Athletes & Leadership In the Followers Eye
By Daniel Soboski
Growing up I owned athletic jerseys from different athletes in various sports. I held these athletes to a higher standard then others in my life. There role model influence showed me that with hard work, and overcoming obstacles, elite accomplishments are obtainable. These leaders/role models were leaders by example. As a kid it didn’t take much to become inspired. The simple act of signing a baseball before a game was enough inspiration in hopes of being like that person someday. When a baseball player signs a ball, they are acting as transformational leaders; “supporting the greater good rather than their own self-interests in hopes there followers reciprocate the same generosity to others” (Northhouse, 2016, p.167). Because inspiration as a child was attached to small acts of kindness, recognizing these actions is a step toward transformational leadership development at an early age.
Olympic athletes are great examples of transformational leaders as well. These athletes project many behaviors that not only impact follower’s goals, but also motivate them to become passionate members of society. Two highly decorated athletes come to mind when I think about Olympians who have had a positive impact on society: these athletes are Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt. These Olympians have proven that the actions needed to be the best at a given task require qualities such as self-discipline, a sense of purpose, compassion, perseverance, and dedication. “Transformational leadership motivates followers to do more than the expected. Transformational leaders show followers the importance of idealized goals and get followers to go beyond their own self-interest for the sake of the organization (PSU, 2018); the organization being America and all inspired followers. Because these Olympians are proven leaders, their role model status has a positive impact on many young followers throughout the world.
“Michael Phelps set 39 world records, and as of December 2016, he still holds 7 of them. He also has 28 medals to his name, 23 of them Gold, Phelps is the most decorated Olympian in history” (Liza, 2017). These decorations prove to the world that with self-discipline anything can be accomplished. “Self-discipline gives leaders focus and determination” (Northhouse, 2016, p.199). The discipline that it takes to become a world record holder as well as a gold medal holder multiple times sends an unmistakable picture to the world supporting his success.
“Usain Bolt obtained nine gold medals at three consecutive Olympics” (Usain Bolt Biography, p.1). When you are this fast, people think it is too good to be true. Bolt surpassed many barriers on his way to success. His barriers consisted on doping accusations and injuries. “Successful people have an ability to take a positive view that allows them to learn from setbacks and draw motivation from them” (Weeks, 2009, p.7). This amazingly gifted sprinter from Jamaica was not only consistent with his drive toward success, but his motivational focus finished the race.
Being a model of leadership in today’s society comes with much power. Having the potential to influence an enormous amount of people with a single action or word can be very overwhelming. These athletes have been through trials and tribulations with-in them selves and the spotlight since the inception of sports. In the end their hard work, self-discipline, sense of purpose, compassion, perseverance, and dedication placed them under an elite category that many wish to emulate.
Resources
Liza. (2017, February 08). Michael Phelps – Leadership Profile. Retrieved from http://www.leadershipgeeks.com/michael-phelps-leadership/
Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice.(7thed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications, Inc
Pennsylvania State University. (2018). Lesson 10: Transformational Leadership: PSYCH485: Leadership in work settings. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1942231/modules/items/25010880 Pennsylvania State
Usain Bolt Biography. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.biographyonline.net/sport/athletics/usain-bolt.html
Weeks, J. (2009, September 10). Leadership Lessons From Usain Bolt. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/2009/09/10/usain-bolt-training-leadership-managing-discipline.html#31cb438b3e1b
Paulo Rego says
Hi Daniel,
I enjoyed reading your blog post. I can see how these famous athletes and olympians can be a positive influence and a motivator to become someone like them in the future through the transformational leadership perspective. I too was influenced in my youth by Michael Jordan, I remember trying hard to copy his moves and play as he did, but I am not as gifted as he was in basketball, plus when he quit playing basketball to play baseball it was a big disappointment and I just stopped watching basketball. More disappointing was how far he was from being as good as he was in basketball to than coming back to NBA and just quit again because of age.
Nevertheless he was a good influence and always will bring good memories from those times.
You spoke about Usain Bolt and his many barriers on his ways to success like doping accusations and injuries. Michael Phelps suffers from depression and as everybody knows he was in a controversy for smoking weed and doping. What I am trying to say is that these type of athletes/role models have power and influence over followers.
“Power is the capacity to produce effect on others (House, 1984), or the potential to influence others (Bass, 1990).” (Psych 485, 2018, Power and Influence).
“Influence is the change in targets agent’s attitudes, values, beliefs, or behaviors as a result of influence tactics.” (Psych 485, 2018, Power and Influence).
These athletes since they have the power to influence they have to understand that adolescents and young adults will want to copy their success as a positive influence and power. As role models they need to understand that their example is a significant example and as such drugs, alcohol, stravagant luxury and their moral standards can be a negative influence and can produce negative effects on others. Contemporary athletes are of greater influence and power over their followers because of social media. This generation has their attitudes and behaviors cloned by these so called role model personalities.
Michael Phelps is giving a great example, recognizing that everyone goes to hardships and is speaking openly about his struggles with depression and how the therapy has helped him, encouraging others to do the same. That’s what a role model should do, use his power to positively influence others.
Pennsylvania State University. (2018). Lesson 7: Power and Influence: PSYCH485: Leadership in work settings.
Cynthia A Wynn says
Daniel,
It is apparent that the athletes of your childhood were important to you and, by extension, you believe to today’s youngsters as well. The resources you cited help the audience to better connect with the athletes who inspired you, however I felt that what was lacking was information about how actual people were transformed by these individuals. To what extent are your assertions that “Olympians are proven leaders ..[and that] their role model status [have] a positive impact on many young followers” (Soboski, Nov 4, 2018) your own opinions, rather than fact? If you were positively influenced by them, no evidence of such impact (beyond your own admiration) is provided. Journalists and news channels routinely publish inspirational stories about community members, or even semi-notable individuals, who were so inspired by athletes. Including that information in this blog would help readers to make sense of how athletes are leaders.
Around the idea of strengthening your blog via connecting ideas to reference materials, I considered your assertion that athletes participate in signing events for some “greater good rather than their own self-interests” (Soboski, Nov 4, 2018). I respectfully disagree. While some athletes have started nonprofits to give back scholarship dollars or mentor young people, I do believe in the specific instance of signing events, those are either written into players’ contracts and/or players benefit monetarily from the event. The point you are making is a valid one, however, weaving in additional evidence is necessary.
Transformational leaders are “attentive to the needs and motives of followers and tries to help [them] reach their fullest potential” (Northouse, p. 162), interestingly I think this description applies more to the coach than to the athlete. Coaches are influential, strategic and visionary, which are adjectives that Northouse applied to transformational leaders (pp. 161-162).
As an alternate to the theory you suggest, I believe the Trait Approach may be applicable to athletes as it posits that “people [are] born with these traits, and that only the ‘great’ people possessed them” ( Northouse, p. 19). Athletes differ from those who do not make it in the following areas “drive, desire to lead [in their discipline], [projected] self-confidence, cognitive ability, knowledge of the [sport of their choice]” (PSU, Module 2) again adjectives connected to the Trait Approach.
Thanks for an interesting post!
Cindy Wynn
References:
D. Soboski. (2018, November 4) Athletes & Leadership in the Followers Eyes. Retrieved from: http://sites.psu.edu/leadership/2018/11/04/athletes-leadership-in-the-followers-eyes/
Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice.(7thed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications, Inc
Pennsylvania State University. (2018). Lesson 2: Trait Approach : PSYCH485: Leadership in work settings. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1942231/modules/items/25010752