Coach Paterno's Amazing Career---Teddy Roosevelt Answered His Critics

With the passing of Joe Paterno, what everyone should realize is that the world is a much better place because of Joseph Vincent Paterno. The recent disclosures of the Jerry Sandusky scandal should not detract from all the great things that JoePa accomplished in his life. Just hearing the comments from his players speaks volumes about the impact he had on lives. The good that this man did for many people in so many different ways can never be measured. Hopefully he will be remembered as an American icon who represented so many of the values of a great society. The big question, is how will the media and the spin doctors paint his portrait?

One key lesson to be learned from Paterno is that as a leader you will always be under constant scrutiny. The talking heads, print media and folks on the periphery, will all have better ways to do things. After the fact, they will have all the answers. For a coach they will have more knowledge of who should have played and what plays should have been called. For any leader, realize you will be second-guessed and criticized. However you need to understand two things:

1. You earned the right through your efforts to be in a position to make those decisions.
2. You had the courage to accept that leadership role and be willing to make those decisions.

So my advice to every leader is---- feel good about the fact that you are a leader and not someone who sits in the background and makes disparaging comments when the result is not perfect. Do not be one of those status quo managers who are afraid to make a decision because some outsider might question it. Did Coach Paterno make all the right decisions? No, but he did make a ton of great decisions that affected so many lives in a positive manner. Hopefully everyone will focus on all the great things he accomplished, not the media storm of the last three months. For me, I always want individuals with me who are not paralyzed by the thought of the outsiders’ criticism. Not doing anything is the sign of no leadership and no progress. Interestingly, Coach Paterno never relinquished his willingness to serve the role of leader.

I would encourage every leader to make a copy of this great quote by Teddy Roosevelt and keep it somewhere close to you so you can read it periodically. It probably more than anything perfectly brings into focus the reality of leadership and Coach Paterno's career.

“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so this place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat."

JoPa---the Superstar Coach Paradiigm

Many people wonder how such a horrific sexual abuse of children and it's cover-up could actually happen and be minimized at such a prestigious institution as Penn State.  The reason and underlying reality is that Universities (and other bottom line organization) create an environment that facilitates the "Superstar Coach Paradigm".
What happens is that Athletic Directors and intermediate leaders face an incredibly complex challenge because while they are the "boss" (at least on the formal organizational chart), they have very limited control of the "superstar" who works for them. The Athletic Director's supervisors and super-ordinates develop relationships with the "superstar coach" and  then provide them unadulterated access to the ultimate decision makers (Presidents and Board Members) that basically subverts all power of the Athletic Director.  At many universities, football and basketball coaches are the most visible and influential individuals on campus.  They have incredible access and power.  They have access to the media and a platform to promote themselves, their programs and their ideas.  At Penn State Paterno had a significant impact on the culture at State College as he was given carte blanche to operate the football program.  Presidents and board members fall prey to this dysfunctional organizational structure by allowing total control by"superstar coaches". They fall prey to this recipe for disaster for many of the following reasons: the Halo Effect, access to powerful supporters and donors who become friends of the coach, being part of the inner circle of the "superstar coach and recognition as the individual who provides the foundation for success for the "superstar coach".  When this lack of control builds  an environment where the coach is not held accountable for anything grows rapidly.  The coach's won-lost record becomes the sole criteria in which he/she is evaluated.  The standards that other coaches or employees are held to, are not applied to the "superstar coach".  Soon coaches realize they are bigger than everything else and start to only answer to themselves.  PSU Athletic Director Tim Curley (who I served with on the NCAA Championship cabinet for 4 years)  became the poster child for this type of situation as he became only a figurehead as Paterno's boss.  As a leader you have to understand that this situation is very real and you will need to deal with it.  What do you do?  Here are my five recommendations.

1.  Do not look past behaviors, actions or bad decisions that need to be addresses and do it in a timely manner.
2.  Communicate with the "superstar" regarding your objectives, thoughts and plans and make sure they understand.  Remember that communication is a two way street that includes straightforward discourse that includes both speaking and listening.
3. Be omnipresent.  When leaders are always around, they hear and see many things and develop a sense of what is happening.  Being hidden in your office is a sure fire way to have surprises knock on your door.
4.  Have courage.  There will be times when you have to tell the "superstar coach" or the president things they do not want to hear.  In the long run they will be much better off for your truthfulness.
5.  Make the tough right indecisions even though they may be unpopular at the time. Those tough unpopular decisions will be appreciated at a later date.  At the time it may seem painful but it does not compare when problems are ignored or "covered up".

Everyone in the Penn State situation is a big loser.  This horrific tragedy for these children and all the other individuals affected could have been avoided if the this "superstar coach" paradigm would have been squelched and diffused.  No one was willing to step up as a true leader and deal with a difficult situation.  Please take solace when making tough and unpopular decisions, you will have internal satisfaction knowing you did the right thing.