To Advance as a Leader, Think Like a Point Guard

The question I hear most often from mentees and team members is “How did you get to where you are?”

Many people expect to hear a story about a linear path: get your degree in Computer Science and Computer Engineering, get an internship, get your first job, get promoted every couple years, step into a management position, take on an executive leadership role.?

But that’s rarely the case. If you look at some of the most successful leaders, their career paths are far from linear. We’re seeing that even more now, where everyone is up against so much volatility. The good news, though, is that these times of uncertainty are actually an ideal time to recalibrate and grow.?

How? One approach that’s worked for me is to think like a point guard.?

What it takes to be a point guard

My parents put me into basketball as a kid (not surprising that I was the team’s shortest player- but also the best ball handler and passer), where I spent plenty of time practicing my skills, and eventually excelling, as a point guard. I learned quickly that a point guard must exude excellent work ethic, solid fundamental skills, an understanding of the players on the court, floor leadership, and a great attitude. Most importantly, they need to focus on what’s best for the team and not just themselves; that’s how they win.?

These same skills reflect the attributes of great leaders. And I’ve seen that anybody can train to step into that position, both on the court and in the workplace.?

Here are some lessons I gained as a point guard in my early years that still apply to my career today – and that can help you navigate your own career moves and advance as a leader.?

Create opportunities??

The heartbeat of the basketball team lies in the point guard position. They run the plays. They have to pivot when they've gotten a sense of the competitors in the game. They have to find opportunities as they arise to get the ball to a player.

As Casper Yeow writes in this article, “they can often create opportunities where there are seemingly none.”

When you can identify who your strong players are, who your weak players are, and where there are gaps — at all times — you can stay agile so you can call the right plays no matter what’s happening.

The same applies if you’re looking to make a career shift or grow your leadership skills: it’s all about finding areas of opportunity to make an impact on the business.?

For example, if you see that the business is struggling with GTM planning for new products that launch, and you dig in further to realize there’s no one in a role who can broker the discussion between product and operations regarding launches and planning, there’s your opportunity. See it, define it, raise it, and nominate yourself — or someone you observe to have those strengths — to solve the problem.?

Stay steady in the midst of the action

It takes a special set of skills to lead a team, especially in times of turbulence. Most importantly, it’s about staying steady.

We are going through trying times in tech, where layoffs are looming and the future seems both imaginative and unknown. If you know this, and you’re reacting to change in your company in a way that doesn’t emphasize leadership strength, knowledge, value add, and agility, you are likely not giving yourself the space to observe the next move or applicable role for you or your team’s skill sets.?

Staying steady also applies to 1:1 interactions. For example, a leader once shared criticism with me that I’m too social; in the same breath, he shared feedback about a male colleague who was an excellent networker. I spoke up steadily and helped him reframe what he shared with me, and was heard.

Build trust?

Point guards have to earn trust, both from the team as they lead the plays and from the coaches as they make game-time decisions. Earning that trust comes from showcasing a vision, being selfless and knowing that when the team wins, they win.?

A good leader builds trust and respect through the credibility of their actions. This doesn’t always mean being liked, but it does mean you are constantly learning from others. When you support those around you, give them opportunities to contribute, approach challenges in a positive way by offering solutions and provide critique constructively- you’re not just building trust but also inspiration.?

Think like a point guard: lead the team in assists and create shots for yourselves and their teammates. Be dependable with your talent.

Find your allies

Find allyship in places beyond your direct line of leadership. Being courageous. This takes humility and awareness.?

In basketball, there are positions that are mainly focused on putting the ball in the hoop. The PG must have a team focused mentality. You know that around you, you have a shooting guard and a scoring guard. These are both deliberately assigned and strengthen each player on the court. If you are the coach on the floor, you know when to find your best offense and defensive moves through the skills on the court. Same thing goes in the workplace.?

You can work with a coach or mentor to strengthen your choices or decisions during oscillating seasons, through the highs and lows of market changes or influx of new colleagues. Beyond that, find business partners to lock arms with; they will be your very best sources of insight and your advocates along the way.

When you fail, learn?

Finally, remember that a key part of being a successful point guard or leader is to truly understand failures, and apply lessons learned from failing. Oftentimes we learn more from replaying a play that went sideways, so we can become better offensive leaders versus defensive agents. You don’t always get the opportunity to be that reflective on a win.

The fact is that it can be a lot of pressure to be a leader, and in today’s environment, even moreso. Put your best play forward, stay attuned to what’s around you, respect the game and the players, and know you will always have a choice.?

I talked about this – and lots of other topics – on a recent All the Ways to Be A Woman podcast with the wonderful Amy Stone and Kelsey Grey. Check it out here: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/pC3cBc8uvzb