It was in fifth grade that I was first introduced to the concept of team building. It was towards the end of the season one day during practice, that our soccer coach decided to assign Edward and me as team captains. We had not yet seen the coach giving the reign of the team to players like us. You see, both Edward and I, we’re not your typical A-class players. We were squarely mediocre! So, having us as team leads, even if it were for one practice game, was an interesting experiment by our coach. It sure did change the way I looked at my leadership capabilities and learned the dynamics of putting effective teams together for achieving common goals.
The coach would often tell us that soccer was a mind, body, and soul exercise. I never quite understood that until later in life. Sitting on the bench for most of the games that season, I developed a good outside-in perspective of the players. I knew the players’ strengths, position preferences, and technical skills. I had watched the coach maneuver players on the field to achieve balance and win games. I had heard him coach and counsel the boys on their vulnerabilities and shortcomings. I knew the players well.
I won the coin toss that day and picked my team first. To everyone’s surprise, I did not select the current captain for my team. You see, Hamid, the current captain, was always the first pick for all games. Many idolized him because of his talent; all the stardom had gotten to his head. He was arrogant and cocky and constantly belittled players like Edward and I, both on the field and off it. Suddenly, here I was, with an opportunity to do something about it. I made an intentional decision not to select Hamid for my team that day. I opted for a more balanced and grounded team; as a result, my team was better coordinated. Hamid made quite a scene about not being on my team that day. He called me names, and he pushed and shoved me at every chance he got during the game. As the game progressed and we kept scoring, he got more agitated, frustrated and angry. We ended the game with 7-0 victory.
The thrill of victory elated me, but only briefly. The agony of being bullied by Hamid for the rest of my school year was debilitating. I got pushed around, punched, and thrown on the ground more than a few times that season by Hamid, whenever he found me alone. In hindsight and as painful as it was, the bullying was a small price to pay for the lesson that I learned in selecting the right individuals, coordinating, motivating them and seeing them through to victory. Throughout my journey, I have carried this lesson with me. The ability to sit on the sidelines and observe; to understand people, their skillsets, their dreams, and aspirations. All are necessary components of putting successful teams together. Knowing your team at a personal level, making them part of something bigger than them, and enabling them with the right resources to accomplish their goals and objectives, are all major factors in contributing to someone else’s life journey. A good leader enables a transformational and meaningful journey for others.
Good leaders who are self-aware of their impact and how their perspective affects their teams are a rare breed. Such leaders are acutely aware of their own biases and limitations. Their teams are confident of their capabilities, diverse in experiences, knowledgeable about their shortcomings, and can respectfully withstand decent and different options. We are in dire need of such leaders and teams who bring ingenuity and innovation to solve problems like climate change, social inequity, and environmental degradation. Putting motivated diverse teams together, and aligning their intentions to focus on the greater good for all, is what leadership means today. Our leaders today must uplift people’s spirits collectively to help them move forward to solve today’s great challenges.