Leadership Strategies: Prima Donna Athletes – Transformational Leadership vs. Servant Leadership

Narcissus, a beautiful youth, glanced into a pool of water. Rejecting the nymph Echo, he fell in love with his own reflection. – Greek mythologyTying Greek mythology to football isn’t really a stretch, given the fact high school coaches are continually faced with one or more players who believe the team is there to serve them and not vice versa. Many coaches label these players as ‘cancers’. Unless, of course, they are clocked in the 40-yard dash under 4.5 or are of behemoth size and can run through the proverbial brick wall.  No, these players are now described as rough around the edges or a work in progress. While the first type of narcissistic player believes he is much better and more important than his teammates, the other player with narcissistic tendencies knows he is better and really has no peers – at least athletically. Here’s the dilemma. How does a coach