Remember this Titan
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Julius was a terrific player but had an attitude that stunk. One day watching game films I asked Julius what he thought. He turned to me and grumbled something about why would I care what he thought. I told him he was a smart guy and I needed his help.
A few days later on the practice field he came up and asked if I was serious about wanting his input. I responded that I did. He gave me a mouthful. I employed some of it and it worked. I got results and turned my naysayer into an advocate.
One year I had a running back that I thought was terrific. Statistics proved differently. At the end of the season I sat down with him and we tried to figure out what was wrong. We determined my play calling did not suit his running style. It was too specific. He was a dutiful follower. When the play called for him to hit the hole, he did. Just as instructed. If the hole was filled he went nowhere. When the season was over he finally spoke up. There must have been something in my coaching style that inhibited his input earlier on. He asked me if I would just let him go where he saw daylight. I thought that was a good idea. The next season I told him he was free to go wherever he wanted. It was in his hands. That season ended and he had become one of the top rushers in the state.
I facilitated the process by doing nothing more than letting him do what he knew best. I’ve been punished when I denied people freedom and I’ve been rewarded when I took the bridle off.
Lots of kids get in trouble as they enter their teens. All their lives their parents were in charge. They were told what to do and how to do it and for good reason. You don’t learn in a vacuum. But at some point after those lessons have been learned and knowledge gained, a child wants to experiment. They are ready to make their own decisions. If you don’t let them, at best you inhibit growth but even worse, you set the stage for rebellion.
Patrick Henry understood the importance of freedom. If he couldn’t have it he’d rather be dead.
In coaching, you teach your athletes what to do but at some point they have to do it on their own. They have to make decisions. When you interject yourself into every scenario you take away their ability to think and I’ve never seen a thoughtless athlete take home the gold.
Facilitating the process means influencing the proper perceptions.
Perception is everything. In the relationship-building business, perception governs conduct. Who you are is one thing. What people think you are is more important. People respond to what they see. Perception is the driving force behind behavior. Recognize that you may know who you are but others don’t. Most people carry a basket of suspicions. For good reasons. Their life before you was not a walk on the yellow brick road. Anyone who has been mistreated, betrayed, or let down remembers it.
In leading a team, when you exhibit the same behaviors you seek in others you’ll create an impression you’re okay. If you want discipline, courage, honesty, teamwork, dedication, and loyalty, you should display discipline, courage, honesty, teamwork, dedication, and loyalty.
I’m not sure why so many leaders struggle with the concept. For me, doing what I wanted done always made sense. It’s tough getting to any championship. The pain, the suffering, the hardship are an ever-present reality. Frequently your players will question the essence of the person who introduced the misery. If you have influenced the proper perceptions they will come to the conclusion that you ask no more of them than you demand of yourself.
Facilitating the process means building confidence.
When I first started coaching I didn’t understand the power of confidence. I wanted to make my players stronger, faster, and smarter. As an empirical guy I liked the fact that those attributes could be measured. Confidence was intangible. I knew it was important but wasn’t sure why. I never would have guessed that a principle component of my coaching philosophy would come as the result of lemonade.
I’m sure you’ve noticed every summer the entrepreneurial spirit is born. Across America a million kids convince mom to help them earn gum money. On the surface, there doesn’t appear to be all that much to it. Some may think that but others have a different understanding. A friend told me a story.
The first time his kids went out to sell lemonade he realized there were issues at play that transcended making a buck. In reality, selling lemonade is a very big deal. It’s about quality, salesmanship, delivery, distribution, and pricing. Selling lemonade is about success and failure. The last thing he wanted his kids to experience was the rejection that was felt when you complete a three-hour tour of duty and your pitcher is full. He decided to eliminate the possibility of that happening. It was pretty easy. His kids sat on the sidewalk and he positioned himself around the corner five blocks away. Every potential customer that was moving in their direction was stopped and given a quarter to buy a cup. Everyone was excited to participate. Who wouldn’t want to get free lemonade and help a kid too? They understood who was going to pay their Social Security. An hour went by and he decided to see what his kids were doing. As he walked up he could see the enthusiasm on their faces. They were excited. They were yelling. They were jumping. They were winning. He attributes that the confidence they gained on that day helped set a foundation to a lifetime of success. It cost him 7.25 and it was the best investment he ever made.
I know that there are people who might hear that story and question the merit of the father’s actions. They might say if there was no failure, that’s not the real world. Some might suggest if the kids found out that their dad had a hand in their success, they would believe their success was a sham.
I guess there are lots of ways to look at anything. There was a time I overplayed the “what if” game—upside, downside, inside, outside. And when I did I could always find a reason for doing nothing. I no longer do. I now use one criterion. I ask myself whether my action will make someone better. If the answer is yes, I do it. If I erred in my assessment I correct the situation and move on.
