Ask a group of athletes who the leader is on their team, and most will point to the captain. They're not necessarily wrong.

Captains often play an important leadership role. They communicate with coaches, represent the team, and help establish expectations and accountability. But here's a question I often ask athletes: What happens when the captain isn't in the room?

Who sets the tone then?

Who encourages teammates after a difficult loss? Who pulls a struggling teammate aside?

Who chooses discipline over excuses when no one is watching? Who makes the people around them better?

The answer to those questions often reveals something important, some of the most influential leaders on a team never wear the captain's patch! One of the biggest misconceptions in sport is that leadership comes from a title. We tend to assume that captains are leaders because they have authority. In reality, leadership and authority are not the same thing. Research examining athlete leadership distinguishes between formal leaders, such as captains, and informal leaders, who influence teammates regardless of whether they hold an official position (Fransen et al., 2014).

What does that mean?

It means leadership is not something athletes are given. It is something they demonstrate:

Through their behavior. Through their relationships.

Through their willingness to take responsibility for themselves and their impact on others.

In my work with athletes over the years, one thing has become clear: leadership rarely announces itself. More often, it shows up in ordinary moments. The athlete who arrives prepared. The teammate who notices when someone is struggling. The player who takes accountability after a mistake. The person who consistently chooses what is best for the team rather than what is easiest for themselves. Those moments may not earn a title. But they often earn something more important:

Trust! And trust is where leadership begins.

Responsibility Builds Trust

Many athletes associate leadership with being vocal, charismatic, or naturally confident. Those qualities can certainly help. But leadership often begins with something much less exciting:

Responsibility.

Leadership is less about being in charge and more about taking responsibility for yourself, your relationships, and your impact on others. Throughout my career, I've worked with athletes who were voted captain and athletes who never held a formal leadership title. What I've learned is that teammates rarely remember who had the title as much as they remember who showed up consistently, held themselves accountable, and made the people around them better.

Before athletes can effectively lead others, they must first learn how to lead themselves. Can you be counted on?

Do you follow through on commitments? Do you take ownership of mistakes?

Do you maintain standards when no one is watching?

These questions matter because teammates pay attention to behavior long before they listen to words. Research suggests that effective athlete leaders are often viewed as credible, trustworthy, and dependable by their teammates (Cotterill & Fransen, 2016). What does that mean?

People are more likely to follow athletes they trust. And trust is built through consistency. So, what does consistency actually look like?

It looks like showing up prepared when preparation isn't convenient.

It looks like doing the small things well, even when nobody is paying attention. It looks like responding to coaching instead of becoming defensive.

It looks like being the same teammate on difficult days that you are on successful ones.

Leadership is often less visible than people imagine. Long before athletes are trusted to lead others, they are demonstrating whether they can be trusted to lead themselves. When teammates know they can depend on you, they begin to believe in you. When they believe in you, your influence grows. Not because you demanded it, but because you earned it. Some of the most respected leaders in sport are not necessarily the most talented athletes on the roster! They are the athletes who consistently do what they say they will do. They model accountability. They demonstrate discipline. They take responsibility when things go wrong instead of looking for someone else to blame. Responsible athletes become trustworthy.

Connection Creates Influence

Responsibility alone, however, is not enough.

A responsible athlete may be respected. A connected athlete becomes influential.

Leadership happens through relationships.

Research examining athlete leadership consistently highlights the importance of communication, cohesion, and interpersonal connection in creating positive team environments (Fransen et al., 2014). This means leadership is not just about managing yourself. It’s also about connecting with others. Think about the leaders you have respected most. Chances are they did more than perform well.

They listened.

They encouraged.

They supported.

They challenged people when necessary…

And they genuinely cared about the success and well-being of those around them. Research on transformational leadership suggests that effective leaders inspire, support, and positively influence the people around them rather than relying solely on authority or position (Callow et al., 2009). People are far more likely to follow someone who makes them feel valued than someone who simply tells them what to do. What does that mean? Leadership is not simply about directing people. It is about helping people become better versions of themselves.

Leadership happens between people. Not within people.

One of the greatest misconceptions about leadership is that influence comes from authority. In reality, influence often comes from connection. Athletes are more likely to listen to teammates who have invested in relationships with them. They are more likely to accept feedback from someone who has demonstrated care and respect. They are more likely to follow someone who consistently contributes to a positive team environment. In other words, connection creates credibility. And credibility strengthens influence. This is especially important for adolescent athletes. Teenagers are learning skills, developing identities, managing emotions, and navigating relationships all at the same time. In those environments, connection matters!

The athlete who notices a teammate sitting alone. The teammate who checks in after a difficult game. The player who celebrates another athlete's success instead of competing for attention. Those behaviors create trust. They strengthen team culture. And they increase influence.

Responsible athletes become trustworthy. Connected athletes become influential.

Athletes who are both responsible and connected become leaders.

Leadership, Identity, and Representation

Leadership does not always look the way people expect it to look. Some leaders are vocal. Others lead through consistency and example. Some inspire through energy and enthusiasm. Others influence through calmness, preparation, and reliability. Research suggests that leadership effectiveness is not tied to a single personality type or communication style (Cotterill & Fransen, 2016).

Why does that matter?

Because athletes sometimes overlook leadership potential in themselves or others when they compare themselves to a narrow image of what a leader is supposed to be. Cultural background, family experiences, personality, gender expectations, and life experiences can all shape how leadership is expressed. Sometimes the athletes most capable of leading are overlooked because they do not fit someone's preconceived idea of what a leader should sound like, look like, or act like. Effective leaders do not all lead the same way. What they share is a commitment to responsibility, connection, and service to something larger than themselves.

The goal is not to become someone else's version of a leader.

The goal is to become the best version of yourself in service of your team.

Authentic leadership does not require athletes to become someone else. It requires them to use their strengths, values, and experiences in ways that positively influence the people around them.

The Leadership Mirror

Would I Follow Me?

Ask yourself:

• Do my actions match my expectations?

• Do I hold myself accountable before holding others accountable?

• Do I make the people around me better?

• Do my teammates trust me?

• Do people feel supported when they are around me?

• Would I want me on my team?

Final Thoughts

The athletes who have the greatest impact on teams are not always the athletes with the loudest voices, the most talent, or the most impressive titles.

More often, they are the athletes who consistently demonstrate responsibility, connection, and care for the people around them. Leadership is less about being in charge and more about taking responsibility for your impact on others.

It is built through trust. It grows through relationships. And it reveals itself through everyday actions.

Leadership isn't something you're given. It's something you demonstrate.

One interaction.

One decision.

One example at a time.