Make Your Teammates Better

The mark of a truly great athlete or leader is that they make those around them better than they can be on their own.  That is why they are great.  Michael Jordan, Derek Jeter, Ray Lewis all had the knack of inspiring their teammates to reach new heights.  They made their teammates better.

Making a teammate better can happen in a number of ways.  The first way is by example.  Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan are legendary for their work ethic.  They were literally the first ones in the gym and the last ones to leave.  Neither of these great leaders were much into giving rousing, inspiring speeches.  What they did to improve their teams is show up, work harder than everyone else and challenge even lower level players to play way above their talent would normally allow.  They also had tons of talent themselves.  They created an environment in which no one wants to let them down, no one can ever give less than their best each day.

Other players have given up what is best for them in an effort to improve those around them.  Many players in professional sports have taken a pay cut or salary modification in order to allow the team to sign other, talented players.  Sometimes players take on a lesser role in order for others to shine.  That makes the team better.  Some players give up shots (or whatever applies in a different sport) so that others can get more involved.  Lebron James is an excellent example of someone who lessened their role in order to win.  In Miami he could have rightfully taken most of the shots, demanded the ball more and been the center of the enterprise.  He deferred on the court and it ended up netting him 2 NBA championships.  He will most likely be most known for his failures at the end of his career, but never forget that he was/is a winner who wants those around him to succeed.

These concepts translate into the spheres that you and I are likely to walk in each day as leaders.  We ultimately will be measured as leaders by our ability to make others better.  We can do that in many ways.  We can be quiet leaders who simply do the right thing, time and time again, even when a shortcut would be easier.  People are watching.  By living with high integrity and personal responsibility we are encouraging our followers to do the same.  We don't have to give rousing speeches, we can inspire by adding value to peoples lives each day.

Leaders can make sure that the glory for successes are reflected to others.  Even when we earned the spotlight, the accolades and the attention we support and bless those in our circle if we distribute the credit to our followers.  The next time your time "wins" make sure that those in a support role get the vast majority of the credit and you will find you have followers ready to run through walls for you.