LEADERSHIP / 006 [CAN YOU TRAIN A TEAM TO SHARE LEADERSHIP?]

Question
Can workshops help a team develop more shared leadership?

Study
60 players from six volleyball and ice hockey teams took part. Three teams followed four 90 minute workshops during the season. In each workshop, players imagined their ideal team, described what they would notice if they got there, and voted on small first steps. The last workshop ended with an open conversation with the coach. The other three teams got no workshops.

Findings
Compared with the other teams, the workshop teams developed more shared leadership, especially in building relationships and in handling different interests within the team. Players described more and more open communication, disagreements that stayed constructive, smaller status differences, better integration of new and young players, and a more open relationship with their coach. Leadership on the field did not improve, and actually dropped slightly.

What It Means for Athletes
Shared leadership can be developed, and it often starts with simply talking more openly. Teams were not randomly assigned and the groups were small, so the results are promising rather than conclusive.

Try this: in your next team meeting, ask: "Imagine this season goes perfectly. What would we notice?" Then let everyone suggest one small first step, and vote on the one you'll start with this week.

Source
Maechel, C., Loughead, T. M., Wergin, V. V., Kossak, T., & Beckmann, J. (2022). A solution-focused approach to shared athlete leadership development using mixed methods. The Sport Psychologist, 36(2), pp. 101 to 114.

BEHIND THE SCIENCE
Translating sports science into information athletes can actually use.