Leading A Team

Leading a Team

Legendary basketball coach Red Auerbach gave great counsel on leading a team. He once said, “Be and look prepared. Be a man of integrity. Never break your word. Don’t have two sets of standards. Stand up for your players and show them you care on and off the court.”

What great counsel for leaders! So many mistakes in leadership are made in violating the fundamentals of relationships. This counsel also has tremendous benefit for all of those who follow our leadership—whether it is our children, our employees, or the young athletes we coach in the local Little League.

Leaders of integrity come prepared, set a standard, and keep their word. Proverbs 11:3 states, “Honesty guides good people; dishonesty destroys treacherous people.” Leaders of integrity want their followers to know that they aren’t just important, but valuable, too. Pat Bowlen, the ailing owner of the Denver Broncos, has a reputation of being a man of integrity and standing up for his people. When his beloved Broncos once again won the coveted Lombardi Trophy in 2016, many of the same people in the organization who were there when they won it with John Elway as the quarterback were still there, with Elway as the general manager.

I am sure Bowlen wasn’t perfect, but I’ll bet you he also humbled himself when he was wrong. This is the only way to continually build love and affection over the long haul. So as you have opportunity to lead, keep these foundational principles in mind, and if you happen to make a mistake on one of them, don’t be too proud to admit that you were wrong.

Honesty guides good people; dishonesty destroys treacherous people.

Proverbs 11:3