Although I am a Los Angeles Rams fan, I have to admit that Bill Walsh, coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 1979 – 1989, was a legendary leader. I read his book The Score Takes Care of Itself a while back, and below are a few principles we can learn from his leadership.
Have a Philosophy
“Your philosophy is the single most important navigational point on your leadership compass.”
I have read books by many successful coaches, and they all have this idea in common. John Wooden had his “Pyramid of Success.” Pete Carroll has his “Win Forever” philosophy and if we look at other sectors of leadership, leaders have a philosophy.
In a resource I created called Leadership Theory 101, I explain eleven theories of leadership which I won’t go into here. I see in Coach Walsh’s statement that effective leaders have a philosophy. This is our guide on why, what, when, and even how we do what we do. This will be at the center of our decision-making process. Our philosophy will be our compass.
Growth not Goal
“I directed our focus less to the prize of victory than to the process of improving . . . about the quality of our execution and the content of our thinking; that is, our actions and attitude.”
As Walsh developed his philosophy he, like other great coaches, chose not to focus on winning but the process that would help them get to that outcome. When we get too focused on the result, we lose our drive if we have a loss that seems to prevent us from accomplishing the goal.
When leading our teams, we must have a goal or vision. That provides the why behind what is done each day, but as McChesney, et al. discuss in The 4 Disciplines of Execution, the lead measures are the daily actions that will help us achieve the goals we seek. As we keep our team focused on the habits that will bring results, the results will come.
Culture is Critical
“Champions behave like champions before they’re champions; they have a winning standard of performance before they are winners.”
Maybe you’ve heard the idea that culture eats leadership for lunch. As a leader, Walsh had a philosophy that helped create a culture. If the standard we expect as leaders is only held up when we are present, then we don’t have the culture we seek yet.
When the leader is not present, but the performance standard remains, you have created a culture. If people are not meeting expectations and others on your team hold one another to the expected standard . . . you have the culture you desire. This culture tied to your philosophy and expectations will reinforce and continue to help you accomplish your goals.
Reflect on these three areas for a moment today and evaluate how you are doing in these areas. Do you have a culture of followers who do what you want when you are there? Or are you developing leaders who are excited about the vision and help others work to accomplish the shared vision? Need help developing the leaders around you? Contact me and let’s explore ways I can help you and the leaders around you grow to create a culture that builds champions. Lead Well.
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