As leaders responsible for leading our athletes we need to recognize and become aware of the leadership drop-off; a common occurrence in leadership.
Whatever level you are at as a leader, there will always be a drop-off from your level to those around you.
If they were able to “score” you as a leader and you scored at 84%, for all intensive purposes, that’d be a pretty good grade. You’d be sitting comfortably with a 3.0 GPA and B’s up and down your report card. Very respectable.
An 84% score takes on a new perspective when you remember there is always a leadership drop-off from the leader to those they’re leading. How much of a drop-off varies based on the person and circumstances but lets say the drop-off is 15%.
If you’re leading your team at an 84% and there’s a 15% drop-off from your leadership to your players leadership, your players will be leading at a 69%.
A level of leadership that warrants a D letter grade.
The drop-off from your leadership to those you lead varies but there is always a drop-off. Knowing that, logic tells us if there’s a drop-off, then leading at our highest levels will raise the levels of those we’re leading. Correct.
If you’d score as an 84% as a leader, you need to fight to raise that score. We need to be so good as a leader that even if there’s a drop-off with our players, they’re still scoring at a high level.
So how strong of a leader are you? How much do you work on your leadership? How much thought do you put into being the absolutely best version of yourself?
Below is a list of ways you can actively grow as a leader.
- Listen to leadership or coaching podcasts
- Read 1-2 leadership books a month
- Create a leadership text chat (group of friends, teammates, etc) who are committed to pushing each other to another level.
- Evaluate your morning routine to assure you start your day filled up. What needs to be added? What needs to be removed? (you can’t fill others if you’re empty)
- Write-out 2-3 areas of leadership you’d like to build into a strength and pursue growth in those specific areas over the next 30-days.
- Pray/Meditate to help you become a more “centered” leader.
- Adjust who you follow on social media by adopting the 10&10 rule; each month un-follow 10 individuals or pages that distract you or “bring you down” and replace them with 10 new follows of individuals or pages that you believe will challenge you and inspire you to be greater
How many of these things are you doing regularly?
The higher level of leadership you possess; the higher level of leadership those around you will possess. Live with a higher standard of living. Coach with a higher standard of leading.
When the leader improves, everybody wins.
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