8-Step Blueprint for Leadership Success

Elevate Your Coaching, Transform Your Athletic Program, and Change young people forever.

 

As a coach already using Lead ‘Em Up, you’re on the path to creating meaningful change. Now, it’s time to take things to the next level. This 8-step blueprint shows you the proven path successful coaches have taken to achieve transformative results for their teams and athletic programs.

Each step in this journey builds on the last, strategically designed to strengthen leadership, sharpen team culture, and inspire athletes to be their best. It begins with laying a strong leadership foundation through the Green Team Framework, and from there, the steps build momentum—leading to a full integration of Lead ‘Em Up across your program.

By following this blueprint, you’ll not only elevate your coaching but also create a ripple effect that transforms your entire athletic department and beyond. Imagine the impact as each step brings your team closer to excellence, and your program closer to lasting success.

Here’s how you can follow in the footsteps of other successful coaches and athletic programs—and lead your team to new heights.

1. Implement The Green Team Framework

“In all my years, I’ve never seen a tool engage athletes like Lead ‘Em Up’s Green Team Framework”

– Jen Rizzotti | Team USA Basketball/WNBA Connecticut Sun Team President

This is where your Lead “Em Up journey begins. The Green Team Framework is the foundation upon which everything in Lead ‘Em Up is built. Within 30 days of implementing the Green Team Framework, your team will become more committed, consistent, and competitive. All it takes is 3 hours over 30 days and your team will have its leadership foundation in place.

“The Green Team Framework provided the accountability our team needed to win Back-To-Back State Championships”

– John Kelley | Maryland HS Football State Championship Coach

2. Upgrade to the All-Access Coaches Membership

“The Coaches Membership changed everything for me. My program has grown exponentially this past year because of the leaders we are learning to become.”

-Rachael Simmons | Moore High School Head Girls Volleyball Coach

Once you have the Green Team Framework installed your next step is to upgrade to your full Coaches Membership. Here you will complete a Team Leadership Profile that will provide you with a team leadership score. Your custom Team Leadership Profile will provide you with three specific areas for team growth and provide specific exercises for you to improve the areas of need.

The Coaches Membership gives you full access to our dynamic library of resources and exercises, including our special 8-week Captains Course. The Coaches Membership provides you with everything, and we mean EVERYTHING you and your team need to develop into the leaders needed to win including:

  • New Content Releases
  • Our new shareable Player Resource Videos
  • Community Groups
  • Shareable player resources
  • Year-Long Support and Coaching Consultation
  • Continually Updated Resources and Exercises

“Lead ‘Em Up has had a huge impact on our program and myself. It’s made me a better coach and it’s given us the tools needed to take our team to a higher level of success.”

-Ronnie Kruger | Head Boys Basketball Coach

Become a Certified Lead ‘Em Up Coach

What change or impact will the coach, team, or program experience: Elevate Your Status. You will majorly enhance your Coaching Effectiveness and Elevate your leadership skills to new heights, making it easier to build winning teams.

Are you interested in getting more involved with Lead ‘Em Up? There’s no better way than to earn your Lead ‘Em Up Coach Certification.

The Lead ‘Em Up Coach Certification offers coaches an opportunity to elevate their leadership skills and grow their leadership influence. This advanced Certification training provides tools, resources, and access to a special community, all designed to enhance your coaching effectiveness.

As a certified coach, you’ll also be recognized for your leadership commitment, boosting your credentials and opening up new career opportunities for you.

Certified Coaches will be an extension of the Lead ‘Em Up staff and positioned to deliver the highest level of impact for their students, athletes, and community.

“The Lead ‘Em Up Coach Certification will be a first-class experience that will help coaches continue to grow as coaches, and as leaders, and elevate their status within their local community and around the world.”

– Adam Bradley |Lead ‘Em Up Founder

Coach Certification Badge
3. Coordinate a Live Training for your team

“Bringing in Lead ‘Em Up is exactly what we needed. It has stuck with our team and has made a big impact on our players and coaches.”

– TJ Rosene | Emmanuel College Head Men’s Basketball Coach

Great coaches know they can’t do it alone and are always looking for ways to enhance what they’re doing.

Bring the power of a Lead ‘Em Up Live Training to your team!

We view our relationship with you as a true partnership. When you coordinate a Lead ‘Em Up Live Training something special happens, you’re athletes begin to see and experience Lead ‘Em Up on a whole new level.

When your athletes experience a Lead ‘Em Up Live Training everything you’ve been building in your program will be reinforced. Your athletes will view it as a partnership and the experience will enhance every aspect of what you’re building in your program.

Lead ‘Em Up live training will explode your team’s growth. Take a look at what happened with the Frontier Girls Basketball program after they experienced Lead ‘Em Up. (link frontier case study)

“We bring in Lead ‘Em Up every year and it has transformed our program. It has helped us build a consistent winning culture. We would not be at the level we are today without having experienced Lead ‘Em Up training.”

– Alex Zangriles | Wentzville North Point

4. Connect Lead ‘Em Up to your full Athletic Program

“With all of the different concepts and programs out there, it’s hard to know which one to put your time and energy towards, it is amazing to see one that the athletes love so much that they are the ones driving it. They are the ones asking for it. This is what that can look like.”

A candle loses no light by lighting another. You’ve been doing incredible work in your program and have experienced the results. Why keep it to yourself?

It’s time to connect your whole athletic department to Lead ‘Em Up. In our work with athletic departments across the country, we have found that it is critical for athletes to experience Lead ‘Em Up in other sports. By experiencing Lead ‘Em Up other sports athletes will get the repetitions needed to continue their leadership growth. Too often athletes will go through Lead ‘Em Up in one season and then not hear about it again until the following year. When this happens, momentum is lost, and too often coaches feel like they have to start back at step one.

