Leadership

We talk a lot about leadership in sports.  We don’t talk enough about it in the corporate world, but that’s another topic for another day.

“Be a leader” is an admonition heard almost daily in team sports.  But what does it mean, really? To me, leadership is helping others in performing at their best. All leadership implies enabling others. To do less is management, not leadership.

Some people talk about leadership “style.” I don’t. Style implies you can copy it and thus become it. Leadership is more who you are. Leadership is more of a mindset. Leadership is something you have to work at.

I like to categorize leadership into four groups: Performance Leader, Encourager, Builder, Role Model.

The Performance Leader is often the star of the team. They are the one that you notice, the one that carries the load. Maybe it comes naturally to them but a lot of times, they have put in an immense amount of work to get that good—work that most people don’t see.

Performance Leaders are accountable and coachable. Most, but not all, are confident yet not arrogant. Arrogance diminishes their leadership impact. They’re good but they want you to be good too.

The Encourager is the one that lifts you up. The one that tells you that you CAN do this. The Encourager is often not the Performance Leader, but when they are, they are doubly effective.

Encouragers see the potential in everyone and do what they can to bring it out. They make great teammates (and great coaches). Aim high. Achieve your dreams.

Each morning, about 40 young physical therapists from around the country get a text message from me. Every day. 365. Some for years. Always something positive, something encouraging. One of the recent ones was a quote from that grand philosopher Steve Harvey that said “If you see it in your mind, you can hold it in your hand.”

We need more Encouragers in this world.

Builders do the work. Offensive linemen on a football team are Builders. Their work is unsung and largely unrecognized. Only when one of them jumps offside do we know their number. Back row on a volleyball team, defenders on a soccer pitch, right fielders, first leg on a relay team. Those are Builders.

We don’t really notice them but without them, the team will fail.

Role Models are most often the quiet ones. They let their work speak for itself. Here’s the thing though—they hold themselves to a higher standard than they do anyone else.

Role Models work harder. They pay more attention to the little things, like always being on time, eating right, never taking shortcuts, listening and learning constantly.

Role Models aren’t noticed until they are. We don’t think about them but then we figure it out and realize that we want to be like them. How they carry themselves, How they behave.

And most of all, how they treat others.

You might notice the absence of the Motivators from this list. I’ve never cared much for the rah-rah people. I would have run through a brick wall for my high school football coach but he was quiet and rarely yelled. I would have busted bricks to please him, because he had convinced me that I could do it.

So, what are you?