“A fellowship has been created where you now see academy managers and heads of coaching collaborating and thinking about how they can improve by sharing ideas and feedback. That's where the magic is. It's absolute gold dust. A game-changer."
This is the voice of Gordon Lord, a former county cricketer and highly respected coach developer, talking about the Premier League's Elite Heads Of Coaching (EHOC) programme.
The 61-year-old (pictured below), is one of a group of experienced coach development mentors, employed on a consultancy basis by the Premier League.
Collaborative working
Lord currently partners up with seven heads of coaching as part of an EHOC programme that supports the learning and development of professional coaches across the country.
He also works with two academy managers in a separate Elite Academy Managers' programme.
During the last six years he has built a trusted relationship with Carl Plunkett (pictured, above left), head of coaching at the Crystal Palace Academy.
The pair first met while he was head of coaching at Reading, bonding straight away over fond shared memories of working alongside the late Eamonn Dolan.
Indeed Plunkett credits former Reading Academy manager Dolan for steering him towards a career in coach development.
Now, 10 years on, he is responsible for a team of 25-30 coaches in south London at Palace's Academy.
"I want our coaches to understand the way they behave, the way they do what they do, and why they do it, because it impacts on the bigger picture and certainly the culture of the club"
Charged with the task of ensuring the standards, culture, and identity are constantly maintained and improved, Plunkett is thriving in that position.
Having a mentor helps him perform better in his job, as Plunkett explains.
"I want our coaches to understand the way they behave, the way they do what they do, and why they do it, because it impacts on the bigger picture and certainly the culture of the club," he says.
"Over time there have been significant moments when Gordon has challenged me in a way that enables me to start thinking in that capacity. Building those reflection skills has been crucial for me to help others do the same.
"Through those conversations I have found a way to be more concise and supportive of the people around me. This has a positive knock-on affect in my day-to-day work."
Supporting role
In addition to working with players, part of Plunkett's remit is to support his academy coaches in their own career ambitions.
And according to the 42-year-old, it is this aspect of leadership that has created challenges he may have found more difficult to handle without an experienced voice to lean on for advice.
"When you've got so many people with different personalities, different backgrounds, experiences in life and ambitions, you've got to recognise that individual, bespoke approaches are needed," he says.
"In a fast-paced world, you have to try and get those right first time. Otherwise it can be costly in terms of time spent, especially if you end up isolating yourself as an individual because of something you said, or the way you have interacted.
"One hundred per cent that is where my conversations with Gordon come in very handy. When I tell him about a situation I encounter, he would never say, 'No, I wouldn't do that'.
"Gordon's approach is about saying 'OK, let's take a step back. Why did you do what you did?' That's far more important to my learning than just getting downloaded information from him."
"The coach who has real clarity about who they are, what they stand for, what they believe in; the coach who reads the room and is hugely aware of others; the coach who controls and handles him or herself really well can fulfil a strong leadership role"
Understanding yourself is at the crux of leadership success according to Lord, who was recently named the Premier League's inaugural EHOC Mentor of the Year.
"The whole business of leading and developing people begins with self-awareness," says Lord.
"Once you are aware, you then become increasingly aware of others. This allows you to be yourself, and only then can you lead others. It is almost this virtuous circle.
"The coach who has real clarity about who they are, what they stand for, what they believe in; the coach who reads the room and is hugely aware of others; the coach who controls and handles him or herself really well can fulfil a strong leadership role.
"Carl's deep certainty around what he stands for and what he believes in is something which struck me right at the start of the relationship, which is why he's been so successful in what he's chosen to do to this point."
Career progression
Plunkett retired from playing non-league football at the age of 24 to pursue his passion for a career in coaching.
Post-university he spent time at soccer camps in Los Angeles, at Chelsea's Football in the Community department, and between 2002 and 2012 he also worked as a teacher.
On a part-time basis Plunkett gained further experience delivering FA level 1, 2 and B licence courses, as well as FA youth awards, spending valuable time with coach developers Jim Kelman and Pete Amos, whom he regards as big influences.
Fast forward to the present, and there are no set timetables for Lord and Plunket to meet or talk to one another.
Both are happy to let the process work organically so that their conversations remain fresh and engaging.
