Thoughts On Team Leadership

For competitive teams, developing leaders can be very important and could even be said to be a necessity. A teams internal leadership will affect it's success potential and a coaches overall effectiveness. Also, if you are a coach who believes that there is more to sports coaching than wins and losses, developing leaders brings more significance. You have the opportunity to teach your athletes skills that can positively impact themselves and others for the rest of their lives. This article discusses three important areas for athletes to focus on to be an effective team leader.

Definition from leadership guru, Peter Drucker:

"Leadership is not a magnetic personality ... it is not making friends ... that is just flattery. Leadership is lifting a persons vision to high sites, the raising of a person's performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond it's normal limitations."

Although leadership is a very complex subject, here are a few ideas I have found to be important, especially in the athletic team context.

A common way to think of a team leaders actions is to be a good role model. I like to take the next step and call them "The Behavior Model". Strong character, work ethic, accountability, follow-through, bouncing-back quickly from disappointments and caring with high standards - these are all things to do and ask of others. To totally accept the role of a team leader is to embrace the fact that you are a 24/7 model of right behavior.

This is not to say a team leader is expected to be without mistakes. As a matter of fact, it is how you handle those mistakes that will dictate your effectiveness. Modeling accountability is one of the most powerful things a team leader can do.

Here are some ideas borrowed from Jeff Janssen's book, The Team Captain's Leadership Manual. A team leader's role is one of both an encourager and an enforcer.

Listening, praising, building confidence, helping others when they are struggling, developing relationships and unifying the team are all specific tasks and aptitudes of a team leader.

"Vocal leadership is calculated instruction, encouragement or whatever a team may need at precisely the right time and in the right tone of voice." ~ Lauren Gregg

Holding others accountable to high standards, constructively confronting teammates when necessary and willingness to address and minimize conflicts between teammates are necessary, valuable and rare qualities of team leaders.

- The Enforcer

Bonus Tip

Don't Be Difficult To Lead (a.k.a. Welcome the Microscope)

Are you willing to be held accountable? Many are not. They either become lawyers for their cause, building a case as to why they are not fulfilling their commitments or even fugitives, making it difficult to even be found. Be a leader in your own way and also be a good follower, one who will take 100% responsibility and welcomes being held accountable.

P.S. Players (and coaches) can use the following link as a self-evaluation to see where you are as a team leader right now.