Running Head LEADERSHIP SHADOW

Leadership Shadow and Interview

Lauren Hawley
EL 501 Foundation of Leadership & Organizational Change Section 01
University of Mount Union
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Selecting a Leader
The professional that I chose to shadow for this assignment was Meghan Simons. She is

the head softball coach at the University Mount Union. This year will be her 6th season as a

coach at Mount Union. Last season the Raiders ended with a 12-2 record before COVID-19

forced their season to come to an abrupt stop. She plans to take her team to yet another, winning

season this year in hopes that there will be a season.

Shadow Log
October 7, 2020 from 10:00 am-7:00 am
Time Observations
10:00 Shopping for golf outing supplies. We had to
get supplies such as plates, tablecloths,
silverware and containers for raffle tickets
12:00 Lunch
1:00 Plan practice:
• Stretch
• Throwing progressions
• 2 minute drill
• Moving relays
• Drink
• 3 groups
• Drink
• 4, 3, 2, 1
1:30 Come up with all information about student-
athlete that is struggling with the team and
coaches. Meeting will be held before practice
to share punishments that need to be
completed
2:00 Check off supplies that we got for golf outing
and see what else needs to be collected
2:15 Check and see which student-athletes will be
meeting with recruits on Thursday and Friday
and called Erin West to double check what
time information sessions will be held
2:20 Call Patty Kuhnes about golf outing sponsors
money to double check that it was all received
and correct
2:30 Took a break until practice
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3:30 Prepare field for practice

• Drag field
• Rake spots that were not hit
4:00 Meeting with player that has missed many
things and gave punishment information
4:30 Practice
7:00 Brief review about how practice was and who
looked good vs. who struggled and talked
about how to improve for the next practice
among coaching staff

Interview
1. How did you first get involved in leadership?
a. Sports. First got involved while playing 2 sports in college led her to the career
path (coaching). Becoming an assistant coach at a young age taught her the values
of how important leadership is.

2. What is your personal philosophy and/or definition of leadership?

a. Meghan describe leadership as 2 different components: effective communication,
and a diligent work ethic

3. Who is your leadership role-model/mentor? Why?

a. Mike Parnell because in his first year as the athletic director at Mount Union he
has demonstrated great leadership by having biweekly meetings, having effective
communication with head coaches and having a plan in place to move the
university in the right direction

4. What are some resources that every leader should know about?
a. Everyone should read the book called You Must Play to Win by Donna J.
Newberry. Some other resources Meghan has found helped her become a good
leader, especially this past year were Zoom to communicate with her student-
athletes while they were home in quarantine and GroupMe to send out messages
quickly to her student-athletes.

5. What are the outstanding skills or abilities of effective leaders you have known?
a. Meghan explained that the 3 different skills or abilities that she has experienced
from effective leaders she knows is: organization, communication, technology

6. Have you observed differences in the way men and women lead? If yes, describe.
If no, why do you think this is?
a. She stated yes because she feels as though men and women handle criticism and
praise differently. Also, she feels as though women respond better to a female
coach than a male coach while a male usually responds way less to a female
coach
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7. What are the major reasons leaders fail in positions like yours?
a. She thinks that they would fail by not effectively communicating with their team,
by having no praise and a lot of negativity. Meghan also stated that they would
fail by not leading by example

8. If you had to train someone to replace you in your current job, what key abilities
do you search for?
a. The main point she hit on with this question was EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION!!! Some other abilities she feels is good to have would be
good computer or technology skills, ability to recruit, and the knowledge for the
game

9. What have been your biggest leadership challenges and celebrations?

a. Challenges- early on coaching a team she did not recruit, lack of respect from
players. COVID-19!!!
b. Celebrations- an effective culture change where you can see the happiness on
their faces, a winning record, making the OAC tournament. Hand in hand with the
culture change.

10. What are some words of advice that you would give to a new leader?
a. Always work your hardest whether someone is watching or not, go the extra mile,
and to earn respect you must give it first

11. How do you try and train your athletes to be leaders?

a. Try to lead by example, explain the importance of being kind to everyone because
everyone has their own story, value work ethic and push them to their full
potential. Try to teach them live lessons through the sport of softball

12. Who or what was your biggest motivator to be a coach?

a. What- passion for all sports growing up.
b. Who- her high school basketball coach because of the way he interacted with
them and taught them. He was a big part of her wanting to have that effect on
student-athletes

13. What challenges have you faced as a head coach and how did you overcome it?
a. Having to come in with a team of not her recruits and trying to earn their respect.
Changing the old culture. Meghan overcame it through hard work and
determination as well as better recruiting. Stricter and stern with the student-
athletes

14. What can you see yourself doing in the future?

a. Hope for the future is to prepare student-athletes for life ahead of them and to get
a job and be successful. Softball wise, hope for the future would consist of
multiple conference championships and appearances in the NCAA tournament.

15. When recruiting, what are the biggest things that you look for in a student-athlete
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a. Work ethic, good attitudes, good teammate, athleticism

Reflection

After shadowing and interviewing Meghan Simons, I was able to learn not only some

stuff about her, but some ways that I can become a successful leader in the future. I was able to

see some of the things that head coaches at the DIII level go through to help their team take the

extra leap to be successful. Although there are not any sports going on, the softball team is

fortunate enough to still be able to practice, as are other teams as well. Meghan explained that

COVID-19 took a toll on her student-athletes, but they are still wanting to come back as strong

as they left off last season with the best start in school history. She and I are very excited to see

where the team will be in the next couple months.

Some of the main concepts that I took away from this experience was effective

communication, like Meghan stated many, many times, organization, and determination to your

student-athletes. Without effective communication, there will be misunderstandings between,

players and coaches. This is something that a successful leader, like Meghan, have instilled in

their student-athletes to make sure they are doing this. Having effective communication and

organization all play hand in hand with hard work and dedication. I have learned from Meghan

that if a student-athlete is a coming up leader then they will do whatever it takes to portray some,

if not all these leadership skills. Meghan explained that the group of senior leaders that she has

on her team this year do whatever they can to help the team be successful in school and on the

field.

While shadowing Meghan Simons and interviewing her I was able to see a lot of

similarities in the way she leaders and the book HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Leadership (Harvard

Business Review Press, 2011). She wants to express to her athletes to discover their authentic
LEADERSHIP SHADOW

self while knowing their values. She preaches leadership and communication everyday to her

student-athletes in hope that they will see her as an example. I think that after talking and

shadowing Meghan I will start to adopt some of her skills and practice on making my leadership

skills sharper in the future.

LEADERSHIP SHADOW

References

HBR's 10 must reads on leadership. (2011). Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press.