Few things are as satisfying as when you select someone for a leadership position and then they not only succeed, but thrive in the role. When this happens, not only does it relieve stress but your organization has sustainability in that area of responsibility and is something you can build around.
Four People Competing For One Leadership Position
Houston Texans rookie quarterback CJ Stroud is tearing up the NFL right now so I think it is a good time to revisit how he earned his starting position while at Ohio State.
The competition for the starting quarterback job during the summer of 2021 was stiff. The Ohio State quarterback room featured highly recruited Jack Miller, 5-star recruit Kyle McCord, and 5-star recruit Stroud. If competition was not strong enough already, Quinn Ewers, the #1 ranked player in the 2022 recruiting class reclassified and was now on campus as well.
But Stroud beat them all out.
So how did he do it and what can we learn which will make us a more attractive candidate for future leadership roles?
In this article from The Athletic, we learn eight things you must do to be picked for leadership positions over others from CJ Stroud:
Recognize the Opportunity
When making the announcement of the starting quarterback to the media, head coach Ryan Day pointed out, “It’s not an accomplishment. It’s an opportunity.” In other words, Stroud being named quarterback was not a coronation. There was work to do and if he was unsuccessful, quality options were still available.
When you are selected for a leadership position, be proud. It is quite an accomplishment but it comes with quite a responsibility as well. The selection is only an opportunity for you to serve others with excellence by doing the following:
Make Good Decisions
Your ability to have sound judgement, particularly in stressful situations will set you apart as someone worthy to be chosen for a leadership position. Coach Day continued, “He separated himself with his decision-making, his leadership skills, his accuracy.”
Accuracy for a quarterback is an important trait. It allows you to eliminate unnecessary mistakes. As a potential leader, you want to avoid unnecessary mistakes as well.
Correct Mistakes
No one expects a leader to be perfect but people do expect their leader to correct and learn from those mistakes. Stroud was not perfect that summer but quickly bounced back from mistakes. This was probably due to the next point.
Be Prepared
Leaders either prepare or repair. When Stroud was in high school, he would often show up to Monday game planning meetings more prepared than the staff. This habit of watching more film than his coaches carried over to college.
Preparation is a sign of ownership and care. It shows things matter to you and are important.
Develop a Plan
Prospective leaders are intentional. Things are done by design, not default. There is not a randomness to their actions.
Coach Day said, “He has a reason for what he does. When the ball goes somewhere and maybe it shouldn’t, he’s got a reason why. Those are all good things. When you come back after the play and you don’t have a reason why you went there, that’s not good. If you have a good reason why and a good thought process, we can build on that. And he does.”
Anticipate Problems
The ability to see around corners is a trait many experienced leaders do not possess. But the ability to anticipate problems and proactively create solutions is a force multiplier when looking for new leaders. It shows intelligence and a high level of intuition. Stroud was, and still is, proficient in this area.
Coach Day remarked, “That’s a trait of a quarterback that we look at, anticipation. Strong-armed guys who just have to wait for people to get open typically don’t last that long. He has a strong arm, and he has accuracy, but he has anticipation and touch as well. Those are really good traits to have.”
Create Value For Others
Leadership is always met with resistance. Things go wrong. Can the leader still keep adding value during the midst of the most trying circumstances?
Coach Day observed, “I think he’s kind of surprised everybody with his athleticism. He moves well in and out of the pocket. He can pull the ball and run. He can extend plays.”
For a quarterback like Stroud, this means when a play breaks down, can he still create positive opportunities and value for his teammates.
Continual Improvement
Leadership is as much about projection as it is selection. Are you getting better each day? If you stay the course you are on, are people excited about your future? Are you someone worth investing in?
This was an unmistakable quality for Stroud. Coach Day concluded, “I’ve been proud of the way he’s come to work and really hasn’t said a whole bunch about this whole competition. He just kept his eye on getting better every day, and because of that he’s our starter.”
Something else we learned is smart leaders like Stroud do not focus on others from a competitive standpoint. It did not matter what the other three quarterbacks were doing in camp. His focus was getting better each day and becoming the best version of himself. The results would take care of itself. The same is true for you.
Conclusion
Do you want to be considered for a leadership position? I’m sure you do which is why you are reading this article.
Therefore, recognize the opportunity you are given and make good decisions, correct mistakes, be prepared, develop a plan, anticipate problems, create value for others, and continually improve.
If this describes you, you are likely an attractive leadership candidate.
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