Based on my NHL and CEO experience, I believe the qualities of an exceptional team player are rooted in the simple shift from an independent, "Me" mindset, to interdependent, "We" thinking. A true team player has more than just great skill; a true team player actively and positively fuels the team's culture and energy.   As you read the following qualities of a team player, ask yourself this leadership question: “How can I personally and culturally impact the focus and energy of my players in...

At this very moment my wife Jenn and I are helping out at a Hockey Ministries International hockey camp, where we help amazing young players increase their hockey skills while they grow spiritually. If you and I are meeting here to watch some hockey, when we open the arena door, a cold wall hits our face. Hockey camp during hot weather is awesome! We walk into the hockey arena and what do we see? Watching the players skating around at the beginning of the ice session, before the coach starts...

Have you experienced fear? You have; so have I.   When I was playing for the Western Hockey League's Kamloops Chiefs during the mid '70's, our team would often limp into Victoria, New Westminster, or Flin Flon. All three teams drafted big players who loved fisticuffs (remember that word?). Fear is a gut feeling that can dominate our thinking, and our thinking can multiply fear. The important question is how do we learn to respond to the fear in front of us? As a 16 year old playing against...