Pro Gaming: eU Clayster Guide to Competitive Call of Duty

Leadership is one of those qualities that can be acquired through experience or something that you are just born with. As a leader, you are the driving force behind your team’s desire and confidence to win a tournament. The only way to be a successful leader is to imagine it in your head every day and to instill the same vision in your team and those surrounding you. 

Communication in any team driven atmosphere is essential. But knowing who you are communicating with, how to communicate with each person on an individual basis and learn the strengths and weaknesses of your communication styles will ultimately mold you into a better overall leader. 

True preparation isn’t just going through the motions by playing every day, preparation comes from film study and critical analysis of yourself. You should be watching more vods than you ever had. Preparation starts months and months before a tournament, it’s not about hitting/missing shots and making/missing plays, it’s about understanding the game, the maps and the strategies.

Being motivated and passionate about being the best you can be is vital. You are basically the driving force of your team’s passion as a leader. You have to truly want it and truly want to win; whether is pumping your team up, giving them the energy, or giving them confidence. 

Pressure naturally comes with leadership role. You get pressure from your teammates, organization, fans, friends, and family. IT is certainly overwhelming to deal with the pressure, but in doing so you realize who’s opinions matter and how to manage expectations. 

There WILL be conflicts amongst your teammates, that is something that you simply can’t avoid. So when conflicts arise, know what motivates your teammates, understand and listen where each of them are coming from and don’t allow yourself to get sucked into the drama. 

Although you may see your teammates as some of your best friends, at the end of the day, everyone needs to understand that roster changes are made for a reason.

Being able to get hype is the key to “flipping the switch”. However, you need to understand that there are moments to be hyped and moments to be quiet. You need to understand sometimes you have to calm your team down and get back to square one.

Branding is arguably the most important aspect of your career outside the game. Your activity on social media is not only a reflection of you, but your team, your organization and the brands and companies that you associate with.