In this series of articles I aim to support you and your captains (potential and existing) through the transition from player into effective team leader.

Leadership is a choice; the importance of self-awareness, their personal style and how that may impact on others is the key to success.

Let's look at those factors in more detail.

There is no single best leadership style. The best captains flick between different styles dependant on their players or circumstance. The trick is to learn how to flex appropriately.

With that in mind, there are four basic leadership styles,

• Directing: The leader provides specific direction and closely monitors performance
• Coaching: The leader continues to direct and closely monitors but also explains decisions, solicits suggestions and feedback and supports progress
• Supporting: The leader facilitates and supports people’s efforts towards goals and shares responsibility for decision making with them
• Delegating: The leader turns over responsibility for decision making and problem solving to people.

1. It is as important that captains knows themselves first and foremost and how they feel about situations when communicating to others.
2. The use of supportive language and showing empathy in communication is critical to success; listening skills are the other side of the equation and sometimes saying less is more – remember the 80/20 rule!
3. Encourage the captain to act as a role model and to set the standard for the team; what they do and how they do it will set the tone. Michael Vaughan and Graeme Smith were the two best that I have worked with in this respect leading in averages, being calm under pressure and demonstrating maximum focus in training sessions. These are non-negotiable as failure to role model is a fast track to losing the trust of your team.
4. Recognise that they may not always see eye-to-eye with everyone, however if they adapt their style and treat people as equals with dignity and respect, they will earn their trust.
5. Everyone is different – backgrounds and cultures have shaped different views and opinions on what’s important to them, so your captain will need to further build relationships with those whom they may not know as well as others. Andrew Strauss did this brilliantly in preparation and during his 1st tour as Captain to the West Indies in 2009.
6. Encourage the captain to find out what their drivers/motivators are; who they are as people – what makes them tick.
7. Encourage the empowerment of their squad to take responsibility for their own actions – delegate where appropriate and make people accountable.
8. Encourage clarity with instructions and expectations; don’t be afraid to make mistakes – learning is in the lesson

Next week, more on 'what if' planning, building relationships and working with management teams.