As a coach, my responsibility is to help people improve. The process is linear. Winning starts with preparation: physical, mental, and emotional. It’s followed with application. People who are prepared want to apply their new ability. Let them. Help them.
Now here is where you earn your pay. You decide where and when that application takes place. The object is to generate success because success builds confidence and confidence is the accelerant. Confidence is the flash point for momentum. Momentum is a precursor for victory.
Once the victory is achieved, the third step kicks in: recognition. You applaud the achievement. You highlight the effort. You praise the dedication. You run it up the flagpole. You hand out a medal. Buy a plaque. Put a star on a helmet. What’s important is that you acknowledge the achievement because people respond to praise. Praise builds confidence. More praise more confidence. More confidence more success. More success more confidence. Linear becomes circular. Get the process started and it feeds on itself.
If you don’t remember the statistic in the 1971 State Championship game here it is again. The second best team in the state of Virginia had minus five yards against the Titans. Confidence dominated the day. Building confidence has always been at the core of my coaching philosophy. It’s so fundamental to winning that I’ve never understood why anyone would attempt to diminish a player. I know it can happen by accident.
As a coach you have a bag of psychological tools at your disposal. If you’re any good, you use the right tool at the appropriate time. It’s not an exact science but with practice and experience you’ll hit the mark more often than not. I’ve tried to make players feel proud, I’ve attempted to generate a feeling of guilt, I’ve made them question their dedication and inspect their loyalty. But the one thing I won’t do is tear someone down. Nobody excels when feeling low. When you destroy confidence you contaminate the fuel that ignites the spirit. You remove the catalyst for self-esteem. You handcuff the governor of excellence. After years of fits and starts it finally came to me. Confidence is a critical performance driver and it will make the difference between winning a champ
ionship or watching one.
There are a few things you need to know about confidence:
♦ Confidence Is Combustible
It was one of the most arduous mountain climbing legs in the Tour de France. Lance Armstrong had been struggling getting up the mountain. As the camera panned to his face you could see the agony that reflected the fire in his legs. The camera showcased his number one competitor who looked a third as tired and twice as strong. At this point in the tour many of the newscasters believed Lance’s days in the sun were over. As he moved up the mountain, his bike came precariously close to a fan standing on the side of the road. Something caught Armstrong’s handlebars and he and his bike were wrenched to the ground. Everyone watching was in shock. Because the Tour de France is won by seconds, a newscaster proclaimed that the end of Armstrong had come. Lance didn’t become Lance by accident. He had a reservoir of courage that was bottomless. Somehow, within seconds, bruised and bleeding he was on the go. As he began to pass his competitors something marvelous happened. His confidence was ignited. The pain vanished from his face as the energy erupted in his body. He blew by riders as if they were standing still. Some believe it was the greatest comeback in cycling history. Armstrong went on to win his fifth Tour de France. Confidence was the generator that shot him up the mountain.
What happened with Lance is not unique. Since the beginning confidence has played a role in victory. For as long as people have attempted to excel, confidence has been at the core. History records incredible feats. Confidence was that inner voice that whispered to “get in the ring” and then commanded to “stay there.” Because of confidence less became more and wannabe’s became winners. When confidence is present anything is possible.
♦ Confidence Is Infectious
Because confidence is a state of mind when it erupts it travels at the speed of thought.
Remember the 1993 Super Bowl? Both teams got there by winning. Both teams were confident. The Buffalo Bills had made it four times. Rightly so, they were being called one of the greatest teams in NFL history. Their talent was immense and their egos huge. In a pre-game interview standing next to the announcer they looked awesome.
After the game only one was a winner. The Bills were called “losers.” They weren’t losers; they just hadn’t won. Not surprisingly, after being chastised for their loss, they started to show the psychological effects. In four quarters they had morphed from athletic giants into a dispirited dwarfs. They seemed small and insignificant. They were apologetic. They were sad. I felt pity. The next season they were not themselves. As matter of fact, they haven’t been themselves since 1993.
For a long time I’ve known that confidence turns meek into mighty. On that day, I learned that confidence was a double-edged sword. I’ve seen similar situations. What I continue to marvel at is the speed at which it happens. I’ve come to the conclusion:
♦ Confidence Is Fragile
Guard it, protect it, shelter it, and defend it. Confidence is breakable and when it has been broken the mighty become the meek.
Facilitating the process involves developing your players.
Most people have a self-centered interpretation of reality. As a result, they have imposed an artificial ceiling on their ability. They can’t help it. It comes from going through life in their skin. Your job is to introduce them to a new reality. It took me a long time to figure that out. My only excuse is that I wasn’t developed. Learning is an evolutionary thing and comes from experience. The more you get, the better you are.
