ESPN host and reporter Marty Smith knew he had a great idea for a book.
"I've had a title in my mind for four or five years: "Sideline CEO." It's just a baller title, man. It's a cool title," Smith says.
But he didn't realize what an impact the book could have. He talked to 20 coaches with 55 championships between them. And he came out with an uncountable number of lessons learned.
"Basically, I took eight different pillars, and that's how I broke the book up," Smith says. "I broke it up into, basically, what is leadership? And then there is trust, communication and listening, culture, delegation, crisis management, self-evaluation, and evolution."
The coaches featured in Marty's book run highly pressurized and lucrative businesses, and their lessons on leadership are applicable to anyone, whether in the boardroom, classroom, locker room, or living room. He says no matter your job or role, there's something valuable to learn about leadership from these champions.
Trust is the foundation of effective leadership. As Marty and the coaches emphasized, trust is earned through consistent action and follow-through on your words. Additionally, being an active listener, with an open mind and genuine interest in others, fosters trust and creates a sense of belonging, both in sports teams and organizations.
"And part of that is listening to other people," Smith says "Having a closed mouth and open ears is such an amazing dynamic way to prove to people that you care about them on a fundamental level, on a human level."
Marty also says one of the most important pillars he learned about is delegation.
"Kirby Smart admitted to me in the book, he did not become a great football coach and he did not become a great leader until he was willing to stop micromanaging and start delegating," Smith says. "He also said, you can't even begin to lead until you build that trust."
The book, "Sideline CEO: Leadership Principles from Championship Coaches," is available now.
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