Let’s think how we could compare the rules governing team and individual work choosing the game of curling as a source of inspiration. It’s about transparent communication, based on respect and listening or cooperation. What if we all met on ice…?
Curling requires strategic thinking, precision, dexterity and also perfect sync between people. Here, each team member has their role to play and serves other colleagues at specific stages of the game. There will be no victory without cooperation. Is the idea of servant leadership, i.e. the leadership where the boss supports/serves their people may be of use in our comparison with curling? Let’s say that the leader’s role is to bring out the best of their people, to open up opportunities for them, show them meaningful directions and motivate them to strive for excellence. The good skip, or the team leader in curling, would do that. They know the strengths and weaknesses of each team member and show them the way. At the same time, they “move the stones” as well, and contribute to the joint team effort.
In each case, everyone in the team, irrespective of their specialty and position, should provide support to others. In curling, as part of their team work, good sweepers are key to winning the game. Curling originates from the 16th century Scottish game based on fair play rules. The team work driven by appropriate values and approach is the way to win such competition with sustainable results.
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Curling |
Servant Leadership |
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Player Players follow the rules of fair play and integrity as paramount for the whole game. The curling player would rather lose than win unfairly. Even in the most important competitions it is expected that players would report their own mistakes or fouls. After the game winners usually buy a pint of bear to the loosing team. Team Curling is a precision sport, practiced in teams. Due to the level of skill, accuracy and complexity of throws, and the need for appropriate strategy make curling is a true “chess game on ice”. All the players need to be committed, support one another and enhance their skills. Roles of team members During the game each team member plays a precisely defined role. Players cooperate to get the best result. The skip, or the team leader, imposes the rules and is the main strategist. The thrower throws a stone with adequate force and precision to lend it the right speed, rotation and direction. Sweepers correct the trajectory, sweeping the ice with the right force and steering the stone into the right direction. That’s how they reduce its rotation and extend the distance of its glide. At the end of the game, it’s the team spirit which is decisive for the victory. Values Curling players play to win but never to humiliate their opponents. A true curling player would rather lose rather than win unfairly. None of them would purposely break the rules of the game or any of its traditions. If they do so unintentionally and are aware of it they will be the first one to report the breach. While the main goal in curling is to define relative level of players’ skill, the spirit of the game is still about good dose of rivalry, goodwill and conduct of honor. It is said that curling is a game for gentlemen. |
Leader Here we act within the leadership philosophy and a set of leadership practices where the leader-servant takes an auxiliary role as they want to serve first and lead only in the second place. They are considerably different from someone who takes a leading role mostly because they want to satisfy their drive for power or their need for material assets. Team The leader puts commitment, support and team self-improvement first. The idea behind servant leadership is to motivate manager to adopt a style based on the encouragement given to people to strive for perfection, and on their support rather than a conduct focused on direct management and control. The leader should concentrate on coaching and providing their people with skills they need to become leaders themselves. Staff members should be given an opportunity to make use of their newly granted powers. Roles of team members The leader identifies the potential of each individual and assigns them the scope of responsibilities accordingly. The key feature of the leader is to know how to use the creativity of each person for a better action of the entire team. On the other hand, the team as a whole should foster the creativity of its each individual member. The leader makes sure that all team members can make use of their individual talents to achieve joint business and other goals. By building people-to-people relations, the organization is no longer a place just to earn money but an environment where people want to be, treating one other with respect, and being responsible for their own work for the sake of the joint mission. The feeling of belonging to a team is of prime importance here. Values In the hierarchy of values, the benefits of one leader nurturing another leader prevail over their own personal gains. In other words, the leader severs others rather than himself/herself. Leaders should know how to use their knowledge and avoid any abuse of power. At the same time, this is an excellent path to achieve shared goals and develop, individually and as teams.
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Servant Leadership vs Sport
Supporting teams is like “sweeping” the ice with a brush in the path of the stone in curling. It means joint planning, value-based support and fair play. That’s how we organized joint workshops for leaders on ice. The program came as an experiment but proved that the rules of this unique discipline can inspire leaders, help build one-off teams and create a unique narrative on how to win together.
