Finding Solace in the Lonely Leadership Journey

Deadline for sports execs, coaches, and business leaders to apply to join The Daily Coach Network is February 29th. Learn more below.

In 2019, The Daily Coach team embarked on a mission driven by the fundamental belief that the most important person we lead is ourselves — and that everyone deserves access to a great coach.

As leadership across various industries continues to evolve, the essence of it remains rooted in people and the opportunity to bring about transformational change.

The timeless words of author Bill Libby in his 1972 book, “The Coaches,” still ring true. The journey of leadership, self-leadership, and guiding others can sometimes feel isolating and lonely at times.

But no matter our sector or what we might be going through, we may want to keep Libby's words in mind and use them as a source of reassurance and support:

“Coaching is a difficult job, and there is no clear way to succeed in it. One cannot copy another who is a winner, for there seems to be some subtle, secret chemistry of personality that enables a person to lead successfully, and no one really knows what it is. Those who have succeeded and those who have failed represent all kinds - young and old, inexperienced and experienced, hard and soft, tough and gentle, good-natured and foul-tempered, proud and profane, articulate and inarticulate, even dedicated and casual. Most are dedicated, some more than others, but dedication alone is not enough. Some are smarter than others, but intelligence is not enough. All want to win, but some want to win more than others, and just wanting is not enough in any event. Even winning is often not enough. Losers almost always get fired, but winners get fired, too. The coach is out in the open being judged publicly almost every day or night for six, seven, or eight months a year by those who may or may not be qualified to judge them. And every victory and every defeat is recorded constantly in print or on the air and periodically totaled up.

“The coach has no place to hide. They cannot just let the job go for a while or do a bad job and assume no one will notice as most of us can. They cannot satisfy everyone. Seldom can they even satisfy very many. Rarely can they even satisfy themselves. If they win once, they must win the next time, too. In the end, almost certainly, they will be fired. They plot victories, suffer defeats, endure criticism from within and without, and brook rumors that they are on their way in here and out there. They neglect their families, travel endlessly, and live alone in a spotlight surrounded by others. Theirs may be the worst profession - unreasonably demanding and insecure and full of unrelenting pressures. Why do they put up with it? Why do they do it? A few retire, but most hang on desperately, almost unreasoningly. Why? Having seen them hired and hailed as geniuses at gaudy party-like press conferences and having seen them fired with pat phrases such as ‘fool’ or ‘incompetent,’ I have wondered about them. Having seen them exultant in victory and depressed by defeat, I have sympathized with them. Having seen some broken by the job and others die from it. I have been moved to write this book and greatly admire those who choose to coach.”

The last day to submit your application is tomorrow. 

Limited to just 80 total members, the community features exclusive, monthly guest speakers and surrounds you with other high-performance leaders from a diverse set of industries and backgrounds so you can learn from their wins and mistakes— without a major time commitment.

With The Daily Coach Network, it’s a little less lonely at the top. Learn more and apply before February 29th here.

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