The term coach is often used to summarize the leadership traits we should exhibit when we lead a team. The coach provides the vision, creates the next steps or plays, and mentors all those under her.  At the collegiate or professional level, the coaching staff will strategize while the team is resting.  But during the game it is the coach and staff who is on the sidelines.

There is another leader that has a crucial component to the success of the team and that person is the team captain. I like this analogy because the team captain not only leads but gets dirty with the team. They are out there on the field taking the hits like anyone else.  Team captains are responsible for executing the vision of the coach while playing their role in the game. The successful team captain is selected and recognized by their peers as a leader.  That is, it is both an honorary position as well as a position with added responsibilities.

Their responsibilities may include:

• Strategy – the coach will work with captains on the strategy to be executed
• Teamwork – they are the voice in the middle of the intense action that the team will hear
• Interacting with officials – they assist with the application and interpretation of the rules for the team.
• Lead teacher/instructor – most often a gifted performer on the field in their position, they assist other players to achieve their potential

Captains are necessary for execution. The adaptive leader will know how to be both coach and captain to lead their teams to success.  If you are leading a large organization then you need to cultivate team captains throughout your organization to ensure it’s success.

There is a difference between being a committee member and a team member.

Take a look at Webster definitions of Committee and Team:

Committee- (noun) a person to whom a charge or trust is committed

Team- (noun) two or more draft animals harnessed to the same vehicle or implement; also: these with their harness and attached vehicle

If you are a member of a team, you are there to partner with others. You have a common goal. You lay aside special interests and trust your coaches (leaders) are looking at the big picture.

Leaders we need to ensure we are cultivating proper environments so that the teams or committees we are can flourish. Committees need strong facilitators to help drive decisions but little connection between members. Teams need guidance, direction and strong connections between it’s members.

I have an insatiable need to learn. One of the things I love to read about or watch on TV are biographies or documentaries on the lives of ‘great’ people.  The more I study the lives of great people we’ve come to idolize, I understand they were people of great strength with equal weaknesses. It is a fan’s tendency to ignore the weakness and idolize the strength.

I’ve recently had some heavy discussions regarding the leadership styles of current figures like Steve Jobs.  I don’t know Jobs, but I have always considered him a pioneer! When I read about leadership articles about Steve Jobs or Walt Disney I wonder if we are erroneously crediting them with leadership skills when really they are phenomenal pioneers?

We live in a time where any who stands out is getting tagged as a leader. I don’t agree with this. So I thought to reintroduce the following:

Hero/Heroine

The origin in Greek was a demigod. It literally means protector or defender.  This meaning evolved into a person of great renown, a mythological or legendary figure endowed with great abilities and strength.  Michael Jordan and Carl Lewis are two of my favorite sports heroes.  George Washington is one of my favorite American Heroes and leaders. Many of this countries founders are heroes, who’s single act of defiance against Britain birthed this country. Let me not forget the millions of African-Americans who died under slavery!  Their heroism lives in the heart of African-Americans today.

Pioneer

…Quite simply is somebody who is first.  This is someone who prepares the way so that others can follow. Being a pioneer implies there’s no set path to follow to get to your destination. You are the pathmaker.  Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Walt Disney are definitely pioneers. Being a pioneer doesn’t mean others will follow. Just consider whoever invented the Segway.

Martyr

The Greek origin of the word means ‘witness’.  But it’s meaning has evolved into “someone who voluntarily suffers death for a principle or belief.” Joan of Arc is the one who I’ve always admired.  She was a hero for her people and those in power turned on her.  It was 25 years after her execution before an appellate court declared her innocence. It was nearly 500 years before the Catholic church canonized her.

Role models can come from any of the above definitions but not all are leaders. I think we need to slow down the leader worship.  And we need to stop pushing the yoke of leadership on people who were destined to be heroes, pioneers or martyrs.