Have you ever coached an athletic team? If you have, you know that having momentum is an incredible thing. Your players are full of confidence and have a cohesiveness with each other that looks more like spidey sense. The best thing about momentum is it feels like whatever you do works well. But, my father, a high school administrator and coach of more than 40 years, often says, "old man mo' is a fickle friend." Momentum in the midst of the crucible of competitive sports is a mythical experience. However, in most every other leadership endeavor, creating momentum can be a far more realistic, even expected, outcome. Here are 5 ways leaders can be momentum makers for their groups.
A momentum maker SMILES. Did you know that people subconsciously reciprocate the facial expressions they see? Did you also know that I have never seen a miserable group with momentum? If a leader wants to create momentum the first place they can start is turning their frown upside down. Old man mo' doesn't hang around with grumpy people for very long.
A momentum maker is the FIRST. The first to do what? Anything, really. Initiation of smiles, handshakes, events, initiatives, programs, and reviews matter. Why? Because initiation most often comes from believing that good things can and will happen. Old man mo' seems to likes belief that initiates.
A momentum maker is a FUTURE-CASTER. A leader who wants their people to be energetic today should be talking about how great tomorrow will be. Leaders should not be shy about sharing their dreams, vision, ideals, and goals for the group. It is incredible to me how teams will turn a specific future into reality if the specific future is talked about often. Old man mo' seems to listen to future-casting too.
A momentum maker is an ACTION TAKER. My dear friend and accomplished football coach, Keith Allen, often says, 'winning is reserved for those that take action.' John Maxwell famously quipped, 'no one ever wants to follow me when I am sitting on my butt in the sand.' Do you want to win? Do you want old man mo' to spend some time with you group? Keep taking action.
A momentum maker is RELENTLESSLY CONSISTENT. Jim Collins, in his book Good to Great, described LEVEL 5 LEADERS as those that were 'fanatics of consistent action.' Gladwell, Coyle, Hardy, and Dweck are just a few of the best-selling authors who have identified relentless consistency in high of performers across a variety industries. Excellence is just doing a good thing over and over again. It is my experience that old man mo' likes relentless consistency, but seems to really like it when leaders apply it to two specific areas: 1) mission messaging 2) treating people well
Leader - old man mo' is indeed a fickle friend, but he can be enticed to visit and stay around your groups. Implement these five behaviors and I'm willing to bet you'll get to know old man mo' on a first name basis. Lead on, friends!
Bite Down and Don’t Let Go’ is a collection of writings on relentlessly leading yourself and others well. Read about it more here.
Dr. Chris Hobbs is an educational leader with more than two decades of experience. He’s earned a few degrees and won some awards. He’s happily married to his high school sweetheart and they have three children. Life is messy and complicated most of the time. You can follow him on Twitter for all sorts of inspirational thoughts and good laughs.
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