Team Leadership

This week’s article will deviate a bit, albeit although not totally, from pure refereeing concepts as I will be presenting some thoughts (adapted also from various writers and sources) on the importance of team leadership.


The reason I have selected this topic is basically due to a number of posts, put forward lately in the forum in the new Maltese basketball website
www.basketballmalta.wetpaint.com, which have dealt with team leaders and what it takes to be one.


Some of the main crucial questions were:
Is there a natural talent for leadership?
Are leaders born in that way?
Can you learn leadership techniques?

My personal opinion, which was built after reflecting on the views of many experts in this field, is that leadership could possibly occur as a natural talent yet leaders are not born as such but will eventually (if directed well) learn to nurture and foster forward their talent.

On the other hand, I also strongly believe that one can learn leadership skills and techniques even if he does not have this innate natural talent. It is a known secret that any successful team (competing or taking part in sports, i.e. as players but also as members of a refereeing crew) relies heavily on a good leader/s.

Studies have shown that even the best and most talented team members may get ‘lost’ much too often if the group does not have not only good managers for the day-to-day tasks, but also a good leader/s for those special, critical situations in which the latter can make the real difference. I think all will agree that not all persons are equal in terms of abilities. At the same time, not all abilities are useful for a given team, but it must be understood that, from time to time, exceptional individuals appear. These could become crucial for the growth of the same team.


Being a team leader involves many responsibilities, often without much recognition. In fact, some of the best team leaders do it because they understand it is important for the team and do not even care if other people know they are doing it.


On the other end of the spectrum, there are some athletes who do not want to be known as a team leader because they believe that it puts too much pressure on them to make the team better or feel they are being singled out as being responsible for whether the team wins or loses. This is not the way it should be but it does happen.


Having said all this, the next road to take is to ask what exactly leadership within a sports team is. Leadership is not to order, to sell or to command. The real purpose of a leader is to inspire. Leadership is the process of influencing team members to work hard towards, and be committed to, team goals. The leader/s helps to make his or her teammates better athletes. It also boils down to understanding that a team is only as good as all of its members are, from the best to the worst element. It is important to realize that being the team leader does not make you the boss nor does it make you a coach.


As stated previously, much of what the best team leaders do is essentially carried out without even thinking about it. They do it by setting an example for other team members. It is about being at every scheduled practice, getting to practice on time and working hard during all of the activities that your coaches include in practice, even the ones you do not really like much. Being a team leader is about helping teammates work on their skills, encouraging them, supporting their efforts to get better, but never criticizing them or giving them a hard time. Yelling at your teammates and telling them how bad they are is not what good team leaders do. Coaches should never do this and neither should the leader. Team leaders want each of their teammates to become better athletes so the team ultimately fares better in official competitions.


In seminars about team leadership, psychologists urge participants to think back to when they first started to play their respective sport and to try to remember what kinds of things they had wished, back then, that one of their teammates had helped them with? These are the things a leader will try to help his/her teammates with now.


Additionally and quite logically, leaders must possess the qualities they are trying to incorporate into their team. For example, if you want team colleagues to be confident, have self-control, be disciplined, etc., then you must first possess all these traits. One of the most powerful things you can do is lead by example. You serve as an influential role model for your players and everything you do will be watched. One must also be a good motivator and have the gift for verbal persuasion to get athletes to "buy in" to the fact that hard work does pay off and that the pursuit of excellence, despite being quite a tough journey, is a worthwhile one. Sincerity is vastly important because players can usually tell if positive talk is not genuine.


The great leader is a master in the art of communication. He or she is aware of the strong need for actions to match all the words that can be said. Leaders need to possess a willingness to listen to input with an open mind. Two-way communication, being approachable and having an "open door" policy makes for very good team relations. This is crucial in building a trusting and open environment.


Character-wise, leaders quickly realize that being timid will not get them where they want to go. This confidence and assertiveness will usually seep down to the team members. Ultimately, the quality and effectiveness of a great leader will often show itself by way of the team's effort as a whole.


One very important trait, in my honest belief, is that great leaders are often scholars in their field and are intelligent. Like all great scholars, they are not know-it-alls. In fact they feel there is always more to learn and have a willingness to admit mistakes.


Outstanding leaders make decisions based on facts, and apply common sense and simplicity to complex tasks. They are well organized, detail-oriented and are also smart enough to know that many times they will have to alter what they originally planned due to changing circumstances, so flexibility is also crucial to leadership.


In essence, this article has pointed out that excellence in leadership is acquired by people who have a strong sense of vision, have passion and are able to get people to commit 100% and take the necessary action to see that vision become a reality. Great leaders excel in the art of communication and motivation, mutual respect, instilling confidence and enthusiasm, and showing credibility and integrity on a consistent basis.


In a nutshell, a leader guides a team, not rules a team.


Sources:‘Being a Team Leader’ by Dr. Richard Stratton.
‘Leadership Characteristics’ by Karlene Sugarman.