Being a life-long Green Bay Packer fan, I remember fondly the Vince Lombardi days. A couple of Lombardi memorabilia adorn our Rec Room, which has become our Packer shrine. And I still will throw in one of his quotes about leadership now and then in one of my lectures.
It might be time to say move over Vince and make room for Mike. Green Bay Packer coach Mike McCarthy seems to set the leadership tone just right up in the frozen tundra.
From Mike Vandermause’s column at PackerNews.com:
If you’re searching for reasons why the Packers are 13-3 this season, start with the second-year coach’s no-nonsense approach that includes a twist.
McCarthy demands commitment and production, but he trusts his players and treats them like adults.
Too many coaches make the mistake of micromanaging, which can have a suffocating effect on a team. McCarthy seems to have struck the perfect balance between setting a high standard and giving his players the freedom to carry it out.
Set high standards, communicate those standards clearly, expect results, and most importantly, treat people with respect and trust that they will perform. This is a great leadership formula. Does it result in 100% success? Of course not. No leader can ever make that happen. There is too much random chance out of our control, and people are people. Adjust to the surprises that come your way, and if people do not respond to being treated with respect and autonomy, find new people who will.
Treat your employees with respect, and they will respect you. Your job is not to be their friend, but to be their leader. Listen to the words of veteran defensive tackle Ryan Pickett from Vandermause’s column:
“I like it that he’s approachable. He’s tough, he means what he says, says what he means. At the same time, the guys can all go to him, and he listens. And players, they rally behind a guy like that. It’s easy to play for a coach like that. Everybody respects him.”
And don’t forget to have some fun. Much of a leader’s role using this style is to keep everyone loose and foster a positive culture.
Go Pack!!!!
(A note a full disclosure — I am also a shareholder of the Green Bay Packers. But no worry. I am not trying to push up the value of my stock. Once you buy the stock you can never sell it and it will never pay a dividend. But it makes a really cool addition to our Packer collection in the Rec Room!)
This guy is a fine example of quality leadership. Many people confuse being a leader with tyrannical ways that manipulate everyone around them into following their orders instead of their “lead”. This was a really good post because it gives a great example of team work because everyone must perform under extremely stressful conditions with heavy opposition! This was an excellent comparison!
Dwayne Lattimore