The 3rd Pillar of Impact, Empower Others, is the most complex of the Pillars in regard to taking it into the locker room. As I wrote in 5 Challenges to a Winning Culture, the sports world has long been the poster child of autocratic, command and control leadership style.
 
But I want to point out that empowerment is only a top-down activity. I would argue that it is an approach or mindset that can be cultivated and applied to multiple levels within an organization or team. It is an environment that exists with a team/organization that embraces individual ownership to a shared vision. 
 
While the 3 Pillars of Impact are intertwined, an environment where people empower each other is the pinnacle. It’s true that individual empowerment impacts the Courage to Challenge and Expect Excellence by making these Pillars easier to achieve. But an environment where empowering others exists will be short-lived and will crumble if the first two pillars are not firmly in place.
 
As I break down the 3 Components of an Empowered Environment; keep in mind the complexity as related to those involved. Coaches, administration, players, staff, and family. Typically, there are significant differences in background and age, but most importantly goals.
 
Administration may be focused on graduation rates, donors, reputation or winning. Coaches, while focused on winning, can also worry about their jobs - both the current and future. Players can be worried about stats, outside pressures, or the next level. Parents are worried about their child; their well-being and they are getting what they deserve. Wow! Trying to bring that all together is a huge undertaking. Let’s delve deeper.
 
The 3 Components
 
Sharing the Vision
While you can always debate if this is the outcome or the initial step, my personal feeling is that creating a shared vision in the beginning not only helps paint the picture of where we are going, but as a leader, you are showing vulnerability and establishing trust with those heading on the journey. 
 
While everyone may not buy-in initially, they can gain an understanding of their roles and that they can have input to what that future will look like. A good friend and coworker used to say, “we don’t have to agree, but we need to be aligned.” This is powerful in that you establish understanding and awareness of what needs to happen. Whether or not you fully agree on the method is another thing, but if you can align roles and activities, it will help move everyone forward.
 
A shared vision can unite a team and organization. It gives a true-north that everyone can use to validate their paths and actions. It’s a common language used to describe and connect the standards that have been set by the team.
 
Own Your Role
Ownership is absolutely critical for an empowered environment If players won’t take ownership of their own development plan, then a team will never reach its potential. That link in the chain will always break. 
 
In Expect Excellence we talked about the difference between Accountability vs Ownership. An empowered team doesn’t have to hold someone accountable because that person is doing it themselves. They own their actions and failures. They own their development.
 
As a player, roles can be defined by positions, and it is understood that the O-Line blocks and the Defensive End contains. In basketball, it can be different as some kids may take on roles of scorer, rebounder, or energy guy, but ultimately a high-quality team is made up of people who are willing to play the role that is needed at that time. Author Liz Wiseman says that Impact Players just don’t do their job, they do the job that needs to be done. 
 
Alan Stein Jr, in his book Raise Your Game, talks about the job of a leader is to sit down with his team and explain the value of each role and how they impact the team. Stein says, “success is not about being the star, it’s about starring in your role.”
 
There is a reason football coaching staffs have expanded their roles and responsibilities. A head coach cannot be the autocratic master of everything. There is too much to know about plays, people, situations, and opponents. They are more of a conductor of a symphony than a controller of the chess board. 
 
This is happening in other sports as well. Basketball coaches understand that their assistants can call plays, focus on defensive strategies, and contribute at a higher level than holding a clipboard or letting them know how many fouls. 
 
If a coach doesn’t respect and trust his assistants enough to share the coaching, then how much trust can there be in the players to perform? Ego and control are killers of an empowering culture and therefore a culture of winning.
 
Creating Trust 
The first two pillars are key to reinforcing trust. Having the Courage to Challenge allows you to Expect Excellence from yourself and others. It happens in every interaction. You are either creating trust or losing trust. Teams that have a culture of winning are constantly building trust. Even when there is a challenge, in a high-trust environment a person will give the benefit of the doubt and delay judgment on whether to lose trust. Awareness of the Emotional Bank Account and making sure you are making deposits makes everything else easier.
 
When there is a culture that embraces an environment of empowerment:

• Coaches trust their staff.
• Coaches trust their players.
• Players trust their coaches.
• Players trust their teammates.
• Parents trust the process.

 
When you think of great teams that possess a winning culture, you know that there is a Shared Vision that aligns the entire team and drives their actions.
 
A great team is built of people that own their roles. All members, at all levels, know how their role fits into the bigger picture. 
 
On great teams, trust exists and is foundational. It is reinforced by words and actions.
 
The vision is aligned. The roles are owned. The team trusts that they are empowered to create a culture of winning Beyond Today.

When I first started my blog, I was using it as both an outlet and a way to expand my reach or impact with coworkers. To share my experiences and support those who may need some guidance but are afraid to reach out and ask.
 
But since those early days, my focus has expanded. I realized that my purpose was to help others make a bigger IMPACT in the lives of others. I have used the 3 Pillars of Impact to help companies and teams develop future leaders. I have shared my personal story of IMPACT when my life dramatically changed. I’ve also used vulnerability to share with you when my life was impacted by the choices of others, and I had to start over after 30 years. 
 
These experiences led me to create a reflective tool that creates a call to action for others to be a Person of Impact. The best part is that it doesn't matter your background or status in life. Whether you are an executive, a high school athlete, a person trying to be a better friend, or someone who is searching to find their way.

