Apart from the technical aspects of the game that Bennett brings to a side, the number one thing that he does is to help people believe in themselves. In modern professional sport there is hardly any difference in strength, speed, strategy and skill between the athletes and the teams. The way that he makes a difference is to lift the performance of his players and teams by focusing on their thinking, particularly their self belief and their belief in each other.
Bennett is famous for treating his players like people first and footballers second, building character and purpose foremost, then skill and fitness next.
Taking the lesson from the change room to the boardroom, you can help the individuals in your team, and the team as a whole, achieve far greater than they normally would by building their confidence and self belief. Investing in the relationship you have with them by seeking to understand them better and building their self belief means that they will rise to levels of performance they thought weren’t possible.
Another leadership guru I admire is Jim Rohn, who puts it this way. “Managers help people to see themselves as they are. Leaders help people to see themselves better than they are”.
What are you doing to build self belief in your people? Focus on building character and purpose first, and enjoy winning!
Cheers
Greg