We’ve all heard the expression: “There’s no I in TEAM.”
Which is true, but there IS an “I” in LEADERSHIP.
I’ve worked with so many senior leaders – especially when they are interviewing for jobs or C-level promotions – who wrestle with lifelong professional conditioning that has told them things like:
- Don’t take credit – it was a team effort
- Reflect the light of success onto your people
- Be humble; don’t talk about yourself, brag or sound arrogant
All of those sentiments are important.
AND… the list is incomplete.
It’s true that nobody single-handedly takes a plan from conception to completion, so it’s essential to ensure ego doesn’t drive the ship, and collaboration is consistently fostered and recognized.
At the same time, teams are not made up of a group of clones all doing exactly the same thing. Each person has his or her unique value and role that they play in the collective success.
That includes the leader and his/her role.
And let’s face it: when things go wrong, the leader is the one held accountable.
Want proof?
In sports, there’s another common expression: “Players win; coaches lose.”
Case in point: this weekend we’re gearing up for Superbowl LX, and while Patriots and Seahawks fans are each eagerly hoping for a championship ring, no less than ten other NFL coaches recently found their heads on the chopping block after a losing season.
TEN.
They’re on the job market. Not laid off, FIRED. (And AI had nothing to do with it.)
Want to bet that when interviewing for other coaching positions, they’re NOT going to do things like deflect the spotlight, get “lost in the weeds” on tactical details around training regimens or player stats, or give sole credit to the team captain or MVP for successes?
They need to be able to clearly paint the picture of a leader another franchise can trust to turn a struggling team around.
That’s the real paradox of the “coach on the market”: you don’t get hired by pretending last season didn’t happen.
You get hired by showing:
- you understand exactly what happened,
- what you owned,
- what you changed, and
- why your track record is evidence that you’re the right person to engineer a comeback somewhere new.
What Hiring Committees Listen For in Leadership Interviews
So if you listened in on that coach’s interviews, you’d hear things like:
- A clear coaching philosophy (and proof it’s not just lip service): “Here’s how I build a winning program—my non-negotiables, my standards, and the way I translate them into daily behavior.”
- A track record told through outcomes and indicators: “Yes, wins matter. But here are the leading signals we moved: fewer penalties, tighter execution late in games, improved retention, stronger leadership depth, faster decision cycles.”
- Obstacles overcome without excuses: “We faced injuries / cap constraints / a midseason scheme shift / a fractured locker room. Here’s what I controlled, what I changed, and what I’d do differently with the same constraints.”
- Decision-making under pressure: “When we were down in the fourth quarter—figuratively or literally—here’s my thought process, how I evaluated options, made trade-offs, got everyone on board, and communicated the call so the team could execute without hesitation.”
- Culture-building and morale repair: “Here’s how I reset the tone when confidence was shaken: standards, consistency, accountability, and the small rituals that rebuild trust when the scoreboard isn’t.”
- Navigating egos and power dynamics: “This is a high-status environment with strong personalities. Here’s how I manage stars, keep leaders from undermining each other, handle entitlement, and maintain standards without crushing confidence — so ego becomes fuel, not friction.”
- Leadership beyond the playbook: “Coaching isn’t just X’s and O’s. It’s developing people—how I mentor captains, handle conflict, coach underperformers, and create psychological safety so players tell the truth before problems become crises.”
- How he led the whole organization, not just the roster: “Here’s how I partnered with the front office, aligned with ownership, collaborated with coordinators, and held staff accountable—because winning seasons are built in meeting rooms long before game day.”
- Talent development as a competitive advantage: “Here’s who grew under my leadership—breakout players, emerging leaders, coaches who got promoted—because my job is to build a system that makes people better.”
- Accountability that includes the hard parts: “This is where my judgment missed. This is what it cost us. And this is the specific adjustment I made—because the only failure that’s fatal is the one you don’t learn from.”
- A credible ‘fix-it’ plan for the next team: “Here’s what I’d do in the first 30/60/90 days: culture, fundamentals, staff alignment, player development, and the few changes that will create momentum early—without blowing up what’s already working.”
That’s what hiring committees are listening for in your interviews too.
Not a highlight reel.
Not a humble deflection.
Not a daily to-do list of responsibilities.
They’re listening for the story of a leader who can walk into a complex system, stabilize it, align it, and elevate it—even if the last season didn’t end with a (ridiculously ostentatious) ring.
When it’s time for conversations around promotions and interviews for new roles, it is absolutely essential that you can clearly articulate YOUR unique strengths and the value YOU have contributed to that team’s success.
Leadership Communication Matters More Than You Think
…And that’s exactly where so many high-performing leaders get stuck.
Because the moment you’re in an interview—whether it’s for a new company or a promotion—the question isn’t “Are you a good teammate?”
The question is: “Can you lead—and can you clearly explain how?”
That’s also why I loved my recent conversation on the Remarkable Leadership Podcast with host Kevin Eikenberry.
We unpacked leadership communication habits that quietly shape whether people trust your leadership—especially in high-stakes moments like interviews.
We covered things like:
- Overloading people with too much “relevant” information instead of focusing on what is truly essential
- How habits like vocal fry, weak openings, or cluttered slides can erode influence (and how to prevent it)
- The 60-to-60 rule for opening meetings with confidence and presence
- How to use your “prismatic voice” to stay authentic while adapting to different audiences and situations
Check it out on Apple Podcasts or Spotify too.
Here’s the “extra point”: interviews don’t reward listing everything you did. They reward what you led—and whether you can communicate it with clarity, confidence, and appropriate humility.
Don’t Recap the Game—Show Your Leadership
Which brings us right back to the NFL. A coach doesn’t land the next job by replaying every snap or hiding behind “we.”
He earns trust by naming what he owned, what he changed, what he learned—and how he’ll deliver a winning season next.
That’s the “I” in LEADERSHIP.
If you can’t say it clearly, they can’t bet on you. If an interview or promotion conversation is coming up, reach out—and let’s sharpen your story before the moment passes.
Because they’re not hiring you to recap last season—they’re hiring you to win the next one.
