Drew Brees---R-E-S-P-E-C-T

“It’s like a movie,man. Just a movie ending. It’s beautiful….You could tell everyone’s reaction after he did it how much people care about the guy. We all love him.” That quote by New Orleans Saints’ offensive lineman Carl Nix sums up up the kind of feelings that the entire city of New Orleans expressed after Drew Brees broke Dan Marino’s single season passing record for most yards.
In today’s sports world it is great to see someone so accomplished be so respected and handle everything with class and dignity. Brees’ leadership style includes none of the brashness or self-serving actions of many of the big ego coaches and players in today’s sports world. Instead Brees is about the team and the success of the team. He has figured out that the success of the group will greatly exceed personal success and everyone involved will benefit exponentially. Expressing his feelings regarding his record-setting achievement, the qb emphasized, “There are so many people that are a part of this. It’s not about me. It’s about this team, it’s about this city, it’s about these fans. So many people contributed to this and I am happy for them.”
Brees, a second round draft pick put of Purdue, has fought his way to the top by persevering through doubts about his size and a severe injury with major surgery to his throwing shoulder. Rather than display an arrogance by demanding “respect” through his words, he chose to earn that respect by his performance and positive attitude. He has gained respect of all the Saints and the entire community not only by his play and leadership on the field, but by becoming a symbol of the rebuilding of New Orleans and the Crescent City’s rebirth. By putting his “money where his mouth is”, he created the Brees Dream Foundation to help rebuild and restore academic and athletic facilities and the opportunities for children that were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
The respect that Drew Brees has increasingly gained over the years by his actions has provided the environment to help set the course for an entire community. As a leader if you can build that respect, your chance of becoming an effective leader will grow significantly as more people respect you. Remember the old axiom----Actions Speak Louder Than Words. Accept this as your mantra and the respect you need to be a great leader will be just around the corner.

Penn State's Next Move--Unbelievably Important

What is the next move for Penn State? Everything from dropping football to suspending play for a year has been recommended. Irrespective of how they move forward, the most critical piece of this difficult puzzle is to find a great leader who has the charisma and integrity to save both the program and the University. This individual needs to have both the stature and credibility to make the correct decisions, understanding that this job is much more than being a head football coach, it is being the savior of a very prestigious and accomplished University. There will be no second chances for the next head coach and very little margin for error. Additionally, the next head coach for the Nittany Lions should have a huge reservoir of equity from the standpoint of having built their own personal brand of principled, focused and carefully thought out leadership.

In my viewpoint the pool of available individuals who meet these standards is relatively small. The one individual who I would make a mad dash to recruit for the successor to JoePa is Tony Dungy. Dungy brings so many positive personality and leadership traits to the dance that his selection would make such a strong statement regarding the expectations of Penn State. The name recognition from his days as Head Coach of the Colts and the Buccaneers along with his television exposure on NBC’s Football Night In American, assures a solid recruiting environment that is attractive to potential recruits. His position as national spokesman for All Pro Dad will endear him to parents. Additionally Dungy is a good football coach who builds super strong bonds with his athletes. Realistically he has a proven track record of winning championships the right way. Yet most of all, in all of sport, no one is recognized as having a better value system than the former University Of Minnesota quarterback.

So to recap what Coach Dungy’s leadership skill bring :

1. Credibility
2. Equity from winning
3. Charisma
4. Respect from numerous constituent groups
5. Proven track record
6. Solid set of core values
7. Toughness to make right decision
8. Knowledge of the Big Picture

While I am not a huge proponent of the break the bank mentality of paying high profile coaches, I would get on a plane with a key to the vault and do everything in my power to encourage Tony Dungy to accept this challenge for the next five years. After he has stabilized the program, he would then have the opportunity to continue his tenure or replace himself with his own chosen successor. At 55 years old, Tony Dungy could have one last great coaching run but more importantly he could have an unbelievable impact on the future of a great University and hundreds of thousands of its students, alumni, faculty and staff. For once, I think this is blank check time in Central Pennsylvania. The investment in Dungy will pay for itself hundred of times over. The cost of not having a leader of this magnitude would be a price that Penn State cannot afford to pay.

First Annual Doc's Leadership Award For Achievement

This is time of year when everyone starts to give out awards.  So I thought I would create my own award for the coach who over the years has demonstrated not only significant leadership traits but also achieved the three results that are most critical in evaluating the quality of leadership.  Over the years and there are many of those years (today is my 66^th birthday), I have witnessed hundreds maybe thousands of coaches as a player, coach, administrator and have realized that about 99% of those coaches do a tremendous amount of good (unfortunately the media focuses on the tiny group who abuse the coach-athlete relationship).  This award is not one that is given indiscriminately or without a great deal of thought.  Personally, I have been amazingly fortunate to have worked with great, dedicated and successful coaches.  However one stands out from all the rest when looking through a leadership filter.  The first recipient of DOC'S LEADERSHIP AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT goes to  VCU'S tennis coach Paul Kostin.

