The LA Dodgers' Leadership Group----The Total Package

After months of turmoil and no direction from the top, the Los Angeles Dodgers have righted the ship and now have a committed leadership group to chart the course. Interestingly enough, the Dodgers had plenty of suitors who were willing to invest “big bucks” for the right to attempt to fix one of the most dysfunctional management teams in the history of sport. The proud franchise that brought you Sandy Koufax, Steve Garvey, Don Drysdale, Maury Wills et.al, had become the central figure in the marital problems of Frank and Jamie McCourt and a prime example of how unfocused leadership will bring down any organization.

Now the Dodgers have made a 180 degree turn with a leadership team that fits together perfectly. Each of the three primary players in management have unique skills and experiences that meet the three most critical needs of the Dodger organization. Every leadership teams should want to create an environment that allows the talents of the inner circle of decision makers to be maximized. Looking at the Dodgers ownership trifecta, the talents fit together perfectly.

Magic Johnson’s personality and public persona is the perfect face for the organization. The former Laker icon is respected and loved by the entire Southern California community. He transcends ethnicity, religion and race and will be able to rally a declining fan base with his energy and enthusiasm. His stature as one of the greatest athletes of the 20 th century will assure every Dodger player that the organization is focused on winning championships and playing at the highest level. Additionally by having Magic as part of the team, there is a huge benefit having a public spokesman that is well-respected by the media while having total access to television, radio and every communication platform internationally.

The second piece of the puzzle is having the financial resources to acquire the necessary assets and Mark Walters, the CEO of Guggenheim Partners, fulfills that need. As the controlling partner, Walters and Guggenheim’s deep pockets allow the baseball operation the money to make moves quickly. As the CEO of one of the top financial management firms in the world, Walters will insure sound fiscal management with a clear understanding that success breeds profits.

Maybe the most important member of the leadership team is Stan Kasten, the baseball guy. With a resume that includes being the man in charge of the Atlanta Braves from 1987 to 2003 when the Braves won more games than any other club, the Dodger have one of the most respected and successful baseball executives calling the day to day shots. Kasten, who also has been the president of Hawks, Thrashers and the Washington Nationals, has seen it all and has a vast resource of experience and contacts necessary to build the actual Dodger management team.

Great teams have players who compliment each other and have different talents that fit together to allow each to focus on their individual strengths. This leadership group fits together like a glove. When you put together your team, take a page out Magic, Walters and Kasten’s group, find individuals who have all the important skill sets that fit together to allow each to be the most productive they can be and create that overused but very important word---SYNERGY. Look for the LA Dodgers to become a force in the very near future.

Shaka Smart---Do You Believe In Magic?

With the NCAA Tournament winding down to the Final Four, it is always interesting to watch the merry-go-round of coaches who have success in the tournament moving from the mid-majors to the traditional powerhouses. This year while the big boys came calling, the most desired mid-major mentor, Shaka Smart (VCU) decided to stay put and continue to build on his already incredible run.

As you examine this dynamic young coach, it is interesting to attempt to determine why he has reached such an amazing level of success in four years. While there are many factors involved, his decision to stay gives a strong indication of unity within his program and his focus on his athletes. Smart has done a great job of getting his players to believe in what he is saying and a great deal of that is based on the player-coach relationship. The former Clemson and Florida Assistant has developed a concept based on full-court pressure and total commitment to creating a game that most opponents rarely see. To be successful in his type of game, players have to be willing to “sacrifice their bodies” and be willing to invest all their effort for the benefit of the team. In his style if one player lets down for one possession, the result will be an easy basket for the other team. Very similar to Arkansas’ Nolan Richardson’s “40 Minutes of Hell”, Coach Smart’s Rams win because they totally have faith in the system and leadership.

Understand that the Coach Smart’s system works for various reasons including:

1. A highly competent staff who can really coach the fundamentals.
2. A talented team with the physical characteristics to implement the system.
3. A plan that forces teams to play a style that they are not accustomed that creates a differentiated approach.

All of the above are very important elements for any leader to have as part of their strategic positioning. One of the most important factors in bringing these elements together is having team members who totally believe that this plan is the absolute best way to get the desired result. Some leaders think by having the right system in place, success will assuredly follow. Reality is that is a good system or concept is an important piece of the puzzle not the end all , be all. Understand that the most critical thing for having the entire team buy-in to the system is they first have to believe in the leader. Remember that team members must believe in both the system and the leader. When you watch Shaka Smart’s team create havoc, it is easy to see that each player is a believer. Keep in mind that individuals must buy-in to the leader and his credibility first before they buy-in to the vision. Many great concepts have failed because the organization did not have confidence in the leader. Some of the brightest minds in coaching have had short tenures because the players did not commit. Can you think of any leaders who have failed for that reason?

A Leadership Lesson From 3 NCAA Tournament Coaches---Buzz, AG and John

With the NCAA Basketball Tournament first weekend completed, like always, there has been tons of interesting stories and sidebars to the actual competition. For me, I love to watch the coaches and see how they go about doing their business. It is so interesting because there are many different styles, strategies and concepts and while they are different, they all work for that particular coach and team. I always look for competencies or successful consistencies that can be applied in any leadership situation to get quality results.

In this year’s tournament, three of the head coaches (Marquette, Ohio and Alabama) actually were part of the first group of coaches to be involved in the Villa 7 coaching preparation program I created while at VCU. When I first met each of these individuals, I was certain they would have long and successful head coaching careers. In that first year I met the top assistant coaches at Ohio State (John Groce), Texas A&M (Buzz Williams) and Florida (Anthony Grant) and was so impressed that I mentally placed these up and comers on my list as the top potential successors to my coach (Jeff Capel) at VCU. While all of these great young coaches’ backgrounds were very different, they had one thing in common---INTENSITY.

