5. Leading and Managing Your Staff

The benefits of teamwork are undeniable, including increased efficiency, unity, and morale. As a Program Director, your job is to effectively lead and manage your staff to create a successful team and ensure the success of your Parisi Speed School (PSS).

Understand Your Leadership Role

It is impossible to have a great team without a great leader! While individuals might be extremely talented, a team’s peak performance can only be fully realized if there is someone who coordinates the talent, allows for the strengths and weaknesses of each individual athlete, develops areas of weakness, creates an effective game plan, and makes necessary changes as the game unfolds. This is where YOU come into the picture!

Coach on a Daily Basis

As a Program Director, your job is very similar to that of a coach -­‐ from initial recruitment to the BIG win! YOU are your staff’s leader, mentor, teacher, drill sergeant, and cheerleader all rolled into one! The more effective you are in these roles, the more effective your team will be in helping you make your PSS a huge success.

Leadership is the glue that holds everything else you’ve learned in this series together and ensures your school’s continued success.

Leadership is not a theory; It is an ACTION VERB!

You must be willing to lead your team every single day, not just once in a while. Just like a great coach, you can’t just show up for the games -­‐ you have to be sweating along with your team at every single practice.

Leadership Responsibilities

So, what is the nitty-­‐gritty of leadership?  It really comes down to seven responsibilities you must manage on a daily basis to ensure success:

• Recruit and hire good talent
• Structure your staff by defining roles and responsibilities
• Define and communicate success and direction
• Motivate your staff through good compensation plans and continued feedback
• Hold the staff accountable for their performance every day
• Develop your staff members to be their very best
• Release staff members who are not contributing

Leadership seems to be one of the most overlooked responsibilities of a Program Director. However, those who have taken their leadership role to heart will tell you that when you get it right, your life as a PSS Program Director becomes significantly easier.

In this lesson, you will learn the following:

• Understand Your Leadership Role
• Recruit and Hire Good Talent
• Structure Your Staff
• Define and Communicate Success and Direction
• Motivate Your Staff
• Hold the Staff Accountable for Performance
• Develop Your Staff on an Ongoing Basis
• Terminate Non-Performing Staff