As a Clemson Grad, I tend to be a big fan of all things orange. In fact, every Clemson girl knows that even the most hideous of accessories, if orange, can take a game day outfit from "okay" to "SLAY" in a matter of minutes... Which actually brings me to an unpaid commercial break: Clemson Football season is finally upon us! Yeeesssss! Fight, Tigers! Fight, Tigers! Fight, fight, fight!!
Now as I was saying, I'm a fan of orange. My latest orange obsession is Orangetheory (OT) Fitness. You may have heard of it. It's an interval-style workout backed up by research that says if you work your heart at a certain level for a certain period of time, you will not only burn calories but you will also continue to do so after having completed the work. Some people refer to this as "after burn" which is part of what makes this fitness craze so attractive; it's like a "buy one get one free" workout! And it's sure to get you in amazing shape when done consistently. So when you exercise at OT, you're issued a heart rate monitor to help keep you aware of how hard you're working as you push your body through the workout. It's all pretty fascinating "sciency" stuff.
But my favorite part are the class instructors. Each workout is led by a trainer which OT refers to as a "coach." The coaches take you through the entire workout from warm ups, to intensity, and all the way back down to final stretches. Every coach has his or her own individual personality, playlists, crazy hair, energy and even infamous one-liners to fire everybody up. What is consistent in every coach, however, are some serious displays of Transformational Leadership. Because membership at one OT studio is membership at all, I've actually had the opportunity to experience several coaches and various studios and that characteristic shines through every time. This is obviously a part of the culture the company's founder, Ellen Latham, has engrained into the training and recruiting process of the staff. It's a leadership style in which I firmly believe so I wanted to point out some very practical examples to demonstrate what it is and why it works. Here are the top 3 Transformational Leadership characteristics shown by OT coaches:
1. They cast vision. At the onset of every class, each coach outlines the workout of the day. He or she lets the participants know what will be expected of them and what we should accomplish by the end of our time together. Given the science of the workout, it is also explained that all participants are to get their heart rates up to 84% or higher for at least 12 minutes of the class to achieve the "after burn" effect I mentioned.
2. They work and manage the vision. After setting the vision, the coaches open the door to the gym. They learn folks' names, special needs/physical limitations, and give everybody "high fives" on the way in. Immediately, you feel connected and accounted for. Throughout the workout, the coaches talk participants through each exercise. They ensure everyone is using proper form and challenging themselves. One line that really gets me pumped is when one coach says, "Stay calm, but stay aggressive!" Pulling on the social capital they've developed at the onset, coaches often call on participants by name to encourage them to take their workout to the next level, whether that's a higher weight, speed or more difficult variation of the exercise. The coaches are always available after class to answer any questions, address any needs, and provide feedback.
3. They build trust to sustain the vision. Individual accountability is inherent in each workout. The coaches are usually dealing with anywhere from 10 to 30 participants and they are forthright about the fact that the workout is not designed to be a one-on-one training session. So the coaches usually refer to the class as a "team." "C'mon team!" they'll say. Or "Tell the team member next to you, 'Good job!'" They build and share a basic level of trust with the participants and use the social bond of team to allow each participant to carry his or her own success further.
I'm convinced that the coaches at OT are there for more than a paycheck. They believe in what they are doing. They believe in the transformative science behind the workout. They can see it-even when the participants can't. In fact, many of them have been transformed through OT themselves; when you read their individual stories you'll find stories of redemption, weight loss, and folks who took ahold of their own health.
You see, at the cornerstone of Transformational Leadership is transformation. And transformative growth and outcomes will always require a leader who can envision something better and different than what's right in front of them. It will always require a leader who is willing to spread the belief that better is possible. It will always require a leader who can hold on to that faith through the setbacks and unexpectancies. And it will always require a leader who is consistent and inclusively brings others along. What's rolling down your hill?
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