Each was tremendously passionate about their profession and their desire to be great coaches and leaders. They each had an intensity that burned through every conversation and interaction. Each of these three had an incredible commitment to being the best that they could possibly be. They left nothing to chance and stayed on top of every situation. They were able to integrate very engaging personalities with a powerful focus on achieving their goals. After talking with them and being in their company, you would know immediately that they had tremendous futures.

One episode that I always share with young coaches was a social event that we held at the Nike campus in Beaverton, Oregon that included about 40 assistant coaches and 20 Mid-major Athletic directors. The intent of the event was to give coaches and AD’s an opportunity to interact in a social setting without much formality. Watching the dynamics of this event was truly enlightening. Many of the assistant coaches hung around with each other and never really made any serious attempt to connect with the AD’s. However Buzz, AG and John all used this forum to connect with as many AD’s as possible. Their behavior during that social event did not go un-noticed by many of the AD’s and actually became a topic of conversation at the AD’s forum. These three future leaders looked at every situation as an opportunity to enhance their leadership potential.

Great leaders like Williams, Groce and Grant, analyze every situation from a leadership perspective. As you are faced with challenges and opportunities in your everyday life, use a leadership filter to determine what your ultimate decision should be. Remember leaders are concerned with the big picture. That is why Marquette, Ohio University and Alabama are making national news on the hardwood. They have strong leaders that are totally focused on building successful programs and have instilled their same intensity into their teams. One final thought, do not mistake intensity for insensitivity. Insensitivity translates into a self-serving environment that ultimately falls apart. While Williams, Groce and Grant demand maximum effort, they do so in a manner that positively impacts each team member.

Bountygate---Where were Coach Peyton and GM Loomis?

Last week more information surfaced on the New Orleans Saints “bountygate” program where Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams incentivized defensive players for “knocking out” key opponent offensive players. As the NFL looked into the pay for injury program, they discovered that Head Coach Sean Peyton and General Manager Mickey Loomis both were aware of William’s motivational efforts. Without question most rational people would balk at the thought of trying to physically injure another human being in the pursuit of winning a game and yet Loomis and Peyton turned their heads and ignored the despicable incentive program that clearly violated their leadership responsibility.

Why would talented and successful executives accept a program that flies in the face of good judgment and basic humanity? Quite often I have seen leaders give responsibility to subordinates to do a job and then absolve themselves from the processes that are implemented. This is a sure fire way to put yourself as a leader into an extremely vulnerable and dangerous position. Because someone else may have direct supervision of a program, you as a leader cannot accept the belief that you do not have the ultimate responsibility for the actions of the project manager. Every leader needs to realize that people are human and that some of your followers, irrespective of what you do, will make bad decisions and that you MUST deal with those bad decisions in a timely and appropriate way.

Peyton and Loomis both acknowledge that Williams “bountygate” program was wrong and that they were aware of it. However neither saw fit to do anything about it because they were more concerned about the short-term result of winning football games. All leaders needs to understand that not everyone in the “leadership cabinet” will have a big picture and understand the long-term implications of certain decisions. Quite often people who are in significant positions under the leader are motivated to be successful and will be focused on an immediate result with no real feeling for the “down the road”.

Leaders cannot be naïve and believe that everyone under their direction is going to “do the right thing”. So while many leadership books will encourage leaders to “not micromanage” their people, realize that you are the ultimate authority and need to know what is going on in every area of your responsibility. By being engaged with your organization and engaging your followers in a meaningful way, you will know what is going on and be aware of any potential areas of concern. Leaders who insulate themselves from the day to day operations are making a huge mistake. When you find out that something is amiss, address it immediately. When leaders look the other way, they lose credibility among all their constituents and promote a very bad climate for their organization. By ignoring unacceptable practices, the leader basically is fostering a philosophy that anything goes as long as it works and you don’t get caught. That philosophy is reminiscent of old time comedian Flip Wilson’s line, “A lie is as good as the truth, if you can get somebody to believe it.” I do not think any leader wants to be viewed as a subscriber to the Flip Wilson philosophy.

Coach L---A Model For Flip-Flopping For Your Own Benefit

Over the weekend the Washington Post’s Mark Giannnoto wrote an interesting article about coaches lobbying to influence the NCAA Basketball Committee regarding at-large selection into the NCAA tournament. Over the past 10 years former George Mason Head Coach Jim Larranaga has been the loudest voice in the wilderness trumpeting the cause for Mid-majors to be included in the field. Looking at the success of Mason, VCU, Butler and other non-BCS teams, Larranaga’s message had seemed to be substantiated by the results. While his rhetoric had some validity, everyone who has any connection to the NCAA selection process, knows that all the banter in the world is not going to change the decisions by the committee.

Now fast-forward to this week to the sunny climes of South Beach where Larranaga now resides as Head Coach at the University of Miami, his message had an entirely different ring to it. About 180 degrees from his thought process for the last ten years, Coach L opines, “In this particular year looking at their non-conference performance, it would appear to me that those spots should be reserved for high majors who played a much more difficult non-conference schedule and were far more successful than any of the teams in the mid-majors.” Of course, Laranaga’s Hurricanes are one of the “high-majors” who are in contention with many mid-majors for the last few at-large spots in the tournament. With tongue in cheek Virginia Tech veteran head coach and bubble participant Seth Greeenberg remarked, “Jim's a smart guy. It’s amazing, though, eight, nine months, he had revelations.”

While we all understand that every leader is charged with supporting his team, leaders and coaches must understand by changing one’s value system and thought processes because of their own particular situation, people quickly understand that the leader is self serving and self absorbed, characteristics that are severe hurdles to engaging constituents. Every leader needs to understand that people are not naïve and oblivious to the past. Credibility plays such an important role in getting buy-in from followers, that any breach of credibility will detract from long-term success for the organization. Additionally by trying to elevate your situation by demeaning the success of others is always a bad idea. In an interview with David Teel, Larranaga totally discounted his former school when asked would you be saying the same thing if you were at Mason with (at the time of interview) a 14-2 conference record, he responded, "... if you look at their non-conference strength of schedule, it is in the 300's." (Actually at the time of the interview, Mason's strength of schedule was 239.) "That's not the type of resume the committee has looked for over the years." My parents told me, "If you can't say something nice...."

