Don't Look Around, Step Up!

MBC's 'Rookie Coach Kim Yeon-koung' depicted the journey of world-class volleyball player Kim Yeon-koung leading amateur league players as a novice coach to compete against professional teams, offering deep insights into startup leadership. Coach Kim Yeon-koung's words on the court illuminated the dynamics between founders and team members, presenting the conditions required for powerful leadership to be exercised. **"Where are you looking? You have to do it."** The logic here is that if a problem is recognized, it becomes your responsibility. However, team members often hesitate, thinking, 'It's not my area.' For this statement to be effective, there must be a prerequisite understanding that 'there is a clear gain if you do it.' Team members will move voluntarily only when there are transparent rewards and promises such as meaningful stock options, incentives, and growth opportunities. Just as the company itself is a reward for the founder, team members also need clear motivation. **"Don't say you're sorry. You'll lose the game if you keep apologizing."** Quickly acknowledge mistakes, but win by preparing for the next play instead of being tied to emotions and dwelling on the past. This is possible when there is psychological safety, meaning 'you won't be fired even if you make a mistake.' In a crisis, resolution is paramount, but afterward, time for reflection should be given to prevent recurrence. Even if urgency serves as motivation, a safety net is essential in the long run. **"If you're not going to do it properly, don't do it at all."** An ambiguous attitude lowers and undermines the standards of the entire team. To demand an all-in commitment, team members must have a reason to go all-in. There must be a commensurate reward, such as above-market compensation, clear growth paths, and meaningful equity. Only when all-in is proposed as a 'choice' rather than a demand does the team gain powerful momentum. **"You can't do this?"** A play that is natural for world-class coach Kim Yeon-koung can be an insurmountable hurdle for team members. Founders often fail to recognize the gap with their team members due to their own expertise. Overwhelming performance grants authority but also creates distance. Instead of "You can't do this?", flexibility is needed to adjust strategies to the team members' level, saying "This isn't working, so let's try this," and to demonstrate directly. The success of Pilseung Wonderdogs was not merely a result of improved skills, but a transformation in mindset. This was only possible when a complex set of conditions were met: clear goals, urgency, psychological safety, leader's flexibility, and team members' voluntary choice. Startups are no different. For a leader's powerful message to translate into actual action, there must be an environment and reasons that enable team members to accept and act upon that message.