Thursday, October 26, 2006
No swimmer left behind
Some mornings, I am first in a queue of swimmers and must assume the role of leader. This responsibility comes with a certain amount of stress because you have to study the workout closely, watch the clock, guide the pack and swim at a fast and steady enough pace to maintain the lead. In all seriousness, it's challenging for me to even think about developing speed at 6:30 in the morning.
The other day, our lane had a visitor. The woman, whom I'll call Missy, hadn't attended a master's practice in some time, but started strong in the water. And although Missy began to struggle a bit and trail farther behind, as the workout progressed, she kept plugging away. I waited for Missy to finish each set and touch the wall, then I told her our next set and pointed out when we would be leaving. These sort of niceties can drive some coaches mad, but I didn't want to discourage Missy and more importantly, I didn't want to leave her behind.
After the workout, Missy was tired, but appreciative and said she would return. I felt good hearing this news until the coach later pulled me aside and stressed, "A good leader keeps to the intervals." I fully understood what he meant. "But," I asked myself, "What about loyalty?"
In Wooden on Leadership, basketball coach John Wooden sheds light on the secret of successful teams. Loyalty, he says, is one of the 15 personal qualities for success. "It is impossible to be a good leader without Loyalty to your organization--your team--just as it impossible to be a good citizen without Loyalty to your country. You must, of course, have the courage to be loyal to those you lead. Doing so is not always easy. It starts, however, with Loyalty to yourself--your standards, your system, your values." Wooden continues with a quote from the Bard: "First, do not betray yourself. Second, do not betray those you lead."
The other day, our lane had a visitor. The woman, whom I'll call Missy, hadn't attended a master's practice in some time, but started strong in the water. And although Missy began to struggle a bit and trail farther behind, as the workout progressed, she kept plugging away. I waited for Missy to finish each set and touch the wall, then I told her our next set and pointed out when we would be leaving. These sort of niceties can drive some coaches mad, but I didn't want to discourage Missy and more importantly, I didn't want to leave her behind.
After the workout, Missy was tired, but appreciative and said she would return. I felt good hearing this news until the coach later pulled me aside and stressed, "A good leader keeps to the intervals." I fully understood what he meant. "But," I asked myself, "What about loyalty?"
In Wooden on Leadership, basketball coach John Wooden sheds light on the secret of successful teams. Loyalty, he says, is one of the 15 personal qualities for success. "It is impossible to be a good leader without Loyalty to your organization--your team--just as it impossible to be a good citizen without Loyalty to your country. You must, of course, have the courage to be loyal to those you lead. Doing so is not always easy. It starts, however, with Loyalty to yourself--your standards, your system, your values." Wooden continues with a quote from the Bard: "First, do not betray yourself. Second, do not betray those you lead."