To make the Larranaga flip flop that much more a bad idea, the reality is that what he says will have absolutely no effect on the final outcome of who is selected as at-large participants. When a leader talks just to hear themselves talk, they risk saying something that can hurt their own personal image. In this case by trying to position his own personal well-being at the expense of his former employers, Coach L has drained all the goodwill he built with the George Mason family over the last 15 years. I encourage everyone to focus on themselves and what they can control and not focus on what they cannot control. Your time will be used much more productively.

Robert Griffin III's Leadership Skills Surface at NFL Combine

This past week the National Football League held its annual evaluation for potential draftees in Indianapolis at the NFL combine. While there was tons of talent and great players, no one stood out more than Heisman Trophy winner, Robert Griffin III. While his athletic skills running, jumping and lifting were very impressive, the real key to his meteoric rise in the view of coaches and management came from the realization of his tremendous leadership potential and the reality that he has an incredible presence. Not since Peyton Manning has another player exhibited the traits that every franchise is looking for to lead their team.

Entering last week everyone was familiar with RG III’s throwing arm and his track star speed, but few really had experienced his unique set of leadership talents. In analyzing his interviews, it became so apparent that Griffin is the total package. In trying to breakdown why the former Baylor star came across so well, I identified three C’s that I believe are the foundation of effective leadership.

Confidence---Griffin demonstrated a confident attitude where he clearly believes he can be a very successful quarterback in the NFL who will lead his team to championships. He did this in a way where he was confident but not cocky. He was self-assured without being arrogant. People want to follow individuals who they believe can deliver a result that is beneficial to the organization (team) and to the individuals themselves. One of my favorite quotes for leaders is by Alexandre Dumas:

“A person who doubts himself is like a man who would enlist in the ranks of his enemies and bear arms against himself. He makes his failure certain by himself being the first person to be convinced of it.”

Communication—Hearing Griffin during his interview on the NFL network, the Copperas Cove High School graduate was not only articulate but also original. His style and composure were off the chart believable. Additionally he was very refreshing and avoided the traditional clichés that so often surface when people are not really communicating but just regurgitating what they think people want to hear or what they have heard other people say. The dynamics of the interaction with host Rich Eisen were both believable and entertaining. You really left the show with the impression they were engaged in meaningful dialogue.

Charisma—Defined as personal magnetism, Griffin’s personality exploded during the interview. While being confident, he also was extremely likable. For NFL franchises, likability of their stars is extremely important, as research has found that likability is incredibly important in building a positive brand. His smile and demeanor was reminiscent of one of the nation’s most likable celebrities (Will Smith). People want to follow leaders that they like and enjoy being part of a team that works together in an atmosphere of cordiality not conflict. RG III has style, presence, enthusiasm, believability and energy; all important pieces of charisma. While some leaders have succeeded with limited charisma, having it makes the journey much easier.

It will be interesting to see which NFL team has been most impressed with Griffin and how much they are willing to invest in finding the future face of their franchise.

Bo Knows----Just Ask the Badgers or the Buckeyes

With 31 seconds to go in their annual dogfight in Columbus, 6 foot 10 center Jared Berggen drilled a three pointer that brought the Wisconsin Badgers from behind to knock off the home standing #8 ranked Buckeyes of Ohio State. While having your 6 foot 10 center launch a three on the most important possession of the game would seem to fly in the face of conventional wisdom, making the right call at the end of the game over his long and distinguished career has become the trademark of Badgers Head Coach Bo Ryan and the coach intuitively knew this was a great shot. Realize that making the right call is nothing new to Bo Ryan. In his 15 years as Head Coach at University of Wisconsin-Platteville, he won four Division III National Championships. Clearly Bo Ryan has demonstrated an amazing ability to use his intuition to make the correct decisions that have been the cornerstone of his 646 coaching victories in college basketball.

Great leaders and great coaches seem to always make the right call and many experts will tell you the reason: great leaders are extremely intuitive. When we look at the definition of intuitive we get two different interpretations of the concept.

1. Act or faculty of knowing or sensing without the use of rational process.
2. Immediate cognition.

While some individuals look at intuition as a mystical gift, the reality is great leaders and coaches have an amazing ability to aggregate tons of information acquired over their lifetime and process that information almost instantaneously. Great athletes have that same talent and use it to create winning situations. Maybe the greatest example of intuition in the athletic arena is Derek Jeter’s backhanded flip in game 3 of the 2001 American League playoffs to nail Jeremy Giambi at the plate in the seventh inning to preserve Mike Mussina’s 1-0 lead. As A’s manager Art Howe gasped, “I don’t have a clue as to how or why he was even involved in the play.”
Just like Ryan setting up his 6 foot 10 center, Jeter used all his experiences and knowledge to quickly size up the situation and immediately synthesize the information to position himself to make the game saving play.

Great leaders have that intuitive ability because they pay attention to every circumstance and process that information. Leaders focus on every situation they experience both from their own personal experiences and from viewing others. They not only observe the actions of others but they retain that data and store it in their memory bank. The critical message to be included in your leadership style is, "Do not to be so self absorbed that you only pay attention to yourself. Instead, gather every bit of information from both good and bad leaders so you instantly know what gives your organization (team) the best chance for success." Winning athletes and coaches make critical plays at critical times because they have worked to be able to use all their aggregated knowledge. While it appears great leaders often instinctively know the right decision, they have acquired loads of resource information over the years to use to make those "instinctive" decisions. Don’t be confused and think that intuition is some god given talent, winners develop that intuition by paying attention to everything around them and then filtering that information through a leadership funnel. As Coach Ryan has done numerous times, he has watched games and asked himself, “If I were coaching in that situation, what would I do?”. Be like Bo and ask yourself, “What would I have done if I were the leader in that situation?” There is a good chance you will have a similar situation occur in your leadership life.

