There are certain events or periods in your life that you don't notice when they occur, but long afterwards you can look back upon and realize that there were important watershed moments, turning points, or inflection points in your life. Undoubtedly, events like graduation day, your wedding day, or the birth of a child are key moments; however, you know deep in your heart that these are important moments that you will never forget, even at the time that they occur. I am talking about events that while you are experiencing them, you actually have no idea that they will be moments that you will remember for the rest of your life. For example, I still vividly remember the first time that I met my wife, but I can't say that as I was talking to her so long ago that I knew, truly knew, that she would be the person I would be spending the rest of my life with. That moment was a turning point in my life, but I couldn't have realized it then. It is only now, with the passing of the years, that I can look back and realize how much my life had changed on that specific moment in my personal history.
There are just a few of these "turning point" moments in my past. By definition, most individuals will only experience a few similar moments. For example, I still remember walking into the local public library with my mother one particular summer to check out some books for the summer reading program. I couldn't have been all that old - maybe nine or ten years of age. I was starting to get very interested in science, and I found a book on the shelf called "Life in a Log" by George and Bernice Schwartz. Basically, it was a book about all of the plants, insects, fungi, and animals that could be living in a fallen, hollow log. I was amazed, interested, and hooked. On that day, I knew that I was going to grow up to be a naturalist (which later turned into my dream of becoming a biologist). My love for biology and the life sciences continued throughout high school and college, and largely has continued to this very day. In fact, "Life in a Log" had such an impact on my life, that I still have a copy of the book (purchased on Amazon, not the original book that I checked out from the library!) on my shelf today.
There was another such moment that I experienced during high school. My best friend convinced me to join our high school swim team when we were sophomores. Our coaches, Mr. Keller and Mr. Cable were wonderful teachers, mentors, and coaches for all of us. One of the highlights of that first year on the swim team was a chance to attend a summer swim camp at Indiana University - the Doc Counsilman Swim Camp. James E. "Doc" Counsilman was a legendary swim coach who is now in the International Swimming Hall of Fame. He was a great swimmer in his own right, and had it not been for World War II, he likely would have been an Olympic gold medalist in his best event, the 300 yard breaststroke. While the head coach at Indiana University Counsilman led his team to a still unmatched six consecutive NCAA championships (1968-1973) and 20 consecutive Big Ten championships (1961-1980). Doc Counsilman was an innovator way ahead of his time - he filmed and analyzed his swimmers' stroke mechanics - many of the changes he implemented in his swimmers' stroke mechanics are still in use today. Doc Counsilman coached both the 1964 and 1976 Olympic Men's Swimming Teams. The men's team at the 1964 Olympics won 9 of 11 events - notably, the two other events were won by Australian swimmers who Counsilman coached at Indiana University! Doc Counsilman coached a number of legendary swimmers while at Indiana University, including Gary Hall, John Kinsella, Jim Montgomery, Chet Jastremski, and Mark Spitz. Doc Counsilman swam across the English Channel in 1979 at the age of 58 years - at the time, he was the oldest to ever do so (he famously quipped, "It only hurt once, from start to finish.").
That particular summer, I purchased what is now considered one of the early Bibles of competitive swimming, Counsilman's own book "Competitive Swimming Manual for Coaches and Swimmers". Here I found everything there was to know about exercise physiology, sports psychology, and biomechanics, at least as it pertained to swimming. I was hooked! My interest for all things having to do with sports science intensified throughout high school, eventually resulting in an interest in sports medicine as a potential career choice and my subsequent major in "Movement and Sports Science" at Purdue University. While I ended up in a different field of medicine, I consider my purchase of Counsilman's book as another inflection point in my life, which directly led to my entering the field of medicine. And yes, you will find a copy of this important book in my life on my shelf today.
As it turns out, Counsilman had a lot to say about leadership too. In a paper entitled, "The search for a philosophy of coaching" that he wrote in 1975, Counsilman listed 8 specific needs that are basic to all humans, but particularly important for any group or team:
1. Love and Affection - Counsilman took the time to get to know his swimmers. There are a number of stories of how Olympic caliber swimmers would eat dinner at the Counsilman house during recruiting visits and throughout the season. Counsilman cared about each and every swimmer on his team, and they, in turn, had a deep respect, admiration, and love for their coach (every Indiana University Swimming shirt would have the famous "What's up Doc?" logo on the back shoulder - something they all shared together).
2. Security - Everyone needs a safe place where they can be themselves, where they can grow and learn. Counsilman provided that security by providing a team atmosphere free from fear, anxiety, and resentment. While some coaches (and by extension, leaders) rule with the so-called "iron fist", Counsilman did not. He pushed his swimmers hard, but by providing attending to their security needs (not in the classic sense, but from a psychological perspective), Counsilman got the most out of his team.
3. Status - Everyone wants to be valued. In many cases, just feeling like you are part of a team is sufficient. For others, being recognized for their contributions can go a long way. In many cases, a simple "Thank you" for an individual's hard work is enough.
4. Achievement - Here, Counsilman talks about setting goals - both for the individuals on the team, as well as the entire team. Importantly, Counsilman never set what organizational development experts now call "aspirational goals" or "stretch goals" - rather, Counsilman focused on setting goals that were achievable. There is no question that he set a high bar, but by setting goals that were within reach, as opposed to ones that were perceived to be out of reach, Counsilman's teams had unprecedented and even legendary success. Counsilman says, "Part of the job of the swimming coach is to set goals that are compatible with the abilities of the individual and the team in order that they may achieve this feeling of accomplishment. If he is unrealistic in the goal-setting process or if he tries to protect himself by setting goals that are too low, he will only lose the confidence of his athletes."
5. Grouping - "All of us need to be part of a group." Counsilman focused on team spirit as a way of building upon this feeling of being part of a group. Again, the "What's up Doc" played an important part, but Counsilman also made sure that his swimmers had fun. I can remember watching old "home videos" of Counsilman's teams at night while at swim camp - they would put on skits, sing funny songs, and in one of my personal favorites, drop a watermelon from the 10 meter high-dive platform on to the pool deck below! Building an "espirt de corps" is one of the most important jobs of a leader.
6. Recognition - Counsilman recommended using the acronym, "TATNAM" which stands for "Talk about them, not about me." A good coach or leader recognizes his team's accomplishments and focuses on their success, not his or her success.
7. Self-esteem - Counsilman again recommends that a coach or leader, "accentuates the positive and eliminate the negative." Again, Counsilman pushed his swimmers (even his age-group swimmers attending his camps - some of the workouts that summer were the toughest I ever had as a swimmer!), but he was able to do so without tearing down their self-esteem. He provided several additional recommendations for building a swimmer's self-esteem: (a) "Make every swimmer, assistant coach, and manager on your team feel he is an important, contributing member"; (b) "Be genuinely interested in the other person; know his name, his interests, and his needs"; (c) "Before you talk about a swimmer's mistakes, allow him to rationalize them by sharing the blame with him, 'John, you went out too hard in that race and that was my fault for not telling you to control the first hundred'"; (d) "Never prove another person wrong."
8. The role of challenge - Everyone needs to be challenged, but with realistic and achievable goals, not so-called "aspirational goals" or "nearly impossible goals".
I learned a lot from Doc Counsilman. You could even say that he in part was responsible for my choice to become a physician. And it appears that I am still learning from him, even to this day.
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