Saturday, October 25, 2008

DEVELOPING LEADERSIP SKILLS

When I asked how many of you were reading the blog on a regular basis, I was truly surprised to see only a few hands go up.  The real intent of this blog isn't necessarily as an oulet for team news and stuff in as much as it is a source of information to be used to develop your leadership skills.
  
Just because a person has great athletic ability doesn’t guarantee that they will have the leadership skills necessary to be an effective leader, especially in a team setting.

Every team in every sport has a handful of great athletes that spend time developing their physical skills, but spend very little time (if any) working to develop their leadership skills.

When a player is viewed by their peers as prone to one or more of the following: laziness, tardiness, arrogance, selfishness, having poor people skills, too active of a social life, or being uncoachable, it makes it almost impossible for them to be viewed as an effective leader among their teammates.  

There are just as many players that may never exhibit the negative attributes mentioned above, yet they are too quiet and introverted which is sometimes seen as a lack of confidence and although not a negative, it still prevents them from being seen as an effective leader.

In every venue we find ourselves in, whether it be on a team, in a social setting or at school or work, there will always be both leaders and followers within the group.  Being a follower isn’t a bad thing.  Some of the most amazing feats ever accomplished were performed by followers that were inspired by a great leader.  Some of us are just more comfortable being led rather than leading, and that’s okay.

Much of what I put on this blog is intended to be a constant reminder and a source of information (and inspiration) for nurturing and developing those leadership skills among the team.  But that information will only be effective if it is used.  

4:13

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