What makes a good leader?

[Howson is now! 0]

Some interesting points from Bassong in his interview with regards to being made Captain and it being time to shine.

 

"Being a captain is inside you, whether you are a born a leader or not."

 

“I don’t think you need to be shouting or directing players on the pitch. You do not need the armband to be a leader. We have a lot of leaders on the pitch.”

 

He raises a good point around whether you''re a born leader or not, you can be a captain. Maybe with Norwich this came from his experience and the "prestige" he was bringing to the club. People can subconciously be drawn to, and listen to someone they perceive to have greater knowledge or experience than they. This can sometimes have the adverse effect and bitterness arises but I guess that comes down to the person in the elevated position. Much has been made by youth team players in the past that when a senior player trains with them or gives them advice, they want to learn as much as they can. Is this what makes a good captain? Leading by example and wanting to better all of the players around you?

 

Or do you want someone who will be almost an assistant manager on the pitch who is barking orders, leading the team and directing the players?

 

I guess for me a good captain has to have a healthy balance of both but if the manager and the coaching staff are doing their jobs efficiently, you shouldn''t need a player that is shouting and directing on the pitch. Encouraging and advising on situations yes, but not to the extent that some Captains of ''days gone by'' would have done.

 

Taking all this into consideration he says that you don''t need an armband to be a leader and that we have a lot of these on the pitch. Looking at who our starting XI could be tomorrow, I would say that the below players fit the bill:

 

John Ruddy

Russell Martin

Sebastien Bassong

Jonny Howson

Wes Hoolahan

Ricky van Wolfswinkel

 

That''s a great spine of leaders to take us into battle if you ask me. What say you?

[McLovin 0]

Add snodgrass to that list

[Howson is now! 0]

My only issue with Snodgrass (and I think I raised it a few times when captaincy was being discussed before) is his petulence. He is an awesome player and one of my favourites but in terms of leading, he throws his toys out of the pram too much for my liking. It''s all down to his desire to win which I could never question, but to lead a team you need to have a level head and be an example and I don''t see that in Snoddy yet. Someday maybe and he could make for an awesome captain.

[drurys testamonials V 15 0]

How often did Holt sulk Howson is now!? Can understand why you say Snodgrass has those limitations but no worse than Holt IMO.

[Monty13 2,229]

I''m getting flashbacks to endless powerpoints explaining leadership theory....please not another venn diagram...

The problem with a football captain is it doesn''t fit nicely into any usual form of leadership theory, the most like it I can think of, if I remember rightly, is free rein leadership as in that model everyone pretty much knows their job and isn''t reliant on a leader to direct them, but in that model the manager would be your leader.

There are of course situations where someone has to galvanise the team, to be the inspiration to those around him, but those are arguably minimal and don''t rely on the arbitrary leader (the captain) to provide that impetus. How often is it really the captain of a football team who does something to stir the team when their behind or backs against the wall defending a lead or precious point in the final few minutes? When all is said and done I honestly wonder if it has the importance some people seem to place on it?

It seems more of a press/off the pitch role than anything else to me nowadays.

[QHcanary 0]

Many things can make you a good leader.

Hitler was a good leader. A complete lunatic, but a great leader.

[Mister Chops 7]

[quote user="Howson is now"]

"Being a captain is inside you"

[/quote]as Ashton said to Shackell....

[William Darby 0]

[quote user="QHcanary"]Many things can make you a good leader.

Hitler was a good leader. A complete lunatic, but a great leader.[/quote]