Why Sports Builds Leadership

Posted on April 20, 2013 by Michael Ray Hopkin

Guest post by Jordan Spindler

Leadership is a personal trait that often proves elusive to many people, however is intimately related to personal success. Leaders are at the forefront of their fields; they are respected and quite often wealthy. Leaders also foster social change, and most of our cultural, social and economic progress is the result of leadership.

It’s no surprise that many people would like to acquire this trait and would like to see their children develop strong leadership skills. While leadership remains easy to define and identify, a consistent summation of characteristics that make an effective leader remains elusive. So, too, does the way to impart leadership to an eager young mind.

There are many institutions that propose to teach leadership in different areas, with varying success rates. There are even people who speculate that leadership is an innate trait, and therefore can’t be learned. However, there seems to be something of a consensus regarding the relationship between sports and leadership, at least as acknowledged by governments and industry.

Not just any sport will do, however. Team participation is often cited as an important aspect in using sports to develop leadership skills. In fact, team participation is often more important than the physical component, as a search through the biographies of the captains of industry will show: few of them were High-School Quarterback. They all were on some team, however.

Sports are highly competitive, and their nature is to push enthusiastic participants to achieve more than their rivals. In fact, the basis of competitive sports is rivalry, and it is in this competitive atmosphere of team sports that pushes people towards “taking one for the team”, and fostering team spirit. It is within the cohesion of a team that a captain will stand out and acquire the position of leader.

This doesn’t mean that people who participate in relatively individual activities such as jogging or weight lifting can’t use their chosen sport to improve their leadership skills. For example, one of the benefits of indoor cycling is that you can communicate with fellow spinners while working out, and help build a team. Organizing teams will help motivate the members to get more out of their routine as well as provide leadership opportunities for the team.

Competition is one of the bases that produces leadership, which is why the University of California hosts Leadership Competitions along with other institutions that foster leadership, such as the Rotary Clubs. Competition is a motivating factor in human psychology, and one of the traits of leadership is the ability to motivate people to challenge themselves and meet goals.

Competitive team sports creates and environment where people have to work together in order to achieve their goals. Team spirit and the ability to work with others is an essential part of being a leader. An often overlooked part of leadership is the ability to work within a team, which also means listening to other people and understanding different points of view. Someone who can’t play for the team cannot hope to lead it.

The teams and competition of sports are an analogy of the teams of coworkers and competing businesses that leaders must face in the world. The skills learned in each are valuable in the other. If you’re looking to build your own leadership skills or those of your children, consider taking on an exciting and challenging sport today.

Jordan Spindler is a freelance writer and avid fitness enthusiast. His health and fitness articles have been published in a number of national news publications, including the Houston Chronicle and the San Francisco Chronicle. He is a graduate of the University of California Riverside, and although his degree is in English, his passions are fitness and self-improvement.

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The Product Management Perspective: The teamwork aspect of sports fits nicely with product management because product managers are usually very competitive. Use that competitive drive to not only become a great team player, but also the team leader.

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Essential Leadership Traits

Posted on December 15, 2012 by Michael Ray Hopkin

Essential Leadership Traits in the Successful Small Business Owner — Guest post by Linda Forshaw

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” – John Maxwell

In the course of an ordinary working day, a small business owner might wear many hats, but rarely is there one as important as that of leader. All businesses, no matter their size, require a strong leader at the helm. The temptation of the small business owner may be to get “stuck in” and adopt a role as a pseudo employee. While there is merit attached to not being afraid to get your hands dirty, in essence to lead by example, the smart small business owner will place a greater emphasis on a wider leadership strategy.

Communication must be crystal clear
Having a clear vision is essential, but communicating that vision is an absolute must. Providing employees with a roadmap of where you want to be helps everyone to stay on the same page; to keep track of the bigger picture and work consistently toward achieving it. A lack of clarity filtered down from above will only ever lead to missed opportunities and ultimately spell trouble for the small business owner.

Strong relationships have a very long reach
Solid relationships lie at the very core of the operations of any successful small business. To listen to others is a vital skill, but it is also imperative to understand and to acknowledge what others are saying. People are the greatest resource in any business, so engaging in a meaningful dialog with employees, customers, and other persons of importance is a fundamental part of building relationships in the vein of strong leadership.

The best kind of culture comes from above
Most people will understand the destructive nature that can result from a culture that focuses almost exclusively on backstabbing and blame. The strong small business owner will set an example of trust and cooperation. The best place for a positive company culture to come from is from the top down. Passion, compassion, energy, and motivation – they are all an essential part of a solution-centric attitude that is best served from above.