When multiple programs in the athletic department are teaching the Lead ‘Em Up curriculum your voice and message with your team will be enhanced. Your message will deepen and your athletes will be better equipped to lead at a high level when they are in your season.

5. Host a Live Training Campus Day

Change/Impact: Your entire athletic program will be elevated to the next level. All teams, athletes, and coaches, will be able to support one another, and the culture of your entire program will change.

“My coaches loved engaging in Lead ‘Em Up during the Campus Day. It had such a positive impact on them professionally and our staff as a whole.”

– Coach Kevin Jones | St. Andrews Episcopal Athletic Director

Supercharge growth and momentum for your team and elevate athlete and coach performance.

There is no better way to kick off a sports season than to host a Lead ‘Em Up Campus Day. This full-day event will transform your entire campus. With a Lead ‘Em Up Campus Day every coach from every sport will receive full access to our digital curriculum.

A Lead ‘Em Up Campus Day provides training for coaches and athletes. We work with you to customize the entire day to fit your school’s needs. Coaches are able to choose their team’s training session topic to best meet their team’s needs.

Your school will never be the same after experiencing a Lead ‘Em Up Campus Day. Coaches will LOVE it and your athlete will be craving more. This is the perfect opportunity to build serious momentum as you enter the sports season.

“My coaches loved the Lead ‘Em Up session. It had such a positive impact on them professionally and our staff as a whole.”

– Coach Kevin Jones | St. Andrews Episcopal Athletic Director

“Having Lead ‘Em Up on campus gave our school the kickstart for all the things we wanted to do from a leadership perspective. There is a genuine buzz around school; from our staff to our students.”

– Nate Wright | Marengo High School Athletic Director/Director of Leadership

We offer a variety of Campus Day trainings from team training, staff development, professional development for educators, and unique leadership events for the entire school.

Bring the power of Lead ‘Em Up to your campus for a day and experience the transformational power firsthand.

“Having Lead ‘Em Up on-campus gave our athletic program the kickstart for all the things we wanted to do from a leadership perspective. It has elevated the performance of all of our athletes and coaches.”

– Nate Wright | Marengo High School Athletic Director

6. Get Lead 'Em Up in Your Classrooms

Now that you’ve seen the incredible impact Lead ‘Em Up can have on your athletes, imagine the possibilities when the entire student body gets involved. Caleb Parnin from North Muskegon High School put it best:

“The way the curriculum engages and connects with today’s students is incredible. It makes teaching it so enjoyable!”

It’s time to bring that same level of excitement and engagement to your campus through Lead ‘Em Up Classroom. Developed over 8 years, this curriculum is crafted by a team of educators, creatives, and students to ensure it’s not only impactful but also interactive and fun. With a focus on 7 core teaching themes, every exercise is designed to foster leadership and character in a way that students genuinely enjoy.

Take the next step and extend this transformative program beyond your athletic department to engage every student, helping them build skills that will last a lifetime.

“I have seen firsthand how Lead ‘Em Up has transformed our students. It has helped them learn the power of encouragement, setting goals, and holding each other accountable.”

-Elizabeth Thomas | Quince Orchard High School Principal

7. Professional Development

“Lead ‘Em Up doesn’t just train our staff; they inspire a shift in mindset that elevates the entire school culture. The professional development sessions are engaging, practical, and empowering for our faculty. We look forward to continuing this partnership for years to come.”

-Amanda Miller | Scintilla Charter Academy Assistant Superintendent

You’ve seen how Lead ‘Em Up has transformed your athletes and students, but the journey doesn’t stop there. Imagine the impact when your entire faculty and staff are equipped with the same dynamic tools to build a special school culture.

Lead ‘Em Up Professional Development brings that possibility to life.

Our professional development sessions are designed to inspire, engage, and challenge educators to lead with greater intention, build deeper relationships, and create a unified, thriving school culture. Through Lead ‘Em Up professional development, your staff will walk away with practical strategies they can implement immediately in the classroom and beyond.

Empower your teachers and staff to lead by example, creating a ripple effect that will elevate the entire school community. It’s time to invest in your team with Lead ‘Em Up Professional Development.

8. Full District Implementation

The impact of Lead ‘Em Up has been felt in your athletic department, your classrooms, and among your staff. Now, imagine that same energy, leadership, and culture being shared across every school in your district.

Full district implementation brings Lead ‘Em Up to all of your middle and high schools, creating a unified approach to leadership and character development for students and staff alike. From athletes to students in every classroom, to the entire faculty, Lead ‘Em Up fosters a district-wide culture of excellence, connection, and growth.

By engaging your students, staff, and community at every level, you’re setting the stage for a thriving district culture where leadership is not just taught but lived every day.

Take the bold step towards full district implementation and watch as Lead ‘Em Up transforms not just one school, but your entire district into a powerhouse of leadership and character development.

“Connecting Lead ‘Em Up to our entire district has been one of the most rewarding decisions of my career. The transformation we’ve seen in our students, staff, and overall culture has been incredible. Lead ‘Em Up has become a core part of who we are. Lead ‘Em Up has united our district with a common language of leadership, and the impact will be felt for years to come.”

-Brad Storm | Erie School District Teacher/Coach

By following these 8 steps, you’ll create a lasting impact that goes beyond the scoreboard. As you elevate your coaching and leadership, you’ll witness a powerful transformation in your athletes, your team, and your entire program. Each step builds momentum, strengthening your culture, deepening your influence, and setting the stage for long-term success. The journey doesn’t end here—it’s just the beginning of the legacy you’ll create with Lead ‘Em Up.