How to Be a Leadership MVP
One key basketball statistic reveals the players that most help their teams win. See how this is also a primary leadership principle.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
Like many others, I love the game of basketball (particularly at the college level). The recently-completed NCAA tournament showcased the truth that teams that play great together beat teams of talented individual players—every time.
That’s why I’ve come to appreciate basketball’s plus-minus statistic, which measures the difference in score when a player enters the game and when that players exits. It reveals how the team performed when that player was on the court. Many times, a player has a significant plus-minus impact, even though he/she isn’t the most talented or scores the most points.
“Teams that play great together beat teams of talented individual players—every time.”
And Your Point Is...?
Players who score the most points usually get the highlights, but players who make their teammates better are the reason the team wins.
So What?
A pattern that I see so often in small to midsize companies as they grow reveals how we’re missing the leadership plus-minus effect. Typically, the highest performers get recognized, rewarded and then promoted to manage their departments. But high individual performance doesn’t equate to management competency. In fact, the very talent and behaviors that made them good performers can make them ineffective managers.
“High individual performance doesn’t equate to management competency.”
If you’re a business leader in a midsize company and need to build your leadership team, look first for people who have the most leadership development potential. In short: Who is making everyone else better? Sometimes this may be the highest performers at their job, but not every time.
If you’re an employee with aspirations for promotion, look first for ways to make your teammates better. Become a resource for them. Collaborate with them. Serve their interests, not just your own. Investing in them as people builds trust and respect, which you’ll absolutely need if you become their future manager.
The Big Picture
A recent AXIOS article summarized it well: If you want to be a manager who makes a difference, make your people better. Make it more about the team and less about you.
“If you want to do well in that role in the future, it’s best to start practicing now.”
Your Next Step
Read about how to lead in a way that makes others better (see my book below for an example). One I'd recommend is Turn the Ship Around, by David Marquet. It hits the leadership nail on the head.
Be self-aware. Make the investment to assess your leadership behavioral tendencies using a tool like the Harrison Behavioral Assessment, and commit to changing the behaviors that are getting in your way. Contact me if you want to get started.
“Who is making everyone else better?”
