He Made Others Better
Recently the hockey community, Canada, and humanity in general lost a great man. Jean Beliveau passed away at the age of 83. Beliveau was one of the greatest players in the golden age of hockey.
Beliveau played 20 seasons with the Montreal Canadians, from 1950-1971. During that time they won 10 Stanley Cups. He was captain of the team for 10 years during the greatest chapter in the history of this storied NHL franchise – the longest tenure of any captain in NHL history. He was a franchise player: he played with one team for his entire NHL career.
During his career in the NHL he played in 1287 games, scored 586 goals and 809 assists for a total of 1395 points. He won the Hart Trophy twice, awarded to the league’s MVP; the Art Ross Trophy once for being the league’s top scorer; and was the inaugural winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy for being the Most Valuable Player in the playoffs.
He was truly one of the greatest players to play the game.
However, during the plethora of tributes covered by the media after his passing, he was honored as much or more for being a great man as for being a great hockey player. He was revered and admired for being an amazing man: for who he was more than what he did.
The Candiens’ website describes Beliveau this way,
“The most respected man in the hockey world, and the game’s greatest role model, Béliveau has devoted most of his energies in recent years towards helping the less fortunate. He has made thousands of public appearances to help promote charitable causes and visited countless individuals in need.
When Jean Béliveau enters a room, conversations pause briefly as people silently recognize that they are in the presence of greatness. His efforts on the ice made better players of his teammates, and his exemplary life away from the rink makes better human beings of most people fortunate enough to cross his path.”
However, it was a particular line spoken in a tribute video that caught my attention:
“His presence didn’t diminish others – he made others better.”
That is a great leader. And that is the legacy of a great leader – making others better. Great leaders help others be better. True leadership is helping people be better.
The first part of that statement particularly caught my attention: “His presence didn’t diminish others.”
You see, when we work alongside, when we work for, or when we lead people who are exceptional; we have three choices in how we react or respond to their “glory”:
- We can diminish them
- We can diminish ourselves
- We can cheer them on
Insecure leaders, and insecure people, typically default to the first and second options: they diminish the person who intimidates them, and/or they diminish themselves. Insecure leaders get intimidated when they are around people they perceive to be exceptional. They feel threatened by the ability, gifting and/or experience of the exceptional person in their life.
If you compare yourself to someone you deem to be “better” than you at any given aspect of work and life, then find yourself diminishing them or diminishing yourself, you have just caught a glimpse into your insecurity. Instead, make a conscious effort to cheer them on. Encourage them and ask them to help you grow in your ability.
Learn from them.
And, if you have a true strength or are truly exceptional at something, you won’t need to diminish others to make yourself feel valuable. A secure, confident and competent leader will not diminish others in order to lead. A good leader leads in the strength they have and encourages others to step up and step out in their strengths, even if the strength of the person they are leading exceeds their own.
A good leader cheers those they lead on to greatness.
Jean Beliveau had much to teach us about leadership. I believe a fitting epitaph for this great man could very well be: “He made others better.”
May we as leaders, as human beings, follow in his footsteps and ensure we do not diminish others, but strive to make others better.
