In every sport, every team always looks for a very good leader. A leader who everyone respects and has the ability to connect with his teammates, understanding them at a fundamental way. I do not pretend to understand or know the best qualities which make up a leader in a swim team. However, my experiences of being team captain has taught me a few things which made my job not as difficult as it should be.
To all the would-be leaders of their swim teams, sincerely hope that these points can be of help to you.
1. Know Yourself!
The most important quality of a leader is self-awareness; one's leadership style is hinged to one's personality. Knowing who you are and what makes you tick--your strengths and weaknesses--allows you to fashion your leadership style accordingly. In so doing, you will be yourself; you won't delude others into believing that you are someone you are not. Having good self-awareness creates credibility in the eyes of your teammates insofar as your character is concerned.
2. Know Your Teammates!
What good is a leader who does not have the faintest idea who his teammates are? How can he lead them if does not understand them? In the teams that I have been part of, very few of my team captains really saw to it that they knew my teammates and I beyond our nicknames. They respected and put up with our quirks and eccentricities to maintain team integrity. While we always had our disagreements, the respect between us swimmers and our captains was never put on jeopardy in any way. Our captains knew how we followed, simply put. This enabled them to lead us efficiently and effectively.
So know your teammates, guys. Understand them personally so it would be easier for you to motivate them. Find out where they are coming from so you can effectively communicate with the. It will be difficult but the benefits you will reap will be abundant in the end. '
3. Be Friendly with the Cliques; Don't be Part of Any!
In every team, there will always be cliques. Usually, there is the majority who influences and dominates the team. And of course, there is the minority which, for all intents and purposes, is the direct foil of the majority clique in every way. As much as cliques are almost mandatory in any team, captains do not have the luxury to be part of one. Impartiality when it comes to personal ties ensures that the leader is for and with his teammates. All of them. Not just a select few. That way, everyone will trust and respect you which, in turn, deters anyone from questioning or undermining your authority.
When my teammates elected me as captain, I was neither part nor intending to join any of the cliques within my team. To point a fact, I was pretty much on my own majority of the time though I occasionally yearned to be part of the team's inner social circles. While I did have a close group of friends within my team, I saw to it that I spent the same amount of time with each of my cliques and conducted myself in a manner conducive to be respected. It made things less difficult for me since everyone understood that my decisions did not favor a certain group of swimmers only. My teammates understood that my decisions were for the betterment of the entire team.
4. Be Better, Not Necessarily the Best!
Each team has its stars and superstars with the former being the faster, the latter being the fastest. As captain, you need not be the fastest or the superstar. Talent and swimming prowess alone does not determine the effectiveness of a leader. They are, however, an important driver to effective leadership in swimming. Simply put, you do not have to be fastest swimmer in the team or the most versatile. You do, however, ought to be one of the better swimmers; not the best but simply not the good either. This strengthens your credibility among his teammates especially when he intends to motivate them. After all, in sports, a lot of things are derived from and are hinged to one's athletic prowess including leadership.
I like to believe that when my teammates elected me, they greatly considered my skills as a swimmer as much as my character as my teammate. I was never the fastest nor greatest swimmer in all of the teams I joined and eventually led. But I was faster in the butterfly than most and was always among the faster freestylers . My teammates questioned how I handled things every now and again but never had they questioned my swimming skills or my complete dedication and devotion to them and the team. If I was to give my guess, perhaps this was why my teammates stuck it out with with my until my graduation. They allowed me to lead them because of my credibility in swimming as well as my integrity as a teammate.
5. In Every Occasion, Play Your Role!
In Filipino, my teacher calls this, "Astang Dalubhasa". In a sense, make your leadership qualities natural to you. Exude leadership even when you are not called to lead so that when you are, it is already part of you. This eliminates second guessing yourself because you act and react on instinct.
Leaders are often called to make the difficult decisions. In sports, captains are always asked to keep their teammates in line as well as motivating and inspiring the, to reach heights they never thought they could reach. As I said in number 2, motivation is easy when you know your teammates. But knowing them on a personal level may also hinder you from being stern when keeping them in line. Remember, the closeness of your relationship with your teammates should not restrain you from disciplining your teammates even if it means straining such ties. Friend or not, when a teammate commits an infraction against team rules, never hesitate to speak your mind and come down on them. Whether or not you use brutal honesty, constructive criticism or whatever disciplinary method, it is imperative to be the same disciplinarian-captain to every person in the your team. No exceptions.
If you will notice, credibility and integrity sums up swimming leadership. I have already given you guys five points on swimming leadership. But allow me just one more point; consider it a parting shot of sorts.
There is an age old saying that one must follow before he leads and one must lead as he follows. In my years as captain, I have learned something useful along those lines. When you are captain, lead your teammates by following your heart, your gut and what you think and feel is right. This is all anyone can ever ask from you, captain.
