𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝟑 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬

Sun Tzu was a Chinese general, military strategist, writer, and philosopher who is credited with being the author of the military treatise Art of War. His tactics have had far reaching effects for those who have taken and applied his strategy.

While I read the Art of War, I couldn’t help but glean principles relevant to the sports industry. In this article, I will emphasize the characteristics he points out in the book that lead to being both a good and bad leader. This can apply to anyone in a leadership position and those aspiring to be leaders, from General Managers to Point Guards to General Counsels.

“Now an army is exposed to six several calamities, not arising from natural causes, but from faults for which the general is responsible. These are: (1) flight; (2) insubordination; (3) collapse; (4) ruin; (5) disorganization; and (6) rout.”

The calamities I will focus on in this article will be: (2) insubordination, (3) collapse, & (5) disorganization. Have you ever been in an organization where you didn’t hold a position of power, but your ideas and work ethic were unparalleled? You were the hardest worker and the brightest mind around and everyone knew it. Well, when that is left unchecked with weak leadership, it leads to INSUBORDINATION.

“When the common soldiers are too strong and their officers too weak, the result is INSUBORDINATION.”

Often leaders are put into place not because of their ability and strength in their role, but because they “look like” the right person for the job. In these situations, the structure of the organization is in jeopardy because weak leaders are never able to lead a team well. Weak leaders can be coached up and molded into stronger leaders, but putting a strong leader in place is a better idea from the jump.

However, the weak leader must understand their weakness and be willing to listen to those around them and continue to grow. Many weak leaders lead with ego and the whole organization suffers. This is especially apparent in front offices of professional sports teams. When the leader is weak, disorganized, incompetent, and close minded, the entire organization suffers including the leadership on the court or in the locker room. It is a trickle-down effect.

On the other hand, however, when a leader is too strong and those whom they manage are too weak, the organization collapses.

“When the officers are too strong and the common soldiers too weak, the result is COLLAPSE.”

Sometimes teams and leagues think they can fix problems by bringing in a new leader, but still keeping the rotten apple employees. When this happens, there is so much dissension and chaos that work does not get done. Employees are undermining the leader. If the leader is not given authority to fire these weak employees, then no meaningful change will come.

This next calamity that Sun Tzu points out is near and dear to my heart, because I have personally witnessed this pain point. All too often, organizations do not build their teams in a clear and strategic way which leads to extreme disorganization.

“When the general is weak and without authority; when his orders are not clear and distinct; when there are no fixed duties assigned to officers and men, and the ranks are formed in a slovenly haphazard manner, the result is utter DISORGANIZATION.”

I have seen this time and time again with organizations refusing to change their slovenly, haphazard structure. When disorganization is present, so many problems get swept under the rug until the team can no longer function. Employees who are highly talented and skilled leave, great leaders head to work for rivals, and players request trades.

These problems can be fixed if organizations is willing to feel discomfort in the short term, for domination in the long term. Small problems pile high until the calamities lead to a loss of not just battles, but the entire war.

“The general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do good service for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom.”

Be the jewel of your kingdom and learn to be an organized, strategic, and fearless leader. I work with individuals, teams, and leagues in the sports industry to get them into this Sun Tzu mindset and workflow. Schedule a 45-minute consultation with me today and walk away with actionable steps and a written summary of our call to make you more strategic, organized, and fearless.

People who have had these consultations with me have said the following:

"I was totally inspired by your call!"

"I am thankful for people like Alex for being a total LADY BOSS and reminding me what I am capable of and what I deserve, even if I can't see it at the time. Thank you for helping me be better."

“I cannot stop thinking about our meeting and the profound impact it has had on me in just the last couple of days."

Schedule a 45-minute consultation with me today and walk away with actionable steps and a written summary of our call to make you more strategic, organized, and fearless.

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