I’ve been chatting with folks on my campus about creating a leadership class that doesn’t just involve athletes, but all students who hold leadership positions. While I think the non-sporty people in the room appreciate (sort of) that we can force strongly suggest to our players that they attend such a class, we also need to address the fact that most folks on campus don’t wield that kind of power with their students.
As we were having this discussion, I began thinking of how little attention I give to teaching my athletes how to be a person of influence…even if they’re a freshman or not one of the captains. Don’t get me wrong, I believe there is value in giving more influence to those who’ve been committed to the team for a longer period of time. But by focusing on training my upperclassmen leaders, am I short-changing the younger leaders who I’ll need to rely on for the future?
So how can we nurture our upcoming leaders? Beyond that, how can we make sure that our young players can respectfully offer leadership? And how can we make sure that our team leaders aren’t threatened by suggestions coming from someone who’s not a captain or recognized team leader?
Creating an open leadership culture
- Don’t saddle young players with grunt work, it separates them from the rest of the team.
- When we ask the team their opinions, don’t just ask the upperclassmen.
- Do we really need team captains? Just wondering out loud…
In a great article called, How to Influence Without Authority, we learn eight ways we can teach our players to influence without that captain “C” on their jersey…I chose my top four to talk about here.
How players can lead without being a leader
- Character. If younger players are seen as having the team’s (and not their own) best interest at heart, they’re more likely to be heard by the team leaders. They can show this by supporting, rather than undermining, the current leadership structure.
- Connectedness. This one is a doozie. Sometimes our players separate themselves out by class and damage their chances of having power. Not only is being connected good for team chemistry, it’s also good for understanding where everyone is coming from. If an underclassmen does this well, they won’t be seen as trying to usurp power from the team’s leadership.
- Social intelligence. The best way I can describe this is to not be awkward. I’m sure we’ve all had the young player who is trying so hard (too hard!) to fit in and it’s not being received well. It’d be pretty hard to have influence if their teammates feel uncomfortable around them.
- Collaboration. Not only are these players connected off the court, but collaborate well on the court. These players aren’t worried about their own playing time, but how they can contribute to the greater goals of the team.
I’m sure all of us have been in the situation where we’ve got great leaders…it’s just that they’re not leaders yet. Perhaps creating this kind of environment can help them to spread their wings a little more comfortably.
