Class: Leadership 101, Lesson #5 – 10 Things Leaders Should Never Do

Let’s take a look at some very specific don’ts for athletes looking to be leaders on their teams, particularly in baseball.  As we go through these put yourself in your teammates shoes and look at yourself introspectively, like you are watching yourself from outside yourself and see if you’re guilty of these things.  If you are guilty, it’s not the end of the world, just decide to fix it!  But you have to PRACTICE fixing it and changing.  Here we go!

1. Don’t pout when your team is up 9-0 and you get out…celebrate and be happy for your teammates, make it about others.
2. Don’t walk around the dugout all happy and bubbly when you are 3 for 3 and your team is losing 9-1…make it about others and SHARE with them in their emotional struggle…make it about others.
3. Don’t throw your hands up when you’re pitching and your defense makes 3 errors and costs you “your” win as a pitcher…pick your teammates up, after all they are the ones who feel terrible…make it about others!
4. When you are playing great and your team is playing terrible, don’t start finger-pointing…build your teammates up, put yourself aside, make it about others.
5. Don’t be quiet in the dugout while your team is struggling and then you get a double and stand on 2nd base yelling, “Let’s gooo!”  Do that before you get the double and then you won’t look like a front-runner who’s just excited by his own success or better yet, yell “Let’s go” when your teammate hits a double even though you’re 0 for 2 with 2 K’s…make it about others.
6. Don’t call your teammates out in front of people for playing poorly.  You lose credibility.  Make it about others.
7. Don’t be a harder judge on your teammates than you are on yourself.
8. Don’t ever say, “I’m not the only one (fill in the gap with any crummy thing you just did).”  Just, don’t.  It’s weak.
9. Practice not criticizing your teammates ever.  Not to your parents, not to your girlfriend, not to anybody.  Even if it’s true.  Make it about standing up for and building up others.  You won’t regret it.
10. Don’t make excuses…just don’t.  Ever.  Make it about ownership and being a man.