Belonging
The subtext behind leadership behaviours
What is the point of a captain? How much influence do they have anyway?
In different sports there is a debate over the relevance of a team's captain. When done right, I feel they are the linchpin holding all other factors together. Much like a Project Manager, Team Leader, or Manager of any team in our organisations.
We saw an example of this in play recently - not in performance, but in the face of a life-or-death scenario.
In Copenhagen, Denmark played Finland in the European Championship of football. During the game Christian Eriksen, a Danish player, collapsed. A traumatic and shocking incident as there was no contact, no warning, and no visual reason for this fit and seemingly healthy athlete to fall into a life threatening unconsciousness.
What happened next was lauded as a great act of leadership - and for good reason. Simon Kjaer, the Danish captain, showed what top leaders do when leadership is required. And, his actions are widely reported as being critical to Eriksen's recovery.
What did Kjaer do? After reading dozens of articles covering the incident, this is what I can surmise:
Kjaer was not the first on the scene, but when he got there he took action - he cleared Eriksen's airways, put him into a position to ensure he could breathe, and some articles say he performed initial CPR before the medics got to the player.
Kjaer orders his team to form a circle (see below) so the media could not gain access to this critical and personal moment. He leads his team to walk with (and protect) Eriksen as the medics carry him off on a stretcher.
Kjaer comforts Eriksen's partner. He holds her, talks with her, and stays with her with the aid of his Vice-Captain Kasper Schmeichel.
Kjaer does not go on. When the match eventually gets restarted, Kjaer tries to play but cannot. He takes himself out of the game to focus on 'more important things'.
In reading so much about this incident it is abundantly clear how much respect Kjaer has from his peers. He role models the behaviours I believe leadership is all about. But not just the heroics he is getting headlines for. What stands out to me are the traits described in Sam Walsh's The Captain Class. One key reference for my work on The Rhythm Effect and the eventual Social Proficiencies.
The Danes lost this match. Therefore you could argue that performance was not upheld. This argument is (hopefully) an obvious mute point. The real point is that Kjaer sent a clear message to everyone in his circle - I care deeply about you. You matter to me. You are safe with me. It is this underlying message all leaders need to aspire to if we are to be the influential and powerful leader we hope to be. We can do this in the everyday. In fact it is in the ordinary moments we build the thinking and mindset that not only creates respect but prepares us for crisis. Simon Kjaer did not become an amazing leader in this moment. He was training for this moment his whole professional life, as are we...
