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- 🧠A leadership pyramid that rewires how you lead
🧠A leadership pyramid that rewires how you lead
This 6-part model will reframe leadership, explain why it's action-based, and help you lead with clarity, consistency, and action.
The Growth Compass
April 06, 2025
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Here’s where we are headed today:
Don Meyer on leaders vs. captains⚡
Why leadership is action-based🥇
Favorite posts I found this week 🏆
Free mental fitness links 👇
This week on The Growth Compass Premium →
Amber Selking on mental toughness and peak performance (Saturday)
Why teamwork training works (Wednesday)
8 characteristics of a great teammate (Monday)
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Let’s dive in…
Don Meyer on leaders vs. captains
"You can pick the captains, but you can't pick the leaders. Whoever controls the locker room controls the team."
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Leadership is based on action - not your position
Leadership isn’t about knowing more - it’s about doing more. You can’t inspire people, change a culture, or build trust without consistent action. Your behavior is your credibility. How you show up every day, especially when it’s hard, is what sets you apart.
Marcus Freeman said, "It's such a privilege to be a captain, but you don't have to be a captain to be a leader."
Leadership is about action.
It's about your behavior, not your title.
People follow actions, not intentions.
5 Principles of Leading by Example:🧵
(@JimTressel5)— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings)
12:55 PM • Nov 26, 2024
Why this matters: Leadership is how you show up every day.
In a world full of noise, people don’t need more talk - they need action. With trust at an all-time low, people are looking for leaders who live their values, not just speak them. And in fast-moving environments, consistency in behavior is more valuable than big ideas or charisma alone.
If you want to lead others well, it starts by leading yourself first - through habits, standards, and presence.
What you should know: Leadership is a Responsibility
Leadership isn’t about being in charge. It’s not about seniority, the loudest voice in the room, or how many followers you have.
Leadership is behavior. It’s the way you show up. The way you connect, influence, and act especially when it’s hard.
The best leaders aren’t just heard, they’re felt. They lead by example. They lead through energy, presence, and consistency.
If you want to lead at a high level, it’s not about what you say - it’s about what you do.
Leadership is Action: The 3C, 2S, 1G Pyramid
Leadership is built from the ground up and every layer is behavior-based. At the foundation are connection, character, and communication - the daily disciplines that earn trust and build credibility. In the middle, standards and service provide structure, accountability, and purpose. And at the top is growth, not the result of titles or luck, but the byproduct of consistent action.
The 3C, 2S, 1G Pyramid isn’t theory. It’s a model for leaders who want to build trust, elevate others, and grow every day through action.
C - Connection builds trust
Leadership starts with trust. And trust starts with connection. The best leaders build real relationships. They listen, they care, and they show up for people.
Lead with empathy, presence, and care
Connection before correction
Trust is built in small, consistent moments
C - Character sets the standard
You can’t lead others until you lead yourself. Character is your foundation - it’s how you act when no one is watching. If your actions don’t match your words, leadership falls apart.
Be the standard you expect
Lead from the front
Character builds long-term influence
C - Communication creates clarity
You don’t get what you preach - you get what you tolerate. Standards define the culture. They are lived, reinforced, and upheld - especially when it’s hard.
Be the voice of the vision
Repeat what matters most
Language creates identity
S - Standards over circumstance
You don’t get what you preach - you get what you tolerate. Define the standard. Live it daily. Reinforce it relentlessly.
Clarity + consistency = culture
Hold the line, especially when it’s hard
Call people up, not out
S - Service over self
Leadership is not about being served, it’s about serving. Put others first. Protect the mission. Elevate the team.
Put others first
Lead with humility and presence
Share credit, take blame
G - Growth through action
Growth isn’t given. It’s earned through daily reps, honest reflection, and consistent effort. Great leaders don’t wait for motivation. They show up with intention.
Show up the same way every day
Be where your feet are
Actions create culture
Final Thoughts: Stay hungry, stay humble
If you’re a coach: Define the standard and live it every day. Don’t preach - model.
If you’re a leader: Align your team through connection and clear communication.
If you’re a parent: Remember that kids learn what they see. Let your actions teach the lessons.
If you’re an athlete: Lead by being the most consistent, coachable, and committed person on the team.
Great leaders know that leadership means doing more.
It’s earned through consistency.
Sustained through presence.
And built through relentless action.
You don’t need a title to lead.
You just need the courage to live it—rep by rep, day by day.
Favorite Posts I Found This Week
Everyone needs to remember this…
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom)
12:41 PM • Apr 1, 2025
Although losing is never fun, there is a certain satisfaction that can be found on the other side of losing — but only when you give your all. To lose with half effort offers no pleasure in the moment and no peace in the long run. But if your ambitions were full and your attempt
— James Clear (@JamesClear)
8:07 PM • Apr 3, 2025
Houston HC Kelvin Sampson - Why Coaches Fail
"I think the coaches that fail at every level, are the coaches that are passive aggressive. Passing aggressive coaches are usually afraid to hold kids accountable, they rationalize."
"If you're going to build a culture, the first
— James Light (@JamesALight)
5:07 PM • Apr 2, 2025
Free Mental Fitness Links 👇
For athletes and performers:
For coaches and leaders:
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