6 Rules in Leadership.

Leadership is hard. The responsibility of leading is a big demand and the current times make it more difficult. The pandemic has burdened everyone to say the least, and the wake of that has left all of us feeling a bit more anxious and looking for the instant answer to somehow make up the past two years overnight. Lately, there have been more horror stories of poor leadership than ever, whether that's from coaches, managers or bosses both in athletics or the workplace. So, I want to share 6 crucial rules for leadership that I've picked up along the way that I believe will help not only lead your team, but also help you all lean in during the tough times. These are from the many books and articles I've read, my experience as a teacher, coach and parent and observations of a few great leaders I've been lucky enough to be around:

1. Serve your program.

The first one is simple. Servanthood is a key to leadership. Your position as a leader does not place you above the program, nor make you exempt from mistakes or accountability. If you want your team to serve your program principles, then you need to live it everyday. Leaders of a team are required to serve the people in their care, the program and the culture, not dictate them. The best coach of all time, Bill Belichick, claims the winning ways of the Patriots dynasty come from service: "The team has to come first even though we all have individual goals and preferences." Serve your program. If it starts with the leaders, it will enhance work ethic, camaraderie, trust and will ultimately yield the desired results.

2. Leaders Eat Last.

"Leaders Eat Last" is the title of a book by Simon Sinek about his interpretation of the culture within the Marine Corps. The literal meaning comes from the senior Marines in the chow hall eating after all of the junior Marines everyday. The metaphor is this - Great leaders sacrifice for their people, and eating last in the chow hall mirrors their decisions on the battlefield. The needs of th