An essential ingredient of coaching leadership is the ability of the coach to “pull” his/her athletes through the barriers of stress that accompany the intense work required for successful performance. Of course, we know from our physiology of exercise and training that the discomfort associated with the preparation of the athletes for sustained activity is difficult.

Repetitive explosive power movements can be unpleasant. In addition, there is the requirement for energy expenditure in the practice required for technique development and skill acquisition. Even motor learning, although remarkably rewarding when successful, usually is associated with fatigue. Often competitive preparation and participation are accompanied by unpleasant vagaries associated with adolescence. Psychological dissonance often is increased when insult from coaches is added to nagging injury.

The demand for inspired, sustained performance under intense conditions requires a resilient individual with a strong will. Most athletes have periods in which resolve falters. Under such circumstances the coach must try to move the players through the stress barriers. All living organisms seek the protective survival process to remain in a stable state of internal equilibrium. This is often referred to as the much-desired “comfort zone.”

To move athletes out of their comfort zone, into and through stress barriers, there must be a strong push by the athlete and pull by the coach. There is no magic potion or quick resolution. This progressive and sequential adaptation and adjustment to the gradually increasing increments of stress incorporate the SAID principle: Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands. Hopefully, this process of habitually smashing through stress barriers will result in a relentless pursuit of standards and objectives.

Most people need help through these barriers. The extrinsic motivation provided by coaches can be enhanced by teammates, parents, friends, crowds and publicity. However, an even more effective source of incentive is intrinsic motivation. With this, the drive to succeed and prevail has been internalized and provides self-generating, self-renewing power. Stress, both physical and mental, most often is the result of the inability to control conditions and/or adapt to new environments. Application of the SAID principle is a valuable means of coping. It produces the achievement of standards and objectives for which, once established, there should be very little, if any, tolerance for deviation.

The keystone in the arch of leadership is setting and maintaining standards. There is no substitute. Establishing standards is imperative in establishing leadership and achievement of objectives and is critical in building discipline and morale. So many problems emerge from lack of structure and established roles. Don’t give any credence to the touchy-feely, warm-and-fuzzy politically correct crowd’s emphasis on cultivating self-esteem. It is a false illusion that leaves people rudderless and adrift and its practitioners without the ability to evaluate and discriminate. These almost professionally sensitive attitudes are antithetical to leadership. Respect flows from standards and self-esteem from achievement. This process develops personal discipline that fuses into organizational discipline, which produces morale.

It is important to understand the terminology used to describe the different parts of leadership.

Discipline
Discipline is the imposition of control in an attempt to make behavior predictable. The required elements for sound discipline are respect for the person establishing the rules, strong leadership from that person and never compromising the standards set. Strong leaders make as few rules as possible, but enforce, at all costs, the rules that are made. It is not enough to demand discipline; the will to enforce it through the created rules also must exist. Psychological fitness, like all fitness, results from specific adaptation to imposed demands of gradually increased increments of overload.

Morale
Morale can be defined as an environment characterized by confidence, enthusiasm, unity and a fighting spirit. Morale is the transfer of ego identification from the individual to a group (the “I” to “we”) and, by doing so, manifesting mass emotional commitment to the group.

The essential ingredients of morale are unity of purpose and emotional cohesion (strength of organization). This produces a state of readiness to execute, passionate performance and courage. Courage can be defined as the domination of will over instinct.

Building morale
Building morale is a critical part of leadership and is very important for a successful team. Building morale includes:

• Inspiration – A product of emotion, belief in a cause, unity of purpose, similarity in attitude and values, symbolism, distinctive uniforms, colors and badges, lots of humor and joviality, safety-valve periods of rest and recreation and emotional pressure that lifts and pushes the individual.
  
• Hierarchical structure – This is a ranking structure in the team. The players move up through positions of greater responsibility and authority.
  
• Leadership and leadership integration – This is bi-directional. There is a vertical injection from the top down and horizontal diffusion from within. The foundation is responsibility/accountability based on discipline and morale.
  
• Intense indoctrinating of SAID principle in training program – This is for the development of both mental and physical fitness. Discipline and morale are competitive factors that lie within the psychological domain. The superior leaders utilize discipline and morale to develop passionate and inspired elite organizations that demonstrate consistent quality and are reliable and confident. This internal fabric makes athletes play hard despite stress and discomfort. It is the foundation of a commitment to excellence.

1. Courage – Will
2. Intelligence – Judgment is critical.
3. Dynamism – Enthusiasm and passion lead to inspiration.
4. Ability to communicate – Humor, eloquence, clarity