In Episode 30, John Yeager, Author of The Coaching Zone: Next Level Leadership in Sports, Positive Psychology Consultant, and Performance Coach, talks with Phil about his incredible new book, the 3 lenses of concentration, self-awareness and blind spots, harmonious vs. obsessive passion, PsyCap, polarity thinking, cultivating connections, providing effective feedback, overcoming confirmation bias and fundamental attribution error, and choreographing the “team dance.” Specifically, John discusses:

• How he developed his passion for sports and leadership, and how he got to be where he is today (2:38)
• His new book, what inspired him to write it, and all the interviews and research that went into the book (10:06)
• The 3 lenses of concentration of a “Focused Leader” (i.e., self, others, team) and how they play out in sports and life (12:02)
• Self-awareness, shadow strengths, and how we can uncover and mitigate against our blind spots (15:32)
• Harmonious passion vs. obsessive passion, and how HALTS can help us (24:12)
• Psychological Capital (PsyCap), as it relates to self, individual team members, and teams, the acronym H-E-R-O, and how it relates to our lives outside of sport (30:19)
• Polarity thinking (e.g., humility/confidence, direction/empowerment, continuity/transformation) – what it is, understanding how we need to harness it in our coaching, on and off the field, and how different personalities may address it differently (37:55)
• The importance of cultivating connections and how we can do it well in every area of our lives (47:50)
• How we can effectively provide feedback to our teams (52:28)
• How to protect against confirmation bias and fundamental attribution error in our leadership, and what System 1 and System 2 thinking has to do with it (56:33)
• The leader as choreographer of a “team dance” between and among the “tops, middles, and bottoms” (1:00:02)
• What he has learned directly from the game of soccer that he uses in his marriage, parenting, and other areas of life (1:03:03)
• His book recommendation (1:05:11)

Resources and Links from this Episode

• Contact John Yeager – [email protected] & com (also on LinkedIn and FB)
• Video of the Episode
• HSEL Facebook Group
• Phil and HSEL on Clubhouse -- @phildarke
• Contact Phil – [email protected]
• The Coaching Zone: Next Level Leadership in Sports, by John Yeager
• Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence, by Daniel Goleman
• “The Focused Leader,” by Daniel Goleman, Harvard Business Review, 12/2013
• “On the development of harmonious and obsessive passion,” Genevieve Mageau and Robert Vallerand
• Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, by Doris Kearns Goodwin
• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable, by Patrick Lencioni
• Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well, by Douglas Stone & Sheila Heen
• Becoming Better Grownups: Rediscovering What Matters and Remembering How to Fly, by Brad Montague