It Takes a Team, But Only If You Act Like You're On One
Here’s the thing…being confident isn’t the issue. Backing your work? Also not the issue. But stepping outside your lane and trying to run the show? That’s where the problem starts.
Let’s talk about something simple: humility.
It’s been on my mind a lot lately. Two recent situations drove the point home…loud and clear.
In both cases, a professional stepped up in front of a group and boldly said, “I’m right. You’re wrong.”
One was a strength coach. The other, a physio.
Here’s the thing…being confident isn’t the issue. Backing your work? Also not the issue. But stepping outside your lane and trying to run the show? That’s where the problem starts.
Expertise Has Limits
You can’t lead in areas where you haven’t done the hard work. If you're not trained in trauma management, don’t tell the trauma specialist how to treat. If you’re not an S&C coach, don’t tell them how to teach a lift.
Ask questions. Share ideas. Collaborate. But don’t direct when you're under-informed. That’s not leadership. That’s arrogance.
And if your style is smoke and mirrors—deliberate confusion, over-the-top language to cover weak arguments—you’re not leading either. That’s manipulation.
Teams Only Work When You Do
Working in high performance means working for the team. That includes:
Not isolating others or making them feel irrelevant.
Not pushing your ideas as gospel, especially outside your skillset.
Not derailing progress because of ego or hidden agendas.
And definitely not undermining teammates to climb the ladder.
Sadly, I’ve seen it firsthand. A medical staffer in pro sport once quietly chipped away at their own colleagues, feeding doubt to the head coach during casual chats. Starting fires where there were none.
That’s not leadership. That’s sabotage.
Don’t Sit on the Fence
A leadership group once asked me for a simple review of a team I’d worked with: “Can we move forward with this person?”
No drawn-out surveys. No paperwork. Just a straight call.
And if you’re in a leadership role, you need to do the same. Are your people truly aligned with the mission? Or are they passengers—or worse, wrecking the ship?
We all know how damaging one misaligned person can be. Don’t ignore it. Be fair. But speak up.
Leadership Starts With Humility
I met a practitioner recently who said, “These people work for me.”
No, mate—they work with you. Or at least they should.
No one in elite sport wins alone. Even the best have a crew behind them. Take Noah Lyles. World-class. But look closer and you’ll see a team, coaches, physios, support staff. That success didn’t happen solo.
If you’re part of a team:
Bring your knowledge but stay humble.
Bring your experience but make space for others.
Bring your voice but use it to lift the group, not divide it.
High performance needs high standards. But it also needs low egos.
You want to lead? Start by listening.
— Jason Weber
