How do you perform under pressure?
Many of you may have been watching the Men’s College World Series and saw LSU win their eighth in program history (2nd – South Carolina has 12) over Coastal Carolina. My main takeaway from watching this series was not on the players, but rather the Coastal Carolina Head Coach, Kevin Schnall. Coach Schnall got ejected in the first inning of the deciding game of the series. His team needed him for the biggest game of the season and as their leader, he let them down. In the #CJJblog this week I give you some tips on what I’ve learned in my speaking and coaching careers on how you can lead your team to success in those pressure moments.
- Model. Be the one your team members strive to be. You are always on stage and being watched, so act like it. Be the calm for your team to lean on.
- Rock. Be the rock during adversity. When the pressure goes up, your emotions go down. Your players react to your actions.
- Encouragement. Attitudes and actions are contagious, especially in pressure situations. How do you encourage your team? Remember your actions are amplified during stressful times.
- Positivity. Are you a positive leader? I would recommend increasing the positive vibes during crunch time. Only criticize for things within your teams’ control (i.e. effort, selfishness, and focus).
- Practice. Has your team practiced the pressure moments? Do they know what to do in crunch time? Simulate these moments as best you can in your preparation process.
- Mindset. What mindset are your team members in going into gametime? Are they nervous? Are they calm? I recommend having them use mental imagery to envision success.
- Culture. Make sure your team culture focuses on support. They should know that if one person is missing (like coach Schnall), they can lean on the team as a unit for support.
Did You Know? Coach Jim Johnson has a podcast that releases episodes every week. You can subscribe to the Limitless Leadership Lounge YouTube Channel HERE.
Life Tip #25: Always lead by example
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