The three criteria for my leadership award and hopefully the result that every leader tries to achieve are:

1.     Great results----being a great leader means getting a bottom line that meets and surpasses expectations for the group.

2.     Followers success---followers are positively impacted and have their lives positively affected by the influence of the leader.

3.     Organization prospers---great leaders not only succeed in their area but also become crucial contributors to other efforts and the larger mission of the bigger organization.

When I evaluated all the coaches I have had contact with, while there were many great ones, Coach Kostin’s name always came to the top of the list.  Looking at the criteria:

1.     Results---Kostin took over a VCU tennis program with a 3-18 record the previous year and no women’s program and built a program that has a record of 646 wins and 188 losses playing the best teams in the country.  Wins against North Carolina, Duke, SMU, Ohio State, Michigan, UVA became the norm.   He has amassed 18 conference championships and 27 postseason appearances while mentoring numerous All-Americans and 3 individual National Champions.  Highlighted by his national runner-up finish in 2000, Kostin’s players and teams have had unbelievable runs in the NCAA tournament.

2.     Followers---Kostin’s players have had amazing successes after their tennis careers.  Everything from mentoring the number 1 male model in world and television and movie star (Boris Kodjoe) to corporate executives to successful coaches, Kostin’s former players demonstrate that the lessons learned from Coach K translate well into their post-tennis lives.

3.     Organization---Kostin has become the old wise sage of VCU Athletics and has become a mentor for many of the young staff.  Clearly Kostin has become an important figure and a key contributor to many of the Universities’ major efforts while keeping a solid perspective on his own program and maintaining a unique humility.

Many great leadership lessons can be learned by studying the recipient of the first annual Doc’s Leadership Award for Achievement, just ask his current and former players. 

Crosstown Shootout ----a failure of the system

There was plenty of embarrassment to go around last Saturday as the Crosstown Shootout between Xavier and the University of Cincinnati ended in a brawl with about 9 seconds remaining in the game.  Nationally televised on ESPN 2, the ugly incident clearly brought to focus the challenges facing the leadership of college athletics.  Coaches Mick Cronin (UC) and Chris Mack (XU) both have been severely criticized for the behavior of their players.  Athletic Directors Mike Bobinski  (XU) and Whit Babcock (UC) have been accused of not taking swift and decisive action.  While there is plenty of blame to go around, to think that individual coaches or athletic directors could stop this behavior by themselves is very shortsighted.  Placing the blame at the feet of the coaches and AD'S is mis-directed.  This incident from pre-game banter to in game trash talking to post-game inappropriate comments by players is a message that the system of amateur athletics in our country is flawed.  Cronin, Mack, Bobinski and Babcock have done what their Universities have asked them to do.  They have built programs that are nationally recognized, that build an enthusiastic fan base who buy tickets and make donations and that keep alumni (I have a degree from both Universities) engaged with the University.  Yet they walk the tightrope of blending wins with building character in their athletes.

This happens because leadership sends incredibly powerful mixed messages.  What is the highest priority?  Is it following the core values of the University or is it winning games?  By paying winning coaches huge sums of money and giving them long-term contracts, University leadership answers that question by their actions.  "Winning is our main focus so you need to recruit players who can win."  Are recruits like Allen Iverson at Georgetown, Ron Artest at St. John’s or PacMan Jones at West Virginia the individuals we want representing our University?  To make matters worse because of the overly competitive culture of college athletics and the big money opportunity, we spend the majority of time making athletes better players not better people.  Very little time in college athletics is focused on teaching life lessons, not because coaches do not want to, but because they  have major time constraints and must set priorities based on athletic performance and staying eligible.  College athletes’ time is focused on practice, strength and conditioning activities, preparing for games (film and scouting reports), classes, academic advising, tutors and study hall.  Blend those time requirements with crazy travel and you have created a model where there is basically no time to work with athletes outside those coach established priorities.  There is little or no time for value building or communication about life challenges. 

When young athletes watch Jalen Rose talk about the positive value of trash talking or Iverson’s rant on “practice”, aspiring young athletes who are developing their own value system,  desperately need influences to mitigate the Iverson-Rose mentality.  Instead the system places these adolescents into AAU programs (coached by individuals with no particular credentials) that not only facilitates but encourages (as XU's star point guard Tu Holloway says) gangster mentality. Naturally when the pool of recruits for Division 1 basketball comes from AAU basketball there is a pretty good chance you will get some of the behaviors exhibited in the "Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout".  To think that college coaches and athletic directors are going to totally change the behaviors and attitudes of these recruits, who have spent years in the AAU system,  is both naïve and unrealistic. 

