From the book, “It’s Your Ship”, by Captain Michael Abrashoff. “Captains need to see the ship from the crew’s perspective. They need to make it easy and rewarding for crew members to express themselves and their ideas, and they need to figure out how and when to delegate responsibility.”

Well, well ain’t that a mouthful? The key word that’s often missing when it comes to leadership skills is empathy. Far too often those in leadership positions only see things from their point of view. If only they could flip themselves over to the other side once in a while.

Your ability to connect to the team, the entire team, is what will separate you from being an anointed leader to being a real leader.

You often hear in sports that a coach is a “player’s coach.” That doesn’t mean he’s easy. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t exercise discipline. It means he understands each and every member of the team. He sees the value they all bring to the table. Great leaders have the ability to nurture the skills of all those they have been blessed to have the opportunity to lead.

It’s your ship to steer, but it ain’t really your ship, that’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs