WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO LEAD OTHERS?…
SELF-CONFIDENCE
In order to lead/influence others, they have to believe in you. In order for these people to believe in you, you have to believe in yourself! Whether you believe in yourself or not is the ultimate determining factor whether someone else will follow you. When a leader speaks up for the first time, or asks something new of others, there’s that moment, when those hearing the request of the order decide whether or not they will head the call. In that moment, the potential followers process and decipher what’s been said. Major internal decisions are made. Yes, they will consider the validity or usefulness of the requested action, but the person is really answering one tough question: Do I believe in this person? If the answer is yes, immediate and complete action will be taken. If they are unsure, they will test the waters and total devotion will not occur. A skeptical relenting may take place. “I’ll go along, but you don’t totally have me yet” attitude will set in. If there is no solid belief, mockery and defiance will occur. The position of the so-called leader may require obedience but this following will be done only in motion and will never last.
Some of you are thinking, “I am not a natural leader, I am a role player” or “I lead by my actions.” The reality is that this team will or will not follow you, and this will be determined by whether or not they believe in you.
The question then, is “How do I get the team to believe in me?” The answer is you have to believe in yourself! If you do not have self-confidence, how do you expect to have the confidence of others? It will not happen. You cannot fool your teammates for any significant length of time. People can and will read you. When you are standing up in front, or talking in the huddle, their eyes will be looking inside of you. They will hear your words, but will also be listening to their own inner voice saying “Is this guy for real or is he a joke?”
Do you have self-confidence? Some of you do and some of you do not. However, all of you can, and all of you should! You gain self-confidence by investing more than anyone else in preparation for the season. The season should mean more to you than anyone else. Have the maturity and awareness to soak up each day. You should not dread workouts, but instead, enjoy them! Realize what you can do. Realize that each day counts. This is when you will be stamp your name. Because of this, be inspired to totally devote yourself to this team, to give 100% in all you do, and to make this a success. When you do this, your teammates will believe in you as a leader. More importantly, you will believe in you. You will know that you’ve done everything possible, and have done so with great effort. It’s an awesome feeling. You will feel comfortable leading others and will be extremely effective. Teammates will see your drive, how much this means to you, how committed you are, and how much you’ve sacrificed. They will want to follow you. They will be excited about how clear and committed you are, and they will believe in you. They will follow you because you believe in yourself. You will believe in yourself because you will know that you’ve done everything asked of you, and more.