In Episode 2 of How Soccer Explains Leadership, Paul Jobson, Head Coach of Baylor Women’s Soccer, talks with Phil about his coaching philosophy, identity formation, shaping culture, and how he uses lessons from soccer in his life and leadership.

Specific topics covered in this episode:

• His story of how soccer and leadership have influenced his life, how he ended up coaching at Baylor, and how he’s the second best footballer in his marriage. (1:26)
• Paul’s coaching philosophy that has led Baylor to be one of the premier soccer programs in the US (8:28)
• The importance of identity formation, and what it has to do with leadership in soccer and life (9:59)
• One of Paul’s favorite things about being a college coach (12:58)
• The importance of prioritization (14:41)
• The concept of “leading from the middle” and how Paul incorporates it into his team (16:25)
• How to reduce the risk of negativity impacting your team, whether on soccer pitches or workplaces (17:26)
• Paul’s view on the best way to describe leadership (19:59)
• The impact culture has on teams, why it is so critical to have a healthy culture, what Paul has learned from his wife, Marci, about leading culture, and what all of it has to do with Baylor’s recent Big 12 Championship (21:07)
• The difficulty of recruiting and onboarding players in college soccer, and how Paul views his players as both customers and employees (25:26)
• How Paul handles viruses on his team (30:14)
• The importance of knowing and understanding the personalities of your players and coaching staff in the context of leadership (34:59)
• The important leadership lesson Sir Alex Ferguson taught Paul (37:09)
• What Paul has learned through playing and coaching soccer that he uses in his marriage and parenting (39:41)
• Resources that Paul recommends for leadership and life (42:22)

Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode

Video of this episode -- https://youtu.be/T7nnQ6IJOa4

Baylor Women’s Soccer website & social – https://baylorbears.com/sports/womens-soccer; @baylorfutbol

Jobson Soccer website & Social: www.jobsonsoccer.com; @jobsonsoccer on Twitter, IG, and FB

Paul Jobson Social: @coachjobson on Twitter and IG

Tim Elmore “Habitudes” Program -- https://growingleaders.com/habitudes/

“Chasing What Matters” Podcast -- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chasing-what-matters/id1527359046

Leading: Learning from Life and My Years at Manchester United, by Alex Ferguson

Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

The 21 Most Powerful Minutes in Leadership, by John Maxwell

In Episode 1, Phil and Ryan share their stories and what led them to start this podcast. They talk about their leadership experience, their families, and how they fell in love with soccer and Manchester United. They also give a sneak peek into topics that they will be covering in future podcasts, and how studying the intersection of soccer, life, and leadership will help you to flourish in virtually every area of your life. And for the global audience, they also cover why the title uses "soccer" rather than "football." 

You can learn more about the show at howsoccerexplainsleadership.com.

Is soccer just a game that we play and watch to give us a break from reality?   Or does it actually teach us lessons about life and leadership?   We tackle these questions, and a whole lot more on the How Soccer Explains Leadership Podcast, which explores life and leadership principles through the lens of the beautiful game. 

You can download new episodes every Thursday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts, and you can learn more about the show at howsoccerexplainsleadership.com.