One of  the most important characteristics of the many successful teams we have had at Arizona is great leadership.
 Obviously, your coach is an important leader for your team but the teams that win conference and national championships have something more - great leadership within the team.
 To compete at the highest levels you need at least one if not a few people within the team who act as leaders. Being a leader has many risks and responsibilities, but if done well, also has many rewards.
 What does it take to be a good leader? There are many intangible characteristics but letís use the word ěleaderî itself to examine six of the most important.

L - Love. Love may sound like a strange word in the sporting world but itís really true. Great leaders have to have a certain love for their teammates. Like a good marriage, leaders must love and accept their teammates for who they are. You may not always like their actions, but a true leader loves his/her teammates like they are family.

E - Enthusiasm. Leaders also must have a great deal of energy and enthusiasm for helping their team reach its goal. A season is like a long journey along a winding road. You need to have the energy to help your team keep moving forward.

A - Attitude. It is said that ěAttitude is everythingî and this is especially true of leaders. Teammates will look to you to see what kind of attitude you bring to practice, weights, conditioning, rehab, academics and social life. Attitudes are often contagious and leaders must continually monitor theirs. As a leader your team will look to see how you respond in a crisis.

D - Determined. Great leaders have a very strong determination to succeed. They are 100% commited to the cause and are willing to do whatever it takes (ethically, of course) to get the job done. Leaders put their energies toward finding solutions versus dwelling on the problems.

E - Empathy. Great leaders are able to see and feel what their teammates are experiencing. By seeing things from another personís point of view, they gain a better understanding of the stiuation. This helps them to better communicate and resolve conflicts.

R - Responsibility. Finally, a great leader feels responsibility to help the team succeed. They invest themselves whole heartedly to make things happen. If a teammate is slacking off, the leader takes responsibility to constructively confront him or her.

 If you would like to assume more of a leadership role with your team, stop by and see me for some more doís and dontís of being a team leader.  - Jeff Janssen