Give them room to grow and you will prosper
As the old adage goes, “Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.” To put it into a more modern context, the most successful of small business owners inherently understand the potential value of contributions that are made by others. The only way to benefit from such contributions is to allow them to happen in the first place. You never really know where the next great idea will come from, and if it comes from one of your employees, you want to be the one to hear about it first.

How will you lead today?

Linda Forshaw is a Business Information Systems graduate from Lancaster University in the UK. The leading contributor to DegreeJungle, she is a full time writer and blogger specializing in education, social media, and entrepreneurship. Contact her on Twitter @seelindaplay

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The Product Management Perspective: Successful product managers build strong relationships with people, both inside and outside the company; clear communication is key. PMs, like small business owners, need to listen to others, and work with them to release successful products.

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Leadership and Teamwork

Posted on October 27, 2012 by Michael Ray Hopkin

Sports metaphors are everywhere in the workplace, but there’s no denying that the leadership and teamwork skills found in the sports setting teach important lessons. One approach to coaching that is rapidly gaining popularity is what is known as the Double-Goal Coaching Philosophy: emphasis is placed not only on winning, but also on team members’ learning and self-improvement.

In the world of business management, the game is played for keeps, but not all employees respond exclusively to a win-lose attitude. Follow these tips to promote a successful workplace that motivates team members and ultimately drives up productivity and profits.

Find out what motivates individuals

Monetary rewards are de rigeur in many competitive companies, but sometimes a bonus isn’t what motivates individuals. Perhaps it’s a little more time off, more responsibility, more rewarding work, or the chance to work collaboratively on a new project. You won’t know until you ask.

If you have a team, it’s important that they are able to work together – try some team building exercises such as lunches and other fun activities to ensure that there is a level of trust and respect between the various members of your team.

Avoid micromanaging

Nothing discourages initiative and strategic thinking like a hovering, critical manager. A middle ground can be maintained between complete freedom and micromanagement, but each employee requires a different balance. Getting to know your employees and the way that they work is essential. One useful exercise can be to do a Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) exercise with your team – this will allow you to identify strengths, weaknesses and different approaches to working life which will help you manage effectively.

Reward personal improvement

Do you want better employees? The best option is to encourage the ones you have. Not only does this approach build stronger workplace relationships, but it also gives employees a bigger stake in their own work, increasing levels of motivation. You could consider introducing ‘employee of the month’ systems or simply giving additional holiday time for overtime worked.

The Double-Goal Coaching Philosophy’s emphasis on being a leader that encourages personal development will not only build morale and motivation among your team, but benefit your bottom line, too.

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The Product Management Perspective: As a product manager you have a major influence on all those responsible for creating, marketing and selling your products. While you do not manage those individuals, you can have a major effect on their productivity and success. By implementing these principles, you will find your work to be much more enjoyable and the outcome much more attractive.

Full disclosure: The ideas for this post were influenced by duedil.com.

Filed under: Leadership, Product Management / Marketing | Tagged: , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Book Review: The Fearless Mind

Posted on October 13, 2012 by Michael Ray Hopkin

“When we learn how to cultivate a fearless mind, we can achieve whatever we set out to accomplish.” According to Dr. Craig Manning, author of The Fearless Mind: 5 Essential Steps to Higher Performance, a ‘fearless mind’ is achieved when we have cleansed ourselves of the barriers that prevent us from reaching our greatest potential. We do this by learning to accept what we have control over (and what we do not). When we understand this we are able to channel our energy into mastering those aspects that we have direct responsibility for, and not wasting energy (emotional, mental, or physical) on those things that are outside our control.

Dr. Manning played tennis throughout his youth, in college (on scholarship) and as a professional. However, through an interesting series of events – which he describes in the book – he discovered his true passion was helping others become masters of their sport. He’s helped athletes in tennis, skiing and track and field become champions. In the book he uses stories from sports to help people in any profession achieve much higher levels of performance.

The Fearless Mind helps you master those aspects of your life that you can control. Dr. Manning takes you through five steps to help you achieve higher performance:

Step 1 – Motivation: The will to keep trying, and the will to win are critical to success. Motivation is fixed in behavior, and behavior is rooted in one of two forms: task or ego. Task-oriented behavior is focused on performance, here and now. Ego-oriented individuals focus on how outcomes affect their self-worth. Motivation is guided by one of these two outcomes. Task-oriented behavior is the key to becoming a master.

Step 2 – Anxiety: Anxiety is “a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.” When we don’t feel like we have control, anxiety increases significantly. Is anxiety bad? Not if we learn how to channel it positively. It can provide us with the energy to get things done much more quickly and efficiently.