If you want to eliminate situations like the “Crosstown Shootout” knockout, the leadership needs to change the system rather blame the closest individuals.  Easy to say but this change needs to affect the entire culture of college athletics, a task about as easy as turning a battleship 180 degrees.  Leadership is all about change and significant change.  For this gigantic change to happen it will require a leader with incredible passion and a huge reservoir of determination.

In an attempt not to just identify problems, these concepts would be a good start to changing the system:

1.     Eliminate AAU and the crazy travel competitions of middle school and high school aged athletes.

2.     Allow coaches more time to build relationships and get to know potential recruits in the recruiting process.

3.     Change the academic schedule to a 12-month schedule where in-season athletes have less classes so they are not conflicted with major time management problems.

4.     Create a different funding model for college athletics so coaches’ salaries do not put them into such a high-pressure situation to win.

5.     Mandate a life lessons coach who has access to athletes and head coaches and is given appropriate authority.

Tebow----a follow-up

I wrote this blog about a year and a half ago on wordpress.  It pretty much supports what is going on in Denver.

http://sanderleadership.wordpress.com/2010/04/26/broncos-leadership-tebow/

Denver Broncos----Where are the boobirds now?

After inserting Tim Tebow into the starting line-up, The Broncos have won 7 out of 8 and are positioned to win the Western Division in the AFC.  Many of the experts and know-it-all pundits have been left scratching their head as they opined that the former Florida QB could not win in the NFL.  The Broncos who were widely criticized for selecting Tebow in the first round of the draft two years ago, have done something that I would encourage all leaders to do.
Focus on what people can do, not on what they cannot do.  John Fox has put together a strategic plan that capitalizes on the strong defense and the talents of Tebow.  Fox has not tried to force the offense to do things they are not capable, instead he has built an offense that is predicated on staying close and then using Tebow's amazing "will to win" to take over.
Naysayers have said what happens when the defense allows 30 points?  Last week the mile high guys put 35 on the board to knock off Minnesota 35-32.
That victory indicates the Broncos have figured out how to win in just about any type of situation.  They have figured out there are no style points in the game.  So while some people in authority worry about the process (I had a boss once who consistently espoused that philosophy) others worry about achieving the   desired end result.   A solid strategy using the resources available have done wonders for Denver.
The Broncos and Fox have also reinforced the Moneyball theory that leaders should be more concerned with past results (success playing the game) rather than looking at potential.  How many experts thought Ryan Leaf would be a big star with his size, great throwing motion and athletic ability?  How many thought Tim Tebow would be a flop because of his bad throwing motion and non-convential style?
Fortunately for the Broncos and Tebow, Coach Fox understands the concept of taking what a person can do and maximizing those abilities rather than focusing on what he can't do.

Sun Devils Make Switch in Mid-stream

Super agent Leigh Steinberg tweeted yesterday,  "Just had one of the most bizarre endings to a set of productive discussions to bring a client to a new situation.  Everything was set, few tweaks left, and the principal decision maker yanks the deal w no real explanation."
That communication described the dealings of Arizona State with SMU Head Football Coach June Jones.  Jones who had been hugely successful at Hawaii and SMU and had NFL Head Coaching experience had been offered the Sun Devils job with Steinberg working out some small details when ASU pulled the plug on the offer.  According to radio station Arizona Sports 620, "donor backlash" became a big concern for ASU and ultimately led to the decision that the offer needed to be rescinded.

Over the years I have probably hired over 50 head coaches and before making an offer, we were strongly committed to that individual and had analyzed all the implications of that hire.  To me this is a case where the decision makers in Tempe were more interested in winning the press conference than finding the right person to lead the program.  How much did the high profile hiring of Rich Rodriguez at U of A impact ASU's decision to change horses in mid-stream?  Many leaders fall into a trap of trying to have a huge short-term benefit at the expense of a quality long-term solution.

Years ago I hired Jeff Capel to be our Head Basketball Coach at Virginia Commonwealth University.  Jeff had only two years experience as an assistant basketball coach and was actually viewed as the junior assistant on staff.  Yet I had tremendous confidence that he could relate to our players (he was a great player at Duke in the mid 90's), develop a philosophy that would promote winning on the court and in the community and basically solidify the foundation of our program.  In the press conference naming Coach Capel, the President of the University Eugene Trani announced, "I want everyone to know that this is entirely Dr. Sander's decision." (hardly a resounding vote of confidence)  Boosters approached and indicated they were not sure about this decision.  However it was amazing when we quickly won the conference championship and moved onto the NCAA tournament, boosters were toasting Coach Capel and the president was on the court helping Jeff and the players cut down the nets.

