Leadership: A Veteran Player's Take on Canada's Head Coach John Herdman

John Herdman inherited the Canadian National Team shortly after they placed dead last in the Women's World Cup in 2011 and transformed them in under just one year to earn a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics. Veteran player Rhian Wilkinson describes how he moved past the team's "emotional trauma" to rebuild the team's identity and unite the 21 players behind one shared vision, leading them to Olympic success.

Player Leadership
Wilkinson notes how Herdman built in his own internal board of directors, a six-member leadership group comprised of players, who were accountable for maintaining the high standard expected out of themselves. 

"His purpose in identifying this group was not to create a tiered system amongst the players, but rather to place the burden of leadership onto these players’ shoulders. The entire team knew who was in this leadership group and were encouraged to help them become stronger by raising concerns, giving them ideas, and keeping them accountable."

Visible Preparation
Herdman's maniacal preparation spills over to the player's own preparation, raising the game of the entire squad.

"John’s room looked like an army bunker with the officers planning and scheming their next attack. He had papers over every inch of his wall and every game of every tournament was planned out in detail before the first whistle had even blown. I'm sure his plans changed constantly but his basic framework was in place months before a game was played."

Elevate Role Players
Herdman renamed the bench players "finishers" instead of the commonly used term "substitutes", a powerful way to position the role of players who enter a game with fresh legs and can often change the outcome of the game. The new label is more than nuance, it is a demonstration of Herdman's "unshakeable belief in every single member of the team".

"He rightly pointed out that it is often the players that come into a game off the bench that make the difference. Consequently, they need to  stay focused and know that they have the belief of both the Coach and the rest of the team. How can players who feel neglected and ignored make the impact needed to influence a result?"

Connectivity

In summary, Wilkinson attributes the sense of connectivity that Herdman's leadership created as the reason for the team's bronze medal performance at the London 2012 Olympics.

Click here for the full post on the AthletesCAN blog.