Step 3 – Concentration: Concentration is referred to as “attention control” or the discipline to focus on what is relevant, and ignore everything that is irrelevant. Concentration is absolutely critical to becoming a championship athlete or master of whatever you endeavor to achieve.

Step 4 – Confidence: Confidence is a feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something. Self-confidence is a feeling of trust in one’s abilities, qualities and judgment. Many people confuse self-confidence with arrogance – they are very different behaviors. You cannot have too much self-confidence; store up as much as you can to help you in the difficult moments.

Step 5 – Decision Making: “No individual is destined for greatness. We achieve high performance only through hard work…and a fearless mind.” Making correct decisions is important at every stage of development, whether you’re an athlete or a CEO. Becoming disciplined at task-oriented behavior will instill within us the ability to make correct decisions at every point along the way. Disciplined decision makers become masters.

These principles will set you on the course to success. I highly recommend this book to help you gain mastery over your life. Dr. Manning’s five steps will help you focus on what you need to change to become a master. Don’t hesitate, get a copy of the book and begin developing a fearless mind.

Full disclosure: I know Dr. Manning and consider him a dear friend. His teachings and influence are making a considerable impact on my son’s efforts to become a championship ballroom dancer.

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The Product Management Perspective: Product managers deal with a myriad of tasks and distractions every day, and the sheer volume often seems overwhelming. Can you become a ‘master’ product manager? Yes, you can if you focus on the right things. The “right things” will differ from one product (or company) to another; the key is having a fearless mind and being a fearless leader. The five steps in The Fearless Mind will help you master the role of product manager. As a side note, I highly recommend Dr. Manning’s podcast on Live on Purpose Radio.

Filed under: Innovation, Learning, Purpose, Trust | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Defining Your Leadership Role

Posted on September 29, 2012 by Michael Ray Hopkin

Guest post by Kyle O’Brien


Leadership and motivation are practically synonymous in certain sectors. If one’s not holding their end of the bargain, the other side may suffer. A disconnect of communication, more or less. As a leader, you need to direct in a confident manner and push yourself and the business model with every bump in the road that may come your way.

A leader must always be on point with their influence onto others and also be willing to adapt accordingly if things are veering off in another direction. As technology seemingly changes with every passing day, so too must one’s willingness to react and lead for the better.


Speaking in a business sense, leadership can be defined in a number of ways. Whether you’re revered or reviled is up to you.

You Can Be Authoritative And Fair-Minded

In some circles, people may view descriptors like “authoritative” and “balanced” as needing to be placed in separate corners. Being fair and balanced in one’s decision-making shouldn’t be labeled as being weak or that you’re somehow catering to the masses and will eventually be taken advantage of down the road. The same notion that being authoritativeputs you out as unfair and disconnected from the company culture is hogwash as well.

Once more, saying the two mentalities cannot coexist with one another is false. Leaders are those who have the courage to be authoritative when the time calls for it, but at the same time leadership is reflective of having an open mind to any and all business decisions, whether crucial or inconsequential.

Take Employee Motivation To Heart

Motivating your employees isn’t a one-shot mindset in just assuming they’re going to be motivated for the sake of it. There are numerous studies out there, speaking just to attention spans alone, that indicate otherwise. You need a plan in place that allows for employee feedback on how and why their productivity is constrained. Maybe it’s the office environment and how their cubicle makes them feel disconnected from their fellow employees? Or it could be a lack of trust within their department and how they feel their opinions have no bearing with a project?

Leadership is about listening and reacting. It’s about constructive criticism within the ranks and determining which issues and concerns may be more problematic than others and dealing with those in a timely manner. The sooner you accommodate, or at least entertain, employee views of their standing within the workplace, the more likely you’ll end up cultivating a company culture almost everyone can appreciate.

Admitting Mistakes And Faults

One of the biggest character statements to be made is when you’re able to admit fault and fix the issue. Every business has had flaws at one time or another. It could be poor training habits for new hires, not tracking how and when projects are carried out, not dealing with post-mortem project proceedings such as following up with customer reviews, concerns and so forth, or maybe it’s not realizing you’ve created a “boiler room” effect with your company where employees feel the need to walk on eggshells at all times. The latter may subsequently label your business as a high turnover destination, which even if it results in moderate profits, can hold back long-term scalability to try creative outlets for products or other extensions.

Again, admitting your mistakes isn’t a weakness. It’s a leadership attribute that sends a clear message to your staff that changes need to be made. And if there’s ever a time to put aside hubris, it’s for the well-being of your company vision.

