The first entry of our blog was titled “from the game model to the game idea.” In this article, we will explain which leadership style is most appropriate for each of the two possibilities. If one wishes to implement a game idea, the coach must be sensitive to the characteristics, particularities, and needs of the players. They will also understand that motor learning is based on unconscious processes and is acquired through massive, specific practice with continuity and variability, while also taking into account the role of emotions in the players’ optimization process. Based on these premises, we can begin to elucidate what type of leadership a coach who is committed to implementing a game idea in their team should possess.
It was in business circles where two classic types of leadership were first defined: transactional and transformational. From a sporting perspective, they help us observe the possibilities for action and behavior a coach has toward their players. Transformational leadership has a humanistic, cooperative vision focused on major changes that require time, making it suitable for developing a game idea which, by definition, is flexible and integrates the functional skills of the players. Transactional leadership is more about actions that can have a short-term effect, such as focusing on defining unequivocal functions for each position; this provides an apparent initial security to the player upon the arrival of a new coach, as they feel the coach has clear ideas and they can perform what is asked of them. Since it is not always possible to provide the optimal response through pre-established answers to what occurs on the pitch, and because they leave less room for player decision-making, trust in the coach disappears as quickly as their credit, as it has been sustained by assertions based on the game model, which has been used to discern right from wrong.
The transactional leader promotes compliance with their directives through supervision and a system of rewards and punishments. They use these to transact (hence the name) with the player’s performance. It should be noted that rewards or punishments can be explicit or less visible, yet equally recognizable by the player: corrections that project what should have been done, facial expressions or gestures of frustration, stopping the drill without letting the action finish, or ironic comments.
Coach with a transactional habit.
A transactional coach lacks the tools to make their team evolve; rather, they may achieve high performance in a short period. This type of leadership has proven useful in organizations with little need for change where the main objective is to achieve maximum performance from workers. For example, a sales department might use sales commissions as a reward.
At first glance, it might seem that a coach’s objective should be the same: to achieve maximum performance. However, there are two important nuances regarding this:
In relation to creativity, the transformational leader is the one who can channel it within their flexible and adaptable game idea. They also encourage expressive creativity with open, non-repetitive tasks that do not presuppose a single correct motor response to solve the task. They know that success stems from the player’s performance and therefore trust them, involving them in the configuration of the game idea, as it is the players who must interpret and execute it on the pitch. Consequently, they provide the space and trust for these creative actions to emerge, which are nothing more than an optimal response to a specific game context. We invite you to listen to Pep Guardiola’s response in a press conference when asked if respecting player creativity was compatible with the tactics imposed by the coach.
If you wish to learn the first steps toward becoming a transformational leader, you can consult the resource from the IN-3 section of our training program below.
“First steps of the transformational leader” by Xavier Damunt
