THREAD on Leadership and Culture

I've been fortunate to have a lot of successful mentors help along the way. One of the unexpected ones was in the world of football.

Here are 11 lessons I took away from a Super Bowl-winning General Manager on leading a successful team:
Everyone in the building reflects the organization.

Treat them all like they matter because they do.
Don't take motivation for granted.

We often assume the best athletes, the ones who are self-driven, are okay, and don't need motivation.

Don't. They are people. Check-in.
Learn to read the room.

How do players feel, what's the sentiment? Moods and beliefs are contagious.

Spend time figuring out how best to read your locker room.

And make sure you have someone who is skilled at helping nudge and course-correct as needed.
We succeed with good people. Trust your coaches to do their job.

The best way to take talented employees and make them average is to micromanage them.

Hire good people, support them, get out of their way.
Motivation: Know WHO, WHAT, and HOW:

Who you are trying to motivate
What are you trying to motivate them to do
How you are going to motivate them.
Athletes want to know the answer to one question: “How do I get better?”

Provide a way for them to accomplish their goals and dreams.
The key is establishing buy-in.

How? Develop?
1. Strong team and individual goals.
2. Deep Knowledge and preparation
3. Passion and Care.- Care about them as a person and their success and they will follow.
4. Get leaders on board. They spread the message.
Prior Success buys you a small amount of time.

You still need to establish buy-in with the individuals sitting in front of you.

People have short memories, the championship you won a few years ago doesn't mean as much as you think it does to the individuals in the room.
Be Upfront and honest about everyone’s roles.

Set appropriate expectations. The guy who gets little playing time understands it if it's been clearly communicated and their a plan/path forward.
“You’re the dumbest person in your city”

Accept it.

The better you are the more criticism there will be.
People like watching people fail. It's the watching a "car wreck phenomenon."
Everyone deserves coaching.

Don't Forget the Backups.

They often don't have their motivational needs met. We often dismiss them as should "being grateful to simply be here." They are humans. We all need motivation.
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