Crimson Tides' Anthony Grant's Best Call---Addition by Subtraction

Last night I had the opportunity to watch the Alabama Crimson Tide hoopsters take apart a pretty good Arkansas squad in Fayetteville. The interesting part of the game was that the Tide was playing without their two best players who have been suspended on and off for most of the season. While Jamychal Green and Tony Mitchell never made the trip to Bud Walton Arena, the remaining guys pulled together and dominated after a shaky start. In today’s world of instant gratification, it is highly unusual for any coach to make a decision that hurts the current situation for the benefit of the long term. However, most great leaders know that early pain and discomfort is often critical in creating the necessary structure for success down the road.

When I hired Anthony Grant six years ago I posed the question, “How will you know if your players buy into your system?” Interestingly he said that if they do not buy-in, they will quit because they do not want to put in the required effort or it will be so apparent that they will soon not be a part of the team. Sure enough the first year, his two tallest players both left the team and Coach Grant was left with short numbers and no starter over 6’6. While that might have seemed like a sure fire way not to succeed, just the opposite happened. Those who truly committed came together and embraced the system, the coaches and their teammates, and set a Colonial Athletic Association record for most wins in a season, won the conference tournament and beat Duke in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Anthony Grant has a set of values and everyone in the program must understand the importance of those values. Remember that the reality of leadership is making decisions that are good for the entire group and accepting the responsibility for the success of the mission. It is about building a solid enduring organization or team. Sometimes leaders have to rid themselves of individuals who are destructive and bring the rest of the group down. It does not mean that they are bad people but it means that they are roadblocks to creating the correct culture. Coach Grant is always talking building a culture on his team. If you can build a culture where everyone understands and has focus on the same objectives, your chances are very good you will achieve at least to the ability of the individuals and you actually have a chance to achieve above the ability of the individuals. Some leaders (coaches) feel they can change anyone’s attitude and make them valuable contributors. The one thing to realize is that attitudes are formed over a lifetime and you may not be able to affect attitudes of some folks. When it become apparent that someone will not adapt to your value system, you may need to pull an Anthony Grant and cut loose the individual for the good of the group. Addition by subtraction may be most important play that you call to build a winner.

A Dynasty And A Legacy----UConn and Geno

One of the rarest of all occurrences in college athletics happened this weekend. The University of Connecticut women’s basketball squad lost a home game at Storrs, Connecticut. After 99 consecutive home victories, the St. John’s Red Storm ended the UConn Huskies incredible streak that started March 6, 2007.
The winning streak emphasized the fact that the Huskies are truly one of the few authentic dynasties in sports. Players have come and gone, challengers have taken their best shots but the Huskies have maintained their elite level since 1985 when Geno Auriemma was hired to lead the Huskies. With a winning percentage of over 85%, the Huskies under Coach A have maintained their place (along with Tennessee) as the most dominant women's basketball program in NCAA history. As we have often heard in sports or any competitive endeavor, getting to the top is very difficult, staying there is almost impossible. Yet Auriemma charges have maintained that status with amazing consistency.
The questions becomes simply, “How?”

About 5 years ago, I asked Coach Auriemma to address a gathering of 35 of the top assistant women’s basketball coaches in the country (a program I started called Villa 7), to help prepare them to become Head Coaches. While Geno’s presentation might have lacked “political correctness”, the message was right on target and relevant for any leader whether in sports, business, politics or education. The crux of the message was simple, “don’t make excuses and don’t accept excuses!” In his inimitable way and in no uncertain terms, he challenged each to overcome every obstacle and make something big happen. He emphasized that leaders make things happen and do not focus on why something cannot be accomplished, but rather on what we need to do to make it happen.

With that attitude, Coach Auriemma built the Uconn program to a level of distinction comparable to John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins of the 1960’s and 70’s.
And while Auriemma and Wooden’s personalities are as different as daylight and darkness, they had one similar belief that provided the structure for their dynasties ------THEY WOULD NOT SETTLE. They demanded total commitment and did not relent as time went by. One of the difficult things for any leader is to maintain all the leadership traits that have brought them success early. Understand that naysayers and bureaucrats who build difficult barriers will continually challenge leaders who have the ultimate responsibility for the organization. Those situations tend to wear down the focus of even very good leaders.

We can all take a lesson from Geno from his relentless dedication to being the best. It is very tough not to have some of your focus chipped away throughout the years. While it may be human nature to become more mellow as time goes by, it is important not to settle. One good analogy is young teachers who begin their careers with a burning desire to help students learn, yet after fifteen years many teachers have lost their passion and are just going through the motions and collecting a paycheck. Every once in awhile each of us need to look at ourselves to re-energize and make sure we still have that same passion as when we started. Without question, Geno Auriemma still has that same that same drive as when he began the challenge of building a program at UCONN, a program that had one winning season in the history of the school prior to 1985, his first year at the helm. Great leaders have the strength and confidence not to get beaten down. Believe in yourself and all the good you are doing and most of all----DON’T SETTLE FOR ANYTHING BUT THE BEST FROM YOUR TEAM.

The CAA and Tom Yeager----Prospering In the Turmoil of Conference Re-alignment

Without question the most difficult job in the world of sports is being a NCAA Division 1 conference commissioner. Think about having to deal with a University President who has a definite agenda and the answer to almost every issue; an Athletic Director who is charged with winning games, graduating students and financially managing a multi-million dollar budget and 16 coaches whose major focus is winning games. Now multiply that situation by 12 or 15 (the number of schools in a conference) and that is the day in, day out job a conference commissioner. Having teams that compete to the maximum in the athletic arena and then work together to build a conference that makes decisions that may be good for the group, but are sometimes at the expense of an individual school, has all the earmarks of an extremely dysfunctional organization. To make matters more difficult, Universities and their leadership are always looking for (in their minds) a better home for their program with very little concern for their current situation. Witness the crazy geographical make-up of some conferences and current domino game going on in conference affiliation like TCU going from the Mountain West to the Big East to the Big 12 within a year and you get a feel for the volatility of Division 1 athletics. Certainly these situations and issues challenge even the best leaders and conference commissioners every day. Yet some conferences have prospered in this crazy environment because of solid leadership by conference commissioners..

