Leadership Is a Team Sport

By Gordon May, President & CEO

At CONCERN, we think about leadership the same way a great softball team thinks about winning. On a successful team, every player has a role. Some roles are visible, some aren’t—but the outcome depends on everyone showing up, communicating, and taking responsibility for what’s theirs to do. No one wins alone. And no one position carries the whole team. That’s how I view leadership.

Too often, leadership is reduced to a title or a corner office. But real leadership isn’t confined to one position; it’s participative. It lives in the everyday actions of people who are invested in the mission and one another. Every team member is a stakeholder, with both the opportunity and the responsibility to contribute.

Honestly, I don’t care what your title is or what position you play: lead, follow, or get out of the way. What matters is whether you’re helping the team move forward.

I’ve learned a lot about leadership by watching my kids play sports, especially softball. There’s something powerful about seeing young people commit to a team. They practice. They encourage each other. They hold one another accountable. They celebrate wins together and learn from losses together. And when one person struggles, the team adjusts—not out of obligation, but out of shared purpose.

I’m fortunate that my kids have been part of great teams, and I find inspiration in the way they show up for one another. Watching them reminds me that leadership isn’t about control. It’s about trust. It’s about understanding your role, respecting the roles of others, and stepping up when the moment calls for it.

The photo that accompanies this reflection captures that idea perfectly—what happens when everyone comes together, focused on something bigger than themselves. That’s when momentum builds. That’s when progress happens.

The same is true in human services.

At CONCERN, our work with children, youth, and families is complex and demanding. It requires collaboration across disciplines, programs, and perspectives. No single person has all the answers. The strength of our organization, and our impact, comes from people who are willing to lead when needed, support when appropriate, and make space for others to do the same.

Leadership, at its best, creates an environment where people feel responsible not just for their own performance, but for the success of the whole team. Where communication is honest. Where accountability is mutual. Where everyone understands that how we show up for each other matters.

That kind of leadership doesn’t appear overnight. It’s built over time, in meetings, in hallway conversations, in moments of challenge, and in small, everyday choices. It’s reinforced when we recognize effort, address issues directly, and stay focused on the mission we share.

In the end, whether you’re on the field or in the workplace, the principle is the same: teams succeed when everyone is engaged, respected, and clear about their role. When leadership is something we practice together, not something we wait for someone else to do.

That’s the kind of team we’re committed to building at CONCERN. And it’s a lesson I’m grateful to be reminded of, sometimes from the stands of a softball field.