Cultivating Vunerability
A weekly reflection for coaches navigating the human side of performance.
Here’s your Wednesday’s Coaching Compass.
Principle: Cultivating Vulnerability
Vulnerability is fundamentally about courage, the courage to be honest, open, and accountable so you can foster an environment where people feel safe to grow, take risks, and perform at their best.
As coaches, we cultivate vulnerability when we:
Admit when we’re wrong or when a decision didn’t work.
Ask for feedback from athletes, staff, or peers.
Share the “why” behind our decisions instead of hiding behind authority.
Create psychological safety so athletes can speak up, make mistakes, and take risks without fear of ridicule or punishment.
Hold honest conversations about performance, mindset, or behavior, even when they feel uncomfortable.
Demonstrate humility, curiosity, and a commitment to learning.
Perspective: Playing It Safe or Aiming for Greatness?
In high-performance sport, coaches are rarely incentivized to be bold. Tenures are shorter than ever. If results don’t come immediately, you might not last weeks, let alone months. Ange Postecoglou’s brief time with Nottingham Forest is a powerful reminder of that reality.
The safer path is tempting. Follow the crowd, lean solely on analytics, and make decisions you can defend when things go sideways. It’s the obvious move. It’s self-preservation.
But the best coaches do something different.
They trust their instincts, innovate boldly, and encourage their staff and athletes to do the same.
That’s what makes them exceptional.
And that requires a willingness to be vulnerable.
Story: Steve Sarkisian
Steve Sarkisian, head coach of the Texas Longhorns football team, models vulnerability by openly sharing his past struggles with alcoholism and his journey to sobriety. He uses his story to build a culture of trust and openness among the 18- to 22-year-old men he coaches, a group that often finds vulnerability difficult. His leadership shows how speaking openly about our challenges can strengthen connection, accountability, and team unity.
Question for You
How can you facilitate an environment where your people feel safe, encouraged to speak up, share their ideas, and take meaningful risks?
Until next week,
Caleb Cousens
Founder of Adamas Esports