Organizations and its leaders are constantly on the look out for new leaders. This is because a healthy leadership pipeline is critical to sustained success. But what are the qualities you should be looking for to help lead your team into the future?
The NAIA Executive of the Year
Recently, Life University’s athletic director Jayme Pendergast was interviewed during the Lunch With A Leader event in Kennesaw, GA. Hosted by NorthStar Church and its pastor Mike Linch, Lunch With A Leader is monthly gathering of over 200 of the community’s government, educational, business, and non-profit leaders. During their time together she shed some light on this important question.
If you are not familiar with Jayme, you should be. Jayme was recently named by Women Leaders in Sports the NAIA Executive of the Year. The school’s website notes, “Under Jayme’s leadership, Life University’s athletic success has soared. Over the past two years alone, student-athletes earned 20 individual national championships, six team national championships, and 116 All-American honors. Eight different teams have earned a final NAIA national ranking inside the top 10, leading to Life U’s highest ever finish (seventh) in the 2023 LEARFIELD Director’s Cup. In addition to its NAIA success, Life University sits atop the USA Rugby collegiate side. In 2023 Life U captured the men’s and women’s Premier 7s Rugby National Championship.”
The following is a clip from the interview in which she discusses what she looks for in a potential head coach.
3 Things To Look For In A Potential Leader For Your Organization
From Jayme’s words, we learn three things to look for in a potential leader for your organization:
They Have To Be A Great CEO
Jayme said, “(At the small college level) you don’t have depth on your bench. They have to be just as good at reconciling their credit card as they are X’s and O’s.”
A CEO is the chief architect of an organization’s vision, culture, and execution. They are the ultimate leader responsible for setting the direction, making high-quality decisions, and ensuring the right people are in the right seats to drive success. A great CEO is a servant leader who builds trust, communicates a compelling mission, and creates an environment where people can thrive and maximize their potential. They balance strategy and execution, inspire confidence, and cultivate a high-performance culture built on character, competence, and communication. Ultimately, a CEO’s legacy is defined not just by results, but by the leaders they develop and the impact they leave behind.
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Alignment
Alignment is often considered everyone being on the same page. But to Jayme it means more than that. She noted, “What would make you successful at Life University isn’t what would make you successful necessarily at the school next door… Understanding what our vision is, what our value behaviors are, and making sure they are aligned with that.”
Just to expand on this thought, I want to explain the difference between alignment and atunement, because as a leader you want both.
- Alignment is everyone being on the same page. For instance, “Our goal is to win a championship.”
- Attunement is everyone being on the same page about how to make that happen. Attunement eliminates personal and competing agendas.
Recruiting
Jayme concluded, “They have to be a good recruiter. That’s your lifeline but a lot of that comes in (as) how authentic are you, how charismatic are you, what’s your reputation, but you have to be able to recruit to live I think at most levels, but especially ours.”
Bottom line – if you can’t build a team, you can’t work for Jayme.
Conclusion
A great leader must be more than just a figurehead—they must be a hands-on individual who embodies alignment, attunement, and the ability to recruit and develop top talent. As Jayme emphasized, leadership at the highest level requires the ability to cultivate an environment where excellence becomes the standard and leadership multiplies at every level.
Find this person and you have found your next leader.
The Perfect Gift and Resource for Leaders (Kindle editions available for immediate download)
Some leaders are easily forgotten, others leave a lasting legacy. Some leaders do things by default, others by design. Some leaders want silver bullets, others build systems. The Games Leaders Play is a powerful resource which gives you the tools and resources needed to succeed in today’s world. Containing numerous stories and anecdotes, I will teach you the leadership principles needed to make a positive difference in the lives of others. You will be inspired and better equipped to lead others as you turn each page. A discussion guide is included so you can go through this book with your team. Whether you lead a church, athletic organization, business, or non-profit, The Games Leaders Play is the resource you have been looking for. Some leaders keep doing the same, others are playing a different game. It’s time to go to the next level!
