The Great Coaches: Leadership & Life

Paul Barnett & Jim Woolfrey
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We explore leadership through the lens of high performance sport, by interviewing great coaches from around the world, to try and find ideas to help all of us be better leaders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 8월 20일

    John Speraw: Coaching from the Court to the Boardroom

    John Speraw on Systems, Feedback, and Winning Under Pressure We believe that there is no algorithm for leadership. So we ask the world's great coaches how they do it. John Speraw reflects on how great coaches lean into singular strengths while staying humble and learning from staff, and how early mentors helped him see what was possible. He describes choosing coaching over medical school, building a “systems coach” identity at UC Irvine by maximizing limited resources, and returning to UCLA ready to follow Al Scates by being himself. Speraw shares practical lessons on feedback—asking athletes how they want to hear it, creating cultures that accept critical input, and using routines for mistake recovery—plus integrating visualization, breathwork, and journaling into practice to prepare for championship moments when things go sideways. Now as USA Volleyball CEO, he’s focused on scaling culture, improving communication, increasing volleyball’s cultural relevance, lowering barriers to play, and ensuring kids have great growth experiences through sport. If you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at paul@thegreatcoachespodcast.com and if you would like to receive our newsletter with 5 ideas to help you improve your leadership, then sign up at: https://thegreatcoaches.beehiiv.com/subscribe Here are 3 self-reflective questions based on the interview: 1.What are one or two strengths I naturally bring to a team, and how could I use them more intentionally? 2.what routine or mindset could help me stay composed and useful in high pressure moments? 3.Who has helped me see a possibility for myself that I could not yet see, and how can I now do that for someone else? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    John Speraw: Coaching from the Court to the Boardroom

  2. 8월 6일

    Book Club: Percy Cerutty

    This episode is a recording of our book club. The book we discuss is Why Die? The Extraordinary Percy Cerutty, 'Maker of Champions' by Graem Sims (Author). Percy Cerutty was an Australian athletics coach who transformed distance running in the 1950s and 1960s. Based at his rugged Portsea training camp, he developed the Stotan philosophy, blending Stoic discipline, Spartan toughness, natural diets, sand-hill running, weight training and intellectual growth. Best known for coaching Herb Elliott to world records and Olympic gold, Cerutty inspired athletes to pursue physical excellence and personal mastery.  Our discussion is led by Dr David Turner, a Senior Lecturer in Sports Coaching at Anglia Ruskin University in the United Kingdom, and we are also joined by Andrew Gunn the author of Percy Cerutty: Life Lessons From A Remarkable Coach by Andrew Gunn. I scribbled down these 3 self-reflective questions: · Where in my life could I benefit from choosing growth over comfort? · What is one challenge I have already overcome that shows I am capable of reinvention? · How do I personally measure success: by outward achievement, or by how far I have come from where I started?   If you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at paul@thegreatcoachespodcast.com and if you would like to receive our newsletter with 5 ideas to help you improve your leadership, then sign up at: https://thegreatcoaches.beehiiv.com/subscribe   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Book Club: Percy Cerutty

  3. 7월 30일

    Coaching Across Continents: Lessons from Mick Byrne

    Mick Byrne on Preparation, Player Education, and Coaching Across Codes and Cultures We believe that there is no algorithm for leadership. So we ask the world's great coaches how they do it. Mick Byrne reflects on elite coaching influences from Allan Jeans to Rod McQueen and the All Blacks, arguing great cultures are built on education, clarity of roles, consistent messaging, and disciplined weekly preparation so coaches and players can “sleep when the wind blows.” He explains his rare shift from AFL to rugby through skill transfer in kicking and high-ball work, and how he approached pressure roles by bringing an attacking kicking philosophy that manipulates defenses and makes fly-halves a triple threat. Byrne also shares how he tailors communication across countries through questioning rather than telling, helping players own solutions, recall them under pressure, and shape positive self-talk, while personally learning patience and healthy conflict. If you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at paul@thegreatcoachespodcast.com and if you would like to receive our newsletter with 5 ideas to help you improve your leadership, then sign up at: https://thegreatcoaches.beehiiv.com/subscribe Three self-reflective questions based on this conversation: 1.Where in my own leadership do I need to create better preparation, so that I can “sleep when the wind blows” and respond calmly when pressure arrives? 2.Am I telling people what to do too often, or am I asking the kinds of questions that help them discover the answer, build confidence, and take ownership? 3.What part of my leadership has grown most over time? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Coaching Across Continents: Lessons from Mick Byrne

