Make It Hard to Be on Your Leadership Team: 2 Ways to Demand More from Your Leaders

Leadership isn’t a title. It’s a responsibility. And it should feel that way.

Sure, we know that having strong internal leadership is one of the best predictors of a team’s success. But simply creating a “captain’s council” or a “leadership group” doesn’t guarantee anything. Too often, it’s a nice idea that falls flat.

Why? Because these groups  don’t actually lead.

When leadership groups are effective, the impact is undeniable: higher standards, stronger connections, and better team performance. Coaches enjoy their seasons more. But if the group fails to step up? It’s just another source of frustration.

Leading Is Hard—and It Should Be

The problem isn’t just how you select leaders or how often you meet with them (though both matter as I discuss in Chapter 9 of The Culture System). The problem is how little we demand of these leaders.

Melissa Lamie, head soccer coach at Grove City College, gets it. As she shared on the Coaching Culture Podcast, being on her team’s leadership council is so demanding that some players turn it down. It’s hard. It’s work. And that’s the point.

In the Harvard Business School book Senior Leadership Teams, researchers identified a key ingredient for successful leadership groups: they have a function. They do something. Your leaders only grow by leading—and leading isn’t easy.

So, how do you raise the bar? Here are two ways to make sure your leadership team leads.

1. Lead a Unit

Give each leader 3–5 players to support and hold accountable. These are their “people.” When a player is struggling with standards, the leader—not you—should handle it.

This creates layers of leadership. Just as your athletic director doesn’t bypass you to address your assistant coach, you should hesitate bypass your leaders to address their unit members.

For example:

• When Player X shows up late, address the leader responsible for that individual—not the player directly.
• When Player Y is unhappy with their role or playing time, involve the leader responsible for that individual. Ask them to join you in a conversation with the player, or possibly task them with addressing the player’s poor attitude and unwillingness to accept their role.

By holding leaders accountable for their unit, you make leadership real.

2. Assign a Specific Role

Leaders need clear responsibilities tied to the team’s daily operations. Assign roles based on areas of the program or specific standards. Examples include:

• Chief Time Officer: Ensures practices and warm-ups start on time.
• Chief Locker Room Officer: Keeps spaces clean and organized.
• Chief Energy Officer: Drives positive energy during games and practices.
• Chief Social Officer: Organizes team-building activities.

Make it clear: when something doesn’t happen—warm-ups start late, the locker room’s a mess, or practice energy is low—it’s their responsibility.

For example:

• If practice starts late, meet with the Time Officer don’t give out to the team.
• If the bus is left a mess, hold the Locker Room Officer accountable.

Assign roles, set expectations, and follow up. Leaders rise to the occasion when they’re empowered and held responsible.

Final Thought: Stop Rowing Alone

If you’re doing all the heavy lifting for your team, it’s not a leadership team.

True leadership is about action, not titles. Make it hard to be on your leadership team, and you’ll be amazed at the results.

Resources for Coaches:

• Developing Leaders Using a Leadership Council (Coaching Culture Podcast)
• Senior Leadership Teams by Ruth Wageman et al.