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:https://bit.ly/4iIUYH0Follow Barbara on Instagram:https://instagram.com/superbabs_bjjTrain with Barbara at Bergen Grappling:https://www.bergengrappling.comTrain with Giles at Ronin Grappling:https://roningrappling.comGiles's jiu-jitsu portal, BJJ Codex:https://www.bjjcodex.comMental models discussed in this episode:Psychological Safetyhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/psychological-safetyRespect People, Not Positionshttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/respect-people-not-positionsEmotional Contagionhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/emotional-contagionParadox of Tolerancehttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/paradox-of-toleranceExtreme Ownershiphttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/extreme-ownership⬆️ LEVEL UP with BJJ Mental Models Premium!The world's LARGEST library of jiu-jitsu audio lessons, our complete podcast network, online coaching, and much more! Your first week is free:https://bjjmentalmodels.comNeed more BJJ Mental Models?Get the legendary BJJMM newsletter:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletterLearn more mental models in our online database:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/databaseFollow us on social:https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodelshttps://threads.com/@bjjmentalmodelshttps://bjjmentalmodels.bsky.socialhttps://youtube.com/@bjjmentalmodelsMusic by Enterprize:https://enterprize.bandcamp.com