The Hard Hat: 21 Ways to Be a Great Teammate

Chapter 7Selfless Leadership

When young adults come to college, they often change. They reinvent themselves, evolve, or mature into different people than they were in high school. But the interesting thing about George was that he didn't change at all during his time at Cornell. In fact, he was the same person he had been during his years in high school. Even though he didn't talk a lot, he had powerful eyes that told you what he was feeling and he had a smile that lit up the room. While he was very intense on the field, off the field George had a joyful spirit. He loved life, listening to reggae, and wearing sandals. His parents joked with him that the cold weather at Cornell would make it difficult to wear sandals but George said that even that wouldn't stop him, and it didn't.

As the years went by and our team changed, George and his leadership principles did not. He didn't speak often but when he did everyone listened. They knew if George was speaking he had something significant to say. There was no pretense about him. He was who he was. Humble, sincere, joyful, selfless, and compassionate. He had a very simple, effortless leadership style and approach. He was genuine and always put others before himself.

George always stood up for those who wouldn't stand up for themselves. If someone was teasing a team member or saying something bad about someone, George would say to knock ...