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- 10 Mistakes Team Leaders Make
10 Mistakes Team Leaders Make
Great Teams - Better Leaders - 123. 1 Thought; 2 Quotes; 3 Tweets. Newsletter about Leadership, Culture, Teams, and Success.
ONE THOUGHT...
Team Sports are the ultimate lab setting for life. Today's student-athletes learn so much, good and bad, from being a part of team sports. They learn the value of sacrifice, dedication, commitment, culture, energy, leadership, and so much more. They can also learn from negative experiences as well. The skills that are learned are so important for our young people today.
If you are lucky, you can have a great experience with a positive and healthy culture. If you are unlucky, you may have a negative experience with an unhealthy culture. Both are learning experiences. Both are dependent on quality team leaders.
Team leaders have a huge responsibility. They are the encouragers, energy givers, challengers, and connectors of the team. They are the junior firefighters who help put out small fires behind the scenes. They help the coach be the gatekeepers of the team and program culture.
Obviously, coaches have a huge part in developing team culture. But player leaders are just as important. When team leaders do not lead, it can destroy a team's culture.
Here are 10 Mistakes Team Leaders Make:
1: They do not lead by Example
The first step to leadership is to lead by example. When it is not done, credibility disappears.
A leader's first task is to lead themselves. If you cannot lead yourself, you may as well give up trying to lead others. Having good character, making the right choices, and being committed are crucial in leading by example.
2: They try to make everyone Happy
If you are a leader and you are worried about making everyone happy, you will become miserable. No matter what a leader says or does, there will be others who do not like it or have a different opinion. Be confident and do the right thing for our team.
If you are worried about making everyone happy, you will:
▪️ not earn the respect of your team
▪️ be stressed
▪️ eventually fail
Act on principle, standards, and integrity.
Have confidence you are making the right decision for your team.
3: Positional Leadership Mindset
Being named a “Captain“ means you have a title. You have a position.
It does not mean you are a Leader.
It does not mean people automatically follow you.
Don’t think that your job is over when you earn this position. It is just beginning.
All too often, players get the position of "captain" bestowed upon them. They take this position as a belief that others have to listen to them now. It could not be further from the truth.
The fact is, when you are elected or chosen a captain, the opposite should occur. You should become a "servant" leader for your teammates. If not, you will sabotage your team and culture.
4: Gossip
As a leader, you are responsible to lead ALL players on your team.
Don’t be a gossip. You will lose your credibility with your teammates.
You will lose the trust of your teammates.
They will ask themselves..."If he gossips about them, will he gossip about me?" 🤷♂️
Leaders have to be "above the fray". Do not let gossip eat away at your culture.
5: Lack of follow-through
Leadership is about trust. Leadership is about getting things done.
Can your teammates trust you to do what you say?
Remember, actions always speak louder than words.
✅ You must follow through.
✅ You must do what you say.
✅ You must earn Trust.
6: Inconsistent Leadership
As a leader, you don’t get to choose the times you want to lead.
Leadership is a lifestyle.
You cannot lead only during practice or only during the season. Consistent leadership creates Confidence in your team.
Be consistent. Be reliable.
Leadership is a lifestyle - you must have this mindset and be consistent with your teammates.
If not, you lose trust and your ability to lead.
7: Fixed Mindset
Team leaders cannot have a “fixed” mindset.
They must have a “growth” mindset.
Leaders have to believe that the team or individual can improve, grow, and get better each day.
Fixed mindsets are negative mindsets.
Negative mindsets cannot lead effectively.
8: Not confronting issues
Leaders need to be junior firefighters. 👨🚒
They have to put out the small fires and drama that happen behind the scenes.🧯
They must uphold the standards and culture of the team.
If not, the small fires can turn into an inferno for the team. 🔥🔥
9: Failure to hold others accountable
Accountability is very hard for team leaders.
However, accountability is necessary for successful TEAMS.
Leaders need a TEAM first mindset.
Accountability to your teammates is HARD.
But it is necessary.
Do the right thing. Even if it is hard.
10: Not being the gatekeeper of the Culture
Finally, team leaders are the gatekeepers of the TEAM and PROGRAM Culture.
🎯 Culture is what you allow
🎯 Culture is what you emphasize
🎯 Culture is every day.
Failure to be this Gatekeeper erodes a Team and a Program.
Team leaders are incredibly important to team success. You have the ability to be a gatekeeper of a team culture that is healthy and positive. Coaches, work with your team leaders to keep the team moving in a positive direction. I cannot emphasize how important this is! Your experience and ultimately, team success, will be so much better because of it!
TWO QUOTES...
"Fear and Faith both believe in a future that hasn't happened yet. Choose faith." - Jamie Kern Lima
"People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it." – Simon Simek
THREE TWEETS FROM OTHERS...
Jeff Janssen 🇺🇦 on Twitter: "Many say they want to win FEW PUT IN THE WORK Many say they want to succeed FEW INVEST THE SWEAT Many say they want good grades FEW ARE WILLING TO GRIND Many say they want to be captain FEW ARE WILLING TO COMMIT IT'S ONLY IN THE DAILY DOING that you can get what you want" — twitter.com
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Jon Gordon on Twitter: "We are not positive because life is easy. We are positive because life can be hard and it’s our positivity that helps us overcome." — twitter.com
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Sports Psychology on Twitter: "Stop worrying so much. Just focus on what you can control and do your best. The rest will take care of itself." — twitter.com
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