Tom Coughlin serves as New York Giants head coach, a team that has two Super Bowl titles within the period of his management. During the initial stages, of his team leadership, Coughing applied tactics, which appeared as dictatorial leadership of the team. The players stated the worst experiences with his leadership as receiving fines for lateness during team meetings (Blanken, 2013). During these initial stages players doubted if he would serve during the entire season as head coach. However, the strictness he presented enabled the players to develop discipline and established a sense of team management. It came with costs as the morale went down. Coughlin made changes in his approach and developed relationships with the players. The approach transformed Coughlin from a dreaded couch to an extraordinary season coach. Rather than fines, he concentrated on the communication during team meetings where each player contributed in the talks. The openness within the leadership style changes the player perception and interactions with the head coach (Northouse, 2012). The team changed from playing smaller leagues to winning the ultimate super bowl cup. The change re-invented Coughlin from team couch to working as a team leader. He applied the sociability tactic in leadership.
Discussion
The players had displayed low team morale and performance due to the change of coaches and the strictness displayed by the new couch. The new couch did not display emotional intelligence in dealing with the players as a social unit that needed understanding (Goleman, 1998). The couch later understood that his approach toward giving fines had lowered the player’s morale as well as their concentration as they played. The only wrong action that the couch ad taken involved portraying a dictatorial leadership approach where he failed to be by developing the players and offering a forum for communications (Derr, Roussillon, & Bournois, 2002).
Recommendations
Playing entails a leadership, which shows understanding towards the players. The team should move towards engaging with individuals who have played in the team and make them head coaches. The former players hold an understanding of the team dynamics (Northouse, 2012). The couch should have established a leadership style based on understanding team players personally. The approach would give him specific emotional intelligence towards the strengths along with the weaknesses of the team members. With this understanding, the couch would group the team during training sessions and team meetings and help with improving the team members.
The management should develop a system where the head coach and players interact and bond to increase the sociability of the coach as a leader. The coaches should understand that their role as coach tags along responsibilities of team leader (Northouse, 2012). Leading entails developing the communications within the team and developing a strategy where coaches understand the team management situations. Leaders as coaches should take up the responsibility to develop emotional intelligence. From an emotional intelligence, the leader understands their strengths and challenges personally. They use the strengths in team leadership.
The coach should take responsibility in times when the team member’s morale appears lower than expected and when the team posts poor results during the league tournaments (Fairholm, & Fairholm, 2009). Leadership entails, taking responsibility when the team posts poor results and drawing from the poor results to provide solutions for the future. The necessary changes within the team include the team’s leadership developing a communications strategy where the coach and players easily communicate and share their challenges (Northouse, 2012). The solution promotes sociability as an approach in leadership.
References
Blanken, R. (2013, January 12). 8 Common Leadership Styles - Associations Now Magazine - Resources - ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership. 8 Common Leadership Styles - Associations Now Magazine - Resources - ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership. Retrieved May 22, 2014, from http://www.asaecenter.org/Resources/ANowDetail.cfm?ItemNumber=241962
Derr, C. B., Roussillon, S., & Bournois, F. (2002). Cross-cultural approaches to leadership development. Westport, Conn.: Quorum Books.
Fairholm, M. R., & Fairholm, G. W. (2009). Understanding leadership perspectives theoretical and practical approaches. New York: Springer.
Goleman, D. (1998). "What Makes a Leader." Harvard Business Review 4.1 82-90. Print.
Northouse, P. G. (2012). Introduction to leadership: concepts and practice (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, Calif.: SAGE Publications.
