John Woods, Athletic Director at Libertyville High School, is one of the most respected voices in athletic leadership today and a mentor to thousands of us in this profession, including me.
He recently shared a timely LinkedIn article on Grit Leadership and why meaningful feedback for coaches must happen during the season, instead of waiting until the postseason when it is too late to take action.
This is leadership wisdom worth stopping for. Here is a segment (read the entire article here):
The Tool Matters But the Mindset Matters More
We use Grit Leadership as our platform for gathering student-athlete feedback. It allows us to collect clear, actionable insights aligned with culture, leadership, and the student-athlete experience.
Just as important is the hands-on leadership behind it. Kevin Broene, CMAA , the founder of Grit Leadership, takes a personal, relentless approach to improving the platform, constantly listening, refining, and evolving the product so coaches and ADs can better serve kids.
That alignment matters. Because tools don’t drive change, people do.
The Bottom Line
End-of-season feedback helps you reflect. Mid-season feedback helps kids.
Great coaches don’t wait until it’s too late. They don’t defend. They don’t dismiss. They don’t explain away.
They listen. They act. They grow.
Because at the end of the day, the question isn’t whether feedback is comfortable.
It’s whether we are willing to do what’s best for kids right now, before it’s too late.
