Explore Tommy Wasinski's Leadership Journey
Relator is my number one strength because it shows how I naturally build trust and connection with the people around me. I have always valued strong, genuine relationships, especially within a team setting. Through my experience in football, I learned that the best teams are not just talented, they are connected. As a captain, I made it a priority to build real relationships with my teammates, not just on the field but off of it as well. This allowed me to understand what motivated different individuals and how to best support them.
This strength also plays a major role in my leadership style as a Graduate Assistant. Whether I am working with recruits, players, or coaches, I focus on creating an environment where people feel comfortable and valued. When people trust you, they are more willing to be coached, pushed, and held accountable. Relator reminds me that leadership is more than performance, it is about people, and strong relationships are what hold everything together.
top 5 strengths:
1. relator
2. Responsibility
Responsibility defines how I approach everything I do. When I commit to something, I take full ownership of it and I expect myself to follow through at a high level. This strength has been especially important in my leadership roles because it builds trust. My teammates and coaches knew that they could rely on me to do my job, whether it was preparing for a game, leading a workout, or holding others accountable to our standard. Being responsible also means holding myself to a high standard, even when no one is watching. In football, there are a lot of unseen hours with film study, recovery, and preparation that separate good players from great ones. I took pride in being consistent in those areas, and that carried over into how I led others. I never wanted to ask someone to do something I was not willing to do myself. This strength continues to shape how I approach my future in coaching and teaching. I understand that leadership is a responsibility, not a privilege. People depend on you, and your actions directly impact others. Because of that, I take ownership seriously and strive to be someone others can consistently count on.
3. competition
Competition has always been a driving force in my life. I naturally want to win, whether it is in sports, academics, or any challenge I take on. This strength pushed me to become the best version of myself as a football player, earning recognition as the top defensive tackle in my conference and region. Throughout my journey, my understanding of competition has evolved. It is not just about beating others, it is about raising the standard for myself and the people around me. As a leader, I use competition to create a culture of accountability and effort. I want the people around me to push themselves and take pride in improvement. At the same time, I have learned that competition must be balanced with teamwork. The goal is not individual success, but collective success. The best teams I have been a part of were competitive every day in practice, but completely unified when it came time to perform. This strength will continue to shape my leadership as I move into coaching. I want to build competitive environments where people are challenged, but also supported, so they can reach their full potential.
4. adaptability
Adaptability reflects my ability to adjust to different situations and remain poised, even when things do not go as planned. In football there is not a single play, game or season that goes exactly how you expect. There are injuries, unexpected challenges, and constantly changing circumstances. I learned how to stay composed and focused, regardless of what was happening around me. This strength was especially important in my role as a team captain. Leadership often requires quick decision-making and the ability to respond to different personalities and situations. I had to adjust how I communicated and led depending on the needs of the team. Some situations required energy and motivation, while others required calmness and stability. As a Graduate Assistant, adaptability continues to play a major role. Whether I am working with recruits, helping coaches break down film, or running drills at practice, every day is different. I have learned to embrace that unpredictability rather than resist it. Moving forward, adaptability will be essential in my career, especially in coaching and education, where no two days, or individuals are ever the same.
5. significance
Significance reflects my desire to make a meaningful impact and be part of something important. I have always been driven to achieve at a high level because I want my work to matter. This is what pushed me to take on leadership roles and strive for excellence throughout my football career.
As a captain, I understood that my actions carried weight. The way I prepared, practiced, and handled adversity influenced the entire team. This made me more intentional about how I showed up every day. I wanted to be someone who set a strong example and contributed to something bigger than myself. This strength also connects directly to my future goals in coaching and teaching. I do not want to just go through the motions, I want to make a lasting impact on the people I work with. Whether it is helping a player develop confidence, teaching discipline, or guiding someone through challenges, I want my leadership to be meaningful. Significance reminds me to approach everything I do with purpose and to aim for a level of impact that goes beyond the surface.
