Weekly Post: Teams

What kind of teams you have been on and how has it helped you and made you a better leader?

Throughout my life, I've been on many different kinds of teams. From athletics to jobs to clubs to group projects, I've had plenty of experience seeing what a team really means.

I can remember all the way back to gradeschool soccer, baseball, and basketball teams when the best player on the team was usually the leader. Because that one person had the most experience or talent in the sport, they were usually the person that others looked to for help. In many cases, though, this doesn't prove to be the point. The leader on the team can be anyone from the coach to the guy who rides the bench. A leader has to be the one getting the team fired up, whether it be through words or actions, out in front or behind the scenes. The leader is the one who puts the time in and gives everything he has so he can become the best he can be for the betterment of his team.

One example in particular comes to mind with athletic teams. When I was a sophomore in high school, I was privileged to be a part of the Missouri State 4A Golf Champion team. As we went through the season, leadership shifted many different times. At the beginning of the season, our coach was the one who brought us together and encouraged us to push each other to be the absolute best we could be. As the season continued, I picked up a lot of the leadership. Being the youngest member on the team, I pushed the other guys by practicing unceasingly and making them fear me because they didn't want to be beaten by a sophomore. As we neared the State Championship, two of our other players, Zach and Justin, started playing absolutely lights out. When the two day state tournament started, they led us to victory with record-breaking scores. They showed me that if you do your job well and better than anyone else, people have no choice but to follow you.