What Does Leadership Mean to You?

All opinions expressed in the blog are solely my own. This blog is not an official publication of any City of Melrose institution.

Leadership means different things to everyone. First, let's listen to author Simon Sinek discuss leadership traits that resonate for him.  

He emphasizes CIC - courage, integrity, and communication. 

As a young person, you formulate leadership ideas - your attitudes, beliefs, and values. Don't blindly and rigidly accept what you hear or read. Learn to think for yourselves. 

What does leadership mean to you? When I think about leadership, the first word that comes to mind is service. A leader serves her community and serves her team. 

UCLA Coach John Wooden was one of the great coaches of any sport in any era. You may remember that he developed the "Pyramid of Success." He wrote a "Letter to Players," of which the full text is unavailable, but this excerpt exists:

“I will not always be right, but I will always be fair.

Every decision I make will be in the best interest of the team as a whole. You may not agree with every decision. You may not like every decision. But you can be sure every decision is made for one purpose: to help us become the best team we are capable of  becoming.”

The emphasis is doing what is in the best interest of the team. That serves the team. 

Remember the two qualities of the best players: 

1) They impact winning. 

2) They make the team, the players around them better. 

There's a saying attributed to Coach Don Meyer, "Every parent would rather have their son be All-State instead of winning States." 

Concerning team sports, that isn't "team first" thinking. Yes, exceptional teams need excellent players. And they thrive with leaders capable of putting the team first - serving the team. 

Exceptional leaders listen and inspire others by saying and doing what is right, not what is easy or convenient. 

Lagniappe. How do you decide on captains? 

Lagniappe 2. "It can never stop." 

"To be a leader of the team, it can never stop."
Everybody wants the title, few want the responsibility. Being “the leader” means you’re on the job all the time Leaders don’t take plays off.
They don’t take days off.
They set the expectation and live it. pic.twitter.com/NnkfFmt8dk

— The Winning Difference (@thewinningdiff1) November 24, 2025