Role Model - A Leadership Skill
Set an Intentional Example (2 Step Exercise)
Being a role model means demonstrating the behaviours, attitudes, and work ethic you expect from your team. It’s about leading by example and setting a standard for others to follow.
If you want to excel as a sports captain, a director, a founder, a leader, then you need to be intentional with the qualities you want to model to your team. This two minute reflective drill will help you identify what example you want set.
Why is this important?
Actions speak louder than words. As a leader, you set the tone … whether you like it or not. The attitude, mindset, culture that you model will directly impact the performance of your team.
Red Flags
Before you dive into the exercise, be aware of these red flags: being inconsistent in your actions (doing one thing one day and another thing the next), not doing what you say you will do, setting unrealistic standards that others cannot follow, or failing to acknowledge and correct your mistakes.
How can you apply this?
Step 1- Reflect:
In your last team interaction (Practice? Competition? Meeting? Travel?) what behaviours were you role modelling? How did you show up? What messages were you sending?
Think about your attitude, your tone of voice, your emotions, your body language, what you said and did with your teammates, your coaches, the other team, and the refs.
Step 2 - Prepare:
When is the next time you're going to be with your team?
Pick one thing you want to role model in that situation. For example, it could be encouraging your teammates, being a good sport with the other team, paying attention when the coach is speaking.
Remember, actions speak louder than words. When you are with your team, do your best to send that message repeatedly. By consistently leading by example, you establish a strong foundation for your team’s culture and over time, these actions will become a habit and inspire others to elevate their own performance.
Tools:
Leadership
Emotional Intelligence