You Can't Win With 11 Quarterbacks (What Football Taught Me About Teams) | Ep #57

Episode notes

Welcome back to Leadership Beyond the Title Podcast! Summary If you've ever struggled to get your quieter team members to share their strengths — or felt frustrated when team discussions get dominated by the loudest voices — this episode is for you. In this episode, I share how I used a football analogy combined with Visual Explorer cards to unlock collective leadership in a recent team session. I break down why most teams misunderstand collective leadership (hint: it's not about everyone doing everything the same way), and why asking people to "name their strengths" directly often backfires — especially for introverts, women, and anyone who finds self-promotion uncomfortable. You'll learn the football principle: why you can't win with 11 quarterbacks, and why every position — from the offensive line to the running back to the coach — is essential to a winning team. I walk you through how I used visual thinking tools to help even the quietest people articulate their unique contributions without feeling like they were bragging.