12 SIMPLE SIGNIFICANT TASKS FOR LEADERS

1/5/2017

1. Be the hardest worker at practice. One of the best and quickest ways to enhance your leadership credibility with your teammates and coaches is to work hard.

2. Be a spark of energy and enthusiasm. Let your passion for the sport shine. Spread a contagious energy and enthusiasm amongst your teammates. Make your sport fun for yourself and your teammates.

3. Model mental toughness. Bounce back quickly after errors to show your teammates how to respond to negative situations. Maintain your poise and optimism despite any mistakes you might make so that your teammates can trust and rely on you.

4. Connect with teammates. Leadership is all about relationships. Invest the time to build and strengthen the relationships you have with each of your teammates. Make a special effort to get to know every athlete on your team, not just your friends and classmates. The relationship building you do each day will pay off immeasurably down the road.

5. Compliment a teammate. Be on the lookout for teammates who are contributing to your team. Call out a teammate for making a hustle play, pushing through a weight workout, recovering quickly from a mistake, getting an A on an exam, etc. Praise the actions and attitudes you want to see repeated. As Mother Teresa once said, “Kind words are short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless.”

6. Challenge a teammate. Challenge one of your teammates. Positively push them and yourself to make the most of your workout. Offer to stay after to help if there is anything they want to work on. Good leaders consistently invite, inspire, and sometimes implore others to greatness.

7. Support a teammate. At least one of your teammates may be struggling with something. Good leaders are consistently on the lookout for teammates who might be struggling and are ready to offer an ear to listen, an encouraging word, a pat on the back.

8. Constructively confront negativity, pessimism, and laziness. As a leader, have the courage to constructively confront the negativity, pessimism, and laziness that will crop up on your team from time to time. Instead of fueling the fire by joining in or silently standing by, be sure to refocus your teammates on solutions rather than dwelling on and complaining about the problems.

9. Build and bond your team. Team chemistry naturally ebbs and flows throughout the course of the season. Take the time to monitor and maintain your team’s chemistry. Let your teammates know how much you appreciate them.

10. Check in with your coach. Invest the time to check how things are progressing. Ask what you can do to best help the team.

11. Remind your team how today’s work leads to tomorrow’s success. It’s easy to get bogged down during your season with monotonous drills, tiring conditioning, and demanding workouts. Remind your teammates how all the quality work you do gives you a distinct advantage over your opponents. Help them see and even get excited about how today’s hard work is a long-term investment in your team’s goals, rather than just a short-term hardship or sacrifice.

12. Represent yourself and team with class and pride. Leaders have the awesome privilege and responsibility of representing their teams. Take advantage of this opportunity by representing your team by being sincere and honest with your position. Represent you and your team with respect.

Great leaders willingly invest the time and effort to engage in these simple leadership actions. In applying these principles, leaders build strong relationships and enhance their credibility.

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