Ryan Stephens Marketing

You Can’t Lead a Team Unless You’re In It!

27
April

Most people are looking for someone to lead them, whether it’s your baseball team, your non-profit organization or your co-workers.
TLU Baseball
Sure it comes natural for some, but being a leader isn’t easy. And just because you’re barking orders, the team captain or the boss doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a leader.

The best leaders lead by example. As a result they earn two important things: trust and respect.

The coach that tells the team to run 3 miles, and then heads up the lead pack. The middle manager who comes early, stays late, and does a lot more than delegate. The Race for Relief volunteer who refuses to take no for an answer until they meet their goals. These are leaders, they’ve earned the right to be part of the team.

When I was a freshman in college one of the seniors routinely barked out orders. “FRESHMAN! Get the rakes and get your asses in gear so we can get out of here and go to dinner.”

At some point you stop responding to that.

Another senior comes up to me. He has two rakes. He puts his arm over my shoulder, the rake in front of me. “You know what would be great Stephens? If you raked the other half of this baseline for me so we can hit the showers and get to the cafeteria before it closes.”

He never had to ask again. He didn’t pack his bag and spit seeds watching my precision with the rake. He was right alongside me.

Being a good leader is more than just a title. You also have to be a part of the team.

Posted on by Ryan Stephens

15 Comments

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  • http://thelostjacket.com Stuart Foster

    Leading by example is so key in this new world of interaction, community building and branding. If you can’t be on the front lines then you shouldn’t be leading. That’s just the way I see it. You can’t shape policy for something you don’t understand.

    [Reply]

    admin Reply:
    June 27th, 2009 at 1:14 am

    @Stuart – I think you’re spot on. Talk IS cheap, and a lot of people confuse the fact that they’re passionate about social media with thinking that they’re experts at social media. This confusion sometimes compels them to try and lead via talking, and not by effectively acting.

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  • http://twentyset.com Monica O’Brien

    Another great post. Wholeheartedly agree with you here. I have definitely had some so-called “leaders” at work who couldn’t do anything for themselves. It makes you lose respect for someone when they say “I don’t have time for this” or they pull the seniority card. And they are the ones who end up paying for it in the end.

    [Reply]

    admin Reply:
    June 27th, 2009 at 1:14 am

    @Monica – I work in a very small company so I don’t always get to see that happen. Part of me thinks they’ve earned the right to delegate a lot of the tasks that they aren’t necessarily passionate about. That’s okay with me provided they are hammering away at key issues and not just surfing the net (for leisure, if they’re learning, by all means) in their office.

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  • http://twentyorsomething.com Susan Pogorzelski

    Ryan,

    Great post! I think you really nail the idea when you say, “The best leaders lead by example. As a result they earn two important things: trust and respect.” I never really understood how this concept could be so difficult for some people. I think it’s going back to that idea, “treat others how you want to be treated.” People tend to not really respond well to demands, as you unfortunately saw firsthand, and it certainly doesn’t foster that team spirit, working together, that makes a group successful.

    Thinking back to my own experiences, it’s about communication, it’s about each person doing their part…And maybe it’s about forming bonds in the process.

    Great post, Ryan. Thanks!

    [Reply]

    admin Reply:
    June 27th, 2009 at 1:14 am

    @Susan – It’s funny how almost everything comes back to communication doesn’t it? I’m lucked out and chose communication when I was 18 (who knows when they’re a college freshman), because I loved it and learned so much. Business, relationships, everything can become more solidified with great communication.

    [Reply]

  • http://sportmanagementeducation.wordpress.com/ TimNATC

    I follow the Servant Leadership model started by Robert Greeenleaf. See the website for more information http://www.greenleaf.org/

    [Reply]

    admin Reply:
    June 27th, 2009 at 1:14 am

    @Tim – Thanks so much for this link. I’m not familiar with Robert’s approach, but the first chance I get I’m going to check it out and glean insight.

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  • http://thesportsmarketingprof.blogspot.com sportmktgprof

    Ryan-
    For me, one has to lead with both the head and the heart. There has to be a connection to those that follow, but there must also be the content knowledge that allows one to be in a position to lead. I also agree with earlier comments on leading by example, to cultivate trust and respect. The true leader has to be strong in conviction, and once a decision is be made, be married to it, right or wrong, and honest if it was not the right one.
    Warren Bennis, Jack Welch, Ken Blanchard.
    All great reads!!!

    [Reply]

    admin Reply:
    June 27th, 2009 at 1:15 am

    @SportMktgProf – So glad you stopped by to provide a comment! I love your tweets! You bring up a great point with respect to leading with the heart. There’s something about those leaders that gather all the necessary information and MAYBE choose the wrong route, but do it with such passion and conviction that people jump on board and follow anyway. That’s the true power of a leader, and that comes more from the heart than the head. Great insights. And thanks for including some leaders worth checking out for further reading as well!

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  • http://brianlinton.com Brian Linton

    Ah! I’ve been gone for awhile and missed some great posts from you. This one in particular is a great post on leadership and something I wholeheartedly believe in. As I hire more people to work for my company, Sand Shack, I learn more and more about leadership…and one of the things I am learning is that leadership in sports and leadership in business is the same exact thing. Actually, leadership anywhere is the same…and there is a right and a wrong way to lead. The right way is always to be apart of the team. Nobody wants to be ordered to do anything, and the best way I have found to inspire people to work hard and well is to work with them, or at least make them apart of your team – to not treat them as inferior, but in a way, equal.

    And hey that’s you in the picture!

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  • Rian

    Race for Relief volunteer? :)

    [Reply]

    admin Reply:
    June 27th, 2009 at 1:16 am

    @Rian – You’re not the first cute girl I’ve subtly featured in a blog post. Just the first in awhile.

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  • http://www.lifewithoutpants.com Matt

    Ryan – simple post that speaks volumes. A leader who is willing to grab a rake and work alongside you will always be more successful and more respected by the team. One thing I have had a problem with in several past employment positions is the overall disconnect between upper management and the rest of the team. It’s tough to WANT to work hard for someone who doesn’t so much as say hello to you in passing. It makes you question your value within a company, it puts the idea in you head that your ‘expendable’. Managers who get ‘down on your level’ whatever that may be, are ultimately the ones that we respect and WANT to work our asses off each day.

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