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Coaching processes > The X factors in success: Why are the champions so successful?
The X factors in success: Why are the champions so successful?
Issue: Volume 28 Number 3
At the time of writing, the Australian cricket team look like they are struggling to retain the Ashes as their team of champions ages and begins to break down under pressure and injury. There is now an even bigger concern about where the next group of players are going to come from to replace this group of champions. Furthermore, in selecting this group, what are the important aspects central to identifying champions?
Cyclist Lance Armstrong has recently won an extraordinary seventh consecutive Tour de France and, in so doing, inspired us to seek excellence and to approach tough obstacles positively. What is it about stars like Armstrong that make them so successful and stand out from the rest? Why do some people succeed despite the obstacles, whereas others who seemingly have it all never reach the same heights of success? Answering these types of question will assist coaches in determining which players are capable of ultimate success. This article focuses on factors central in success for athletes and coaches alike.
At the recent International Society of Sport Psychology Conference held in Sydney, many important issues were addressed, with continued interest remaining in factors descriptive of champions. That is, what are the important factors central in success — the so-called X factors? According to a recent article by Flora (2005), four important factors have been identified as essential for general and sporting success. The goal of this article is to describe these important factors.
X factor number 1: charisma
This is that inspirational, magnetic quality possessed by the most successful. The effect of such a factor is that the audience feels energised. Charismatic athletes and leaders are also brilliant communicators. Charisma also includes such aspects as sensitivity, control, eloquence, self-confidence and vision, while the effect is to act as a bonding agent within the group. This is the ability to connect people through rapport. Charismatic people also know how to play the crowd (in fact, they seem to have the crowd under their control.) Superstar cricketer Shane Warne appears to reflect some of these features as an athlete, while coaches such as Kevin Sheedy and Paul Roos (AFL) display these qualities in their ability to bring the crowd along in their vision for success.
X factor number 2: nerve or self-belief?
Leaders or athletes with this characteristic seem to challenge us at every turn: we drop our jaws in astonishment at their temerity (or say ‘you can’t do that!’). These people test typical approaches by challenging normal conventions. They are go-getters, intent on success at all times. They are not scared to fail: seeing failure as an opportunity for growth. They have fearless self-belief and are reluctant to approach life and sport with caution. They are dedicated to the peaks of success, while being unafraid to experience the valleys or the lows. They live their lives to the fullest. They are the gamblers in life who put all of it on the line — willing to risk everything for the chance of winning huge and not being afraid of losing big, either. They are fearless, keen to seek risks, challenges and opportunities. They make radical, unorthodox decisions that others struggle to understand, yet they are the ones who shape the future with their vision. They disrespect the old boundaries while shaping new, innovative approaches and exploring creative ways of doing things.
The Australian cricket team until recent times was renowned for having great degrees of self- confidence combined with a willingness to attack at every opportunity, even when things seemed lost. At the same time, various coaches of the team, including current incumbent John Buchanan, have been at the forefront of new tactics, the application of technology as well as other creative approaches, defying many of the traditional approaches to the game. For a decade this nervelessness has intimidated opposing teams even when under extreme pressure. Golfer Tiger Woods is another with the nerve to go for testing shots in order to challenge for victory rather than settle for the easy, safe option.
X factor number 3: seizing the day
The most successful people consider each day, each event as an opportunity to show their best. They often treat their work and training as play, and long for the opportunity to have fun. They display positive, optimistic thinking and this exuberance seems to energise the watching crowd. This excitement and energy appears to increase their connection to their world and, as such, their ability to make decisions with greater clarity and purpose. It is suggested that they wake in the morning highly energised, ready to tackle each obstacle and opportunity. Many coaches, such as Leigh Matthews (AFL), seem to stand out with this characteristic.
X factor number 4: grace under pressure
Successful leaders show great poise and timing, even when others may be distracted and unsure of themselves. They rarely become overwhelmed by their own feelings, or experience any discomfort. They also seem to reflect emotional stability and control. This factor is subtler than the others, though still essential for ultimate success. Grace also includes honesty, courage of conviction, the ability to stand up for what is right, along with loyalty, respect and unselfishness. They are the true role models for us all to aspire to. Examples in sport include our superstar swimmers, especially Ian Thorpe, who has seemed to exude poise throughout his career, from even before he was a world champion.
It has been suggested that grace is developed through life experience over considerable time. However, there has been some suggestion that it does appear as tolerance in younger people, such that those capable of coping with the ups and downs of life are more capable of monitoring individual thoughts and feelings while curbing distractions. Successful athletes and leaders show this ability as ‘grace’ (or poise) at a later age in the way they present themselves, both on and off the field of play. This ability permeates everything successful leaders do, making them outstanding role models who are willing to accept the responsibility that comes with this expectation. Furthermore, highly successful people with this characteristic appear to do the hard things easily.
This article has presented information regarding dimensions that delineate successful leaders and athletes from those who are not. While these findings have direct relevance to talent identification, this is not addressed here. Nonetheless, it does provide insight for selection panels when looking at coaches and athletes who are most likely to experience success, as well as the important X factors that need to be developed to maximise ‘success’.
Reference
Flora, C 2005, ‘The superpowers’, Psychology Today, pp. 40–50.
