Helping others achieve their full potential is one of the most important things leaders can do.  The most insightful leaders have learned over time some secrets to ensuring success in this area.

Hall of Famer pitcher Nolan Ryan holds the record for the most career no-hitters with seven.  However, I bet you don’t know who holds the record for catching the most no-hitters.  This honor goes to former Boston Red Sox Jason Varitek with four.

A May 10th, 2010 Sporting News article recapped Varitek’s thoughts from each historic effort.  The following are 4 Practices Of Highly Successful Leaders Who Help Others Achieve Their Full Potential from the former Red Sox captain.

  1. Highly Successful Leaders Who Help Others Achieve Their Full Potential Are Aggressive – Hideo Nomo (April 4, 2001) “stayed aggressive…and kept the hitters on the defensive.”  Great leaders are not passive.  They are catalysts and agents of change.  Leaders are constantly moving forward and taking people somewhere.
  2. Highly Successful Leaders Who Help Others Achieve Their Full Potential Provide Stability – Derek Lowe (April 27, 2002) and Varitek had been teammates since the minor leagues in 1995.  While leaders are agents of change, they also bring security and stability to the organization.  This stability allows their teams time to develop and mature resulting in success over time.
  3. Highly Successful Leaders Who Help Others Achieve Their Full Potential Sense And Seize Opportunity – Clay Buchholz (September 1, 2007) went into the game with Varitek not realizing his full capabilities.  Afterwards, Buchholz became a mainstay in the rotation.  Opportunity has a twin brother named preparation.  John Wooden once said “When opportunity presents itself, it’s too late to prepare.”
  4. Highly Successful Leaders Who Help Others Achieve Their Full Potential Give Their Team’s Confidence – Jon Lester (May 19, 2008) had been previously diagnosed with lymphoma and was having difficulty gripping the ball on that windy, cool day.  However, Varitek noted “his confidence kicked in around the sixth inning, and he became a different pitcher.”  Leaders make a conscious effort to install confidence in their team members.

Aggressiveness, Stability, Opportunity and Confidence.  Give those on your team these 4 things and you will likely help others achieve their full potential.

Preview of “999 Leadership Quotes-Cover-2.pdf”

To subscribe to this site and get my latest FREE eBook 999 Leadership Quotes On Leadership: Wise Words And Timeless Truths From The 2014 ARC, Passion, Orange, and Leadercast Conferences (and others) click here or on the image to the left.