. I share planned rotations in as much detail as possible in our pre match talks and explain the reasoning behind them.
During the game players are kept updated on whether we were sticking to our planned rotations and if not why. From the first whistle players better understand their roles and have higher perceived control over the game. This clarity helps players with something key to high performance – control over their mindset.
We always have a post game debrief. It usually consists of a recap of the planned strategy and rotations and a review of what worked and what didn’t. I start by giving my thoughts and I make sure to voice what I think I could have done better. I actively demonstrate being open and vulnerable about my shortcomings. This is the only way a team builds trust, the foundation of any great team. The floor is then open to all players to contribute and full permission is given to all players to disagree with or challenge me on my input. Now, I know what you are thinking – does this not lead to total mutiny?? No. It actually gains the respect, confidence and trust of players and I have grown so much in my role from the valuable insights of players comfortable enough to assert them.
Practising transparency and feedback being two-way goes a long way to building psychological safety in teams. We starve hierarchy of its power and we create a more collaborative group where everyone feels safe to give and receive constructive feedback.
Lessons Learned: Leave your EGO at the Door
Transparency and being open to feedback from all was not without its risks. I worried about failing spectacularly in front of my whole team. I worried about being perceived as inexperienced if I admitted to not having all of the answers – what if the planned rotations flopped? Would I lose the team’s confidence?
But here’s the thing: when I left my ego at the door, I stopped worrying about me and focused completely on us. I embraced vulnerability, asked for input and created a safe space for players to contribute to our strategies. This hasn’t just affected me in my leadership – it has significantly affected how the team communicates with each other. With egos out of the way feedback flows more freely up and down. Satisfaction with the team’s culture (they use the word vibe a lot) has dominated feedback and we are currently enjoying an unbeaten run.
The Corporate Connection
The lessons from the court apply directly to corporate teams. Leaders who encourage feedback – especially on their own performance – create a ripple effect throughout the team. But this practise is rare. Look at the performance review process in your organisation for example – are you ever asked how your boss is doing? In most organisations feedback moves in one direction: top-down.
But ask yourself: why are you so hesitant to hear feedback? Is it your ego talking? Or do you lack trust in yourself or your team to handle direct but encouraging conversations?
Leaders need to re-envision teams, not as hierarchies but as groups of people performing different functions towards a shared goal. Yes, that trainee might not have the full picture, but their perspective could spark the insight you’ve been missing.
When feedback becomes part of the team’s culture – unbound by titles or egos – trust grows, communication flourishes and success follows.