The Top 5 Qualities To Look For In Team Leaders
Great
leaders. Everyone’s looking for them. Check out this list for a good
start at creating the type of leaders that will put your team on the
road to success.
5 things that coaches look for in captains and team leaders
1. Integrity: Who are they when no one is looking?
A
great team leader will be committed to working out in the off-season,
hosting recruits, and being a good example for the rest of the team.
They have a sense of humility about them, never wanting to abuse their
perceived power position. They hold themselves and their teammates
accountable to a very high standard of excellence in the classroom as
well as on the field. They are motivated to portray a positive image of
the student athlete: hard working, active on campus, and involved in
the classroom. Finally, they are prepared. They know the scouting
report, they come in early to help with whatever the coach or team
needs, and they let the coach know of any problems that may be brewing
in the background.
2. Awareness: Are they willing to be who their teammates need them to be?
There’s
been a shift in the business world from following The Golden Rule (Do
unto others as you’d have them do unto you) to The Platinum Rule, which
says that we should do unto others as they would like to be done unto.
That goes back to the different personality types that you’re sure to
have on your team. The thought is that doing what I want could very
possibly be exactly opposite of what you want and therefore the bridge
isn’t passed. The good leader knows their teammates well and how they
communicate.
3. Inspiring: Can they help focus the team on the common goal?
When
they sit down with the team at the beginning of the season, they are
the folks who are actively submitting ideas for those goals. They’ve
been thinking about this for a while and have a vision that is as big as
the coach’s and encompasses the whole team.
4. Straight-forward: Will they squash small issues before they become major drama?
I’m
sure all of us coaches meet with our captains pretty regularly. And
I’m sure that most of us ask them about things that are going on behind
the scenes that we should know about. The straight-forward leader will
have noticed any issues that are rearing their heads, respectfully gone
to that teammate, and will have gotten it taken care of before we even
know to ask.
5. Confident: Can they rally the troops in good times and bad?
Being
a team leader is a tough job! We require them to be the vocal leader
as well as to lead by example. We ask them to commit to working hard
toward an unseen goal. And we ask them to keep their teammates
motivated even when their classes are killing them, the team has just
lost a big game, or the pressure’s on because you’ve won a lot games in a
row.
Coaches,
we can’t do it alone! We need great team leaders and captains for our
teams to function at a high level. So let’s all agree to nurture these
qualities on our teams.
