Lead From the Bench

Abby Wambach recently gave the commencement address to 600+ graduating seniors at Barnard College in New York City. As the most visible player in U.S. women’s soccer history, she knows a thing or two about how to compete and succeed on the pitch. She has scored more goals than anyone on the planet, male or female.

In reading her address to the graduates, I was struck by her Rule #2: Lead from the bench.

In her last World Cup for Team USA, she and her coach decided that she would not be a starter. Yes, their star and leader would sit on the bench.

However, the challenge for her was that she could not and did not just “sit on the bench.” Rather than wallow in the disappointment of not being a starter, she played a very critical role in sparking on her teammates, providing emotional fuel for them at every turn – even from a position that was quite foreign to her. She embraced the opportunity.

As she commented to the graduates,

“You’ll feel benched sometimes, too. You’ll be passed over for the promotion, taken off the project—you might even find yourself holding a baby instead of a briefcase—watching your teammates ‘get ahead’.”

“Here’s what’s important. You are allowed to be disappointed when it feels like life’s benched you. What you are not allowed to do is to miss your opportunity to lead from the bench.”

So, like Abby, whatever role you play at work, whether it is starter and star, or waiting in the wings while contributing in a low profile role, embrace it. Look for opportunities to encourage others, to be a catalyst for your team’s performance and to be ready to take a broader leadership role when it comes your way.

Lead from Wherever You Are!