Teamwork Tuesdays: Lioness — Who Has the Upper Hand?

In the season 2 episode 5 of Lioness, there’s a line that says roughly 5% of people are saints, 5% are evil, and the other 90% are sheep who follow whoever has the upper hand.

Whether those numbers are literally true isn’t the point. The leadership lesson is.

Most people are influenced by their environment.

Think about your team. There are athletes who will work hard no matter what. There may also be athletes who resist doing the right thing no matter who is coaching them. But most athletes are watching. They’re asking:

What matters here? What gets rewarded? Who gets respected? What behavior gives me status?

That is where coaching becomes leadership.

Every team has an upper hand. Sometimes it belongs to the coach. Sometimes it belongs to the best player. Sometimes it belongs to the loudest voice, the negative attitude, or the fear of failure.

Your job as a coach is to decide what gets the upper hand.

• If preparation has the upper hand, athletes prepare.

• If accountability has the upper hand, athletes hold each other accountable.

• If selfishness has the upper hand, selfishness spreads.

You don't just coach individuals — you build an environment that influences the 90%.

Leadership is making sure the right things have the upper hand.

Something to Think About: What has the upper hand on your team right now, and is that what you want to be winning?