8 Practices Of Leaders Of Highly Successful Teams

Everyone wants to be part of a championship unit.  No one wants to waste time by being part of churches or organizations that continually fail or come up short.

Leaders, in particular, want to do something significant with their lives.  And they want to do in the context of community.  If you are fortunate enough to be part of something memorable, what should you do as a leader?

Scott Stevens, captain of the 2006 NHL champion New Jersey Devils, wrote an incredible article in the 4/21/06 edition of Sporting News entitled “Heres how you win it all.”  The following is what Stevens did as captain of the three-time champs:

1. Start Fast – You never have to recover from a good start.  “The Stanley Cup playoffs are the hardest to win in any sport, and the first round is probably the toughest” says Stevens.
2. Handle Adversity – Highly successful leaders know that struggle is necessary for strength.  Stevens said, “In each of our runs, there was a tough time we had to get through.”
3. Adjust Systems – Systems bring clarity and direction to an organization.  However, systems must be continually adjusted with changing conditions.  Stevens added, “To win, you must have a successful system in place going into the playoffs, but you also have to make changes…The team that can adjust (in a seven game series) to a counterattack is the team that’s going to win.”
4. Respond To Coaching - Great athletes know that no one can execute like they can.  However, they need the perspective, experience, and accountability that comes from a great coach.  Coaches coach, athletes execute.  This is also true for leaders.  Stevens points out that “if you’re having trouble, you need someone who can look at the tape, see what’s going on and see how you can adjust.”
5. Attack Pressure With Skill – There are seasons in a leader’s life when you must simply persevere.  To Stevens “the mental part is the biggest test; it’s mostly in your head – how you handle the grind.  You truly take it one game at a time, focus on your job.  You do what you do best.”
6. Remove Pressure From Others – Great leaders lighten the load for their teams.  Stevens said, “As a captain, my job didn’t change a lot in the playoffs.  You try to keep everyone loose.”
7. Lead By Example - Highly successful leaders of great teams lead by example.  They make things happen.  Leaders perform best when their team needs it the most.  Stevens embodied this principle.  “When I saw things weren’t going well for the team on the ice, I would look to make a play, within the framework of the team and the system, that could turn things around.”
8. The God-Factor – Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing.”  As a Christian leader, I know the incredible importance God plays in our success.  Stevens concluded that “when it comes to winning the Stanley Cup, even the best teams have to have a little luck.  I believe in hard work, but there’s more to it.  A team must stay healthy.  Everything must come together at the right time.”  Stevens calls it “luck”.  I call it “Jesus”.  You can decide for yourself but we all need something beyond our skills, experience, and capacities for championship success.

Start Fast, Handle Adversity, Adjustments, Coaching, Skill, Relieve Pressure, Lead By Example, and Jesus.  Utilize these eight advantages and your team will be highly successful.

What additional practices have you utilized as a leader of a great team?

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