The Great Coaches: Leadership & Life

Our great coach on this episode is Mick ByrneMick is a Rugby Coach but his career astarted as an Australian Rules Football player where he won a premiership with Hawthorn in 1983. After retirning he moved into Rugby coaching and by 1999 was an Assistant coacxh with the Australian National Team. He would then go on to join the the New Zealand National team known as the All Blacks and was with them for their World Cup victories in 2011 and 2015. In 2012 he was appointed as the inaugural head coach of the Fijian Drua, leading the team through its first three Super Rugby Pacific seasons from 2022 to 2024 and reaching the finals in 2023 and 2024. The in 2024 He was appointed as head coach of the Fiji national team Three self-reflective questions based on this conversation:1. Where in my own leadership do I need to create better preparation, so that I can “sleep when the wind blows” and respond calmly when pressure arrives?2. Am I telling people what to do too often, or am I asking the kinds of questions that help them discover the answer, build confidence, and take ownership?3. What part of my leadership has grown most over time?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 paul@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

Our great coach on this episode is Adam Voges.As a cricketer Adam represented Australia at Test, One Day and T20 level. In 2017 he became the coach of the Western Australia team and the Perth ScorchersHe would ultimately go to lead them a three-peat of Sheffield Shield titles in 2022, 2023 and 2024 as well as guiding WA to the one-day trophy in 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024. As well as winning the BBL twice.Here are 3 self-reflective questions I took from the interview:• Where am I trying to do too much myself, instead of trusting and empowering the people around me?• Do the people I lead feel genuinely brought along on the journey, or am I asking them to follow decisions they had no part in shaping?• When pressure rises, do I become more helpful and clear — or do my emotions make the situation harder for others?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 paul@thegreatcoachespodcast.com or contact us through our website thegreatcoachespodcast.com

Todays episode is on The Magic of Sports and I am joined by the 92 year old Dr George Selleck who has just written a terrific new book by the same name. In 1956 he was drafted by the NBAs Philadelphia Warriors. He rejected the offer though and went to have a long and distinguished career as a psychologist and coach. He is a member of multiple Halls of Fame including Stanford Athletic, is the founder of 3 not for profits focused on sports and education and this current book is his 5th.We are joined for the discussion by Georges friend Alan Gregerman who is the bestselling author of the book “The Wisdom of Ignorance.”Here are three self-reflective questions to take away from this episode:1. Where in my life am I treating sport, work, or leadership as only a competition, when it could also be a place for growth, belonging, learning, and joy?2. What kind of environment do I create for the people around me, and does it help them grow as human beings, not just perform better?3. When I face setbacks or big decisions, how deliberately do I pause, reflect, and listen to my head, body, and gut before choosing my next step?vIf 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 paul@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

Dom Starsia is an American Lacross coach.As a player he represented the USA at the 1978 World Lacross Championship, while coaching in a variety of roles at his alma mater Brown University. In 1982 he came the head coach men's lacrosse team and led them to 2 Ivy League Championships. He then moved to the University of Virginia in 1993 and over 23 seasons led the Cavaliers to 4 NCAA championships. He retired in 2016 as the winningest division 1 men's lacrosse coach. He was inducted into the Lacross Hall of Fame in 2008.Here are three self-reflective questions based on the interview:1. Where in my life am I trying to copy someone else’s style instead of trusting my own authentic way of leading or contributing?2. What does “toughness as consistency” look like for me?3. when could I choose more positive or patient language?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 paul@thegreatcoachespodcast.com or contact us through our website thegreatcoachespodcast.com

Our great coach on this episode is Mike DunlapMike is a basketball coach who has led teams in US Colleges, the NBA and in Australia. He was also an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks when then they defeated the Phoenix Suns to win their first NBA Championship in 2021. I first interviewed Mike in 2022, and since then we stayed in contact and he has appeared on the podcast in 2 other episodes, the first on Great Teams culture and then On Leadership. Over that time Mike has shared some of his poerty with me – and I was recently able to get some time with him where he shared some of his poerty and we discussed the coaching and leadership themes that run through it. It’s a very personal interview where Mike shares some of the deeper stories from his life and I hope you find it as fascinating and insightful as I did.Where am I currently measuring success too narrowly by outcomes, and what “victory beyond the scoreboard” might I be overlooking?How well do I balance high standards with joy — and do I pause long enough to recognise the “good” that may be the gateway to great?What does my inner voice sound like under pressure, and what practices help me quiet the chatter enough to respond with awareness rather than react automatically?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 paul@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

Our great coach on this episode is Kath Tetley.Kath is a Netball coach. She started her career as the first paid employee of Netball New South Wales in 1998 when the Commonwealth Bank Trophy began. She then progressed through roles working for Australian Netball while coaching at the state level. She then took on coaching roles with the newly formed GWS Fury and NSW state teams. In parallel she moved into the General Manager role with the Sydney Swifts. Then in 2024 she was appointed as the head coach of the Scottland National team, known as the Thistles and is helping prepare them for the 2026 Commonwealth Games and 2027 World Cup.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?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 paul@thegreatcoachespodcast.com or contact us through our website thegreatcoachespodcast.com