Cath Tetley on Great Coaching: Building the Bus, Speaking a Shared Language, and Making the Thistles Feared
We believe that there is no algorithm for leadership. So we ask the world's great coaches how they do it.
In this episode, Cath Tetley shares lessons from coaching Scotland’s national netball team as an Australian in a new culture: great coaches know their gaps, build strong teams by getting the right people “on the bus,” and handle hard decisions with empathy and support from trusted local leaders. She explains how pathway experience and being a strong assistant coach shaped her head-coaching approach, including learning organization and preparation. Tetley uses the Smalley Trent animal framework to create shared language about personalities under pressure, and advocates authenticity while adapting communication to the people in front of you. She describes creating a safe training space, building belief and “beast mode” to shift the Thistles from being liked to being feared, and relying on a “pit crew” of mentors and data when confidence dips. She hopes to leave a legacy of stronger on-court performance and more professional business, sponsorship, and athlete support structures in Scottish netball.
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1. How does Kath Tetley’s willingness to acknowledge her own gaps challenge traditional ideas of what strong leadership looks like?
2. What does Tetley’s approach to difficult conversations reveal about the role of empathy in high-performance coaching?
3. How does Tetley’s emotional journey—from doubt and retreat to connection and trust—show the importance of vulnerability in leadership?