New Episode: Assists and Glue People – The Teammates Who Make Everything Work
“Assists win games. It’s not just about who scores the goal—it’s who made it possible in the first place.” – Ed Schaefer, Leadership Explored
We celebrate the big wins. The loud voices. The polished demos.
But most teams run on something quieter—something often invisible.
They run on glue people.
These are the teammates who connect the dots, keep the vibe steady, follow up when no one else does, and elevate everyone around them. They’re not always the most vocal. They’re not in the headlines. But when they’re out for a week—or leave entirely? Things start to break.
In Episode 14 of Leadership Explored, we turn the spotlight on these behind-the-scenes MVPs.
We unpack:
What makes a glue person different from someone just “helping out”
Why high-performing teams usually have one (or more)
The real costs of ignoring or burning out these contributors
How to design teams where glue work is recognized, shared, and sustainable
We also get personal.
Ed shares a story of being the glue—and burning out because the system never saw him. Andy brings insight into how organizations can build psychological safety and balance team composition more intentionally.
This episode blends sports research, leadership psychology, and real-world experience to challenge how we define impact, performance, and success in teams.
Because if we only reward the goals, people will stop passing the ball.
🎧 Listen to Episode 14: Assists and Glue People – The Teammates Who Make Everything Work
👉 leadershipexploredpod.com
Also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible, YouTube, and more.
💬 We want to hear from you:
Have you ever been the glue? What was it like?
Who on your team quietly holds everything together?
What’s one way you can make invisible contributions more visible this week?
Reply here or email us at leadershipexplored@gmail.com. We read every message.
Until next time,
Thanks for exploring leadership with us.
– The Leadership Explored team