5 core values
1. passion
Passion is what makes me excited to get up in the morning. It is the natural energy and commitment I bring to my work, my teammates, and the goals we are trying to accomplish. For me, passion is not just about excitement, it is about consistency and care. It shows up in how I prepare, how I compete, and how I invest in the people around me. Throughout my football career, passion was what pushed me through the hard days, whether it was early mornings, tough losses, sore muscles, or physically demanding practices. As a leader, I believe passion is contagious. When you show up every day with energy and purpose, it sets the tone for everyone else. People can tell when you genuinely care, and that creates buy-in within a team. I always wanted my teammates to feel that I was fully invested in our success. Moving forward, passion will continue to guide me in coaching and teaching which is my calling. I want to bring that same level of energy and commitment into everything I do, helping others find their own passion and take pride in their work.
2. trust
Trust is one of the most important values in leadership because without it, nothing else works. A team cannot function at a high level if people do not trust each other. I have learned that trust is built over time through consistency, honesty, and accountability. It is not something you can demand, it has to be earned through your actions every day.
As a captain, I understood that my teammates were always watching how I handled situations, especially during adversity. If I stayed consistent, did my job, and treated others with respect, trust naturally followed. This allowed me to lead more effectively because people believed in what I was saying and doing. Trust also goes both ways. As a leader, you have to trust your teammates and give them confidence in their abilities. This creates an environment where people feel supported and are more willing to step up. In my future as a coach and teacher, building trust will be one of my top priorities because it is the foundation for growth, accountability, and success.
3. hope
Hope is what allows teams and individuals to keep moving forward, especially during difficult times. In competitive environments like football, there are always moments of adversity through losses, injuries, and setbacks. I have learned that leaders play a key role in maintaining hope when things are not going well. Hope is not about ignoring reality, but about believing that improvement and success are still possible.
As a leader, I tried to bring a positive and steady mindset to the team, especially when challenges arose. I wanted my teammates to know that one bad moment did not define us, and that we still had the ability to respond and improve. This mindset helped keep the team focused and motivated, even in tough situations. Hope also applies to personal growth. I believe that everyone has the ability to get better, no matter where they start. In my future career, I want to help others see their potential and believe in themselves, even when they face obstacles. Hope creates resilience, and resilience is what allows people to succeed over time.
4. toughness
Toughness is a core part of who I am as a person. It goes beyond physical strength, it includes mental and emotional toughness as well. Football taught me that success often comes down to how you respond when things get difficult. Anyone can perform when things are going well, but true toughness is shown in adversity. As a defensive tackle and team captain, I took pride in being someone who could be relied on in tough situations. Whether it was playing through physical challenges, staying focused after a mistake, or keeping the team motivated during a difficult game, toughness was essential. I believe that tough people win because they do not break under pressure.
As a leader, I try to model toughness in a way that encourages others to push past their limits. At the same time, I understand that toughness also includes discipline, composure, and emotional control. In coaching and teaching, I want to help others develop this type of toughness so they can handle challenges not just in sports, but in life. Life is tough and it requires the ability to get up after being knocked down.
5. standard of excellence
The standard of excellence was set for me at a young age by my parents. This means refusing to accept average performance and consistently striving to be your best. This value has shaped how I approached my football career and how I lead others. I have always believed that the standard is not what you say, it is what you consistently allow. Because of that, I hold myself and my teammates accountable to a high level of effort, preparation, and execution. Throughout my time as a player and leader, I learned that excellence is built through daily habits. It is not just about game day performance, but about how you practice, prepare, and carry yourself every day. I took pride in doing the small things right, knowing that those details add up over time. As a leader, I believe it is important to clearly define and consistently reinforce the standard. People perform at the level that is expected of them, so it is my responsibility to set that expectation. In my future as a coach and teacher, I want to create environments where excellence is the norm, and where people are pushed to reach their full potential. This should apply in all aspects of life as well, not just football.