Take your mark!
To all the would-be leaders of their swim teams, sincerely hope that these points can be of help to you.
1. Know Yourself!
The most important quality of a leader is self-awareness; one's leadership style is hinged to one's personality. Knowing who you are and what makes you tick--your strengths and weaknesses--allows you to fashion your leadership style accordingly. In so doing, you will be yourself; you won't delude others into believing that you are someone you are not. Having good self-awareness creates credibility in the eyes of your teammates insofar as your character is concerned.
2. Know Your Teammates!
What good is a leader who does not have the faintest idea who his teammates are? How can he lead them if does not understand them? In the teams that I have been part of, very few of my team captains really saw to it that they knew my teammates and I beyond our nicknames. They respected and put up with our quirks and eccentricities to maintain team integrity. While we always had our disagreements, the respect between us swimmers and our captains was never put on jeopardy in any way. Our captains knew how we followed, simply put. This enabled them to lead us efficiently and effectively.
So know your teammates, guys. Understand them personally so it would be easier for you to motivate them. Find out where they are coming from so you can effectively communicate with the. It will be difficult but the benefits you will reap will be abundant in the end. '
3. Be Friendly with the Cliques; Don't be Part of Any!
In every team, there will always be cliques. Usually, there is the majority who influences and dominates the team. And of course, there is the minority which, for all intents and purposes, is the direct foil of the majority clique in every way. As much as cliques are almost mandatory in any team, captains do not have the luxury to be part of one. Impartiality when it comes to personal ties ensures that the leader is for and with his teammates. All of them. Not just a select few. That way, everyone will trust and respect you which, in turn, deters anyone from questioning or undermining your authority.
When my teammates elected me as captain, I was neither part nor intending to join any of the cliques within my team. To point a fact, I was pretty much on my own majority of the time though I occasionally yearned to be part of the team's inner social circles. While I did have a close group of friends within my team, I saw to it that I spent the same amount of time with each of my cliques and conducted myself in a manner conducive to be respected. It made things less difficult for me since everyone understood that my decisions did not favor a certain group of swimmers only. My teammates understood that my decisions were for the betterment of the entire team.
4. Be Better, Not Necessarily the Best!
Each team has its stars and superstars with the former being the faster, the latter being the fastest. As captain, you need not be the fastest or the superstar. Talent and swimming prowess alone does not determine the effectiveness of a leader. They are, however, an important driver to effective leadership in swimming. Simply put, you do not have to be fastest swimmer in the team or the most versatile. You do, however, ought to be one of the better swimmers; not the best but simply not the good either. This strengthens your credibility among his teammates especially when he intends to motivate them. After all, in sports, a lot of things are derived from and are hinged to one's athletic prowess including leadership.
I like to believe that when my teammates elected me, they greatly considered my skills as a swimmer as much as my character as my teammate. I was never the fastest nor greatest swimmer in all of the teams I joined and eventually led. But I was faster in the butterfly than most and was always among the faster freestylers . My teammates questioned how I handled things every now and again but never had they questioned my swimming skills or my complete dedication and devotion to them and the team. If I was to give my guess, perhaps this was why my teammates stuck it out with with my until my graduation. They allowed me to lead them because of my credibility in swimming as well as my integrity as a teammate.
5. In Every Occasion, Play Your Role!
In Filipino, my teacher calls this, "Astang Dalubhasa". In a sense, make your leadership qualities natural to you. Exude leadership even when you are not called to lead so that when you are, it is already part of you. This eliminates second guessing yourself because you act and react on instinct.
Leaders are often called to make the difficult decisions. In sports, captains are always asked to keep their teammates in line as well as motivating and inspiring the, to reach heights they never thought they could reach. As I said in number 2, motivation is easy when you know your teammates. But knowing them on a personal level may also hinder you from being stern when keeping them in line. Remember, the closeness of your relationship with your teammates should not restrain you from disciplining your teammates even if it means straining such ties. Friend or not, when a teammate commits an infraction against team rules, never hesitate to speak your mind and come down on them. Whether or not you use brutal honesty, constructive criticism or whatever disciplinary method, it is imperative to be the same disciplinarian-captain to every person in the your team. No exceptions.
If you will notice, credibility and integrity sums up swimming leadership. I have already given you guys five points on swimming leadership. But allow me just one more point; consider it a parting shot of sorts.
There is an age old saying that one must follow before he leads and one must lead as he follows. In my years as captain, I have learned something useful along those lines. When you are captain, lead your teammates by following your heart, your gut and what you think and feel is right. This is all anyone can ever ask from you, captain.
Take your mark!
No comments:
Post a Comment