“If You’re Not Thinking About Yourself…” – Former Yankees Captain Derek Jeter Had a Unique Leadership Philosophy That Often Led His Team to Success

The man, the myth, the legend – Derek Jeter. A Yankee for life, unanimously known as ‘The Captain’ to not just his teammates but his fans too. Jeter was a phenomenon for the entire twenty seasons he played in Major League Baseball. Humble to a tee, always focused on the game, never speaking out where it wasn’t necessary – he was like the favorite child in the Bronx Bombers family and the Steinbrenners adored him.

Jeter always had a winning mentality in mind, fueled by his competitive spirit. But his one-track mind didn’t mean he lost sight of the surrounding things while he was focused on the goal. After all, baseball is not an individual sport. Notably, apart from being an incredible hitter, Jeter was even a better leader. Fans loved him, but perhaps more importantly, his teammates respected him. Back in 2017, the former Yankee talked about his mindset during his playing days.

When on the field, Derek Jeter always focused on winning

Perhaps that statement is incomplete. Yes, the former Yankee focused on winning. But he paid equal attention to his teammates as himself, even if that put him under immense pressure. Being a captain of a team with as storied a career as the Yankees have had is no easy task. But Jeter shouldered that responsibility with admirable strength and had a few tricks up his sleeve on how to lessen the pressure a bit.

“Everyone always talks about it – pressure, pressure, pressure. But if you’re not thinking about yourself, you’re thinking about how you can help the team win and think about wins and losses. I think it takes a lot of that pressure off,” the retired athlete told Brandon Steiner of Steiner Sports.

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Not only this, but the spotlight-shy Jeter also had another tactic on how he was not just a captain but a good teammate.

Captain Clutch preferred talking about the team rather than himself

Who doesn’t love attention when they’re associated with a name as big as the Yankees? Apparently, Derek Jeter! If the former shortstop had any way of playing his beloved game without having to talk to the press, he probably would have taken it without hesitation. Never one for talking about himself, he always directed the conversation to his teammates. And they thanked him for it.

“I’ve always been uncomfortable when things have been about me. I’d rather talk about the team than talk about myself,” Jeter told Steiner. And when one includes everyone in a conversation, that person automatically becomes well-liked. Never one for the limelight, it would have been entirely too easy for the ex-captain to hog attention. But perhaps luckily for his fellow Yanks, his humility usually overshadowed his talent.

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It’s easy to see why baseball fans mourned the day Jeter retired and why people still love and respect him as much as they do.