The lesson for leaders is simple.  Complete your due diligence and understand what you are trying to accomplish then have the confidence and courage to do what you know is correct.  As a leader do not become so enamored with "winning the press conference" that you lose focus on the ultimate responsibility of long-term success.

Urban Meyer---Passion vs Priorities

Buckeye nation is truly excited about being able to woo one of the nation’s most successful and respected coaches to return to his native state to direct the fortunes of OSU football.  Interestingly enough, unlike many coaches who would move into a super high profile job, Urban Meyer understands the rigors and stresses that go along with being a leader with a high-pressure job that is scrutinized by millions of rabid followers.  He has been in that position before and it basically brought him to his knees on two different occasions.  This time Coach Meyer claims he has his priorities established. In conjunction with his children, he has entered into a personal lifestyle contract that delineates conditions regarding time commitments and family responsibilities.

Leaders usually get to their position because they are totally engaged in building an organization and have shown total dedication to that community and its mission.  Quite often the focus and determination that creates the foundation and environment for the organization’s success can take a major toll on the individual’s personal health and his family life.  One of the most difficult thing for any leader and clearly exemplified by Urban Meyer is keeping things in perspective with an appropriate allocation of time and energy.  Without question, leaders need a burning passion for their mission and followers, yet they must be able to develop boundaries so that they do not lose sight of reality.  Realize losing perspective can manifest itself in many results that become counter-productive:

1.    Health concerns

2.    Family issues

3.    Inability to realistically prioritize        

4.    Over statement of importance

5.    Losing sight of personal value system

Coach Meyer claims he can now cope with the difficult challenge of being totally committed to bringing the Buckeyes back to the position of National Championship contender while being able allocate enough time and energy to his non-football life to not have the same physical and mental breakdowns he had at Florida.  As a leader you need to understand the reality of this situation.  The question is “How much is enough?”  I would encourage every leader to step back and look at their own situation through the eyes of their loved ones to audit their own time, energy and engagement.  By completing that self-audit you will be a better leader for a much longer time.  Realize everyone’s capabilities and situations are different and you are the only one who can truly analyze yourself.  DO NOT FOOL YOURSELF!

Coach Rodriguez---Risk vs Reward

As a leader, one of the most critical decisions you will make is the choice of who will lead important components of your organization.  Greg Byrne, the Athletic Director at University of Arizona, has just made a football coaching choice that will pretty much define his career.  Great leaders are not afraid of taking well-thought calculated risks and the choice of Rich Rodriguez to lead the Wildcat football fortunes is clearly risky.

On the positive side, Coach Rod led West Virginia to national prominence and came close to a shot at the BCS national championship.  He is a highly motivated and focused taskmaster that recruited most of the players who are completing a 10-2 season at Michigan.  Urban Meyer is quoted as saying, “If you hire Rich Rodriguez, you’re getting one of the five greatest minds in college football.”

However on the opposite side of the ledger you are getting a coach that compiled a 15-22 record at the University of Michigan with three consecutive losses to hated rival Ohio State.  In conjunction with that losing record Rodriguez compiled 4 major NCAA violations (excessive practice time and using graduate assistants as a full-time coaches) that were direct and overt violations of NCAA regulations.  Additionally Coach Rodriguez had numerous players transfer.  While transfers with a new coach are not unusual and are expected, the departure of All Big Ten lineman Justin Boren to arch-rival Ohio State did elicit some red flags.  As reported by Detroit Free Press’ Michael Rosenburg, “Rodriguez’s staff uses some of the foulest, most degrading language imaginable.  I know coaches curse, and I’m no prude, but this goes way beyond a few dirty words.  He belittles his players.  This is a big reason why offensive lineman Justin Boren left the team.  He felt his dignity was at stake.”  While the W and L’s were great at West Virginia, Coach Rod eventually developed conflicts with WVU president Michael Garrison that resulted in his departure to Michigan after four months earlier signing a long contract extension to stay in Morgantown.  Lawsuits followed and ultimately Michigan paid WVU $2.5 million and the coach paid an additional $1.5 million.

Without question Athletic Director Greg Byrne knows exactly what he is getting with Rich Rodriguez.  Byrne’s leadership position and career is riding on this decision.  Will Rodriguez’s successes on the field mitigate the other issues he will bring to Tucson.  Hopefully the leadership concept of “big risk, big reward” will manifest itself in Central Arizona.  The big question, "How much baggage is too much?"  The next few three to four years in Tucson may give us the answer.  Every leader needs to understand how much is enough.