The 5 I's Of Greatness

Please join me for a fun series. My mission, and I've chosen to accept it, is to write an article based on each letter of the alphabet. The English major inside of me is very excited about this project...and my inner nerd is even more fired up! Keep checking back as I tackle the intangibles of sport...from A to Z.

Is greatness a nurture or nature thing? Meaning, can we teach greatness...or is it something that we're born with? According to Daniel Coyle, author of The Talent Code, we can teach it. I'd highly recommend you read the book, it's a little sciency, but a very good read.

Without further ado, here are five things which are essential to teams in order to be great.

Initiative. The first thing great teams conquer is fear of failure...because they know that failure is a step to success. As John Wooden said, "If you're afraid of failure, you will never do the things you are capable of doing." I often tell my team that they never would have learned to walk when they were toddlers without initiative. Those little kids aren't worried about falling over again and again, failure doesn't bother them. They don't focus on the failure, but rather the goal in front of them.
Intentness. Great people don't give up. They set goals and pursue them relentlessly. They are determined to pursue their goal...they understand that they may not reach the goal. Yet they push on. They are persistent in consistently practicing to the peak of their performance...they are tough.
Identifiable. Greatness can't be disguised, it can't be hidden, and it can't be mistaken for something else. It could be the player whose words can motivate and inspire her teammates to do what they didn't think they could. Or it could be the player who keeps working hard even though they are physically and mentally exhausted. Or it could even be the player who has earned the respect of her teammates...even though she doesn't get tons of playing time.
Inspiration. Great teams inspire one another to perform at their best level...they want to be the best, not for personal glory, but for the success of the team. The coaching staff gets after it with recruiting, practice planning, and scouting their opponents. Meanwhile, the players study video to make themselves better and learn their opponent's tendencies...not to mention inspiring one another to push themselves just a little bit harder than the day before.
Imaginative. Great coaches, players, and teams can see success before it happens. Success is not a surprise to great teams, but rather something they've played over and over again in the tape that runs in their heads. Great teams visualize their success in vivid detail and then go about the work of making it happen.

There is something empowering about knowing that you are in control of your greatness and it should be exciting to your team as well. Greatness isn't something you're born with...it's something you can learn over time.

Dawn Redd is the Head Volleyball Coach at Beloit College. Come visit Coach Dawn's community of coaching nerds and team leaders over at her blog, http://www.coachdawnwrites.com/, where she teaches how to become an excellent coach, motivate individuals, and build successful teams.

Her book, Coach Dawn's Guide To Motivating Female Athletes, is available for purchase on her website.

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