Trust: The 8 Behaviors of Coaches Who Earn the Trust of Student-Athletes
Over the last twelve months, I’ve completed 24 student-athlete surveys. One of the most fascinating aspects has been how frequently one word emerges: trust.
As a former CEO and current advisor on leadership development and workplace culture, I can’t say I’m surprised. In my 25 year career, I’ve worked with hundreds of executives and their employees. In highly competitive corporate environments, I’ve found that trust - more than talent or pedigree - is the common denominator between successful teams in the workplace.
This month, I dug deeper into the area of trust among student-athletes that participate for highly successful programs. To do this, I began by surveying around 3,000 student-athletes. I then culled that down to around 1,000 by asking them if, in their opinion, they played for a “highly successful program.” I defined “highly successful program” as having “success athletically, academically, and socially that exceeded their expectations.” (I realize there are many ways to define success and that this definition is imperfect, but my goal was to identify the high functioning teams from the less so.)
All of this was just the door-opener for what I really wanted to understand: What are the Coaches of highly successful teams doing to build trust? In order of how frequently a student-athlete referenced these themes, below are the top 8 behaviors that these Coaches exhibit to engender trust:
1- They Listen
Student-Athletes feel that trust is built when their Coach listens to how they feel. They describe the “active listening” (my term, not theirs) of their Coaches and how their Coach asks questions without being judgmental. 92% of student-athletes agreed with the statement, “My Coach listens to what is important to me.”
2 - They Are Transparent
Few things destroy trust quicker than leaders who lack transparency. The student-athletes I surveyed understand that a team is not a democracy, nor are they owed insight into all of their Coach’s decisions. Over 90% said that they felt a much greater level of trust when their Coach made their vision and decision-making clear to the team.
3 - They Show Empathy
Student-Athletes on highly successful teams feel understood. In my surveys, they repeatedly cited times when they had been under stress or experienced failure and that their Coach communicated a similar personal experience to help them feel at ease. 88% of student-athletes say their Coach is empathetic.
4 - They Are Authentic
Student-Athletes are drawn to Coaches who are willing to show that they aren't perfect. 85% of student-athletes on high performing teams said that their Coach “always sticks to her/his values and principles.”
5 - They Are Helpful...Off the Field
About 80% of student-athletes of highly successful teams agree strongly with the statement: “My Coach will do anything she/he can to help me.” I’ve seen it many times in my work with corporate leaders: one of the best ways to gain a person’s trust is to help them with something outside of what they perceive is your main responsibility. Student-Athletes feel similarly and when a Coach is willing to help them with something academic, social, or career - it builds trust.
6 - They Mean What They Say About Accountability
Coaches build trust by setting the example in their actions. 78% of student-athletes said their Coaches “always follow through,” not just talking about accountability, but taking disciplinary action when needed.
7 - They Praise Sincerely
Like most humans, the student-athletes I surveyed were motivated by their Coach noticing their efforts. And the more specific the Coach was with their praise, the better. 78% of student-athletes agreed with the statement, “My Coach recognizes and praises the uniques talents of me and my teammates.”
8 - They Are Humble
Around 75% of student-athletes of highly successful teams describe their Coach as humble. A Coach’s humility has even more impact when considering that these same student-athletes consider their Coaches to be high performers and successes.
Trust. On the surface, such a simple concept to describe, but so difficult to execute repeatedly and consistently. I wish all Coaches well in their pursuit to build and fuel a highly successful team built on trust.