LoginSTN EXPO East Offers Sports Lessons for Transportation Leadership
CONCORD, N.C. – During the exclusive Transportation Director Summit at STN EXPO East, author and trainer Scott Welle shared aspects of sports psychology to enhance leadership in the workplace.
Take Care of You
“You cannot get the best out of others if you cannot get the best out of you,” Welle told the room of student transportation supervisors and vendor partners at Topgolf Charlotte – South.
He reminded listeners to stay present in the moment and to strike a balance between high achievement and personal fulfillment.
It all starts with a belief system. About 80 percent of an average person’s 50,000 daily thoughts are negative, Welle shared. “Our beliefs drive our thoughts, which drive our feelings, which drive our behaviors, which produce or don’t produce results in our lives,” he said.
“If you were mic’ed up, as far as your inner thoughts, what would we hear?” Welle, who has a master’s degree in sports psychology, questioned to sheepish laughs throughout the room. He posited that most people are capable of more than they think but are held back by lack of belief in their own prowess.
Gratefulness is key to positive thinking as it’s hard to be both grateful and negative, Welle pointed out. Recharging your batteries through breathing techniques, stress management and self-care is also important, he confirmed.
“It’s not selfish,” Welle stated. “I’m telling you to focus on yourself because that’s how you have sustained high performance.”
Transportation directors commiserated on the difficulties of taking time off but agreed that good leadership depends on it, especially since they are the go-to person for any issues in their departments.
Good Goal-Setting
Despite their popularity around the New Year season, Welle shared that only 3 percent of people set a concrete goal and around 90 percent of those fail to achieve it. Referencing SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-based) goals, he advised also having DUMB (Dream Driven, Unrealistic, Meaningful, Benefits Others) goals.
There is a greater chance of success when choosing a goal that is meaningful to you, he said, a determination that is intensely personal. For instance, Welle said he is an avid marathoner and has run 34, including a 100-mile ultra marathon.
“Telling someone to be realistic is telling them to be limited,” he declared. “Any goal is achievable with an intelligent plan to accomplish it.”
The last point of a DUMB goal is significant since successful pupil transportation benefits the millions of students transported between home and school daily, he noted.
He advised using the O.P.P. framework to set goals: setting a valued Outcome which is achieved through committed Performance and a consistent Process.
If it’s hard to follow through, he suggested just looking at the next step or the next rung on the ladder and motivating the team with little wins because they count too.
He advised focusing on the intersection of things that matter and things one can control for optimal effectiveness and satisfaction.
Superman and Beyonce
Some childlike optimism and imagination is required to set up a performance-enhancing alter ego, Welle quipped.
Just as Clark Kent enters the phone booth and emerges as Superman, transportation leaders may need to tap into an alter ego in order to overcome human nature shortfalls and lead effectively, or to make hard daily decisions like personnel corrections or dismissal.
Sharon Moore, operations supervisor for Newport News Public Schools in Virginia, shared that her team can recognize her alter-ego which is “more black and white” with the rules while her normal temperament “gives more grace.”
Welle shared that he tells himself that he may fail but he “can’t not” try, so he creates a better, more enhanced version of himself that he steps into on stage.
Far from making one look fake, he stressed that doing this frees the most authentic version of oneself and eventually melds the two selves into a fully realized person, much like how Beyonce started performing under the artist persona of Sasha Fierce and is now famously known by her bold mononym.
He advised using a trigger like an article of clothing which can help a leader “step into” their alter ego and perform at a top level even if they don’t feel like it. “You can do this – there’s no reason why you can’t,” he encouraged.
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Elevating Others
Welle shared how his high school football coach performed exercises along with the team, illustrating how leaders have the choice of elevating or deflating workers.
“It all starts with meeting people where they are,” he said.
He advised starting with empathy and using Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to help employees feel psychologically safe. Attendees agreed that vulnerability, communication and trust are crucial here.
Under an effective leader, Welle said, the sense of belonging will go deeper than a forgettable mission statement tucked away on a school district website. Additionally, team members will be regularly appreciated for the valued pieces of the puzzle that they are.
At the top of the Hierarchy sits self-actualization, where team members will be challenged to continually learn and grow.
The ‘Outperform the Norm’ series author closed the session with asking tables to share one concrete takeaway they will work on. “The norm does information, the outperformer does implementation,” he reminded.
Scott Welle will present a keynote session at STN EXPO East on Monday, March 24 from 10:20-11:50 a.m. EDT.
Photos below from both days of the TD Summit by Vince Rios Creative.
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