Leadership Lessons from a Legendary Football Coach

Last month, an all-time great football coach moved on from his team. We can learn a lot from him… hold on, no, it is not Bill Belichick, although he did well for himself. This coach won multiple college football championships and… what…again, sorry, no, not Nick Saban, but he was pretty good too. As a Washington State based company, we of course are referring to Pete Carroll. Carroll won multiple college championships and multiple one Super Bowl during his time as a head coach. Coach Carroll shares several leadership principles in his book, “Win Forever: Live, Work, and Play like a Champion” that are applicable to us as business leaders.

1. Energize Your Team: Carroll places a premium on the leader’s role in infusing energy into every aspect of team dynamics. From practices to team meetings and individual conversations, setting a positive tone is foundational to fostering a motivated and engaged team.
2. Merit Over Experience: A distinctive feature of Carroll’s philosophy is the emphasis on meritocracy. Regardless of experience, every team member can compete and earn their role through unwavering effort and hard work. This principle underscores the value of creating a culture where every team member, regardless of tenure, can contribute and excel based on their efforts and skills.
3. Protecting Confidence: Creating a supportive environment that fosters confidence and growth is crucial. Leaders should avoid approaches that may undermine employees’ self-confidence, promoting a culture where individuals feel empowered to take risks and innovate.
4. Philosophy for Potential: At the core of Carroll’s philosophy is the concept of always competing and striving for continuous improvement. Creating opportunities and expectations for personal and professional development (like a Study Group!) across the organization can help your team grow.
5. Competitive Mentality: Competition goes beyond defeating opponents; it is a mentality and approach to each day. It is an internal mindset focused on reaching one’s full potential, transcending the conventional view of competition as rivalry with others.
6. Consistent Philosophy: Consistency is key to success, and Carroll underscores the importance of maintaining a steadfast philosophy. Leaders should establish clear values and principles that guide decision-making and actions that are consistent from year-to-year.
7. Practice is Everything: Preparation and training are as important in business as in sports. Thoroughly preparing for potential scenarios and promoting continuous learning contributes to a high-performance culture.
8. Opponent as a Catalyst: Carroll challenges the traditional view of opponents by positioning them as opportunities for personal growth and development. In the same way, we can help our team see business challenges as catalysts for growth and improvement.
9. Embrace Change for Growth: Carroll advocates for embracing change as a catalyst for growth to compete at an uncommon level. A new perspective symbolically enables individuals and teams to evolve, fostering a fresh outlook on challenges and opportunities.
10. Focus on the Present: Focusing on the present underscores the transient nature of success. While celebrating and learning from past experiences, leaders must guide their teams to stay focused on immediate challenges and opportunities, ensuring agility and responsiveness to market dynamics.