Our Great Coach on this episode is Handball coach Staffan Olsson.

Staffan played 357 times for the Swedish national team and won a silver medal three times at the Olympic Games. In 2005 he transitioned into coaching and over the next 5 years lead Hammarby to 3 Swedish National championships.

In 2008 he became the Swedish National Mens coach and led them to the silver medal at the 2012 olympics. He then went on to coach at French club Paris Saint-Germain from 2015 to 2018 where he helped them win the National Championship and place twice in the Champions League. He was inducted into the EHF Hall of Fame in 2024. He is presently the Head Coach of the Dutch National Mens team.

1.    Am I leading in a way that is genuinely authentic to me, or am I copying a style that doesn’t fit who I am?

2.    How do I respond to mistakes — do I treat them as failures to avoid, or as necessary moments for growth and learning?

3.    Do I spend enough time understanding the people I lead as individuals, not just focusing on performance and outcomes?

If you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at [email protected] or contact us through our website thegreatcoachespodcast.com

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Identity, Culture, and Values-Led Coaching: Clear Principles Over Noise

We believe that there is no algorithm for leadership. So we ask the world's great coaches how they do it.

Joe Montemurro explains that effective leadership starts with a clear identity and a few non-negotiable playing principles that reduce “copious” information into simple teaching tools players can use to coach themselves, especially during tough periods. He emphasizes adapting leadership to national workplace cultures (Italy, France, England) by learning local norms, hierarchy, and language, while keeping consistent messages and standards. Training should be tightly planned to achieve key outcomes, allow creativity within a framework, and avoid wasting time with long talks. He manages match emotions by stepping back, avoiding reactive decisions, and reviewing games days later for objectivity; yelling is only useful when purposeful, not emotional. His core values—selflessness, honesty, humility—come from family and underpin team culture and player development.

If you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at [email protected] and if you would like to receive our newsletter with 5 ideas to help you improve your leadership, then sign up at: https://thegreatcoaches.beehiiv.com/subscribe

• What are the few core principles that define how I want to lead or work, and are they clear enough for others to act on without constant direction?
• How well do I understand the culture of the environment I’m working in, and where might I need to adapt my approach?
• Which values truly guide my behaviour each day, and how visible are they to the people around me?

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Jeroen Delmee on Culture, Clarity, and Winning as a Team

We believe that there is no algorithm for leadership. So we ask the world's great coaches how they do it.

In this episode, Olympic gold-winning Dutch field hockey coach Jeroen Delmee shares that great coaching starts with selflessness, deep player connection, and creating clarity, while adapting communication to different cultures and flatter modern team hierarchies. He explains how international hockey has become a sprinting game requiring higher intensity, smarter load management, and training plans that close the gap between club and international demands. Delmee describes learning “soft skills” through mistakes in Belgium and France, using doubt to make rational, transparent decisions, and building trust through individual attention and development plans. He details how he rebuilt Dutch team culture after Tokyo by prioritizing cohesion over star names, protecting standards (“ignoring is accepting”), and defining winning as both medals and restoring pride, energy, and legacy. If you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at [email protected] and if you would like to receive our newsletter with 5 ideas to help you improve your leadership, then sign up at: https://thegreatcoaches.beehiiv.com/subscribe

If you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at [email protected] or contact us through our website thegreatcoachespodcast.com

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Todays episode is On Game Day and to explore the topic I am joined by Eamon Devlin.

Eamon is the founder of Minute9, a consultancy that works with some of the world’s elite teams and coaches in helping them improve their half time talks and preparation.

This discussion is so rich in information, and useful to any of us that are leading sporting teams or work teams that have split into 2 parts.