Mom
Dad
Sis
The Long-Awaited Reunion With Daughter Susan Gail
Mrs. McDonald
Ed Sanders
Gerry Bertier
Ralph Davis Before He Became “King of Crabcakes”
John O’Connor and Bob Stumpf
1969—Bringing the Trophy Home to Hammond
Grandson Grayson and Mrs. Bertier with President Clinton
Julius Campbell
It doesn’t matter who they are. If you want to take them to a higher level of performance they need to be developed. I’ve never met a leader that wouldn’t say making their team better was a priority. Even the most unenlightened would agree that when people have more skill and capability they can perform better. Unfortunately, what many profess as their philosophy does not show up on the videotape. They believe that development is crucial and yet their actions run counter to their attitude.
I recently heard a coach proclaim that, “He was hired to win football games. He was not a baby sitter. Behavior off the field was an individual’s responsibility.” He walked his talk and as a result, his team imploded. Had he introduced a program that highlighted civic responsibility, there would have been no victims, a few lives would have been salvaged, and he would still have his job.
Over the years I’ve seen an abundance of kids that needed help. It should have been given long before they got to me. I remember one parent who had no money for a tutor but was always flush when someone shouted “beer.”
What should be understood is that there are consequences when someone is not properly developed. That parent may be giving milk money to a fifty year old. The concept is so fundamental why wouldn’t anyone develop the talent they had? I’ve come to the conclusion that there are a few reasons:
♦ It takes time to develop people.
♦ There is an expense in developing people.
♦ There is ignorance as to who needs to be developed and what needs to be done.
In every environment there are people who are not prepared to do their best. Did you know that they know it? They would like to fix it. I believe development is an inalienable right. As a coach I am asking for my players help. Quid pro quo demands if I ask for it, I should be willing to give it. And the sooner I do, the quicker the individual will improve.
Whenever I’ve taken on a leadership responsibility I don’t tiptoe into the environment. I hold a huddle. I ask some questions. I make some claims. The first thing I do is build expectation. I want everyone to know they will get better. I found that expectation creates optimism. When people believe they are going to improve they get excited. Excitement is a catalyst for effort and it is effort that makes the difference.
Some people don’t get it. Not the fact that there are weak links. Everyone understands that. Anyone who has ever lead a team acknowledges the weakness exists. Knowing it is one thing, accepting it is something else. No leader of any consequence has ever blessed having marginal guys in the middle. The difference between a leader and someone that should take up following lies not in the identification of the deficiency but rather the speed at which you do something about it.
He was the commanding officer of the 82nd Airborne Division and some said as fine a leader as America ever produced. In 1989 he went to war and never left. Name the conflict and Swannack was there. When trouble ignited Chuck Swannack was called on to extinguish the flames. Airborne, Ranger, Jungle Expert. His chest was filled with medals. Everyone who had ever met General Swannack knew he was as hard as a woodpecker’s lips.
But it wasn’t his toughness that made his leadership extraordinary. It was his uncompromising commitment to the welfare of others. His mission had always centered around making his soldiers the best that they could be. The amazing thing was that Chuck Swannack applied that same attitude to people he didn’t know. A request was made. The timing was bad. General Swannack had his hands full dodging bullets and facing the challenges that come with great responsibility. It didn’t matter. A little boy needed help and he felt obliged to give it. The letter read:
Joe,
I received your email address yesterday but I was a bit busy closing out a battle here in Iraq. I was told you asked about the war and what keeps soldiers together. Every week I speak to all the newly assigned troopers in the 82nd Airborne Division, and the points I always discuss are DSWAT . . . Discipline, Skill, Will and Teamwork! It is the philosophy by which I command soldiers.
Skill is physical as well as technical—physical fitness, ability to use your weapon, airborne proficiency, buddy first aid, and small unit tactical drills.
Will is a positive attitude to accomplish the task at hand even when confronted with problems or adversity.
Teamwork is to always be a contributing member to whatever team you are assigned.
I tell all the troopers that we follow the Golden Rule and treat each other with dignity and respect. Additionally, we all have an airborne buddy to take care of and keep safe. Over here, I challenge every trooper to bring their buddy home alive.
I close by telling the troopers why I demand DSWAT from every member of the 82nd Airborne Division. It is because lives depend daily on the discipline, skill, will and teamwork of others. This philosophy proves true every day here in combat and every day back at Ft Bragg, too.
Apply DSWAT to your life Joe and I think you will find it will make a difference.
All the Way . . . Airborne!
MG Chuck Swannack
I was honored to have been shown that letter. I know why General Swannack wrote it. People don’t get better by accident.
Facilitating the process means being fair.
When I first started coaching I viewed all my players the same. I was a fan of Jefferson and he had said people were created equal. It makes for a hot headline. In reality it’s off the mark. Genetics makes everyone unequal. Parenting, environment, and experience widens the gap. Throw in some mistrust, apprehension, and a wiggle in your walk and the group that shows up on the first day of practice is inherently unequal.