Lillian Lincoln Lambert

We  have  all  heard  the  adage,  leaders  are  born;  not  made. In the case of leadership, it does help a bit to be born with particular character or personality traits. But just like it helps to be born with money, you don’t have to be born with money in order to become wealthy. So it is with leadership.

Over the last few weeks I, along with many people, witnessed a lesson in leadership as we excitedly watched the men’s basketball tournament – March Madness. The teams who had made it to the 64 did not include The Rams from the large, urban Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA. After they were selected for a slot, sports analysts and others in the media criticized their selection, publicly stating “they did not deserve to be there.”

For many coaches and players, this kind of negative publicity would have been daunting, but not Coach Shaka Smart and his players. They used it as a motivating factor! This takes special leadership. In my opinion there are some leadership skills that are a must in order to be a good leader: visionary, integrity, competency, inspiration and communication.

Drawing upon his life, school and work experiences we saw Coach Smart exemplify these characteristics. His team remained cohesive and focused as they concentrated on using their talents. He “walked the walk” for his players showing them by example. His ability to visualize the team on the national stage, even when many people saw it as an impossible dream, was infectious. He saw the  whole  picture and  did not  allow obstacles or resistance to  impede  the  direction  in which  to take  the  team. He made sure the team was competent both academically and on the court. Very close in age to his players, he related to their interests many of which were similar or the same as his. As a result he was able to connect in ways others may not be able.

He shared his vision with the team which gave them the desire to follow their leader. The team remained motivated because the coach continued to be positive even in the face of seemingly insurmountable circumstances. He involved them in the process and provided the support the team needed.

In essence, a good leader has the ability to motivate a group toward a common goal. Coach Smart did this well. The Rams made it to the Final Four and although they did not make it to the Finals, the lessons they learned along the way will have positive impacts on these young men for the rest of their lives. They saw how to win and how to lose gracefully. It is not always the winning that has the greatest lesson but how you play the game.

I am sure to get some kickback about this blog! 

Over the last few weeks and months, so much attention has been given to things that have little significance to us as a country, families or even individuals. This came to a head for me as I was sitting in the Atlanta airport waiting for my flight to Richmond, VA. The television was on CNN and all attention was on “Where will Lebron James play next year?”  I too was caught up in it as I waited as long as possible to board my flight, waiting for the decision.  Standing watching the TV, a young man whom I did not know, approached me and asked “Where is he going”.

After I boarded my flight, I thought, “With all the things going on in the world why is everyone so caught up about where Lebron James plays basketball”. But as I reminisce, it became obvious that we are a country (world) caught up in unimportant things.  Witness the months of the Tiger Woods saga, Jesse James & Sandra Bullock breakup, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan; the list goes on. While I love golf and am a great Tiger Woods fan, I felt in overload on information. Each of these people made personal choices and should all suffer the consequences of their decision without the world having to weigh in on it.

Could it be that it is easier to deal with insignificant things than bite the bullet on those things that can impact our lives and the country?