Ep. 406: The Problem of Leadership, feat. Barbara Ruiken & Giles Garcia

This week, we're joined by Barbara Ruiken and Giles Garcia! Barbara is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and the new head coach at Bergen Grappling in Norway, and she wrote her political science master's thesis on power and politics in jiu-jitsu organizations. Giles is the head coach and owner of Ronin Grappling in Rutherglen, just outside Glasgow, and a returning guest on the show. In this episode, Barbara and Giles explain why every gym has politics, whether the coach wants them or not. Topics include: informal power, accountability structures, setting your gym's culture on purpose, the jiu-jitsu cycle of abuse, and leadership burnout.

Read Barbara's master's thesis, Power and Politics in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Teams:
bit.ly/4iIUYH0

Follow Barbara on Instagram:
instagram.com/superbabs_bjj

Train with Barbara at Bergen Grappling:
bergengrappling.com

Train with Giles at Ronin Grappling:
roningrappling.com

Giles's jiu-jitsu portal, BJJ Codex:
bjjcodex.com

Mental models discussed in this episode:
• Psychological Safety
bjjmentalmodels.com/psychological-safety

• Respect People, Not Positions
bjjmentalmodels.com/respect-people-not-positions

• Emotional Contagion
bjjmentalmodels.com/emotional-contagion

• Paradox of Tolerance
bjjmentalmodels.com/paradox-of-tolerance

• Extreme Ownership
bjjmentalmodels.com/extreme-ownership

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Music by Enterprize:
enterprize.bandcamp.com