Matt Messias Impact Leadership

matt@mattmessias.co.uk Bad news for the majority of us-we are all facing another three weeks (minimum) of lockdown. How does that make you feel? Do we need to remember the former British quote of ‘Keep calm and carry on’?   For our safety, the safety of our loved ones, and the safety of others, we are all having to dramatically change the way we carry on. As is so often the case during challenging times, the key to keeping calm and carrying on, is building resilience. The good news is that we can all develop resilient behaviours, just like we can improve at almost anything if we apply the required effort and adopt a positive ‘can-do’ attitude. A lot of my work with people in business, education, and sport involves helping individuals and teams develop resilience and a ‘growth-mindset’ as a means of achieving sustained and meaningful success. At present, my online coaching work with the same clients is focussing on the need to establish new routines and habits in order for them

DEVELOPING RESILIENCE IN YOUR CHILD In my role as a leadership coach and trainer across sport, business and education, I am often asked my opinion regarding prioritising one attribute that leads to success. I never hesitate-it’s resilience, and I needed this in abundance when I was a Premier League and International Football Referee, more recently as a Headteacher, and now as the parent of a keen golfing son! The good news is that resilience behaviours can be learned-it’s a process of continual development, and in my opinion, is one of the most important things that parents can develop alongside their sport-mad child. WHAT YOU CAN DO BUILD CONFIDENCE A child’s belief in his/her own abilities is derived from confidence and competence. To develop this: focus on their strengths, empowering them to make their own decisions; praise honestly about specific achievements resulting from effort applied; praise the process and the attitude, not the result; focus on their enjoy

Coaching culture precedes performance Plenty of compelling research suggests the notion that organisations who focus on coaching their people, get the benefits of the 3 C's: 1/clarity 2/confidence 3/competence. They also produce greater financial and organisational results as well as greater employee engagement and performance. Trust is the key that unlocks this success and is also the essential building block for all positive, thriving relationships: personal; social; and professional. Therefore, as leaders and coaches, we should always be working with others in a way that earns trust, changes behaviour, and provides a cause to follow. Reflect on a time when you experienced or observed effective coaching in a work or non-work setting. What made this coaching effective? My guess is that you trusted your coach and had the right balance of challenge and support. See what Matt Messias Impact Leadership coaching can do for you and your organisation. www.mattmessias.co.uk

Two Biggest challenges facing education today According to latest research, more teachers are leaving the profession than ever before, and I believe that ‘teacher stress’ is the major issue. Therefore, schools need a whole-organisation approach to support teachers’ emotional resilience, mental health and wellbeing so that they can passionately teach and connect without unnecessary stressors. How teachers feel on a daily basis is likely to affect their performance and in turn, the performance of the children they teach. Happier, motivated teachers make students feel happier, motivated and more confident to face life’s challenges! Students also need support to develop a positive mental health mindset to enable them to survive and thrive in what is an increasingly complex and competitive work environment. The world of work is changing, and we need to harness the creativity and innovation of our children to enable them to adapt and apply their knowledge for the next stage

PLAYER INDISCIPLINE AND MANAGER INDISCIPLINE=SPECTATOR INDISCIPLINE What a weekend of Football. Following on from Mauricio Pochettino's touchline ban for confronting match officials, Marco Silva does the same at Newcastle United v Everton. A 'fan' invades the pitch at Birmingham City v Aston Villa and assaults a player. A 'fan' invades the pitch at Arsenal v Manchester United and confronts a player. Let's contrast this with a weekend of the Six Nations Rugby Union matches and a week of Rugby League fixtures. Little or no player indiscipline, no Manager/Coach indiscipline and no confronting/berating of referees, and certainly no 'fans' invading the pitch to confront players. Can you see the link? As a parent, which sport would you rather take your loved ones to? The LMA and the PFA need to take action instead of always trotting out the 'it's a societal problem.' Rugby players, supporters, and managers/coaches are part of socie

On Wednesday the Duchess of Cambridge met education leaders in London, and boldly suggested that teachers need more mental health support, stating:     "It is vital that we support teachers with their own      wellbeing so that they can find the best level of care for all children in their schools and communities in which they work." I was delighted to hear this. My experience in leading schools in both the UK and New Zealand has taught me the importance of school leaders and teachers prioritising their own mental health, and it's great to get royal approval! Children seem to have a 'sixth-sense' when it comes to understanding how teachers are feeling-they are expert readers of body language! Therefore, if school staff role model keeping calm at all times, particularly in challenging situations, children are more likely to follow their lead. I have been working today at the Wolds Learning Partnership in Pocklington, York. They are a family of schools with