Team leadership
I attended my first Blue – White game this past weekend 4/16/2016. I have to say that I had a great time watching the game. Blue team dominated the white team but it was overall good to see the team as a whole on the field getting ready for the upcoming season. I purchased the gameday program and noticed a write up that Coach Franklin has selected his leadership council. In his selection of his leadership council, Coach has selected are 13 seniors, 6 juniors, 4 sophomores and 2 freshmen. Coach Franklin selections are expected to uphold the teams four core values which are positive attitudes, great work ethic, be competitive in everything and must be willing to sacrifice. Coach Franklin has set the standards for these players to lead.
Northouse discusses team effectiveness which can translate into eight standards. Those standards that he lists are clear, elevating goal, result- driven structure, competent team members, unified commitment, collaborative climate, standards of excellence, external support and recognition, and finally principled leadership. Northouse (2016)
These individuals have been tasked with team leadership. Coach Franklin has provided a clear elevating goal for these players. The leadership council needs to find the best structure for accomplishing these goals. They were selected in the first place to the leadership council because their coach views them as competent team members. This leadership council appears to have been carefully selected and designed as they are a mix of freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. According to Larson & Lafasto, (1989) as cited in Northouse (2016), these core players can build an atmosphere that fosters collaboration by developing trusting relationships based on honesty, openness, consistency, and respect. Once again Coach Franklin has set the standards of excellence for these players such as stating that these players have great work ethics. According to Northouse (2016), it is important for these standards to be set so that members can feel the pressure to perform at their highest levels.
These players are from the defensive and offensive side of the ball which makes them interdependent but they do share a common goal that has been set forth by their coach. To achieve their goals these players must all work collectively to achieve their goals. Northouse (2016) There is no one leader within this group of players so they should understand that their leadership status would be considered shared. Each member of this leadership council can take on leadership behaviors that can influence the team and to maximize team effectiveness. Northouse (2016) An example of this is sophomore running back Saquon Barkley taking lead among his group of running backs and giving them tips and knowledge that has helped him be successful in his own freshmen campaign. Wide receiver Chris Godwin has also had a successful season last year as a Junior. Under team leadership within football, Godwin can step up and provide leadership to the receivers group that has also helped him be successful in his sophomore campaign last year. Barkley and Godwin represents two separate positions but these positions as well as others are important to the team’s success as they will have to be interdependent to each other. In a game, a single block by Godwin on a defensive player can open a huge hole for Barkley to run through thus making the team on that particular play successful.
Overall, I hope that these group of young players step up and provide leadership when the situations warrants it. Northouse (2016) According to Northouse (2016), teams can be successful as long as the organizational culture supports the player’s involvement. Northouse (2016) And with their selection to the leaderships council by their head coach, they appear to have the support that is needed to get them on their way.
References:
Northouse, Peter G. (2015). Leadership: Theory and Practice, 7th Edition.
Franklin Names Leadership Council. (2016, April). Blue White 2016.