'Don't be afraid to ask for advice'
The latter is also happy to admit that if he's unsure on the best way to deal with a specific situation, he will sometimes initiate the call and use his mentor as a 'sounding board'.
"Gordon can draw on times he’s been able to develop other people in the past, and use that to support me"
"First he will ask what I need to do and encourage me to think for myself," explains Plunkett.
"The other part of Gordon's guidance comes from his own rich experiences within sport, and his contact with other coaches. He can draw on times he's been able to develop other people in the past, and use that to support me."
With two children of his own Plunkett is also conscious of striking the right balance between building a successful career and spending precious time with his family.
This is not always straightforward to achieve when the building he heads up is open seven days a week, for up to 14 or 15 hours a day - so occasional reminders from his mentor tend to keep him in check.
Balancing work and family life
"Part of the head of coaching role is developing a life-work balance culture because people need to be fresh for the two or three hours they're delivering in that moment. Not doing a 70-hour week just to be seen," says Plunkett.
"My job is to sometimes challenge them and say, 'Why are you here for so long? Do you need help? Do you need support in doing it? Or are you doing this because you feel like you have to?'
"If you're not very clear on yourself, and the culture isn't very clear on making sure that people take time for themselves, it can be a problem.
"That means we don't just say that's what we do, we actually do it ourselves as well.
"This is one of the things that Gordon certainly helps me on. He will regularly challenge me by asking, 'Are you still doing what you said you're going to be doing?'"
All-round experience
Lord's own sporting career involved him representing Warwickshire and Worcestershire in first-class cricket as a left-handed batsman during the 1980s, and he stayed within the sport as a coach.
Between 1999 and 2006 he worked as a coach educator for the England & Wales Cricket Board, before spending 11 years as their Head of Elite Coach Development.
Since then, Lord has worked for England Squash and the Rugby Football Union, where he was head of professional coach development until April 2019.
"Great leaders nurture the identity of the individuals, the team, the club, and the environment in a way that makes people feel they belong"
Lord's vast body of work in the field, including nine years working in football alongside the Premier League, has provided a clear sense of understanding around what it takes to lead.
"I like the concept of leadership being managing the present, designing the future and nurturing identity," he states purposefully.
"The identity within a football club or any sporting environment is something which is so fundamental. Great leaders nurture the identity of the individuals, the team, the club, and the environment in a way that makes people feel they belong.
Value of forward thinking
"Quite often with the pressures of modern sport, we all get lured into managing the present and forget about strategic work. We also sometimes forget about the people. Busy, busy, busy can get in the way, can't it?
"Part of the mentoring role is to find a quiet space for people to step back from all that daily flat-out work they do, and just take a moment to get above it, to have a look at it.
"It helps to think about where it's going well, how it makes them feel, and how what they do is making others feel."
"Gordon's mentioned there about designing the future," interjects Plunkett.
"And I think this is key because you can get caught doing everything right now, without planning for tomorrow, or the next day, what six months away looks like, or without thinking about how we get there.
"This strategic plan is something that Gordon has gone through with me quite a bit and it has been extraordinarily helpful. So, in our chats there's a lot about looking at what’s ahead going forwards."
Ground-breaking graduates
In 2021, Plunkett was among the first group of 22 graduates from a transformative EHOC programme which aims to improve the quality of coaching provision across football.
He learned much from fellow graduates including Joe Joyce, Steve Burns, Phil Church and Edd Vahid.
As we round things off, Lord is keen to play down his own part in Plunkett's continued success at Palace, but could not be more bullish about the Premier League's commitment to developing talented individuals in the field of coach education.
"It's the simplification of the complex, which is actually the art of great coaching, isn't it?" says Lord.
"People development is about helping individuals simplify all that noise and everything that is going on. So, what's really important? What's the big thing? What's the main rock at the heart of your work?
"The thinking partner role is just here to help people focus on what's really important for them. It's a real privilege to get out into these football environments and quietly observe.
"I'm one of a group of people who sit around these target individuals and that reflects the superb investment the Premier League has made in the development of its people, which it rightly recognises is its greatest asset."
Also in this series
Part 1: How Man City changed to accommodate Haaland
Part 3: Potter's flexible formations will pay dividends
Part 4: Matt Wells on his development as a coach
