Lessons in Leadership from Hockey

In Canada, it's hockey season. Most of the time when you think of hockey, you think of a team. The Sens, the Leafs, The Habs, the Rangers, the Flyers, etc. You think about how the team plays together, how they are coached, how they relate to each other on and off the ice. When I took a look at hockey and at the teams, I realized that there are a number of lessons in leadership we can learn.

Lesson 1: Each team has many members, but there are only 6 members on the ice at a time – 3 forwards, 2 defence and a goalie. The other members are on the bench waiting for their turn. It is important to not only have the main line, but also members in reserve for when that first line needs a break. When a player is on the ice giving their all for 2-3 minutes, they need to get off for at least the same length of time so they can gather their strength to do it again.

Lesson 2: Every team needs a leader and so each team has a captain. The captain can be any one of those 6 players and may be on or off the ice at any time, but the captain will be the one you will hear calling encouragement to the other players, patting them on the back when they do well, and offering words of encouragement should they mess up.

Lesson 3: A captain must be prepared to take the lead, to guide and direct his or her teammates, to demonstrate skills by his or her actions, to stand up for his or her teammates, and to take the responsibility for when things go wrong.

The captain needs to pay attention to the other team members, noting who is doing well and who is not where they should be. The captain will either speak to the player themselves or pass on information to the coach. The captain knows when someone is having a bad day and might need a little more support or when they are having a good day and want some acknowledgement.

Lesson 4: When there is training to be done, the coach looks to the captain to set the pace, to buckle down and encourage the rest of the team to do the same. The captain has to be in better shape than the others in order to be able to set an example, so he or she must train harder and smarter.

Lesson 5: During the game it is important to put the best players on the ice for the situation at hand. For instance, if the play is in the home end, and the other team is winning, it is important to have a strong defensive line so that no more goals get in. If the play is in the other end and the team needs a goal, it is important to have the best forwards on the ice – a line that “clicks” and plays well together for the chance of a goal. It is important to know if someone is having a bad day or a good day and play them accordingly.

At times there are players who like to be the “stars” of the game. They grab the puck and race down the ice to score a goal. The fans may cheer, but in the dressing room, there is no cheer for this lone hero and it is up to the captain to explain to that player that he or she is part of a team and that it is necessary to work together so that everyone has a chance to shine. If the player keeps on “going it alone”, he or she may find out that they are indeed going it alone as the rest of the team will withdraw from them. Sometimes this is interpreted by the player as jealousy, but in fact it may be disgust that the player simply won’t listen and support everyone else.

Lesson 6: It is always important to have back up players. No team can play well if they only have their minimum number of players on the ice for the whole game. Every one needs some time off to rest and recuperate, to gain strength to carry on. If they have to play the whole game they become exhausted and lose their ability to play well and may even lose their initiative to play at all.

You can see how these lessons relate easily to Toastmasters. It is important to have a leader – the President, but the President is not the team. The Executive and all the other members are the team and the members of the Executive are simply the first line. It is important for all members to be present and willing to take on some of the duties so that the other “players” can get some rest, recuperate and prepare to carry on.

It is important in Toastmasters and hockey for everyone to take their turn on the ice in order to win the game.

Be the best leader you can be

Fran Watson