Eamonn Devlin on Game-Day Leadership: Halftime Protocols, Culture, and Coach Control

In this episode, former financial services lawyer Eamonn Devlin explains how personal adversity and his daughter’s negative team-talk experience led him to research and advise elite teams on communication, culture, and match-day environments. He shares common traits of top coaches (welcoming others, curiosity, confident challenge, and clear problem definition), and outlines a halftime framework prioritizing players “landing” mentally, refuelling, then concise, specific information supported by visuals, followed by re-warm-up. Devlin discusses reading the room, the risks of anger, declining player voice as coaching becomes more controlling, and how his team runs intrusive game-day reviews measuring 154 factors to provide comparative insights and recommendations. If you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at [email protected] and if you would like to receive our newsletter with 5 ideas to help you improve your leadership, then sign up at: https://thegreatcoaches.beehiiv.com/subscribe

If you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at [email protected] or contact us through our website thegreatcoachespodcast.com and if you would like to receive our newsletter with 5 ideas to help you improve your leadership, then sign up at: https://thegreatcoaches.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Todays episode is On Game Day and to explore the topic I am joined by Eamon Devlin.

Eamon is the founder of Minute9, a consultancy that works with some of the world’s elite teams and coaches in helping them improve their half time talks and preparation.

This discussion is so rich in information, and useful to any of us that are leading sporting teams or work teams that have split into 2 parts.

Eamonn Devlin on Game-Day Leadership: Halftime Protocols, Culture, and Coach Control

In this episode, former financial services lawyer Eamonn Devlin explains how personal adversity and his daughter’s negative team-talk experience led him to research and advise elite teams on communication, culture, and match-day environments. He shares common traits of top coaches (welcoming others, curiosity, confident challenge, and clear problem definition), and outlines a halftime framework prioritizing players “landing” mentally, refuelling, then concise, specific information supported by visuals, followed by re-warm-up. Devlin discusses reading the room, the risks of anger, declining player voice as coaching becomes more controlling, and how his team runs intrusive game-day reviews measuring 154 factors to provide comparative insights and recommendations. If you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at [email protected] and if you would like to receive our newsletter with 5 ideas to help you improve your leadership, then sign up at: https://thegreatcoaches.beehiiv.com/subscribe

If you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at [email protected] or contact us through our website thegreatcoachespodcast.com and if you would like to receive our newsletter with 5 ideas to help you improve your leadership, then sign up at: https://thegreatcoaches.beehiiv.com/subscribe

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Mike Cron on Alignment, Learning Beyond Rugby, and Coaching with Honesty

We believe that there is no algorithm for leadership. So we ask the world's great coaches how they do it.

In this episode, rugby coach Mike Cron shares lessons from decades with the All Blacks and recent work with the Wallabies, emphasizing that great leaders are consistent, build alignment across coaches, staff and players, listen while making firm decisions, and stay willing to adapt. He explains how policing developed his prioritization, planning and people skills, and how better coaching comes from observation, confidence, and embracing silence when asking questions. Cron advocates learning from outside your field—sumo, netball, gymnastics, shot put—to convert insights into performance, and describes tools like “old way/new way,” the Ringelmann Effect to counter social loafing, and delivering brutal honesty with permission and care. If you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at [email protected] and if you would like to receive our newsletter with 5 ideas to help you improve your leadership, then sign up at: https://thegreatcoaches.beehiiv.com/subscribe

1.   Where am I being “firm” when I actually need to adapt—and what feedback would I need to hear (and accept) to make that change?

2.   When I lead or coach, do I rely more on a script or on observation—and what would improve if I became more comfortable with silence and listening?

3.   In my team (or work group), where might social loafing be showing up subtly, and what specific commitment can I make so that “it will not be me”?

If you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at [email protected] and if you would like to receive our newsletter with 5 ideas to help you improve your leadership, then sign up at: https://thegreatcoaches.beehiiv.com/subscribe

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This episode is a recording of our book club.

The book we discuss is World’s Best by Ric Charlesworth, the iconic Australian Field Hockey Coach Ric Charlesworth. Ric led both the Australian and Men's Hockey teams to World Cup victories. He also ed the women to an An Olympic Gold. He has also worked in Cricket, Australian Rules Football, is a medical Dr and spent 10 tears as a federal politican.

Our discussion is led by Dr David Turner, a Senior Lecturer in Sports Coaching at Anglia Ruskin University in the United Kingdom,

If you enjoy todays discussion and would like to join us for a future book club you can contact me on [email protected]

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Bob Shillinglaw on Coaching Longevity, Mental Training, and Caring Leadership

We believe that there is no algorithm for leadership. So we ask the world's great coaches how they do it.

Retired after 43 years of college coaching (39 at the University of Delaware), Bob Shillinglaw reflects on how early experiences in sports—including competing against Bill Belichick and attending a camp coached by Belichick’s father—shaped his desire to coach. He describes choosing UNC, breaking into college coaching through low-paid roles while earning a master’s in sports psychology, and jump-starting Delaware’s program, including building alumni support and helping grow lacrosse statewide. Shillinglaw shares leadership lessons on integrating daily mental training (goals, visualization, reframing negative thoughts), applying consistent discipline, managing emotion on game day, communicating with players and staff, being empathetic and available off the field, and striving to be present with family despite the “coaching stare.” If you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at [email protected] and if you would like to receive our newsletter with 5 ideas to help you improve your leadership, then sign up at: https://thegreatcoaches.beehiiv.com/subscribe

If you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at [email protected] or contact us through our website thegreatcoachespodcast.com

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Preventing Burnout in Coaching and Leadership: Recovery, Systems, and Support

We believe that there is no algorithm for leadership. So we ask the world's great coaches how they do it. In this episode, Paul speaks with Dr. Gavin Weeks and Dr. Brendan Meany about burnout as an occupational phenomenon marked by prolonged exhaustion, cynicism or disengagement, and reduced felt effectiveness, often driven by stress, lack of control, weak support, and high-performance pressure. They discuss how burnout spreads through an organization via a leader’s “vibes,” eroding trust, cohesion, and productivity, and how presenteeism and obsessive passion can worsen it. Key lessons include building systems and guardrails that normalize recovery, delegating to trusted staff, planning for setbacks, developing clear leadership identity and values, seeking mentors, increasing self-awareness under stress, and practicing self-forgiveness and repair to sustain high performance. If you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at [email protected] and if you would like to receive our newsletter with 5 ideas to help you improve your leadership, then sign up at: https://thegreatcoaches.beehiiv.com/subscribe

I am joined for the discussion by Dr Gavin Weeks. Gavin is a Doctor of Psychology and Associate Fellow at Oxford Sayyid Business School and director of innovation and development at the consultancy Thompson Harrison.

And Dr Brendan Meany. Brendan Meany is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant and His work focuses on implementing high-performance skills to optimize human potential in both sport and the corporate space. He is also the Chief Performance Officer of LiveFirstAI.com, he applies sport

psychology principles that manage burnout and elevate functioning.

If you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at [email protected] or contact us through our website thegreatcoachespodcast.com

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Eddie O’Sullivan: Detail, Innovation, and Shared Leadership in Elite Rugby Coaching

We believe that there is no algorithm for leadership. So we ask the world's great coaches how they do it.

Eddie O’Sullivan reflects on coaching from grassroots to Ireland and the USA, arguing that great coaches separate themselves through relentless attention to detail, innovation, and an uncompromising commitment to giving players their best chance to perform. He describes how his PE teaching background and mentors shaped his ability to analyze skill and make sessions both enjoyable and educational, and how American sports influenced him to maximize limited training time with multiple specialist coaches delivering rapid, real-time feedback to steepen the learning curve. As Ireland coach, he prioritized expanding staff, building clear communication systems, and driving consistency by winning expected games and some unexpected ones, highlighted by beating Australia in 2002. O’Sullivan emphasizes shared leadership via a captain supported by a leadership group, honest two-way feedback, and emotional engagement balanced with control, including apologizing when messaging was wrong. If you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at [email protected] and if you would like to receive our newsletter with 5 ideas to help you improve your leadership, then sign up at: https://thegreatcoaches.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Q: What role does leading innovation play in my leadership?

Q: Am I too unemotional as a leader?

Q: Is the idea of one voice at a time, the right idea for my organization?

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