Whats the key to being a good leader?
HP: You need to empower the players. You also need to have self-belief. You need to have confidence. We mustn’t take away that it’s the player that makes it happen. You can tell them ‘This is how we’re going to play, this is how we’re going to set up.’ Once they’re on the pitch it’s really about them as people and if they can cope with what’s in front of them. I don’t think there’s any secret remedy. It’s about letting the players take ownership of what they’re doing. If they believe in it enough they’ll make strides forwards to make sure they try to put the best in. A coach should just try to impart some knowledge to guide them and steer them. You need to be a very good communicator but you also have to involve the players in that. It isn’t just a case of ‘I’m going to tell you what to do, therefore you should do it.’ It’s my job, if I think it’s in the best interests of the team, to let the players understand why we’re doing it. I let them have a voice so it’s a two way communication
