“Don’t lose your temper or your emotions. Coach, coach, coach before you criticize.” – Steve Spurrier

Those who followed Spurrier when he was coaching may find this ironic. He was known to throw a tantrum and flip his visor when someone made a mistake.

But his advice is wise.

It reminds those of us who lead to pause before acting.

Don’t like the execution? Examine our methods of teaching.

Don’t like the effort? Think about the level of communication and feedback you’ve been providing.

Know they know better? Investigate what else is going on in life that could be causing distraction.

Temper tantrums and criticism may get a temporary change. But having a record with each of your teammates of coaching in such a way that causes them to get better builds strength and loyalty.

When in doubt, coach, and coach some more.