There are plenty of books claiming to crack the secret to becoming a good leader. But Andy Johnson, owner of Try Kidz, says he has seen plenty of leaders emerge naturally within his youth sports organization. And it isn’t always the most charismatic kids or the most compelling communicators who end up taking charge, as some might have you believe.
Oftentimes, he says, it’s the kids who work the hardest, leading not through their words, but through example.
Johnson tells the story of a boy who began running with the club in third grade. He wasn’t the fastest or the most outgoing, but his discipline and desire to improve were evident.
“He was always at practice, he always did what any of us asked him to do, did the work, encouraged the other kids and was never negative,” Johnson recalls.
After two seasons, the then-fifth-grader had not only improved his athletic performance, but also gained more confidence. It wasn’t long before he found himself the ringleader and mentor for fourth- and third-graders who were just starting from the bottom, as he had.
“[His example] shows his peers what it takes to be better than what they were, and he becomes a leader without really thinking that that’s what he’s doing,” Johnson explains.
The ability to lead through example will be invaluable in the workplace, the coach adds. It spells the difference between a manager who seeks to persuade subordinates to meet their expectations, versus one who seeks to let their actions or passion encourage co-workers to join them in achieving a common goal.
“People see those things and they notice those things and they gravitate toward those kinds of people,” Johnson says.
Developing these kinds of leaders through sports works through three steps:
1: Bringing them face-to-face with the impossible.
Johnson is a big believer in jump-starting growth by setting goals that seem unobtainable. For him, that impossible ambition was the prospect of completing the grueling Ironman triathlon.
He has since completed the full Ironman twice and the half Ironman three times, revealing his own ability to achieve the unthinkable.
“Those kids have the same mentality of ‘I can’t do that,’ whether it’s a triathlon or a 1-mile cross-country race,” says Johnson. “They’ve never run farther than two minutes. But by the time that six-week season is over, they’re running a mile without stopping.”
2: Setting benchmarks for improvement.
One of the reasons why learning leadership might be more effective through outdoor activity than in a classroom is because outdoor activities often have clearer benchmarks to illustrate improvement, such as tracking the completion time and distance of a run.
To help drive home the correlation, Johnson says he and his team also talk to the young athletes about why they improved or, more importantly, why they didn’t.
“We tell them that if you continue to work – whether it’s running or when you’re in school – if you continue to put forth that effort and that work, then you will succeed,” he says.
3: Providing opportunities for them to pass it on.
After kids have cracked the secret to improvement, they are better equipped to encourage others to do the same when given the chance through teamwork.
“Then,” Johnson says, “as they get older, they’re able to help other people and handle those situations better, which in turn, I believe, makes them a little better on the leadership side because they’ve conditioned their mind a little bit better from a younger age.”