Part of the Game
We are all playing our parts. The question is ... how do we play our part? And the answer should depend on which game we are suited up to play! In some games, I really shouldn't be the one with the ball. In other games, you'd be wrong not to pass it to me. Some games require us to spend more of our making plays with others in real time, and most of the moves we make immediately impact one another. Some games require us to each do our best separately and get together later to compare or add together our results.
There's another facet of the game though. That question is ... what part do we play? If you're a player, you lead to a large degree, by the way you influence the game with your technical skill. You learn, you practice, you anticipate what other members of the team need from you, and you play under the leadership of a team captain and a coach. Players are the ones making the plays and put up the scores. They are the ones on the front line. Players are the ones the fans look forward to seeing in action.
If you're the team captain, you still get to play in the game, and you are probably excellent at the sport you play. You have also shown character and leadership, competence and skill in order to be designated as the team captain. And you are frequently the liaison between the team and the coach. You're a player too, but you also get to bend the ear of the coach more often. You are called into some strategy and brainstorming, and maybe you know the ins and outs of what team members are dealing with and how it's affecting their ability to contribute. Players share their ideas and opinions with you, because they know that if anyone can influence the coach, it's you.
And if you're the coach, the reality is you only succeed when you work through your people. You never toss off your jacket and take the floor or the field - no matter how good you were as a player. Coaches scout and recruit new team members. Coaches set strategy, look at the competition with a keen eye and help their players respond to what's coming. They make sure the resources available line up with the needs of the team. "Leaders see more and see before," as John Maxwell says. A coach that's too worried about image is like the corporate world's self-centered leader. A coach that treats players like property instead of valuing people is like an organization with a fear-based leader, and a coach that consistently tries to insert himself as a player is a micromanager in business.
Free agents tend to leave poor leadership. There is an old saying about customers that says, "Business goes where it's invited and stays where it's appreciated." That's true of our employees too, now more than ever.
The final question is ... does the part you play match how you are playing? When should you be taking the posture of player? Are you overstepping and acting like the team captain? You have influence as a player. Use it the way its intended.
Which teams do you add value to as the team captain? Have you ever tried to dodge the responsibility and recede into the role of a player so you can still be "one of the guys/gals" or have you ever gone too far and taken on the responsibilities of the coach? The position of team captain is a great training ground for future coaches.
Where you are called to add value to your team as the coach, do you ever find yourself trying to take off your jacket and take the field? There are certain things only the coach can do and those just never get done when the coach gets distracted and takes on the role of a player. The confusion and lack of confidence it creates also risks the team's efficiency and morale. Coaches have the added opportunity to set the stage for culture that determines both what gets done and how things get done.
We all play on a lot of teams. In order to win frequently, to win consistently, everyone has to play their part well, and that inherently means, we have to know the best way to play ours.
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Live2Lead Midwest Connection
Want to learn more about how to play your part and influence your game? Join us as we experience the John Maxwell Live2Lead event in La Porte at the Civic Auditorium on Friday, January 21, 2022. From 10:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m. (CST) we'll come together to network and hear from some of the greatest thought leaders in personal and team development, leadership, and communication. Bring your team and experience this together. EARLY BIRD TICKETS till 12/31 are only $59!!!
https://reframingleadership_live2lead.eventbrite.com
Lunch included. Only 144 seats available (25% of floor occupancy). Registrations will be exchanged upon request for 72-hour virtual tickets in the case of weather, illness, etc. Reserve your seats at the link below:
https://reframingleadership_live2lead.eventbrite.com
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