The True Measure of Leadership

Tuesday night was our end-of-season banquet—a chance to celebrate all the successes of the season, share the fun that was had, honor our seniors, and reflect on all that was accomplished.

As I looked around the room and listened to the speakers and the conversations, what stood out wasn’t just the wins or the highlights. It was the growth-the growth of the team-the growth of individuals on and off the court-and the growth that happened in ways that don’t always show up on a scoreboard. I am very proud of the intentional activities we provided to our players to help them develop as players and as people and they deserve the credit for putting in the effort and buying into the activities we did. I can honestly say that some years, I haven’t been able to say our team grew but I can definitely say that about this year’s team! I can also definitively say they helped me grow as well!

As a coach and as a leader, that is truly what you are looking for when working with and leading others-are they better now than when you started working with them? Ultimately, that’s what leadership is really about.

I feel like you’re not a leader if no one grows around you—and if you aren’t growing yourself. It’s easy to want people to succeed. But wanting or hoping isn’t leadership. Leadership is about intentional actions, identifying areas for growth, and removing the barriers between someone and their next level.

As coaches and leaders, we should always be asking ourselves:

• Are we helping people improve?

• Are we creating an environment where growth is expected?

• Are we continuing to grow ourselves?

Because here’s the reality—your “ceiling”-how great can you actually become-can become their ceiling. When leaders stop growing and evolving, that limit gets passed down. In many ways, the most dangerous person on a team isn’t the weakest performer-it’s a leader who has stopped growing.

A big part of leadership is knowing your people, building a great relationship with them, and then providing them with opportunities for growth. You need to know what your people want and help them provide a path moving forward. If you can’t name where someone wants to go, you’re not really developing them—you’re just managing them.

Growth becomes more intentional when we understand:

• What drives someone

• What they want to become

• What’s holding them back

And then doing everything we can to help them move forward.

As we move on from our season, reflection and looking ahead becomes important.

What did we learn?
Where did we grow?
Where do we still need to improve?

The same questions apply to all of us—whether we’re leading a team, a business, or a family. Because the goal of leadership isn’t control-the goal is growth. That’s why reflection is so important and digging into not only the successes but the failures of a season. What are we doing to help those around us evaluate where they are at?

And ultimately, I feel like the goal for coaches should be to be outgrown and not needed as much by our players going forward. If we’ve done our job well, the people around us won’t always need us. They’ll graduate and go on from working with us to lead, to impact others, and to create growth in their own spaces. If this happens, then leaders have been successful now and will have a legacy that lasts beyond a current season.

How are you helping those around you grow? Are you giving them opportunities to reflect on their growth and identify areas that need to be improved? Committing time and effort into doing this can have a lasting impact for you and those you lead.

Have a great week!