One of the best and most respected commissioners in Division 1 (who has faced this challenge for over 25 years) is the Colonial Athletic Association’s Tom Yeager. As the only commish in the history of the CAA, Tom has seen the dramatic change in college athletics and withstood the fleeting loyalty of University Presidents to build a rock solid conference that does things right. The CAA has had Final Four appearance in men’s and women’s basketball, National championships and big runs in NCAA Championships in just about every other sports and has done it with no major violations and a reputation for doing things right. The question arises, “How can anyone lead a group that has big egos, divergent missions and a burning desire to beat the brains out of the other members of the group?”

Tom Yeager has that challenge and has managed it beautifully. How? Tom Yeager has almost no ego. He is totally committed to achieving the best result for the schools and the conference without feeling any personal need to be the “main man”. Because of his lack of ego, he has been able to use the talents of all the Universities and their presidents, A.D.’s and coaches to massage the best result without creating confrontational situations. Like all great leaders, Tom has been able to draw on the collective knowledge, skill and energy of the entire group to maximize the productivity of the conference while making everyone feel that they are big contributors to the success of the group.

Understand that your mission as a leader is to accomplish a result that provides the most possible success for the group. It is not about you as the leader but about how we all will benefit by working together. Using all the talents of the group to get the bottom line result is the true test of a leader. Learn a lesson from Commissioner Yeager, ego gets in the way of building a team. That is the reason Tom Yeager has been the CAA Commissioner for over 25 years during this time of conference affiliation leapfrog, the CAA is stronger and more successful than ever.

Jeremy Lin----The Moneyball Poster Child

One of the best stories in sports in the last 25 years Is the meteoric rise of Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin. His play has been nothing but “Linsational”. The big question is, “How did someone who can totally dominate games and be the key to 5 straight NY Knick wins, been un-drafted and cut by 2 other teams after short tryouts?” The answer is one that leaders and coaches need to keep stored in their memory bank. Lin, who scored more points (109) in his first four starts then any NBA player since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976-77, is the prototypical underdog. Not offered a college athletic scholarship, the son of two 5 foot 6 parents, Lin has always been dismissed because he did not fit the norm. In other words, Jeremy Lin’s success flies in the face of conventional wisdom.

Conventional wisdom would tell you that point guards need to be super quick, have great ball-handling skills and have competed at the highest level and dominated games. Conventional wisdom is just that -- conventional. If Steve Jobs would have accepted conventional wisdom, no one would be talking on their iPhone or reading this blog on their iPad. It is amazing to see so many teams draft or recruit players based on potential rather than how they play the game. Coaches and player personnel staff tend to create profiles and then put people in positions based on their projected abilities rather than results. Lin has always been a winner dating back to his High School state championship team in Palo Alto to his outstanding career at Harvard. How much value does being a winner and having success in every endeavor bring to the table? Apparently it does not mean much to the experts.

As a leader, I would encourage you not to fall into the trap that because everybody else is doing something, then that is the way things need to be done. Evaluate people and situations based on your own set of values and do not accept what everyone else is doing or saying as the gospel. Always remember that individuals who are successful tend to know how to create an environment where they will continue to be successful. Fortunately, Mike D’Antoni was forced to give Lin a real opportunity because of injuries and poor play of his anointed point guards. Tom Brady (199 pick in 2000) and Albert Pujols (402 pick in 1999 draft) are examples of superstars who were not highly valued yet have greatly surpassed other much more acclaimed contemporaries in the draft.

Jeremy Lin’s success probably does more to reinforce the Billy Bean’s Moneyball theory than any athlete of the modern era. Bean looked at every aspect of how baseball was played and how teams were put together. He rejected conventional wisdom and built a competitive franchise with limited resources while focusing on the realities of success rather traditionally accepted beliefs. Maybe Jeremy Lin will be the guy who opens the eyes of sports executives to build teams differently. Maybe he will make many leaders abandon stereotypical thinking?
That would be very “Lin-novative”. Will the Knicks continue to win with Lin playing the key role or will they fall back into the superstar mentality and give Amare and Melo the ball at the expense of the team. It should be interesting.

Susan Walvius--Using Coaching Techniques To Build a Company

In 1990 trying to build a women’s basketball with limited resources, poor facilities and no tradition, I hired a 25 year old with only 3 years assistant coaching experience to tackle the daunting task of building a foundation for VCU Women’s Basketball. That hire turned out to be very significant and five years later VCU was playing in their first post-season tournament and had notched over 20 wins while competing in the very tough Metro Conference. Why did I entrust that challenge to someone so young and inexperienced? I saw all the elements of a great leader and problem solver in Susan Walvius. Others noticed quickly also and after resurrecting VCU women’s basketball, Coach Walvius moved on to West Virginia and South Carolina where she re-energized both programs and positioned them to become significant programs on the national level. To highlight her coaching acumen, in the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons, Walvius was recognized as a finalist for Naismith National Coach of the Year.

In analyzing the elements of Coach Walvius’ leadership style that were key to the success of her teams, three important characteristics were very evident.:

1. A true problem solver---Susan always was focused on how to deal with the challenges that were readily apparent and never let the things that she could not control interfere with the task at hand. In recruiting rather than settle for less talented players than the traditional winners could recruit, she found new pools of talent. Susan recruited very talented players from the then Soviet Union and worked through all the operational issues of visas, government (Soviet control) and language. Susan recruited the first Soviet (Russian) player to play at a NCAA program and Anna Pavlikhina opened the VCU recruiting to other Russian, Swedish and Irish players who Coach Walvius blended in beautifully with American athletes. Great leaders do things, they do not just talk about doing things.
2. Always focused on the bottom line result---Coach Walvius was amazing in her ability to adjust and understand that the end result was the critical outcome. She would continually evaluate and put individuals in positions to be successful which led to major wins both on and off the court. Unlike some leaders, she never worried about her own ego but concentrated on her team’s performance and how to improve both the individual and team.
3. She was a great learner----Susan was always looking for better and more productive ways to do things. She never had the attitude that she had all the answers. That characteristic allowed her to grow and become better everyday as a leader and coach. Some leaders think they have it all figured out and therefore create an atmosphere of “status quo”.

