Quiet Leaders Push Peers Through Hard Work

Leadership by example is the most underrated trait in sports.

From the beginning of athletics, athletes have fallen in behind those who work hardest. Those talking a big game yet are unwilling to put in the sweat equity might bring the bluster, noise and hype, but leadership? Not so much.

Here’s a flash: When NSR scouts and college coaches evaluate talent, they are not necessarily looking for leadership qualities. Why?  Everyone can’t be a leader. If leadership is part of their package, that’s a bonus.

See, some athletes are natural followers. Some are the cerebral type. Some may be valuable by being really good at one thing. Others might consistently do the little things that matter.

There’s nothing wrong with any of that. Teams need a full complement of athletes to create symmetry and cohesiveness. Coaches and NSR scouts know this.

But they can also recognize leadership qualities, almost at once. They want those, too. In fact, they must have them.

When practice is dragging, real leaders refuse to just go along. They pick up their teammates and push them into another gear.   That might be mentally or it could be physically. It could reveal itself through hustling more without telling everybody to do the same. Or perhaps it is by simply saying, “We are not working hard enough. Let’s kick it in here.” Teams that respect their leaders comply. The pressure to keep up is a greater motive than their tendency to lag behind.

During games, matches or meets, genuine leaders recognize opportunity when it’s in front of them and they respond. They can feel the team’s mood, intensity or drive lacking. And when the team is not where it needs to be, when it is going through the motions, leaders can often do more to right the ship than even a coach.

That’s why many times the rah-rah types often fade in the heat of battle. Their intestinal fortitude just isn’t there. Digging deeper doesn’t come instinctively.

But what about taking the step from high school to college?

Coaches want to recruit leaders, yes, but they also understand that these special people earn their positions of influence with their peers. A high school senior rarely steps into the lead role as a college freshman.

Coaches may sense or see leadership qualities in a prospect or recruit, but it can only be manifested over time. Given time, a true leader’s innermost light will eventually shine. When that happens, the team benefits and the coach’s patience is rewarded.

Leaders can prove to be the catalyst a college coach is looking for to add to the team. NSR evaluates athletes and determines if they possess the skills needed to play in college. Get an NSR scout to evaluate your athlete today.