Blog 3185 – 07.21.2024

Coaching (Teaching) Versus Dictating

One of my favorite quotes from the Commanding General of the Allied Forces in World War Two and after that the twice elected President of the United States, Dwight David Eisenhower, has to do with an illustrating how leadership works. General/President Eisenhower would take a piece of string and lay it stretched out on a desk top and then with his index finger and thumb grasp one end of the string and try to push it. The string would, of course, ball up into a mess going nowhere. Then he would grasp the other end of the string, pulling it across the surface of the desk, and it would straighten out following in line every movement of his fingers. That, he would say is how leadership works, you cannot push men you must lead them.

Some of the more famous professional and college football, baseball, basketball coaches have achieved great success pushing their teams hard and dictating their every move. It is my opinion that those coaches were fortunate to have great players that performed for them in spite of not because of their management style. The best coaches and managers, in my opinion are not dictators but good coaches, who maximize their team members strengths and minimize their weaknesses. They bring out the best in everyone. They make strong performers even better and the weaker ones want to be the best that they can be.

I heard a famous quality expert say once that you cannot motivate anyone other than yourself, however that you can demotivate others. Back to President Eisenhower’s leadership example, it is really just an extension of the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Want to see the highest and best performance in others? Do not preach, but teach. Do not dictate, but coach. Do not push, but lead.

Your friend and fellow traveler,

David White