Using her leadership and coaching skills, Susan has taken on an exciting new challenge as co-founder and CEO of an exciting new company named Sheex. With co-founder former UT Vol superstar Michelle Marciniak, the two have launched this new endeavor that uses materials similar to those in athletic wear to manufacture sheets and bedding that provide all the same benefits of the new high tech athletic gear. Coach (CEO) Walvius understands how to lead and how to win. This is a great example of a leader actually implementing an idea and concept rather just talking about it. GREAT LEADERS DO, BAD LEADERS TALK ABOUT DOING. I will bet that everyone will be familiar with Sheex in five years. Check out sheex.com, you will be impressed.

Coach Mike Brey's Fighting Irish Has Enlisted Big Mo

When Notre Dame knocked off unbeaten Syracuse on January 21, most folks thought that the upset of the number 1 Orange was a fluke by a mediocre Fighting Irish squad. Particularly since the closet appeared to be bare in South Bend with the departure of three starting seniors and losing All Big East candidate Tim Abromaitis (knee injury) prior to the 2011-12 season. However, Mike Brey’s crew have rebuilt themselves and now are contending in the Big East with a 7-3 ledger.

What Brey has done is something that can provide value to any organization and that is to capitalize on momentum. Struggling to stay above .500 after 19 games, the schedule looked daunting with games against Big East powerhouses Syracuse, early season surprise Seton Hall, defending National Champion UConn and top 15 Marquette. Yet the Irish’s big win over the then undefeated Orangemen, changed their entire season. That win set the stage for three consecutive upset wins and now has them positioned very favorably for the post-season.

Great leaders take advantage of wins to engage their organizations so that the team members believe in the vision of the leader. Victories must be celebrated and recognized so that team members can feel a real sense of accomplishment.
The Fighting Irish through Brey’s careful tutelage are feeling good about themselves and have developed into a very cohesive unit. Leaders not only need to look for positive outcomes but they must get the team members to understand how that victory benefits them individually as well as the team. By having the individuals feel a part of the victory, they will work that much harder and individual team members will step up on different occasions. All of which builds on the momentum and becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. In the Irish’s 76-59 domination of Marquette on Saturday, Frosh Pat Connaughton scored 23 points to take the heat off upper classmen Scott Martin and Jack Cooley.

Coach Mike Brey has done more with less over his career at Notre Dame then almost any coach in the country and that is the true test of a leader. He has done it because he has enabled his players and made them believe they can win against the traditional elite of the Big East. By celebrating victories, Brey encourages his players to focus on the positive and the true foundation of being a team. Celebrating victories makes every member of the team recognize that when the group succeeds, everybody shares in the victory. If the Fighting Irish can maintain their momentum they have an authentic shot at a second place finish in the Big East. Can Brey's charges maintain Big Mo?

NCAA President Mark Emmert Reform Movement---An Ongoing Leadership Case Study

Over the next month the NCAA member schools will vote on two override issues that were approved by the Board of Directors last summer. Both are being positioned as student-athlete welfare issues, but many long time athletic directors wonder if this is the first step in the creation of a “Super Division”. As the non-BCS schools struggle to financially support their programs and find alternative revenue sources (mostly student fees), the huge television deals and bowl payouts provide significant revenue streams for the Big 6 conferences.

The Board has passed legislation where athletics departments can provide an annual supplement of $2,000 above the normal athletic scholarship. However 161 of the 355 Division 1 schools signed an override measure against the stipend, enough to suspend the measure for now. The reality of this movement is that this legislation will divide the Association into haves and have-nots. NCAA President Mark Emmert says that this is permissive legislation. No school has to provide the stipend to its athletes. However, the reality is that a school will quickly be classified as to whether they provide the stipend or not. Those programs that cannot afford to provide the stipend, will quickly be stigmatized as not committed to “big time” athletics.

To many Athletic Directors who have been in the game for a long time, they perceive President Emmert ‘s reform movement as the early stages of the ultimate move to a “Super Power” Division with different rules and different agendas. Typically this is an example of a leadership style (used frequently in Higher Education) where different scenarios are created over a long period of time that ultimately lead to a major desired outcome. Compare that leadership style to the one where leaders just deal with the main issue and explain the pros and cons of the big issue and the implementation process.

So President Emmert and the NCAA Board has two options:

1. Pass many pieces of legislation that ultimately demonstrate the extreme differences in the 355 Division 1 members so there is no doubt there is a need for the creation of a new “Super Power” Division.
2. Deal with the inequities in college athletics right now and develop a plan (based on input from all levels of the Division 1 membership) that outlines how this “Super Power” Division would operate and then present that concept.

With the huge amount of money that is at stake here, it is really hard to fathom that sooner or later the big boys won’t want both a bigger share and more control. The next 6 months should provide interesting as President Emmert pushes his agenda. Will his leadership provide a strong unified Division 1 or will college athletics turn into a bifurcated system of have and have-nots. Stay tuned to see where President Emmert’s reform movement and leadership takes Division 1.

The Duke BBall Assistant Coaches---An Inner Circle to Count ON

Last week I had the opportunity to talk with Duke Assistant Basketball Coach Jeff Capel. Jeff who had been highly successful as a Head Coach at VCU and had taken Oklahoma to the Elite Eight in 2009, returned this fall to Cameron Indoor Stadium (the sight of his great college career) to serve as an Assistant Coach for the Blue Devils. Interestingly Capel joined two other former Duke players (Chris Collins and Steve Wojciechowki) on the bench next to Coach Krzyzewski. Many management gurus would question the idea of having such a homogeneous grouping making up your inner circle. Some would contend that having your right hand people having the same background is a bad idea because there is limited introduction of new ideas and/or different methods of operating.

