Attributes of a Leader: Why the Best Players Rarely Make the Best Coaches
It should be obvious, but it still surprises people: Being great at doing something doesn’t automatically make you great at leading it.
Some of the best footballers of the last 25 years, Gerrard, Lampard, Rooney, were icons on the pitch. But in the dugout? Mixed results at best.
Meanwhile, managers like Alex Ferguson, David Moyes, Eddie Howe, and of course, Mourinho none of them were elite players. In fact, many never stood out on the pitch at all.
So what gives?
The Skillsets Are Different
Being a great player means:
Mastering your own craft
Delivering under pressure
Focusing on personal execution
Being a great coach means:
Seeing the bigger picture
Understanding every role, not just your own
Managing personalities, culture, and direction
The best players often lead with instinct but coaching requires structure, patience, strategy, and communication.
Pep & Arteta: The Rarer Breed
Yes, there are exceptions. Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta both played at the top level and now manage with elite results. But they didn’t just transition they transformed. They approached coaching as a new profession entirely. Not a continuation. A reset.
That’s the difference.
The NFL Model: Split Early, Specialise Fast
Look at the NFL and the split is even clearer. Most coaches aren’t ex-superstars, many didn’t even play in the league.
In fact, here’s the breakdown:
Top-tier former players: a handful (like Mike Vrabel)
Decent college players: quite a few
Limited or no playing pedigree: the majority
The likes of Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan, and Andy Reid weren’t household names on the field. But they’re tacticians, leaders, culture-setters. And that’s what makes them great.
The NFL doesn’t expect top players to become top coaches. It develops coaches as a separate pathway and that’s something business could learn from.
Business Is Still Getting This Wrong
In most companies, the best individual contributor becomes the manager. Top salesperson? New head of sales. Great engineer? Team lead. Sharpest consultant? Project director.
But the skillset doesn’t carry across. What made them great on the field doesn’t help them when they’re off it now responsible for strategy, systems, and people.
This Is Why Syncity Exists
We built Syncity because we were sick of watching founders burn out. Sick of seeing smart people stay stuck in player mode. Sick of coaching programmes that teach better performance, but not better leadership.
You don’t need a motivational talk. You need a system to make the leap. From player to coach. From doing to directing. From being the star to building the team.
So What Makes a Good Coach in Business?
They create clarity.
They know when to step in and when to get out of the way.
They run a system, not just rely on instinct.
They review, reflect, and improve just like elite sports coaches.
And most importantly: They don’t need to be the best. They need to bring out the best.
That’s the Syncity Model
Whether you’re taking your first steps into leadership with the Rookie League or scaling as a founder through Ascend the message is the same:
You’re not here to do it all. You’re here to lead it all.
That means stepping off the pitch. Putting the clipboard in your hand. And becoming the coach your business actually needs.