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Leadership Lessons from Sports
I dig sports. There’s nothing sweeter than seeing a team play to their full potential. And behind every great team is an excellent coach. I’ve seen great teams and teams that…well…suck. What separates effective teams from pathetic ones? How could a leader motivate their team to be engaged in their work while maximizing their abilities? Here are a few tips that we could learn from the world of sports:
Play to Your Teams’ Strengths
If you’re a leader, answer this question: are you spending more time trying to fix the weaknesses of your team or building on their strengths? It’s easy to pick on the weaknesses, but what about strengths. Aren’t those the God-given abilities that make us unique? Shouldn’t we try to build on it? Like Marcus Buckingham said in his book, “Now, Discover Your Strengths”- “People don’t change that much, so don’t waste your time trying to rewire them or trying to put in what was left out. Instead, spend your time trying to draw out what was left in. That’s hard enough.” Sadly, we spend more time trying to “fix” weaknesses rather than building strengths and what do we end up with? Mediocrity. Who wants that?
Without Talent, Your Game Plan Means Nothing
Think about your organization. Usually, the last few months of the year are spent planning for the next year. Lots of “strategery.” All of those plans and ideas may be outstanding, but how far are you going to get without talented people executing it? Are you spending as much time developing your talent as you are planning? With the speed of change today, your best game plan will need an audible many times. Invest in your great players. They’re the key.
Be Worth Playing For
If you’ve ever played sports, then you can probably recall your best coach. Think about that coach. What made him or her great? Often times it was that personal connection- that extra time spent with you- or just straight up leadership. Something about that coach made you want to give it your all. That coach inspired you, motivated you, cared for you, taught you, understood you, and had that something extra.
Be worth playing for! Check out this clip from the film, “Coach Carter.”
Does your team see that in you? It doesn’t matter if you’re a business owner, a parent, a pastor, or a shift manager at DQ- a leader can lead. In fact, there’s really one litmus test to determine if you are a leader. A leader has followers. AND you’ve got to be worth following. Yes, some leaders are better than others.
Sidenote: I believe that we have it in us to lead. You may say, “I’m not a leader” but if you’re a parent, consider this- aren’t all parents’ leaders?
To sum it up- Talented people capitalizing on their strengths being led by a strong leader = (You fill in the blank). What would that mean for your team? Your organization?
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