Hiring And Promoting Positive Thinkers

I’ve never liked pessimism. It’s one of the cheapest cop-outs to practically any decision. Saying, “It’s too hard”, “We’re gonna fail come deadline time”, “What’s the point in hearing that person out?” and [fill in the blank]. Pessimism is a virus to any co-worker within earshot because the more negative feedback gets passed around, the easier it is for others to pick and prod the same notions.

Not that everyone will fall prey to it. Strong minds can think past the fog.

It’s clear pessimism should be misdirected elsewhere. And as a leader, you must first instill optimism in yourself and your company beliefs. To see that through, it should be a no-brainer to build up departments with employees and managers who carry positive thoughts and proactive actions day in and day out. And that doesn’t imply that you need a whole army of “yes men/women” alongside. You want free thinkers who aren’t afraid to give input and are not shy from taking criticism on a project. As long as it’s done in a respective and constructive manner, the bond forged as a result is something money can’t buy.

I’m sure there are plenty other characteristics that help define leadership. How do you define yourself as a leader? What drives you to never rest on your laurels?

Kyle O’Brien is a freelance writer covering many facets of the business industry, from basic employee motivation tips to understanding company structure and how to improve it. He has consulted for ej4, a performance improvement company focused on creating unique e-learning videos for businesses in the form of off the shelf training, project management, various business book summariesand much more.

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The Product Management Perspective: The common thread that runs through Lead on Purpose is leading regardless of your role in the organization. As a product manager you are a key leader in the organization (or at least you should be). You set the direction for your product(s) – the key assets that drive revenue. Take stock in principles discussed above and use them as motivation to improve your leadership influence in your organization.

Filed under: Leadership | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

Leadership traits

Posted on March 17, 2012 by Michael Ray Hopkin

Who are the leaders you look up to? What are their traits? How do they do business? Who are their role models? What are their goals, priorities and key motivations? What do they do that makes you believe in them and want to follow them?

The following infographic profiles the leadership traits of three unquestionably successful CEOs. You may or may not like them, what they stand for or their styles of doing business, but their success merits a close look at their leadership traits:

(Infographic provided by Phoenix Training and Development)

Lead On Purpose does not specifically endorse any of the CEOs profiled above

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The Product Management Perspective: Many of the CEOs in business today spent time in the ranks of product management. It’s a great learning ground for becoming an executive. Who are the CEOs you most value? Which of their traits are you trying to pattern your work after? I’d love to get your feedback; please leave a comment.

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Book Review: The 1% Solution

Posted on April 4, 2011 by Michael Ray Hopkin
“The average difference between the gold medal winner and fourth place is just 1 percent.” In any type of competition the margin of victory is slim, and it can seem overwhelming to even try to compete. The key premise in The 1% Solution: How to Make Your Next 30 Days the Best Ever is that while not everyone can be great, everyone can be better than they are right now. While you may never be 100% better than all the others, you can be 1% better at hundreds of things. 

Motivation is a key principle discussed in the book. Motivation leads to action, which leads to more motivation. The more you get done, the more motivated you are to do things. So you do more things, and you get even more motivated. The best way to increase motivation is to increase action.

Author Tom Connellan uses the “business fable” style for The 1% Solution, interlacing actionable ideas with a fictional plot. The main character is Ken, a soccer dad who goes on a journey to find out how to improve his execution and increase his success. He learns about key success factors such as the following:

  • The difference between exceptional and EXCEPTIONALLY exceptional = 1%.
  • You can’t be 100% better than everyone else, but you can be 1% better at hundreds of things.
  • You may not win all the time, but you can have a winner’s heart if you do something better today than you did it yesterday.
  • Not everyone can be great, but everyone can be better than they are right now.
  • Aim to be swifter, higher, stronger — not swiftest, highest, strongest.

You have to start from where you are. Doing your best in the present must be the rule. Everyone who spends time in deliberate practice improves his or her performance. Focus on how great it will be when you succeed, rather than on what will happen if you fail. An finally, take time to “recharge your batteries.” Get at least eight hours of sleep each night and take regular vacations.

While the story line is good, there are a few parts that are a bit banal and hard to follow. However, the principles taught throughout the story are excellent, and Connellan brings them out with sidebars and figures that convey the ideas powerfully. If you feel stuck in your current situation and are looking for a shot in the arm, I highly recommend The 1% Solution.

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The Product Management Perspective: The rigor required in product management can lead to stress and frustration. We all have days where it feels like we just can’t quite get over the top and feel like we’re succeeding. The principles taught in The 1% Solution apply nicely to PM and if applied will make a significant difference in your motivation and outlook on the future.

