Leadership

Good morning! A couple days ago, I graduated from NYU getting my Doctorate in Physical Therapy. So you are officially getting this newsletter from a Doctor. After graduation that day, I reminisced on the past 7 years of undergrad and graduate school.

And I remembered after my freshman football season, during our postseason one on one meetings, my coach said “I know you’re young, but I need you to step up and be a leader for this team. They will listen to you.” And at the time, that gave me a rush of butterflies. Yeah, in high school I was the captain of the basketball and football team but I was a senior at that point. I was in the position to be a leader so it felt natural. But this is different, I was one of the younger players on the team, I didn’t think anyone would really want to listen to me. Which lead me to become a leader by example, always pushing my hardest on and off the field.

Yes, leading by example is good, but there are some other key qualities leaders need, to go from good to great. Today I’ll dive into some of these qualities so you can thrive as a leader.

As a young player, I viewed leadership as a position and sometimes we box leadership as only a position. We box it in as a title or having the loudest voice in the room. But its far more than this. Leadership is more of a posture. Its serving the ones around you to navigate everyone in the right direction rather than being a dictator. Its to make sure everyone wins, rather than just you winning.

With this postural adjustment of being a navigator rather than a dictator, it becomes important to selflessly serve others to lead with compassion and wisdom. You are no longer focusing on whats best for yourself. But rather focusing on whats best for the group. Which can be a hard transition. Your whole life you’ve probably focused on being the best version of you. And now, on top of that, you have to put the success of everyone else above you. Its difficult!

Even Kobe Bryant said this is one of the hardest things he’s had to do in his career. During the 2002-03 NBA season, Shaq went down with an injury, leaving the Lakers in a tough spot. Phil Jackson told Kobe Bryant the team needed him to step up. Kobe responded by going on an incredible run, scoring 40 or more points in nine straight games. Shaq came back from his injury and Kobe still continued to do it. And Phil Knight called Kobe back into his offense and said “we’re starting to lose the big fella, he’s losing his fire to prove something so I need you to dial it back.” Kobe had to stop his hot streak, stop focusing on whats best for him, and do whats best for the team. Because at the end of the day, they needed Shaq in June for the playoffs.

This kind of leadership isn’t easy. It’s best carried out through attitudes and actions rather than words. People today are looking for reliable leaders with integrity and character. That the actions mimic what you say and you set an example with your own life.

Developing the characteristics of a great leader starts with self-awareness. Understanding your values, your strengths, and where you tend to fall short. From there, consistency becomes key—leading by example in the small things builds trust over time.

Great leaders also stay calm under pressure, communicate clearly, and take ownership when things go wrong. But maybe the most underrated trait is being a great listener. Leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about asking the right questions, empowering others, and staying grounded in service rather than ego.