Leadership On and Off The Field

Leadership On and Off The Field

By: Eddie Buckles, Jake Zweig, & Michelle McKinnon

Anyone can be a leader.    Some people are born with leadership qualities, while others need to develop leadership skills.   Leadership is about what you bring to the table by choice.   Your role on a team or within an organization does not define you as a leader.   There are many qualities that exemplify leadership, below are the top three traits every leader should develop:

Leadership Trait:  #1. Unselfishness - Caring for others and putting the needs of the team ahead of your own.

Unselfish Leadership @ The Game:  The best place to see complete unselfishness comes at the press conference after winning a championship.  The Head coach talks about the high quality of play of the opposing team.  He addresses how his team gave great effort.  Then he makes sure that everyone knows that his staff came up with the plan and how to execute it.   Never once does he say I won this championship.  

Unselfish Leadership @ The Office:  People are bound to make mistakes and processes will get out of date.   You will recognize the unselfish leader in your organization as the person who is working towards solving the problem versus laying blame. This is the same person who recognized your contributions on the project. And often this unselfish leader makes time in their busy schedule to share their knowledge and develop others.    An unselfish leader chooses to be generous with their time, credit, and is accountable.  

Leadership Trait:   #2. Enthusiasm - Having excitement and a positive mindset about what you are doing.

Enthusiastic Leadership @ The Game:  Make no mistake about it practice is where games are won, period.  The importance of practice as it relates to team success is unquestionably the most import aspect of any team.  Then there are days that no one wants to be at practice, and that is when it is the leaders’ job to inject enthusiasm into training.  Great coaches know what their team needs before they need it, so when that feeling comes he calls the team up to compete.  Competition breeds enthusiasm because winners hate to lose.

Enthusiastic Leadership @ The Office:  Enthusiasm is your attitude towards your work, and is the fire that keeps you going while drawing others to join in.   We all know an enthusiastic co-worker,  they are the person you want to work with because they jump in with both feet, are happy for someone else’s success, and when the work goes askew they roll up their sleeves and help others even if it is not their job.   Enthusiasm is the energy you create from within about your work, it is your why.   Why you get up and keep you going when the going gets tough, even in the office.

Leadership Trait:  # 3. Courage - Standing behind and making the tough decisions, even if they are unpopular ones.

Courageous Leadership @ The Game:  The head coach and assistants have to exhibit courage on a daily basis.  What is best for the team and what is best for the an athlete weigh heavily within the boundaries of the team’s checks and balances towards success.  For examples, a student athlete who has struggled academically but is a superstar on the field, is it best for him to sit out a game or season?  Kick a field goal or go for the touchdown?  Let a coach or player go?  Courage comes into every decision because people are going to judge you and if you make too many bad decisions you know that your job is on the line.

Courageous Leadership @ The Office:  Being courageous does not come easy.  Usually, it is unpopular to call out the elephant in the room, and what if you are wrong?   Although being courageous can be lonely, you are often not alone, there could be many people thinking the same thing.    In the office courageous leaders speak up and step up when others are silent in difficult situations.  They are the person you turn to when you need advice about challenging circumstances, not because they agree with you, but will provide you with honest feedback.      The courageous leader questions the status quo of how things are done today, in their pursuit of excellence.   

Key Tips For Developing Leadership Traits:

It can be tough to grow, change and develop new skills.   Here are some simple tips that you can try at home, at work, or as part of a team.   Try one... You can do it:

  1. Intentionally invest time in someone else and their goals
  2. Be honest with yourself and assess your motives on actions and decisions
  3. Try a mantra like “I am excited to participate on this project”
  4. Understand your “Why” – Is it your family? A lifestyle?  A charity?  Something else?  Why do you do what you do?
  5. Try something you would have avoided in the past
  6. Surround yourself with people who have the leadership traits you admire
  7. Leadership skills can be learned, invest in some professional development

Do you need to identify, develop, and enhance Leadership talent in your organization?   If yes check us out KEDORA, and learn more about our proven 14 Trait Dynamic Leadership Discovery approach.  You’ll be amazed.

 By: Eddie Buckles, Jake Zweig, & Michelle McKinnon

Shannon Vanderhyde, MBA

Strategic leader with a focus on people, technology, and process to drive operational improvements for the agency

8 年

Great job!

Melanie Shiell ??

?? Helping Women Stop Overthinking, Overanalyzing and Feeling Like an Imposter ?? You Are #onebravemove Away from a Completely Different Life ??

8 年

Great post!

Christian de Lo?s

Senior Business Transformation Leader & Interim Manager, Management Consultant | AI & Digital Transformation | Leading Digital Change Management Success | Business Agility | Board certification

8 年

Good comment, Michael, I concurr with you!

Christian de Lo?s

Senior Business Transformation Leader & Interim Manager, Management Consultant | AI & Digital Transformation | Leading Digital Change Management Success | Business Agility | Board certification

8 年

Nice article, Michelle McKinnon, Eddie Buckles Jr., MBA & Jake Zweig! Under "Courage" I would add courage to make decisions even at uncertainty, i.e. when there are unknowns.

Michael B. Flint, PMP

Senior Project Management Consultant with 40+ Years' Experience Delivering Strategic Projects

8 年

I think one of the key points, as noted in your introduction, is that anyone can be a leader. However, not everyone wants to be one, and perhaps should not take on that responsibility, they should take the simpler route and work with a good leader.

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