Widely considered the world’s top expert on Sports Leadership, Jeff Janssen is the founder and president of the Janssen Sports Leadership Center. Jeff’s pioneering work in launching and conducting college athletics’ first Leadership Academies with student-athletes and coaches began over a decade ago. His groundbreaking work is what originally started the whole field of sports leadership development and continues to be the gold standard today.

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  • The Commitment Continuum
    • Resistant: People who oppose the direction and agenda of the team vocally and actively create problems. They often have their own agenda and do not fit in.
    • Reluctant: They are not bought in and show their displeasure through body language, like rolling their eyes, though they might not be as vocal.
    • Existent – Existent: People in this category just take up space and contribute minimally. They do the bare minimum to be present but do not put in any effort or heart into their roles. Stealing scholarships (sandwich eaters).
    • Compliant: These are the “box checkers.” They do exactly what’s asked of them and nothing more. They lack initiative and motivation and need directions from others to take action.
    • Committed: They put their heart into their work, go the extra mile, and invest extra time. They are fully engaged and put in additional effort to ensure success.
    • Compelled: These people are on a mission and invest wholeheartedly, not just improving themselves but also lifting others. They are deeply motivated and can constructively confront and inspire others to meet minimum standards and beyond.
  • Do an audit first of yourself. Where am I on that continuum? And then each member of your team. The goal is to get each member closer to becoming committed and compelled.
    • Team audit – Where is everyone? People can drift down if their needs aren’t met.
    • For existent and compliant – Shift mindset to “I get to be here!”
    • For committed and compelled – Keep them challenged. Put them in leadership roles.
  • The art of leadership – Make it easier to move up on the commitment continuum.
  • Walt Disney – The little things are the big things. Jeff experienced this firsthand when he went on a Disney cruise and saw the workers polishing the railings on the cruise ship early in the morning. The same is true for the janitor mopping the floor at NASA. There’s a story about President John F Kennedy in 1962. He was at NASA and he asked the janitor what he was doing. The janitor replied, “I’m helping put a man on the moon.” The leader should be praising everyone involved in the mission and celebrate their role and its importance.
  • Holding your teammates accountable – “We’re not calling you out, we’re calling you up.” The encourager and the enforcer help raise the standards and encourage others to aim higher. That’s the role of the leaders on great teams. “We’re not calling you out, we’re calling you up.”
    • What’s our vision?
    • Am I embodying the standards myself?
    • Have we clearly set the standards and got buy-in? “These are the expectations and standards of our program.”
      • Performance and behavior metrics
    • Praise people when they meet the standard
  • The best teams practice so much that they can’t get it wrong.
  • Team Captain’s Leadership Manual. Mike Fox. Can you lead yourself first? Commitment. Composure. When it hits the fan, can you stay poised? Character: Can I trust you?
  • How do we get people excited to be part of the leadership development program? Make it a privilege. They have to apply and get accepted into the program. They “get” to do it. Make it relevant to their lives. Give real-world strategies.
  • The encourager – Calls out great work
  • The enforcer – “We need more from you.”
  • The servant – It’s not about you or your stats. It’s about serving others.
  • The Seven Secrets of Successful Coaches
    • Character-based people. They do the right thing. People trust them.
    • Extremely committed to the mission and the team.
    • Competent
    • Care
    • Confidence Builder
    • Communicator (great listener)
    • Consistent
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Resources:

More Learning:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 216: Jim Collins — How To Go From Good To Great

Episode #300: AJ & Keith Hawk – How To Instill Work Ethic & Curiosity In Your Children

Episode #303:  General Stanley McChrystal – The New Definition Of Leadership

Time Stamps

00:00 Accidentally Manifesting a Dream Job

00:58 The Story of Scribe Media

02:39 The Bankruptcy and Rebirth

04:30 Becoming CEO: The Unexpected Journey

05:08 Building Trust and Rebuilding the Company

11:50 Hiring and Leadership Insights

16:18 Recognizing and Supporting Genius

31:07 Mental Models and Inner Voices

32:17 Naval’s Perspective on the Book

32:44 Writing for an Audience of One

34:47 Rebuilding Scribe’s Reputation

36:14 Mastering the Fundamentals

37:54 The Emotional Journey of Publishing

39:53 Traditional vs. Self-Publishing

49:12 The Changing Landscape of Publishing

50:30 The Power of Writing and Teaching

54:44 The Interview Process and Self-Discovery

57:19 Conclusion and Future Dialogues