All leaders make mistakes. The best ones learn from their mistakes and never blame their people.
In 2014 I was coaching the lightweight men’s quad out of Riverside Boat Club. The boat was rough around the edges but the guys were fit and strong and moving fast. Trials were coming up and if they won they’d get to compete at the world championships later that summer. For some of the guys it would be their first senior National team.
My bow seat had been telling me he wanted to move the toe steering from his seat to stroke seat. On a buoyed course this is a typical set up since the stroke can see the stern and move the toe to keep the boat in the center of the lane. But on the Charles River, which is a long and winding river with lots of bridges, having the steering in bow is critical to staying safe.
I had some reservations about doing this but stroke seat agreed that he wanted the toe for trials so we made the change the week before competition. We wrapped training for the week and headed down to Princeton to race.
In the final the guys came off the line fast and were leading from the get to. They were weaving all over the lane but things were looking good coming into the last 500 meters of the race.
That’s when disaster struck. Stroke seat caught a crab that stopped the boat. By the time the guys recovered and picked it back up the other boats had passed them and they paddled over the line with their heads hanging. It was an awful sight.
I don’t think I’ve ever felt that bad after a race. The guys weren’t going to worlds and it was my fault. Stroke was having trouble with the toe steering and got one of his blades stuck causing the boat to come to a complete stop mid race. With the change in steering so close to racing, he hadn’t had enough time to get confident with the toe and set the pace for the boat.
It would have been easy to blame them but what good would that have done? Instead I reflected on what went wrong so I could learn from it.
The athletes put their trust in me. To train them. To teach them how to row well. And to make good decisions on their behalf. Changing the steering right before the biggest race of the season was a mistake. And it cost them the chance to compete. For some it was their last chance.
The best coaches learn from mistakes like these. They grow from the pain of loss and learn humility. And that translates to making better decisions in the future. They do it because they have a responsibility to their athletes. That’s why the best coaches take the blame and give all the credit.
The next year I had a shot at redemption. I took what I learned from that experience and focused on making sure my new crew was confident in their rig and their race plan going into trials. And they won. They finished seventh at the world championships that year and for some of them it was their first time on the team.
Every leader makes mistakes, but the power comes from owning them, rather than blaming others. Leaders use mistakes as an opportunity to get stronger, work smarter, and lead more effectively.
Until next time.
Always on the search.
