Role Of Leadership In Sport

For more than half a century, leadership has been a topic of considerable in-depth research within an organisational context; it has since moved into the sporting environment. At a high level, leadership can be defined as a behavioural process that influences individuals or a group towards a set of goals, where the effectiveness of the leader will be based on how well the goals are achieved (Barrow, 1977). Consequently, the importance of leadership in both the organisational and sporting domains cannot be understated. Yukl (2008) states that a flexible and adaptive leadership approach can positively influence an organisation 's financial performance. Additionally, transforming organisational culture through appropriate leadership can lead to successful team performance in professional sport (Frontiera, 2010).

There has been significant crossover between organisational management and sport in much of the leadership theory. Weinberg and McDermott (2002) found that similar leadership characteristics were perceived as key factors to the success of both business firms and sporting organisations. In addition, Orth et al. (1987) argued that managers in business could actually benefit from adopting behaviour akin to that of a sports coach in leading their employees and creating a suitable development environment. Therefore, it is useful to reflect on organisational leadership concepts and their application in a sporting context.

Leadership and Performance Management in Sport