Team leaders often diminish their impact despite their intention to do the opposite. By encouraging too much dependence on their own interventions, they risk being fractional leaders. By contrast, team leaders who carefully develop the ability of their team members to adapt to change and challenge can increase their leadership impact so that it is felt even in their absence. They can become leaders and a half, rather than half-leaders.
Recent developments regarding Phil Jackson, head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team, shed light on this phenomenon.
In this year’s National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals, Phil Jackson won his tenth championship.
With that victory he surpassed the legendary Red Auerbach, head coach of the Boston Celtics. Phil Jackson now stands alone as having more championships than any head coach, not only in basketball, but in all of major professional sports.
Impressive as that achievement may be, it is possible that Jackson could add to his own record, because the Lakers look to be a strong contender for next year’s title. But Jackson might not be able to coach next year for health reasons.
In light of Jackson’s heath concerns, one possibility reportedly being considered by the team is having him coach home games in person during the regular season in Los Angeles as usual, but not traveling to away games. This option would give Jackson more rest and would relieve him of the burden and stress of traveling until after the regular season when the playoffs begin.
This plan might or might not be implemented, but it is interesting to contemplate, because it is so unusual. One reason the home-game-only plan for Jackson merits attention is because it’s hard to imagine such an alternative even being considered for any other head coach in the NBA.
Going further, one might even see a criticism of Jackson in this stay-home-all-season option. Would his presence not being required for away games imply he is less valuable as a leader? If so, might an even better option be for the Lakers to seek another coach?
But given Jackson’s extraordinary track record of success, the team must be looking at the situation differently. If the Lakers are considering this unprecedented option, surely it is because Jackson is more valuable than other coaches, not less valuable.
That logic implies Jackson tends to excel at equipping his team to win, with or without his personal presence on game day.
There might be something to this. For example, Jackson famously looks for opportunities to teach his team how to play through tough stretches without his direct intervention. In situations where other coaches call a timeout when their team makes a few poor plays or their opponents score several times in a row, Jackson infrequently intervenes. Instead he often sits calmly on the sideline. His players know what he is doing, because he has prepared them for such times. His inaction speaks volumes to his players. Through his lack of action he communicates clearly to the team that he expects them to recover their poise and competence.
Part of Jackson’s team leadership style focuses on team members learning how to self-correct, and become habituated to putting themselves back on track, even under intense pressure and stress.
He wants them to gain confidence in their ability to regain their confidence by working through adversity under realistic, game-time conditions. He wants them to have real experience to draw upon that when times get tough, believing in their skills and game-plan will pay off if they stay poised and keep applying themselves.
Jackson recognizes that performance ebbs and flows are normal in the course of a game and over the length of a season. A team that gets better at recognizing these patterns and working their way through them without requiring time-consuming interventions holds a competitive advantage.
The lesson: Great team leaders prepare teams for their absence.
When you are in a position of team leadership, do you strive to develop your team’s skills, confidence and accountability for their own performance? Do you look for opportunities to help your team learn how to persevere and self-correct during times of challenge and crisis?
Strive to be a team leader and a half, so your presence and impact is felt even when you are not there, rather than being half a leader, whose team has grown over-dependent on you solving their problems for them.
