Dr Corey Crossan, Research and Teaching Fellow at the Oxford Character Project, recently published an article in the International Journal of Sport Management titled Perceptions of Leader Character for Sport Performance: The Athlete-Coach Dyadic Relationship. This study investigated how intercollegiate athletes from an Ontario university perceive character dimensions within sport performance, particularly through their interactions with coaches.
The research employed the Leader Character Framework, which identifies 11 interconnected dimensions essential for excellence (Crossan et al., 2017). While management research highlights the necessity of all leader character dimensions to prevent virtues from becoming vices, the study revealed that athletes prioritised courage and drive over integrity, transcendence, and justice in their pursuit of athletic success.
Notably, the findings indicated that athletes valued these character dimensions in alignment with how they perceived their coaches to value them. This suggests that the athlete-coach relationship plays a significant role in shaping character development and influencing performance outcomes. However, these perceptions may also inadvertently undermine aspects of sport performance if key character dimensions are overlooked.
Dr Crossan’s academic journey is deeply influenced by her background in Exercise Science, which inspired her unique approach to studying character development. Her research integrates principles of habit formation and elite performance to explore how daily practices contribute to sustained excellence. Having competed as an NCAA Division 1 athlete, her passion for high performance extends beyond sports, fueling her commitment to helping individuals and organisations cultivate leadership and character development.
This study contributes to OCP’s broader mission of integrating character development into leadership development, ensuring that a human-centered approach remains at the core of leadership growth. By examining the role of the character in leadership across various domains, including sports, OCP continues to equip individuals and organisations with the insights needed to cultivate good leadership.