Plumbing the Depths of History

“Arnold’s effectiveness lay in (1) flexibility & tactical sense, (2) calm under fire, (3) ability to inspire loyalty & confidence in men through force of personal example.” - from “Once an Eagle” by Anton Myrer - did you know that Benedict Arnold, synonymous with traitor, was once an American military hero? 

"Once an Eagle" is a must read for aspiring military officers. The novel serves as a metaphorical manual for leadership.

As you matriculate through school, ask yourself what makes you effective as a leader and what makes you worthy of followers? 

Everyone can lead. You don't need a title to lead. Titles by themselves do not establish leadership. 

What words do you associate with leaders? Some examples:

• Character
• Competence
• Culture
• Communicator (organization, preparation, positivity)
• Connection

What's your "leadership growth" plan? 

In the Boston Sunday Globe, Nicole Yang reveals that Patriots Coach Mike Vrabel asked each player to share his 4Hs - history, hero, heartbreak, and  hopes. What are your 4Hs? 

Lagniappe: ChatGPT Plus extracts and shares leadership concepts from the MVB blog.

Here are six leadership lessons that show up repeatedly on the Melrose Volleyball (MVB) blog—written as actionable “do this” points for high school athletes.

1) Lead where you stand (distributed leadership)

MVB stresses that great teams aren’t just “captain-led.” They’re player-led: athletes hold standards, model habits, and own the process—every day, not only on game night.

Try this: Pick one “non-stat” leadership job per week (energy, communication, bring a teammate along, reset after errors) and own it.

2) Model excellence with consistency

The blog emphasizes that leadership is visible in the boring stuff: punctuality, effort, positivity, showing up daily, and “how excellence looks” (attention, listening, posture, communication).

Try this: Be the same person in warmups as you are in the fifth set.

3) Use a “North Star” to filter choices under stress

MVB frames a North Star as a behavior filter, especially when the scoreboard is ugly or emotions are loud: it keeps you aligned with values and prevents the “easy wrong” choices.

Try this: Write a 1–2 line North Star (team + personal). When you feel rattled, ask: “Is my next action on-brand?”

4) Culture is what you accept—so choose what you tolerate

One recurring theme: culture beats slogans. It’s built by what the group permits (effort, respect, gratitude, humility, unity). Leadership means protecting the culture daily, not occasionally.

Try this: If something is slipping (negativity, eye-rolls, loafing), address it early—calmly and specifically.

5) Make teammates better (mentoring + specifics)

The blog calls out leadership as mentoring and lifting others—upperclassmen teaching “this is how we do it,” and leaders focusing on specific ways to raise the group’s level.

Try this: Each practice, help one teammate with one concrete thing (a serve routine cue, footwork, a confidence reset).

6) Build antifragility: learn from stress, don’t fear it

MVB pushes “antifragility”: teams grow stronger by embracing process, adaptability, resilience, and “self-organizing” leadership—players solving problems, holding each other accountable, and learning from losses without blame.

Try this: After a loss or rough practice, write: (1) what happened, (2) what I controlled, (3) what I’ll do differently next time.