Yet it is pretty hard to argue with the winningest coach in history of NCAA Division 1 basketball. Before I hired Jeff to be my head coach at VCU at the ripe old age of 27, we traveled to Durham and met with Coach K for 6 hours in his office. Having the opportunity to interact with him in that setting eliminated any concerns about Jeff Capel and demonstrated to me the amazing leadership ability of Krzyzewski. Displaying absolutely zero signs of arrogance, Coach K shared many of the values (that I am sure Jeff had heard many times before) that highlighted to me the reasons why his teams and players always performed to their potential. It was so evident that everyone affiliated with Duke basketball had a total commitment to K’s vision. The former West Point guard demanded that buy-in from his players, coaches, and staff. He assured the cohesiveness of the group by having a great deal of knowledge about every individual prior to accepting them as part of the Blue Devil team.

Coach K asks a great deal from his players but he returns even more to them. The loyalty that is created is a two way street. Because of this unique bond, it only makes sense that his inner circle would consist of individuals who have the same passion and core values as the leader. Each of his assistants has basically had a four year intensive job interview as players. Coach K emphasized to Jeff in our meeting, the importance of having great assistant coaches. Having an inner circle of loyal, committed, highly energized associates will trump the concept of differing backgrounds every time.

I have seen many very good head coaches fail because of assistant coaches who have a different agenda than the head coach. I have seen Athletic Directors be bogged down with disloyal staff. In any team (business, sports, education), if the inner circle is not willing to submit their own personal goals and desires for the good of the group, the result will be fragmented. Whether you love the Blue Devils or not, Coach K and his inner circle are a great leadership lesson. Loyalty to the leader and commitment to his/her goal will always be present in highly successful organizations

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."

Harbaugh Takes a Page Out of Coach Wooden's Book

This week I was listening to a sports talk show and one of the talking heads was commenting on the great job that Jim Harbaugh had done with QB Alex Smith. Apparently Harbaugh had instituted a communication style that I would call the “Awesome But” method. Smith who apparently has lacked confidence over the years has flourished under the tutelage of the former Michigan quarterback. Simply put, the coach has a style where he starts with an ego builder and then introduces the learning statement. A typical Harbaught interaction would be, “Alex you are throwing the ball awesome, but make sure you make that 3 step drop faster so you can see the defense quicker.” This communication strategy has worked wonders with the 2005 number 1 draft pick. This interaction builds on the success with no negative effect while getting the point across loud and clear. Without question, Harbaugh’s handling of Smith who was pretty much written off by former staffs and the media, has resurrected Smith’s career and made him a viable MVP candidate and provided the 49ers a leader who can make the big plays in clutch situations.

Not coincidentally, John Wooden was famous for this same style of interaction with his players and called it pre-correction. Wooden’s theory was that the initial positive statement would more completely acquire the total focus of the player and then the second statement would allow the player to visualize the total movement correctly with no negative implication. During the 1970’s UCLA had a 7 foot player named Ralph Drollinger who would get the rebound but not outlet the ball quick enough for the Wizard of Westwood. By not making the pass quickly enough the defense would have time to react and the Bruin fastbreak would be susceptible for turnovers. So Wooden would holler every time Drollinger got a defensive rebound, “Good Rebound, Pass it to somebody short!” By the start of season Drollinger became a very effective defensive rebounder who was good at initiating the UCLA famous fast-break that led to easy baskets for future NBA stars Marques Johnson or Dave Myers.

As a coach, leader or manager I would encourage you to implement Harbaugh’s “Awesome But” style or Coach Wooden’s pre-correction strategy as part of your communication with your team. Those styles paid huge dividends for two super successful leaders and my guess is, it will work for you. I encourage everyone to study the masters and then not copy but identify specific concepts that fit into your personality and then adapt those concepts so they becomes part of your leadership portfolio.

Do not be surprised this weekend when we hear from Coach Harbaugh, “ Our guys played great and our victory over the Giants was awesome, but we are going to have to really get focused these next 2 weeks if we expect to bring home the Lombardy Trophy.”

Louisville 18 Marquette 2---Buzz Was Familiar With The Situation

Yesterday while flipping channels I happened on Marquette versus Louisville on ESPN. Shockingly the Cardinals had jumped to a 18-2 lead that would have made most viewers hit the remote looking for something a little more interesting. However, I was very interested in this game as I have known Marquette Coach Buzz Williams for a number of years and was pretty sure with his personality and coaching style and leadership, the Golden Eagles would never give in. Amazingly by halftime, Williams’ squad had gained the lead and by the end of the game had a relatively easy 11 point victory. Teams clearly manifest the personality of the Head Coach and this game told the story of Brent “Buzz” Williams and his total commitment to his vision.

Buzz has always focused on his vision of being a major Division 1 Head Basketball Coach and never gave up regardless of how tough the road to success might have been. Unlike many coaches of today, Williams did not come out of one the famous “coaching trees”. Not having a Coach K, Pitino or Izzo to open doors and help with potential jobs, Buzz did it the old-fashioned way with hard work and unbelievable determination. Starting as a student manager and quickly being given the role of student coach, Williams began his career at Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas (hardly the cradle of coaches). After graduating from Junior College, the college coaching career of Williams advanced through a steady progression of better opportunities and remarkable success. Amazingly every stop on his long journey had one thing in common, quality players and great seasons. Progressive moves starting in 1992 at Oklahoma City University, through UT Arlington, Texas A&M-Kingsville, Northwestern State, Colorado State and Texas A&M set the stage for his first head coaching job at UNO in 2006. Amazingly Buzz had to deal with post-Katrina issues (no home court, no dorms, no money ) and managed to notch 14 victories, the equivalent of the win total for the last three years of the program. Tom Crean came calling and a great marriage began in Milwaukee.

