Learning Leadership

Chapter 14I Couldn't Have Done It without You

More than likely you've watched an awards show or two in your life—maybe the Primetime Emmys, the Academy Awards, the MTV Video Music Awards, the ESPY Awards, or a similar event. They are always quite theatrical, with stars parading down the red carpet, paparazzi snapping photos, and fans cheering for their favorites.

There's also a vital leadership lesson you can take away from these events.

Whenever winners come to the stage and stand at the microphone, they invariably include in their acceptance speeches comments that begin with some version of “I would like to thank,” and then they list numerous people who played a role in their successes. The names might include “my mother, my father, my spouse, my manager, my agent, my coaches, my high school teacher, my cast, my crew, the other players on the team, the director, the writers, the fans”—the list goes on. Without these individuals, the award recipients wouldn't be standing there basking in the glory and the applause. And it's why they often end their remarks with “I couldn't have done it without you.” For example, Paul Bonhomme, the most successful pilot in the history of the Red Bull Air Race and the only pilot to have won the World Championship three times (2009, 2010, and 2015), said: “It feels good to win the title, but it's all team work. I just fly the aeroplane, but I wouldn't be able to do that without the team I've got.”¹

The best performers in all fields know that they ...