Feeling angry while playing Truls Möregårdh is good leadership, Alex Schulman – The Work

Cultural discussion. “There is no leadership,” Alex Schulman says on last week’s episode of the Alex & Sigge podcast when he shares his thoughts on how Swedish athletes should or should not be trained during the Olympics in Paris.

I understand that this is entertainment, but I still wanted to take the opportunity to respond to his criticism. This is more appropriate than “I have 300 college credits in psychology but nothing in the ability to understand a joke.”

Schulman gives three examples of how Swedish leaders stand out compared to coaches from other countries, whom he describes as “active.”

Leaders who shout and cheer from the sidelines and give decisive tactical directives, quote: “That’s the coach’s goal.”

Coach Solberg listened

The first example he cites is from the final phase of an important match, where handball player Jim Gottfredson and his teammates spoke to themselves during a time-out, while coach Glenn Solberg stood in the background and listened.

The second example is before the decisive semi-final match in the table tennis team competition, when Sweden coach Jörgen Persson urgently needed to leave the bench to go to the toilet.

During the break, players Møregaarde, Kållberg and Carlsson discussed tactics themselves, while the coach on the Japanese side gave instructions with energy and commitment, as expected from a captain.

Finally, Schulman ties the knot with the example where Mondo Duplantis, unlike other activists, does not go to his coach between pole vaults, but instead runs to his mother, who filmed the jump, to analyze his final attempt on an iPad himself.

Should you be authoritarian?

Such criticisms are not at all uncommon when I discuss leadership with people in sports, both active and lay, who often claim that coaches no longer have the authority they once did.

But do you have to be authoritarian to be a good leader?

We 80s guys love three things: calling Twix chocolate a Rider, investigating Palme, and teasing legendary Swedish trainer Benjan Johansson, creator of the cucumber jar.

Benjan Johansson was also a man who had a reputation for involving his players in important decisions for 30 years.

He was not a coach sitting on a high horse, but a coach who said one thing to his players in critical moments, for example during the time-out in the European Championship final against Germany, with 17 seconds left in the game, to his players: “How are we going to play? Tell me what you want to do.”

This approach created a greater commitment and a stronger sense of responsibility among the players, something that many of the legends he coached later spoke about.

Leads to better performance

The arguments can't be supported by anecdotes about ancient sports heroes alone; research shows that this type of leadership, where athletes are given more autonomy and the opportunity to influence decision-making processes, often leads to better performance.

When athletes are allowed to take responsibility for themselves, their intrinsic motivation, creativity, and commitment increase, which not only enhances their individual performance but also enhances team cohesion and effectiveness.

Modern leadership ideas emphasize that a directive approach, where one encourages independent thinking and decision-making among activists, contributes to long-term success and development.

In Mondo's case, his mother also happens to be his trainer.

Effective leadership, not just yelling

Active leadership, no matter the context, is not just about shouting on the sidelines or in a Monday meeting, giving directions and being the expert.

Sometimes it might be better to do the opposite.

As longtime Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson wrote in his book Eleven Rings: “Leadership is not about imposing your will on others. It’s about mastering the art of letting go.” Jürgen Persson certainly agrees.