Chris Tombs - Cultivating Relationships for Team Success
Jan 02, 2025
Episode 167: In this episode of the Sports Performance Leadership Podcast powered by Inform Performance, we sit down with Chris Tombs —a seasoned coach and leader with 29 years of experience in human performance across sports, military, and corporate sectors. Renowned for his innovative approach to coaching and leadership, Chris has supported individuals and teams at all levels, from aspiring athletes to world-class performers. His expertise lies in integrating cutting-edge strength and power training with Velocity-Based Training (VBT) technology while fostering resilience and collaboration within multidisciplinary teams.
✏️Topics Discussed
▪️ Experiential Leadership Development
▪️ Empowering Collective Intelligence
▪️ Trust Through Honesty and Vulnerability
▪️ Self-Awareness and Reflection
▪️ Authentic Relationship Building
Key Points
- The importance of values, behaviors, and work ethic in leadership is exemplified by high-performing individuals within a team. Leaders who model strong work ethics and shared values can significantly influence team dynamics and set standards that others are encouraged to uphold, creating a culture of excellence.
- Collective intelligence is a critical concept in sports leadership. This principle asserts that every member of an organization possesses valuable insights that contribute to optimal performance. Acknowledging and integrating these diverse perspectives enhances decision-making processes and fosters a collaborative environment.
- Player input is invaluable in shaping team culture and identity. Athletes, particularly those with elite-level experience, have unique insights into the demands of their sport. Their voices should be prioritized in discussions about team philosophy and culture, as they understand the nuances of high-performance expectations from firsthand experience.
- Transitioning from coaching younger athletes to seasoned professionals requires a shift in leadership style. Leaders must adapt from a more directive approach to one that emphasizes listening and learning from experienced players. This transition is essential for fostering an environment where athletes feel valued and heard.
- Listening before speaking is vital for effective leadership. By prioritizing athlete feedback, leaders can design performance programs that cater to the specific needs of their players. This approach not only enhances program effectiveness but also builds trust between coaches and athletes.
- Shared ownership of performance programming is essential. Integrating athlete feedback into training plans allows for personalized programming that aligns with individual needs. This collaborative approach leads to better outcomes as athletes feel more invested in their development.
- Adaptability and continuous learning are crucial traits for leaders. Exposure to various coaching styles, environments, and industries enriches a leader's perspective, enabling them to draw valuable lessons from diverse experiences that can be applied within their own teams.
- Effective communication skills are foundational for successful leadership in sports. Leaders must cultivate active listening skills and keen observational abilities to facilitate goal-setting and feedback processes that resonate with athletes' experiences and aspirations.
- The journey of personal development as a leader is ongoing. Embracing the idea that enhancement is a never-ending process encourages leaders to remain open-minded and receptive to new ideas, fostering an environment of continuous improvement within their teams.
Where you can find Chris:
• Instagram
Sponsors
VALD: makers of the Nordbord, Forceframe, ForeDecks and HumanTrak. VALD Performance systems are built with the high-performance practitioner in mind, translating traditionally lab-based technologies into engaging, quick, easy-to-use tools for daily testing, monitoring and training.
Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.
Teambuildr: A platform for any coach in any setting. Every day, thousands of coaches log into TeamBuildr to write training programs, build questionnaires and access athlete and client performance data. Teambuildr is a complete platform. Whether you're building your own programming, looking to create custom reports or give athletes a tool for accountability, they've built it out.
Remaker: The Portable Strength Tracking Ecosystem. Remaker provides real-time insights to optimise your performance, making even the smallest improvements in your strength training visible in an engaging and powerful format. Remakers integrate seamlessly with the exercise equipment you already use, and the app provides meaningful metrics for every rep, of every set, of every exercise.
