December 2007 -- Leadership! USPTA-certified professionals are held in high esteem by the tennis-playing public as leaders in the industry. What does that mean? It means you are viewed as an expert in a multitude of areas: racquet repair and customization, teaching techniques, programming, court maintenance and construction, pro shop operations, and tournament management, to name a few.
Leaders are managers of people, however, there is a significant difference between leaders and managers. Siverstein (1996) describes some differences between leadership skills and manager skills when working within an organization:
- "Leaders have the vision of what needs to be accomplished. Leaders are aware of objectives and the strategy/tactics needed, versus Managers who are more analytical and see things more in black and white."
- "Leaders are more flexible, versus Managers who are more rigid and demanding."
- "Leaders are willing to work, discuss and explain policies to staff, versus Managers who are interested in enforcing policies."
- "Leaders are open to improving and growing within the guidelines of an organization’s policies, versus Managers who are often cautious about making changes.
A key to leadership is personal growth, which comes in a variety of forms. It can be knowledge-based, such as building on those skills you already possess; it can be activity-based, such as involvement with USPTA divisions and/or other tennis industry entities; and it can be mentally based, such as improvement in motivation and/or self esteem.
I would like to focus on the personal growth aspect that is knowledge-based. USPTA’s educational resources offer such a variety of learning opportunities. Our USPTA specialist degrees allow members to become proficient in a specific area of expertise, the many specialty courses offered at divisional conventions and the World Conference provide continuing education, and the networking and interaction with your peers at educational forums alert you to the variety of methods that other tennis professionals use to accomplish the same tasks you do.
When working with our Professional Tennis Management students at Ferris State University, I often offer this analogy to them: We (the PTM program and university) will offer you (the PTM students) a complete buffet of information and educational resources. We invite you to come and sit at the table and eat from the buffet ... it’s all you can eat!
We all have heard of the phrase, "knowledge is power," and it cannot be more true. Although our jobs and personal lives consume the majority of our time, why not try to add to the total package?
Complete the chart
here using self-evaluation. Note the areas specific to your background that are average and below average. Strive to be above average. Strive to be a leader!
Siverstein, D., Net Profits, A Business Guide for Tennis Professionals, Dallas (1996). 