Williams’ journey sets a great example for all leaders of having the vision and determination to reach a goal. I was always so impressed with him in that he is totally committed to his vision and has never faltered. He never lets barriers or intermediate setbacks get in the way of his goals. His work ethic is second to none and his followers quickly pick up on that. Great leaders and winners do not look at barriers as obstacles but rather opportunities. Of all the coaches I have gotten to know over the years, Buzz Williams has persevered and achieved and done it through his positive attitude, sheer determination and gargantuan work capacity with a single-mindedness that does not accept failure. All great leaders reject failure and learn from the setbacks that they incur. Coach Brent “Buzz" Williams has succeeded through his own efforts and leadership skills.. I congratulate him and the Golden Eagles.
I can assure you one thing, his teams will never give up. Just ask Rick Pitino.

The Two Most Influential Leaders in Sports Today---GB2 and CB

One of the most recognized and respected authorities on leadership is John C. Maxwell. While many “experts” have gone to great lengths to define leadership, Maxwell contends “leadership is influence, nothing more and nothing less”.
If that is the case then who on the American sports landscape are actually the most significant leaders and influencers of public opinion? Who currently has the most influence on the daily lives of individuals across the board? In my mind the two most influential sports figures of today are about as different as different can be, yet they both have similar endearing qualities that support their popularity.

One is a rising star while the other retired from active play in 2000. One is a Hall of Famer and the other is trying to hold on to a starter’s position. One is respected for spending his time with his family and friends at home while the other is more likely to spend his off time at Las Vegas casinos. One is always pictured on one knee in a reflective pose while the other is pictured on the golf course with an almost comedic golf swing. I can go on and on about the differences but you can probably guess who I am talking about.

Yep, today I believe that Tim Tebow and Sir Charles are the two most influential personalities in sports today. While initially thinking they are very different, they are amazingly similar. Both of these guys are one thing ---AUTHENIC. While many question Tebow’s dedication to his religious belief, he has not wavered in his own personal commitment. With Charles, no one is more honest in conveying his thoughts that range from politics to role models. Tebow favorite quote is, "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard." The greatest 6'5 rebounder in the history of the game said, "When you guys criticize me, it made me play better. I didn't get on TV and whine about it." Everything these two do have become the focus of the media. From the sports record of 9,420 tweets per second after the Steelers game to Jimmy Fallon’s portrayal of the former Florida Gator to Charles hosting the Saturday Night to becoming the National spokesman for Weight Watchers, individuals love these two guys. One of the other similarities between the two is that they love people and have done some amazingly charitable things. Seeing Tim interact with disabled and disadvantaged kids before games is truly heart-warming. Being with Charles and seeing him make major donations to the Jimmy V Foundation and other charities while investing significant time and effort to raise money for worthy causes speaks a great deal about the quality of the person.

Getting back to leadership I would encourage all leaders to take a page out of GB2 and CB’s book. BE AUTHENIC or as Chuck shared, “People respect honesty. There are a lot of athletes out there who are walking P.R. Firms." Also have the courage to believe in your own thoughts and beliefs and do not cower because some of the so-called experts question you. Both of these leaders have stayed the course under some pretty heavy criticism and now they are the two most influential sports figures in this country. Realize that every leader’s style may be different but the great ones have the same foundation as Tebow and Barkley: courage, confidence and authenticity.

How A Sport Can Change A University---The Gonzaga Paradigm

If we were going to give an award to the most surprisingly consistent individual program in college sports since the turn of the century, we would be shipping the trophy to Spokane, Washington. How does a school with a little over 4,700 undergrads and no NCAA appearances until 1995, all of a sudden become once of the most successful programs in college basketball over the last twelve years. The success of Gonzaga under the direction of Mark Few is incredible. Twelve consecutive appearances in the NCAA tournament and an overall record of 328-85 (a winning percentage of 80%) has made the Zags both the darling of the nation and the desired model for every non-BCS program in Division 1. I wish I had a dollar for every time a college administrator or coach was quoted as saying we are going to make our program “the Gonzaga of the East (or North, South, Midwest, Southwest, fill in the blank, etc.).

How did a small Jesuit University in the great Northwest build a program that has dramatically changed the brand of the entire University nationally and so positively impacted the future of the institution? The answer is the leadership made a wise decision to allocate their limited resources to an area that could provide the most benefit to the program and the University. This concept is one called “selective excellence” and allows athletic programs, business or organizations to compete in pre-determined areas rather than spread available resources totally across the board and be mediocre in all of them. So often leaders try to give everyone everything they want so they allocate dollars without establishing priorities. In Athletic programs that do not have unlimited resources, that strategy (everybody gets the same) is a sure way to be middle of the pack in everything. Interestingly by focusing on men's basketball the other Zag programs have becoming tremendously successful as the Gonzaga brand became a huge recruiting tool. Women's basketball has made postseason appearances in 6 of the last 8 years with an surprising run to the elite 8 in 2011. Men's and women's soccer and baseball have all made recent appearances n the NCAA Championships. Each sport now has new quality facilities that can be tied to the success of men's basketball. Rather than be envious of men's basketball, each of the other Gonzaga coaches understand how basketball has benefitted their team.

Athletic Director Mike Roth (in his 15th year at the helm) invested in men’s basketball in many ways but most significantly he created consistency in the program by retaining Head Coach Mark Few. When the BCS programs came calling, the investment by Roth of strategically allocating resources to the Bulldogs’ most productive area (men’s basketball) paid huge dividends as Few never wavered in his desire to stay with the Zags. When I asked Mike why Coach Few stayed, he simply stated, "He has a great job."

A new arena, great travel arrangements, amazing financial support and a national presence for the University are the most significant benefits from Mike Roth’s vision. Additional admissions applications, new buildings and dormitories have become the rule because of a great leadership decision by Mike Roth and the loyalty and great coaching of Mark Few. The next construction on the Gonzaga campus should be a statue of Mike Roth and Mark Few shaking hands.