Oct. 5, 2023

The Ride To The Rink - Redefining Leadership Beyond the 'C' and 'A' in Youth Hockey

Show Notes
Transcript

On this week's Ride To the Rink, Lee shares insights on leadership that extend beyond the badge of honor stitched onto a jersey.

Tune in to explore the qualities that make a good leader. We challenge the notion that leadership is confined to those donning the 'C' or 'A', provoking thought on how each team member, regardless of their designated role, can contribute to the team's success. We unpack essential leadership attributes such as trust, communication, accountability, and character, and how they shape not just the game, but also life off the ice. Whether you're a seasoned leader or an aspiring one, this episode will inspire you to reflect, reassess, and redefine your leadership style.

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00:00:08.170 --> 00:00:12.885
Hello hockey skaters and goalies around the world, and welcome back to another edition of the ride to the rank.

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It's Lea Elias with you today.

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This is our show, right for the players or the goalies anyone who actually plays in a game.

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Today we're talking about leadership.

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We're at the time of the season where the C's in the A's are usually given out, and if you have received the honor of stitching on a C or an A to your jersey, first off congratulations.

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But I know there's a lot of people out there that also aren't getting season days, that maybe wanted one or thought they deserved one.

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So I want to talk about overall leadership on a team from both points of view.

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I'm going to start with a story when I was a freshman in college, my captain who was a really good captain he was very big, he was six foot five, probably 220 pounds.

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He was a warrior on the ice.

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I remember we were in the playoffs and he was being interviewed by the local news and they asked him how are you going to lead this team as a captain?

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And his response I was watching him, I was in the room really really hit me between the eyes in a way that I never forgot, keeping in mind I was 17 or 18 years old at that time and he said I might be wearing the C, but I'm expecting everyone, everyone to be a leader out there on the ice tonight.

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And that was the moment that I realized you don't need a letter on your jersey to lead.

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Now, again, you have to respect the leaders on your team and, hopefully, they're respectful the respectful people.

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Excuse me, but the idea is this if you need a C, if you need an A to be a great leader, you're probably not ready to wear one.

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Now let me reiterate what I just said If the C is something you think you need to be a leader, you're sorely mistaken.

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The C and the A are earned, and they're earned through process and character and a continued effort to show leadership skills.

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You earn, or you should be earning, a C or an A.

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Now, with that said, what if you don't have a C or an A?

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There's a lot of qualities and leadership that have to do with listening and even following.

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In some sense, great players make everyone around them better.

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It's also true of great leaders.

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Great leaders are there to not only help and give instruction and to lead, but also there to listen, to follow when necessary and to understand their role and place on the team overall.

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So if you don't have a C or an A and you want a C or an A, start demonstrating the leadership skills now, today, that you would expect to see in a leader, and that's how you end up earning that C or A in the future.

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Now what if you're in a situation where your C and A is given out based on popularity or you don't really agree with it?

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This is still an opportunity for you to be a leader on your team and to make sure that you help the person with the C and A become the leader that's going to be best for the team.

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Again, it's a very complicated space sometimes.

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I wish all teams just had great leaders across the board and that you can be proud of the person who were in the C and A and I'm sure that a lot of you were in that position.

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But just know, when it comes to leadership, it is not a one-way thing.

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I'm going to reiterate what I said earlier To be a great leader, you don't need to wear a letter.

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You need to learn how to make good decisions, but you also need to learn how to follow other people's decisions, you need to display the highest levels of trust, communication, accountability and character.

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If you're not a trustworthy person, you're not going to be a good leader.

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If you're not an effective communicator, you're not going to be a good leader.

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If you don't know how to deal with adversity and help bring other people through that adversity, you're not going to be a good leader.

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If you need that C to be the leader, you're not going to be a good leader.

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Again, the C and the A should be earned and it's earned through the culmination of how you act and display yourself during the season.

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I'm telling you all right now be a leader today.

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Wait for a letter, don't need a letter.

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Be a leader on your team.

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Make those around you better.

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Put the team first, then your teammate and then yourself, in that priority order.

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They're all very, very important.

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They all have a place, but team, teammate, self is the way you have to prioritize if you want to be a leader.

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All right.

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If you've got questions about leadership or you agree or disagree with anything I said, feel free to email us at team at ourkidsplayhockeycom or dmsusoninstagram at welivehockey.

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Here for you, all of you skaters and goalies out there around the world.

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This has been another edition of the ride to the rink with Leo Lais.

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See you next time.

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Everybody, have a great, great week.

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Skate on.