  4. 7월 23일

    Adam Voges: Navigating Transitions in Sports Leadership

    We believe that there is no algorithm for leadership. So we ask the world's great coaches how they do it. Adam Voges discusses how Justin Langer’s first address as Western Australia coach showed the power of clear communication, aligning the group through a shared vision and the idea that players ultimately determine a coach’s success, so they must be brought along and empowered. Ben reinforces this as interdependence in team sport and leadership, likening it to CEOs needing buy-in. Adam describes his rapid transition from player to head coach in 2018, the challenges of shifting relationships, managing staff, and relying on mentors like Bob Muirhead and Justin. He explains revisiting team values with players and staff at Rottnest Island to define their “why” (family pride, representing WA, winning) and values (trust, humility, commitment). He contrasts perfection with striving for excellence, details feedback that improved his emotional control, and emphasizes using emotion objectively while empowering others to avoid burnout and help athletes become self-reliant across changing teams and coaches. If you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at paul@thegreatcoachespodcast.com and if you would like to receive our newsletter with 5 ideas to help you improve your leadership, then sign up at: https://thegreatcoaches.beehiiv.com/subscribe Here are 3 self-reflective questions I took from the interview: •Where am I trying to do too much myself, instead of trusting and empowering the people around me? •Do the people I lead feel genuinely brought along on the journey, or am I asking them to follow decisions they had no part in shaping? •When pressure rises, do I become more helpful and clear — or do my emotions make the situation harder for others? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Adam Voges: Navigating Transitions in Sports Leadership

  5. 7월 16일

    The Magic of Sports with 92 year old George Selleck

    The Magic of Sports: Putting Humans First in Coaching, Leadership, and Life We believe that there is no algorithm for leadership. So we ask the world's great coaches how they do it. In this episode, Dr. George Selik and Alan Gregerman discuss how early self-organized play shaped George’s coaching philosophy around joy, belonging, and learning, and why sport should prioritize human development alongside performance. George reflects on the tension between striving to be “great” and the costs of neglecting family, sharing lessons from divorce, self-coaching, and reflective decision-making that integrates head (facts), heart (values), and gut (instinct). Both guests argue that leadership is action—creating environments where everyone grows—by listening, building ownership, and developing each person’s strengths. George outlines sport’s “gifts” for life: empathy, belief, expectations, accountability, resilience, and celebration, and urges making sport accessible as a classroom for community and social connection. If you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at paul@thegreatcoachespodcast.com and if you would like to receive our newsletter with 5 ideas to help you improve your leadership, then sign up at: https://thegreatcoaches.beehiiv.com/subscribe Here are three self-reflective questions to take away from this episode: 1.Where in my life am I treating sport, work, or leadership as only a competition, when it could also be a place for growth, belonging, learning, and joy? 2.What kind of environment do I create for the people around me, and does it help them grow as human beings, not just perform better? 3.When I face setbacks or big decisions, how deliberately do I pause, reflect, and listen to my head, body, and gut before choosing my next step? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The Magic of Sports with 92 year old George Selleck

  6. 7월 9일

    Authenticity and Leadership in Sports: Dom Starsia's Approach

    Dom Starsia on Authentic Coaching, Sacrifice, and Relationships That Outlast Wins We believe that there is no algorithm for leadership. So we ask the world's great coaches how they do it. From Charlottesville, Virginia, former Virginia lacrosse coach Dom Starsia reflects on learning from coaching greats while ultimately finding success through authenticity—taking useful ideas from others but staying comfortable in your own skin. He explains how team excellence depends on selflessness and sacrifice, sharing examples of players changing roles for the good of the group, and why “no big games” means consistent preparation and focusing on the process of daily improvement. Starsia describes a gratitude ritual—reminding players they have much to be thankful for—and reframes toughness as consistency and a willingness to communicate. He emphasizes positive language over sarcasm, learning from “scars” and mistakes, and concludes that wins and losses are fickle, but relationships endure and should never be spoiled in pursuit of victory. If you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at paul@thegreatcoachespodcast.com and if you would like to receive our newsletter with 5 ideas to help you improve your leadership, then sign up at: https://thegreatcoaches.beehiiv.com/subscribe Here are three self-reflective questions based on the interview: 1.Where in my life am I trying to copy someone else’s style instead of trusting my own authentic way of leading or contributing? 2.What does “toughness as consistency” look like for me? 3.when could I choose more positive or patient language? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Authenticity and Leadership in Sports: Dom Starsia's Approach

