The 12th man – Who are you helping “win” the game?

I love the “12th” man! The FAN, the one cheering on the team to victory! While I wish I would have been in KC watching the Chiefs win their home opener, I was fortunate enough to to be at the Seattle Seahawks game on Sunday, and their rallying cry is the “12th” man. Texas AM, also uses the “12th” man but it’s legacy is that of an actual extra “man” from the stands that they had to call into the game.  (See the story below!).

Over time this legacy of the “12th” man has become the same rallying cry… The “12th” man is the FAN and the FAN helps WIN THE GAME. (After researching this, there are actually quite a few other schools that use this term… Apologies if you are a fan of one of those!)

While this concept to me is super cool, the idea really goes into an area that is actually super important.

Who are you helping “WIN THE GAME?” I am going to dive into a work scenario here, but hoping you can see it’s application in your world. I have noticed over the years that far too often, employees don’t have a “champion” that is helping to move them forward in the workplace. Someone that is pointing out their strengths, advancing their status and cause, and quite literally cheering them on to win. I have seen some of the smartest people be in their roles for far too long, without advancement, without proper recognition. Far too many leaders are so saturated with their own agendas, full schedules and personal goals that advancing their team is not taking the proper priority. This to me is one of the great crises of our workplace today.

If you do not have a champion at work, you need to consider whether or not you can work toward that, and if not, then you may quite honestly need a new “gig.” If you are a leader, I hope that this post is a call to action for you to consider whether or not you are truly championing your team and individual team members. No matter what their personal goals are at your workplace, how are you putting them out front and center and cheering them on? We shouldn’t be afraid of someone getting promoted on our team and sometimes even ahead of us. That means we did a great job hiring and being an effective “12th” man. It makes our teams stronger and our companies stronger and ultimately makes for a better world.

My hope is that we can all be a strong “12th” man for our teams!

COOL STORY ON THE ORIGINS OF THE TEXAS AM 12th MAN:  (RE:  BUZZFEED)

• Origin: The 12th Man tradition began on January 2, 1922. A&M played defending national champion Centre College in the first postseason game in the southwest. So many A&M players were hurt during the first half that Coach D. X. Bible feared he wouldn’t have enough men to finish the game. He called into the Aggie section of the stands for E. King Gill, a student who left the football team after the regular season to play basketball. Gill put on the uniform of injured player Heine Weir and stood on the sidelines, ready for action.
• Why it’s awesome: Although Gill didn’t actually play in the game, his readiness to play symbolized the willingness of all Aggies to support their team to the point of actually getting in the game, hence why the student body stands throughout the entire game.

(Photo creds: We Heart It, Pinterest)