Charles de Gaulle once said, “Graveyards are filled with indispensable men.” He knew something all wise leaders are fully-aware of – Leadership is Temporary. Therefore, we must steward it well.
If you are one of the fortunate few who are able to manage the transition out of your current position (resign or retire), how do you know it is time to step away?
On Monday, October 12th South Caroline Gamecocks head football coach Steve Spurrier told his players and coaches he would be resigning immediately. For the sake of understanding the impact of Spurrier’s decision, the following are some of the accomplishments from his illustrious career:
- The all-time wins leader at both the University of Florida and the University of South Carolina.
- Coached the 1996 national champion Florida Gators.
- Is the only person to win a Heisman Trophy and coach a Heisman winner (Danny Wuerrfel).
- Had 12 10-win seasons at Florida and South Caroline. Neither school ever won 10 games prior to his arrival.
- Has a career 228-89-2 record while in college.
Appearing on ESPN’s College Gameday the following Saturday, Coach Spurrier explained his decision. His thoughts provide us 10 Things Leaders Should Know Before Resigning:
- Do Not Confuse Resigning With Retiring – A resignation is not the end of your leadership journey. Coach Spurrier said at his press conference, “I’m resigning. I’m not retiring.”
- Leaders Often Resign When They Are No Longer Willing To Pay The Price Of Leadership – Spurrier told ESPN, “I’ve had a nice long career. I’ve been blessed. And then all of a sudden it starts going down, I’m ready to move.”
- Leaders Sometimes Fire Themselves – Spurrier continued, “We’ve slid. I’m responsible. It’s my job. I’m the head coach…But our team wasn’t doing well this year. We’re 2 and 4 and I really thought it was my fault.”
- Great Leaders Often Delay Hard Personnel Decisions – So many times leaders put off the hard decisions leadership demands. Spurrier noted, “I stayed six games too long but that’s as far as I’m going.”
- People Often Quit Long Before They Make It Official – This is why watching metrics is so important. They reveal trends showing decisions which have just not been made public. In fact, Spurrier admitted, “I planned for this day the last several years.”
- Leaders Should Resign When They Are Ready To Do Something Else – If you are not passionate about your position or the mission and vision of your organization, you should do everyone a favor and free yourself up to do something you are passionate about. Spurrier said definitively, “I’m ready for life after coaching.”
- Your People Will Move On Quickly After You Resign – So do not think you are irreplaceable or that important. Spurrier realized, “I could have announced I’m done at the end of the year but I think you don’t get the accountability from your players. I think your assistant coaches are all making calls because they’re finished at the end of the season.”
- You May Need A Sabbatical, Not A Resignation – Many leaders I meet do not need to quit or get a new job. They simply need a break and time to gain perspective or recharge their batteries. I felt this way when I heard Coach Spurrier say as his press conference, “When you feel like’s it over and your tank is pretty empty in coaching and it’s inevitable, do it right then.”
- Your Leadership Legacy Is Often Determined By Others – When asked about what his legacy was as a coach, Spurrier said, “That’s up to the media to do all that.”
- You May Be Impacting Far More People Than You Realize So Think Long And Hard Before Resigning – Influence and changed lives are the mark of effective leadership. Spurrier concluded, “We’re most proud that three different universities that we had success,we won a lot more than we lost, and so many of my former players called back this week and said, ‘Coach, you changed my life. I’m doing what I’m doing now cause I had a chance to play for you.”
I trust this post has added clarity to your leadership.
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