McGill Lacrosse head coach Tim Murdoch
Stephanie Ritchie contributed to this story.
From “hitting it out of the park” to “being in the red zone,” sports talk has always been commercialized. In addition to using metaphors during meetings, some ex-players have used their management to start social enterprises, while other business leaders have switched to coaching leadership styles to maintain Gen Z’s preferred work culture.
For award-winning lacrosse legend Tim Murdock, sports and business have been parallel experiences for more than 20 years.
Originally from Princeton, NJ, Murdoch earned a liberal arts degree in history from Ivy League Princeton University and played lacrosse at America’s highest level of intercollegiate athletics in the 80s. He later earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and was named co-captain and player-coach of the school’s men’s lacrosse club.
Since moving to Montreal, Murdoch has been a long-time resident of the Canadian city, where he volunteered as the head coach of McGill’s men’s varsity lacrosse team for 17 seasons between 2003 and 2019. At the Games in the City, the award-winning athlete ran a national consulting firm advising CEOs and leaders of several companies.
“I was constantly drawing on my coaching experience and using what I learned in the field to mentor CEOs and watch effective leaders think about how to perform as a team leader,” Murdoch said.
His unusual career proved an important lesson—even the most established leaders can benefit from a constant attitude of self-improvement.
Continuous education
The former athlete’s biggest role model was his father, Bill Murdoch, who was an athlete and a soft-spoken business executive who valued everyone who founded an organization.
Tim Murdoch is pictured with his late father, Bill Murdoch
However, he had a different experience in 10 years of competitive sports growing up under the guidance of typical Generation X coaches.
“In the beginning, how I trained was shaped by how I trained,” Murdoch recalled. “There was a lot of yelling and screaming and an authoritarian approach to getting things done. I think we’ve all accepted that, but it doesn’t work for long.
After recruiting a strong group of student-athletes in 2010 that he felt were inadequate, he begged for a review of his methods.
“We fail and win games by a few goals,” he said. “I was very frustrated with the team and finally realized that I was the problem. I was not a good coach. As a leader, I did not have a positive influence on the players.
With the help of his wife, Pascale Lemaire, a McGill-trained psychologist, Murdoch says he reached what he describes as an “epiphany” that would change him forever as a leader.
Lead with positivity, not fear
“I’ve embraced many aspects of positive psychology, focusing on players’ strengths rather than their weaknesses,” Murdoch said. “I should have been a role model, calmer and more positive. I had to inspire people to lead with success, not fear.
A yelling coach may believe they are giving vocal encouragement, yelling and encouraging players. However, this can do the opposite, which is humiliating and disappointing for athletes.
“When you lead in this military style, trust breaks down,” he said. “Your team will fear you, and you will lose confidence.”
McGill lacrosse head coach Tim Murdoch with assistant coach Anders Bjella.
Murdoch swapped his ferocity for a more attentive ear and wit. Soon, the team won every game for the next decade, including national championships in 2012 and 2015.
“I don’t want to pin it entirely on me, but I think a big reason is that I’m a more positive and inspirational leader than someone who uses the old school techniques of managing by fear and yelling.”
The same is true in a corporate setting. Regardless of their organizational role, leaders must avoid negative interactions, especially in public. Instead of insulting an employee in front of others, consider offering constructive criticism personally—sometimes it’s not what you say, but how you say it.
It’s time to embrace change.
The job market is very hot. Demand for labor exceeds supply. The respect and attitude towards work hierarchy has changed. Younger generations want strong relationships with their bosses and organizations.
Indeed, the post-Covid-19 pandemic has renewed the importance of psychological well-being, and fostering inclusive work cultures has been repeatedly proven to be key to retaining innovative and young workers.
Murdoch’s shift in leadership style reminds us of the value of being open to change.
“The idea shared by all the famous athletes about continuous improvement should be embraced by the leaders of companies and organizations,” said Murdoch. “Everything is changing around you, don’t just go with the flow and keep doing what you’ve done historically.”
“Typically, the CEO is in charge. I like to put the leader in the middle and have all the key staff around the leader in a circle, because this is more reflective of how people should lead.