  7. 7월 2일

    Leadership Through the Lens of Poetry: A Conversation with Mike Dunlap

    Mike Dunlap on Coaching Joy: Poetry, Purpose, and Teaching Beyond the Scoreboard We believe that there is no algorithm for leadership. So we ask the world's great coaches how they do it. In this episode, Mike Dunlap reflects on returning to Division II coaching at Colorado Mesa and now living in La Jolla, arguing that money, NIL, and the transfer portal can distort the game’s “innocence,” while true purpose is found in relationships, service, and “victory beyond the scoreboard.” Using three poems—“Why Me?,” “Chasing Heaven,” and “Quiet Down”—he explores joy within competition, the dangers of perfectionism, and how coaches can nudge “me to we” through simple, detailed habits like journaling, planning, and intentional teammate touch. Dunlap shares how naming vulnerabilities and reframing losses into learning protect self-esteem, and how parenting mentor Diana Gilman helped him reject inherited myths and lead with curiosity. If you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at paul@thegreatcoachespodcast.com and if you would like to receive our newsletter with 5 ideas to help you improve your leadership, then sign up at: https://thegreatcoaches.beehiiv.com/subscribe Where am I currently measuring success too narrowly by outcomes, and what “victory beyond the scoreboard” might I be overlooking?How well do I balance high standards with joy — and do I pause long enough to recognise the “good” that may be the gateway to great?What does my inner voice sound like under pressure, and what practices help me quiet the chatter enough to respond with awareness rather than react automatically? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Leadership Through the Lens of Poetry: A Conversation with Mike Dunlap

  8. 6월 25일

    Navigating Leadership Challenges: A Conversation with Kath Tetley

    Cath Tetley on Great Coaching: Building the Bus, Speaking a Shared Language, and Making the Thistles Feared We believe that there is no algorithm for leadership. So we ask the world's great coaches how they do it. In this episode, Cath Tetley shares lessons from coaching Scotland’s national netball team as an Australian in a new culture: great coaches know their gaps, build strong teams by getting the right people “on the bus,” and handle hard decisions with empathy and support from trusted local leaders. She explains how pathway experience and being a strong assistant coach shaped her head-coaching approach, including learning organization and preparation. Tetley uses the Smalley Trent animal framework to create shared language about personalities under pressure, and advocates authenticity while adapting communication to the people in front of you. She describes creating a safe training space, building belief and “beast mode” to shift the Thistles from being liked to being feared, and relying on a “pit crew” of mentors and data when confidence dips. She hopes to leave a legacy of stronger on-court performance and more professional business, sponsorship, and athlete support structures in Scottish netball. If you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at paul@thegreatcoachespodcast.com and if you would like to receive our newsletter with 5 ideas to help you improve your leadership, then sign up at: https://thegreatcoaches.beehiiv.com/subscribe 1.    How does Kath Tetley’s willingness to acknowledge her own gaps challenge traditional ideas of what strong leadership looks like? 2.    What does Tetley’s approach to difficult conversations reveal about the role of empathy in high-performance coaching? 3.    How does Tetley’s emotional journey—from doubt and retreat to connection and trust—show the importance of vulnerability in leadership? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Navigating Leadership Challenges: A Conversation with Kath Tetley
모두 보기(340개)

4.8
최고 5점
21개의 평가

소개

We explore leadership through the lens of high performance sport, by interviewing great coaches from around the world, to try and find ideas to help all of us be better leaders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

정보

  • 제작진
    Paul Barnett & Jim Woolfrey
  • 방송 연도
    2020년 - 2026년
  • 에피소드
    340
  • 등급
    무삭제판
  • 저작권
    © Paul Barnett & Jim Woolfrey
  • 웹사이트 보기
    The Great Coaches: Leadership & Life

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