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What makes a great coach? RESULTS!!!

While we could list all the attributes such as knowledge of the sport, leadership skills, and so on, the answer is actually quite simple. I can explain Recruiting in five minutes, but it will take you five years to understand.

After 15 years of experience, I have to conclude that coaching is much more art than science. While a good coach is always trying to learn more, the only real measure of a coach is not what he or she knows, but what they can get their recruiters to do. Preparation is certainly an important aspect of coaching, but most of all, a coach needs to know and care about their recruiters. Developing a "program" is certainly an essential starting point, but the success comes in adapting the program to individual characteristics and circumstances. The best coaches are not those who promote a co-dependent relationship, but those who develop a recruiter who can coach themselves. Former Minnesota Vikings coach Bud Grant, quoting a Chinese general, said, "A great leader is someone who can get people to do great things, and when they are done they say, 'We did it ourselves.'" As another great leader said, "We teach people correct principals and let them govern themselves."

As a Coach, the entire strategy is to create self sustaining Recruiters.

Which would you prefer: A Recruiting "Manager," or a Recruiting "Coach?"