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Where to start

Posted on June 12, 2009 by Michael Ray Hopkin

The following quote by Dee Hock, founder and CEO emeritus at Visa, is spot-on for anyone seeking to become a great leader:

Control is not leadership; management is not leadership; leadership is leadership. If you seek to lead, invest at least 50% of your time in leading yourself—your own purpose, ethics, principles, motivation, conduct. Invest at least 20% leading those with authority over you and 15% leading your peers.

When it comes to your career and your ability to become a great leader, the word ‘invest’ is perceptive. Invest in yourself; after all, you –your skills, talent, abilities, etc. — are the most valuable asset you own. Start with yourself.

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The Product Management Perspective: Dee Hock’s quote nicely defines the product management perspective. Find ways to invest in yourself; everyone around you will benefit.

Filed under: Leadership, Purpose | Tagged: , , , , | 2 Comments »

The LOVE of leadership: Value

Posted on March 2, 2009 by Michael Ray Hopkin

As discussed in a previous post, the practice of love in the context of leadership is both powerful and necessary. Steve Farber describes this clearly in his audio book Extreme Leadership: In Pursuit of the OS!M. What does it mean to love the people you lead? My definition for the acronym LOVE embodies the actions necessary to cultivate positive behaviors that lead to successful results:

  • L – Listen
  • O – Observe
  • V – Value
  • E – Experience

The word ‘value’ has many meanings and is often used as a noun, suggesting worth, importance or significance. In the context of the love of leadership, however, ‘value’ is a verb, meaning the act of appreciating, respecting or esteeming others. It connotes a desire to understand others and give regard to the qualities they possess, while at the same time having patience with their shortcomings.

think-big-act-smallIn the context of leadership, you need to show appreciation for the people you serve. Attaching importance to their positive traits and actions becomes a powerful motivation for progress. The book Think Big, Act Small by Jason Jennings provides great insight into specific actions that help companies keep the start-up spirit alive. “We think big but we act small. When big companies start acting big they get in trouble.”

The principles espoused in this book remind us of the great importance of getting the right people in the company and ensuring they feel appreciation, respect and value from their leaders. Mr. Jennings states:

While studying the nine companies that do a better job of growing revenues than all other companies, we were constantly reminded that each has taken on the modest and humble personality of its leadership. These are truly inspired, collegial, group endeavors where the momentary accomplishments of individuals are overshadowed by the consistent, long-term achievement of a team that’s gently and deftly kept on course by a humble leader (p. 25).

The actions of these leaders inspire great results from the people in their organizations. Do your actions elicit similar behavior?

Value the people in your organization — who they are, what they do and why they give so much — and in turn those people will create great value for your organization.

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The Product Management Perspective: Product managers work closely with people from different parts (i.e. teams) of the organization. When you interact with other teams, make the effort to understand what they do and why they do it. Value their efforts. When they feel that you care about their contributions they will trust you and will work hard to achieve a common goal. Love the people you work with and inspire them to succeed.

Filed under: Leadership, Purpose, Team Building, Trust | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Four chances to be a hero

Posted on October 30, 2008 by Michael Ray Hopkin

Sports analogies are few and far between on Lead on Purpose. However, with the 2008 baseball season coming to an end last night, and NBA basketball starting up, and football (at least American) in full swing, sports analogies seem fitting.

A kind older gentlemen was discussing the end of the baseball season with me last night. He told me about growing up watching the great players of the game. As a boy he loved baseball. He saw the greats like Mickey Mantle and Frank Robinson play and grew to love the sport. He compared it to basketball and said, “when the (basketball) game is on the line, you know where the ball’s going; but in baseball, on any given night every player has four chances to be a hero.” In other words, in baseball, every player takes his turn at bat. Every time at the plate is a chance to make a great play and be a hero (not to mention the opportunities to make defensive plays in the field). When the game is on the line, the player who is next in order can make it or break it; either way he gets a chance.

Great leaders take the hero attitude every day and at every opportunity. They find ways to motivate their teams and lead them to success. They may not have all the gifts the “superstars” have, but on any given day they can hit a home run.

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The Product Management Perspective: To the extent product managers gain the trust of the people with whom they work, they will become heroes to their organization. Trust goes both ways: product managers need to carry out their tasks in such a way that the team members can trust them. They (the PMs) also need to trust that their team members will do what they have committed to do. Every day you “get a chance to bat;” always make the most of it.

Filed under: Leadership, Product Management / Marketing, Team Building, Trust | Tagged: , , , | 4 Comments »

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