Leadership Scale for Sport
Respond to each question from Always to Never. Your leadership style profile will appear below.
Understanding Your LSS Scores: A Guide for Coaches
The Leadership Scale for Sport (LSS) provides insights into a coach's leadership tendencies across five key dimensions. These are not about right or wrong styles, but about understanding one's approach, its impact, and how to adapt when needed.
1. Training & Instruction This scale reflects how much a coach emphasises technical skill development, tactical guidance, and structured training.
High Scores – Positives: Coaches are often highly organised, provide clear feedback, and ensure athletes understand their role and performance expectations. This is particularly effective for developing athletes in technical events such as pole vault or hurdles.
High Scores – Caution: Risk of over-coaching. Athletes might become reliant on the coach for every decision, reducing autonomy.
Low Scores – Positives: Coaches may be allowing space for athlete-led discovery and autonomy.
Low Scores – Caution: Lack of instruction could result in confusion or inefficient training, especially for less experienced athletes.
2. Autocratic Behaviour This reflects how independently a coach operates in decision-making, often with minimal athlete input.
High Scores – Positives: Clear authority and decision-making can be beneficial in high-pressure or safety-critical situations (e.g. relay team selections or when managing large squads).
High Scores – Caution: Can suppress athlete voice, reduce motivation, and create a disengaged team culture.
Low Scores – Positives: May indicate openness to collaboration and athlete involvement.
Low Scores – Caution: In situations requiring firm leadership, indecision or lack of direction may arise.
3. Democratic Behaviour This dimension indicates how much the coach involves athletes in decisions about training, strategy, and goals.
High Scores – Positives: Fosters athlete ownership, team cohesion, and motivation. Often effective with senior or development squads who appreciate voice and agency.
High Scores – Caution: Risk of blurred boundaries and decision fatigue if overused.
Low Scores – Positives: Coach maintains structure and clarity of vision.
Low Scores – Caution: May signal missed opportunities to engage athletes in their own performance planning.
4. Social Support This scale measures the degree of personal care, empathy, and interpersonal support a coach provides.
High Scores – Positives: Builds strong coach-athlete trust, especially important in individual sports and for younger or emotionally sensitive athletes.
High Scores – Caution: Potential for blurred professional boundaries or emotional over-involvement.
Low Scores – Positives: Keeps focus on performance and professional conduct.
Low Scores – Caution: Athletes may feel unsupported, leading to disengagement or reluctance to raise personal concerns.
5. Positive Feedback This indicates how much a coach provides reinforcement, recognition, and praise.
High Scores – Positives: Reinforces effort, builds confidence, and motivates. Particularly important during learning phases or when working with novice athletes.
High Scores – Caution: May lead to inflated self-assessment or reduced resilience to critical feedback.
Low Scores – Positives: Encourages intrinsic motivation and resilience.
Low Scores – Caution: Athletes may feel unnoticed or unappreciated, particularly if they are seeking validation