I = Integrity
Integrity is the key to building trust. Demonstrating the ability and consistency in making ethical decisions is what will connect you to others. It builds and inspires a team.
 
M = Motivation
Strive for excellence in everything you do and be the role model that others look to. Living a life built on B.B.T., Be Better Today, shows others you have a growth mindset. Unite your team by working on shared and aligned goals.
 
P = Positivity
It’s not just the attitude that needs to be positive but also the action. We acknowledge the past so that we can grow and learn, but we focus on the future. You focus on What We Need to be successful versus What We Did. You are a Builder and not a Blamer.
 
A = Accountability
It’s not just being accountable to your team, friends, family, and self, it’s taking ownership. It’s helping others see the importance of owning their own thoughts and actions. It’s living a life working to achieve the Shared goals. 
 
C = Commitment
All of this leads to commitment to those around you but also a commitment to your personal growth. The greater your growth, the greater your impact. Your commitment to excellence in yourself and others because you realize the I WILL must be larger than the I WANT.
 
T = Trust
We started with Integrity and ended with Trust. When you create and practice Trust, everyone feels valued. With Trust, people can communicate openly which creates a culture where people are empowered to grow and develop.
 
So, I ask you, are you a Person of Impact? When you read through the 6 pints, where did you get excited and where did you feel guilty? What are you willing to do to work/live/play in a culture that leads to winning and success? A culture that embraces IMPACT?
 
Use this tool to identify where you can Be Better Today. Create your I WILL statements that will help you travel the path to be a Person of Impact, Beyond Today.

The hurt from having your son's school season come to an end is still hanging heavy in the air in our household. It's how we have processed multiple basketball seasons over the years through the older boys and now with our youngest. 

We discuss what happened, what should have happened and what needs to happen to prevent these feelings from returning. Countless phone calls with other parents. Reliving the moments. Seeking answers. Feeling the regret of "what-if."

This morning, I initially planned to re-share a blog I first posted in February four years ago, Challenge of Being a Parent Coach. It was the pain I felt for not celebrating a game winner with my then 3rd grade son. In a life full of regrets, especially when it comes to helping shape the lives of the young kids I coached, this one was very personal to me.

Rally in Support
While that story was a moment of joy that led to a moment of sadness; this past week, after my son's team fell in the semifinal of state district competition, it was the opposite. As my son approached me after the game, having left everything he had on the court, I was heartbroken for him. He was exhausted. He was emotionally and physically drained. He was hurting.
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There was no hesitation. I went in and gave him a hug and told him I was extremely proud of him. I was not going to miss out on the opportunity and the necessity of me being there for my son in his time of need.  I listened. I didn't explain. I didn't feed into his frustration and sadness. I listened. I reinforced my pride and my love for him - not as just a basketball player, but as a young man, and more importantly, my son. 

My family turns out to support the team. When I say family, I don't only mean his siblings but the extended family that will show up for events as well. A cousin. An aunt. My former players who are now adults. The coaching family from past teams who remember Ethan being a young kid tagging along at practice, getting up shots during timeouts, and looking for an opportunity to watch those who came before him. 

Be Better Today
As a person who has focused the majority of his life to leadership and coaching others, the mindset in our house quickly moves from hurt and sadness to focusing on what can be in the future. We spend enough time on What We Did, to help shape and reinforce What We Need. This is the essence of the 3 Pillars of Impact: Varsity Edition and why I feel so passionate about the potential to help others build a culture of winning. 

Our conversations change from expressing frustration to discussing potential. Ethan sets up his schedule to get back into the gym for his off-season shooting routine. He breaks out his off-season strength and condition program to add muscle and weight. We discuss how to keep his teammates, who are in spring sports, engaged and growing their game.

Because it's not about what happened. It's not about the accomplishments of this past season. It's about Being Better Today than yesterday. It's about Expecting Excellence in yourself and others. 

I Want vs I Will
The conversation my son and I have at moments like this may not be the typical teenager /dad conversation, but you will still hear a bruh or a cuz thrown in there... from both of us because I am that cool... or embarrassing, if you ask my son. 

I broke out my coaching tools that I use with professionals in the workplace but have also adapted to be used with sports teams. A quick K.S.S. assessment of what you want to Keep Doing, Stop Doing and Start Doing to reach your goal.  Creating formal goals committing to what you WILL do to achieve what you WANT. This is a powerful tool that documents your commitment and makes it real. It moves you from dreaming to working on your dream. 

Creating the Winning Culture
During the initial post-season blues that come after the final loss, I mentioned that much of the discussion is with other parents as well. The reminder I always have for them is that the WANT and the WILL is about the kids and players and not about them. As parents, we have to Live in Their Lives but cannot live it for them. 

Tough conversations can be difficult to have, but when you trust in vulnerability, you can demonstrate the courage to challenge in a positive and constructive way. Whether the conversation is among parents or among players. From coaches talking with players or players talking with coaches, sometimes tough things have to be said IF, and this is a big IF, you are wanting to have a Culture of Winning. 

It's more than getting up shots. It's more than fancy uniforms. It's more than being on a cool travel team. It's more than ranking and records. It's more than the individual. 

It's about a culture of winning when players, parents and coaches have the WILL to match their WANT and that they are committed to Being Better Today. It is that Culture where everyone improves that will enable a team to reach their goals Beyond Today.