Anybody can take the winning shot, but not everybody can do it so consistently they can be trusted with taking the shot when a trophy is on the line. Those who are called forward at these moments are the impact players. You find them on the basketball field in the persons of Michael Jordan, Dwayne , Kobe Bryant. On the football field they’re the likes of Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe. It doesn’t end there, we have impact players everywhere, including offices and corporate organizations.
When an impact player gets in the room, he’s not concerned about what part of the table he’s sitting at or what his job title dictates. His priority is ensuring the end result is achieved, not just fulfilling his part of the job. Every organization covets them. Teams desire to have them on board. They’re the last person you want to fire. And when they lead a company, they shake up the entire industry.
Here are mindset shifts shared by impact players
1. Impact players don’t avoid challenges and problems, they tackle them head on-
Impact players are different from hardworking people. Hard Working people give their best when it’s demanded, and they do just what’s expected of them. But when a problem arises that does not just energy and drive, but also the willingness to step out and own the situation. Impact players are the ones who step out of the sidelines and take the home run.
When everyone else is afraid of being stung by the bee, an impact player is busy constructing the hive, because he’s not seeing the bee as a problem, but as an opportunity to make honey.
2. Impact players do what’s needed, not what’s assigned- An impact player is someone who understands the purpose of his job, and knows it’s beyond passing the paper onto the next person or ensuring the ball doesn’t pass by him. He knows his job is aligned with a bigger goal of getting results, of winning the trophy.
If that means leaving his own wing to get the ball to the other side, or getting off his seat to ensure the next person gets the papers done correctly, he jumps off his butt and do the needful. Impact players are not duty oriented, they are who they are, impact oriented, and that makes them versatile.
3. They don’t wait to be the leader to lead– There are times when things stay dormant in an organization, not because the men with the ability to drive change are absent, but because it’s not clear who is in charge, and nobody is willing to bear the responsibility.
This is where impact players step to the fore. They don’t wait for the crown or the processions that comes with leadership and authority. They take up the lead when it’s needed, and once their stewardship is complete, they step back. Impact players don’t wait for direction, they set the trail.
4. They don’t wait for commands to get things done– Impact players aren’t just great leaders, they make the work of leadership easier when they’re the followers. You don’t have to remind them of what to do. They step up before they’re called and they seem to know exactly when the situation calls for them.
They are the ones who do what anyone else could have done, but just passed on. And they are also the one who have the courage to tilt the balance and drive major shifts in the company or organization.
5. They’re great finishers– When everyone else packs up their tents and gives up on the journey. Impact players are the ones who refuse to accept that it’s all over. Even when they go down, impact players do so honorably.
France may have lost the 2022 World Cup to Argentina, but no one would forget the role Kylian Mbappe played all through the match. That’s what impact players do, they don’t call it quit, even when all hopes seems to be lost.
You would hardly hear this, but there were moments when Kobe Bryant played even with broken nose, concussion, torn ligaments, and knee pain. At those moments he still pushed through. It’s not just in sports; impact players don’t bow to challenges, they push through till the end.