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Leadership : The Best Hockey Player Of All Time

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Leadership means different things to different people. To us it is not about managing or directing people. It is about the ability to inspire and influence others towards the leader’s goal and vision. A leader in sports has the same characteristics as a leader who works in an office. Besides being knowledgeable in their respective sport, team leaders have to possess effective relationship skills. A sport leader leads by example and must hold and exhibit the same traits and behaviours they expect from their team members. Nobody did that as well as the world famous Mr. Wayne Gretzky. Wayne Gretzky is a former National League Hockey (NHL) all-star and International hockey star. Many say he is the best hockey player of all time. He was the …show more content…

Wayne truly contributed more to the teams he played for, than he received. He truly wanted to share his knowledge and experience with others, especially the new up and coming players. He was the perfect mentor. Pretty much everyone who has worked or played alongside Wayne considers him a leader both on and off the ice and a great role model for the young generation.
There are many different styles a leader can possess. Taking a team that is not playing consistently to winning four Stanley Cups requires a leader who has a vision, patience and a desire to succeed. Leadership is often situational, depending on the needs of the team. Sometimes a teammate just needs a pat on the back or positive feedback. At other times a team might just need someone to lead the way or on occasion disciplining. Wayne Gretzky’s style of leadership is democratic. Back in his hockey years, he had a very open, friendly and educational style in the way he captained his teams. All his teammates were considered equal and he was very interested in hearing what people had to say. He needed his teammates to buy into the vision and goal of winning the coveted Stanley Cup. To do this, Wayne often started conversations, encouraging teammates to share their ideas. If there were any issues, the group would get together to talk and then come up with solutions. Gretzky has said that offering verbal support is really appreciated by your teammates (Bernstein, Clarke & Stevens,

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