Leadership is an individual sport, one that has to be fine-tuned

Hear the words of David Petraeus, a soldier and strategist who carried the weight of command in times of fire and uncertainty, who declared: “Leadership is an individual sport, one that has to be fine-tuned to each of the people that reports to you. Leaders also need to provide the direction, energy, encouragement and inspiration for each person who reports directly to the leader as well as for the overall organization.” These words are both practical and profound. They remind us that leadership is not a blunt force, nor a single instrument played the same way for all, but a symphony where each voice must be heard, each soul must be understood, and each heart must be stirred to rise.

The ancients knew this truth well. The great generals of old, from Alexander to Caesar, were not merely masters of tactics; they were masters of men. Alexander learned the names of his soldiers, sharing their hardships, marching beside them. Caesar wrote not only of conquest, but of how his men loved him, because he spoke to each as if they mattered. This is what Petraeus calls an individual sport—for the leader must see not only the army, but the soldier; not only the crowd, but the person; not only the structure, but the soul.

Yet leadership is not merely attention to the individual—it is also the casting of vision for the whole. The leader is like the captain of a ship: each sailor must be encouraged, strengthened, and guided, but the ship must still have a direction. Without direction, the crew is lost; without energy, their strength fades; without encouragement, their spirit fails; and without inspiration, their voyage has no meaning. To give all of these is the burden and the glory of a leader.

Consider the tale of Winston Churchill in the darkest days of the Second World War. Britain was battered by bombs, the future seemed uncertain, and despair pressed heavily upon the people. Churchill could not win the war by words alone, yet his words gave encouragement and inspiration, rallying both the soldier in the trench and the mother in the home. He spoke not as one who commanded from afar, but as one who shared the fate of his people. His leadership was both personal and collective—each individual was called to courage, and the nation as a whole was given purpose.

Petraeus’s words remind us that leadership is never one-size-fits-all. One follower may need patience, another challenge; one may need comfort, another discipline. The wise leader discerns these differences and shapes his guidance accordingly. To lead everyone in the same way is to misunderstand the human heart. Like a gardener tending many plants, each needing different care, the leader must give water, light, or pruning according to need, always with the aim of bringing forth the best within each.

But let us also remember: to lead in this way requires sacrifice. It demands time, attentiveness, and humility. The leader cannot hide behind title or authority; he must descend into the lives of those he guides. This is why true leadership is rare, for it asks not only strength of mind, but generosity of spirit. To inspire others, one must first bear the fire within oneself; to encourage others, one must first be steadfast; to guide others, one must first walk with clarity.

The lesson, then, is this: if you would lead, do not imagine it as standing above, but as walking among. Learn the hearts of those who follow you. Offer them direction, but also encouragement. Stir them with energy, but ground them with wisdom. Lift not only the organization as a whole, but each person within it, for each soul carries its own weight and its own worth. When you practice this, your leadership will not be shallow authority but deep transformation, and your people will not only follow your orders—they will follow your example.

Therefore, let your practice be thus: listen to each voice under your care, speak words that strengthen, and act in ways that inspire. Be both the compass for the many and the guide for the one. In this balance lies the essence of Petraeus’s wisdom—that leadership is an individual sport, yet one that unites all into a single, unstoppable force. And when such leadership is lived, no storm, no trial, no enemy can break the spirit of the people it guides.