What if We Also Record the Assists on Our Teams?
Wayne Gretzky, one of the greatest players in the history of the NHL, holds many records, one of which is the most assists: 1,963. This is a remarkable number (a number that more than doubles his historic record for points scored), and it’s remark is not only due to sheer quantity, but also because of the story assists tell about team health and cohesion. Assists indicate that a team is playing well.
Of course, assists reveal how many points were scored, but they also suggest that the players were looking for better shot opportunities, passing, and trusting their teammates. So, if assists can tell us all of this information, why are they only recorded in the sport world?
To rethink the value of assists in the corporate world, we have to rethink our values--period. Our society is enthralled with the lone-hero archetype--so much so that we neglect and overlook the value of the helpers.
To get us out of a hero mindset, we need a broader definition of success and worth. This is where superpowers come in. To me, superpowers are those innate, inimitable strengths and gifts we all have. I really believe that everyone brings something to table, and even if what is brought is different, it is equally worthy of validation, appreciation, and respect.
Rethinking assists can’t be done without a superpowers mindset because superpowers tell a story of universal value. Who is considered valuable on a team? Why is some work valued more than other work if it all contributes to a common end goal? When we validate assists, we welcome a spacious definition of success—and a spaciousness to identify our own superpowers
I don’t often get to talk about my faith in my work. But my faith undergirds my work and I’m doing my best to live out my work as an expression of my faith. As my wonderful mentor Frances Hesselbein once said - Work is LOVE made visible.
So, I’m really grateful for this opportunity to talk about how my faith, leadership, and superpowers work weave together in the latest issue of Duke University's Faith & Leadership, a biweekly newsletter from Leadership Education at Duke Divinity School.
For example, a big part of the Christian faith is this idea of forgiveness - both in forgiving others and also believing that we are forgiven and redeemed. More and more I see self-forgiveness and helping others feel their redemption as well is so vital to the human dimensions of leading today. Because if we are not able to be as whole as we can be, and see the brightness and the light that is in us, we won’t be able to help others and lead as effectively.
I’m also excited to talk about how faith and leadership connect to my superpowers work. At the heart of my superpowers body of work is that we have to see each other an ourselves in new ways. We have to recognize the extraordinary in each other.
Many of you know about my work at Duke in leading the Coach K Center on Leadership & Ethics in the Fuqua School of Business and as a faculty with the Pratt School of Engineering. This past year, a role that’s expanded and shaped my thinking is as that of a Faculty Fellow with Duke Divinity School’s Ormond Center. Today, humanity in leadership is an expectation and people are hungering for soul-tending. There’s so much we can learn from the Divinity School world on how to tend to the soul and the elements that make us human.
Thank you for reading this issue of Leadership Playbook: Unleashing Your Superpowers! A reason for me in writing this this newsletter is to refine the ideas that I’m working on. But I need your help. To do that best, I’d love to know what question you may have on each issue, or how it applies to your situation. Please email questions to me at CoachSanyin@gmail.com and share your feedback with me. THANK YOU!
And superpowers builds on my earlier work - The Launch Book. I believe the hero of every book is the reader. So, going forward, I’ll share a picture with you from a reader of The Launch Book. Paid subscribers receive a special monthly issue containing the audio of and excerpt from a chapter each month.