6 Principles on being a Leader

At the beginning of the basketball season the coaching staff, and sometimes the players, will determine who should be the team’s co-captains. With this title come a lot of responsibility and leadership duties. But being appointed the captain or official leader of the team does not make you a leader that your teammates will want to follow. It just gives you the opportunity to be the leader. Also, you won’t automatically have your teammates follow you. Your leadership abilities have to be proven before your teammates decide to listen and follow your footsteps. Lastly, leadership is a decision you make and not a place you sit. Being able to perform as a leader is more important than being in a position of a leader. I have 6 principles that will make you a better leader on the basketball court.

1. Take on the character of a leader before you become a leader: Being a leader takes a lot of responsibility. It’s best to be prepared for the position before you are in the position. Learn about what it takes to become a great leader. As your coach about characteristics of great leaders. These leaders don’t have to be athletes. They could be politicians, teachers, community leaders, etc. Leadership also involves some level of management. But before you can manage others you must be able to manage yourself. Be on time for team meetings, be the first to practice, perform well in the classroom, and be a great ambassador for your team. In true leadership you must move past problem-finding and onto solution-providing.

2. Honor the Leader above You: In most cases this will be the coach. You must add value to the opinions, direction, and decisions of the head coach and the coaching staff. You must show support to the leader above you both publicly and privately. If there are any issues within the team, a good leader will handle it behind closed doors and not in public. This shows the respect you have and the other players will follow you.

3. Admit mistakes: Some of the best leaders in the world have made mistakes. Some of those mistakes where morally wrong that affected their personal life. While some mistakes where small in the game of life but affected the teams ability to win a game (i.e. turnover late in game, getting a technical foul, or blown assignment). Whatever your mistake is, it must be admitted. You can’t point the finger and give an excuse why the mistake was made. Saying things like, “I got beat on the drive because my teammates didn’t help” will only make you lose credibility with your peers and teammates. Admit your mistake, ask for forgiveness but know that doesn’t free you from the consequences.

4.Create clear goals & performance expectations: As a leader it is important to set attainable goals and keep your team focused on the task at hand. What are the goals for the team this year? Make the playoffs? Win 20 games? Or win that championship? Once the goals are set you must put together a plan to maintain the vision of the team. This plan could be improve team chemistry by spending time together off the court and away from basketball. It could mean getting extra work in 2 or 3 days a week. As a leader you must be a visionary and be able to have a sense for the outcome ahead.

5. Hold teammates accountable: Holding players accountable for their actions on and off the court is one of the hardest jobs of a leader. If players are not playing up to expectations then it is the leader’s responsibility to step up and bring it to their attention. If someone on your team is not playing as hard as they can and are being a liability on the floor then you can say something to them without being disrespectful. They have to be told how it brings a negative effect on the team and new performance expectation should be given. The sole purpose of accountability is to improve performance. It is not to humiliate.

6. Serve others: When you serve others you add value to them. This shows your teammates you are for the good of the team and not for individual recognition. Serving others help you remember that you are no better than anyone else on the team. As a leader you can serve others by bring a teammate water during timeouts. Rebounding for them when they are getting extra shots before or after practice.

I hope this blog gave you something to think about during the second half of the season. Every team needs a leader with these principles. If you have these 6 principles then you are a good leader and you will have no problem with teammates following in your leadership.

Achieving your Goals

I recently read an article by Les Brown on goals and it got me to thinking about goal setting in basketball. Goals are set all the time in basketball. Players want to make the varsity team or receive more playing time. Teams want to win championships or make the playoffs.

One of the most common goals for basketball players is to become a better shooter. If shooting the basketball at a higher percentage and more accurately is your goal then you must take practical steps to achieve this goal. I have 4 key factors in helping you achieve your goal(s) listed below:

1. The goal must be specific. Decide specifically how you want to become a better shooter. Instead of saying I want to improve my 3pt shooting, you should be specific about your 3pt percentage. Set your goal on a specific percentage that you want to attain.

2. Be committed to your goal. Now that you have your specific goal in place you must be committed to attaining your goal. How many hours are you willing to practice on your 3pt shooting to improve your percentage? How many extra practices are you willing to put in?

3. You must put in place a strategic plan to achieve your goal. How many shots are you going to shoot each day or during each workout? Know how many shots you are going to shoot off the dribble, off the catch and shoot, on the move, or around screens. Chart your shots during each shooting workout to track your progress. This allows you to see how you are shooting from various spots on the floor.

4. Finally, write it down. Read your goal(s) each and every day to help keep you on track and focused. Have visions of yourself not only attaining your goal(s) but exceeding them.