Not metaphorically speaking; the towers of
lights really went to black. And unlike many
who wondered if the match would continue,
the blackout couldn’t have come at a better
time for the Piranhas.
Players and coaches sat on the ground to-
gether. At this crisis moment, we all needed
to look at each other eye-to-eye and rely on
the strength of our Family First bond to pull
us through this tough time.
As coaches, we only talked for about two
minutes. A few instructions and some words
of encouragement. Then we got up, and as
we walked away, we told the players, “It’s on
all of you. You’ve spent all season relying on
each other…supporting each other…trust-
ing each other. We’re a family, and now it’s
on all of you as a family to figure this out.”
Measuring the success of our strategy
happened about two minutes later. Huddled
up on the field, the players supported each
other, and more importantly, they chal-
lenged each other. On their own, words of
encouragement and strategy came out from
the players. One comment from our goal-
keeper stuck out: “We’ve worked hard all
season to get here, and we’re not going to
waste all that work by losing this game.”
That was incredible, and so was what
happened.
The Piranhas came back. They scored
three goals in the next 20 minutes. They
held off their opponent the rest of the way,
relying on each other at every moment to
protect their lead. There was “no I in team”
all season, and there certainly wasn’t on this
night.
When the final whistle sounded, there
was jubilation among the players and joy on
our sidelines. And there was a sense of relief
among the coaches. The strategy of build-
ing a Family First environment worked for
this group. There were no “Mean Girls” mo-
ments. Players were vocal in their support
for their teammates. And when it mattered
most, none of the players were afraid to
speak up and challenge one another.
So what does this mean for you?
The Family First strategy that we put in
place worked for seventh graders. Will it
work for you? It comes back to your strategy
and what you’re trying to accomplish.
Creating a culture of collaboration and
an environment of support is not a quick
process. It requires strong, consistent mes-
saging from you with support and em-
powerment. It requires staff buy-in and
eliminating exceptions. Nobody is more
important than anyone else, everyone has
an equal part of the team’s success, and ev-
eryone has a voice.
Be patient but be steadfast in your strat-
egy and what you’re working to accomplish.
While your strategy and your accomplish-
ments may be different, it really comes
down to the culture and environment you
want to create.
Naj Alikhan is ACSA’s senior director of
Communications.
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Leadership