Demonstrating Vocal Leadership
Complimenting, comforting, and challenging (in that order) hardworking, struggling, and unmotivated team members is easier than you think. When you know how.
WANT TO BE A VOCAL LEADER: Compliment, comfort, and challenge hardworking, struggling, and unmotivated team members. #DailyMight
Too often the role of leadership is thought of as one dimensional. As the one out front, the most common leadership model is to lead by example – simply act the way you want those around you to act and perform and they will follow suite. Unfortunately, successful leadership is rarely that simple – or easy. There are many different models or focuses within leadership that help you successfully lead. Being a vocal leader, for example, uses the voice to communicate with teammates. Just like the by example model, a vocal leadership model can make a break a season if not focused correctly. I’ve come up with these three “C” of demonstrating vocal leadership to help you focus this powerful leadership style.
Compliment
Complementing a teammate is the most encouraging way to provide positive feedback. When vocal leaders use phrases like “I appreciate your effort” or “thank you for challenging me in that drill” or even “we are lucky to have you as a part of this team” – you are providing a teammate with the reassurance that they are wanted, noticed, and included in the team.
Comfort
Sports are hard. Not only are athletes asked to learn and grow, but often times relied upon to apply teachings in the heat of the moment on the battlefield. When team members fall short, vocal leaders are quick to acknowledge the result, provide comfort, and to detail a pathway for improvement. Strong vocal leaders voice comfort, not conflict.
Challenge
Not everything will be rainbows and butterflies in a team atmosphere. And because each athlete can be motivated in different ways, sometimes a vocal leader must challenge a teammate. When vocal leaders challenge teammates, that helpful guidance isn’t personal. Vocal challenges come at the benefit of an improved team and support of the individuals accountability to the success of the team.
Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.
PROVERBS 11:14
You may not have noticed it at first, but it’s important for vocal leaders to recognize the order as I presented. Leadership, (and the want to those to follow), is built on firm foundation of trust. Trust begins with vocalizing through compliments, then a movement to comfort, with the last step to challenge. By knowing the difference of each vocalized prompt, when to deploy each vocal strategy, and gradually moving from one step to the next; you increase the odds of successfully motivating struggling teammates. You have the desire within you to be a vocal leader, now you know the order to do it.
Give everything your everything, and then some.
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