The following quote
is from an interview with Jose Mourinho, Manager of Inter Milan: “At this level of pressure,” he said in
heavily accented but pointed English, “if you are not self-confident, if you
don’t believe in your work, you are a step down. If you are a leader and you
can influence people’s attitudes and you want people to follow you up and be as
strong as you are, you must be strong.”
How will your athletes believe in your methods if you do not have self
belief and lead? It is amazing to me to see many coaches shirk this leadership
role. The successful coaches are those who embrace the pressure and thrive on
it. They use the pressure to create a positive energy that the whole organization
feeds on. They set a standard of excellence that in turn determines a level of
expectation that everyone is expected to achieve. This is true at any level of
sport. Your level of expectation determines your level of achievement.
