What It Takes For Leaders To Impress Other Leaders

Everyone wants the respect of their peers.  We desire to have our efforts admired and appreciated.  In addition, the best leaders want to lead and influence other leaders.  Great leaders know that influencing leaders allows you to multiply influence and make a difference exponentially.  But how do you accomplish that?

40 Division I college football coaches were recently surveyed in the June 20th edition of Sporting News.  Two of the questions asked were “Which team’s offensive scheme impresses you most, and why” and “Which defensive coordinator/team’s defensive scheme impresses you most, and why”. 

The results should make anyone in leadership stand up and take notice.  Their answers were the following:

1. Change Agents – The Oregon Ducks have changed offensive football.  “What they have achieved there with the spread offense has changed the game.”
2. Innovation – Auburn’s Gus Malzahn “is on the cutting edge of offensive football.”
3. Execution – Georgia Tech was noted for their “execution and fundamentals.”
4. Maximizing Talent -  Coach Dana Holgorsen of West Virginia has an offense that “always finds a way to use the talent that he has to be successful.”
5. Results – Wisconsin “simply pounds people.” 
6. Attitude – Coaches were impressed with Alabama’s defense because “they play with a relentless attitude and have been dominant.”
7. Limits Mistakes – Bo Pellini’s Nebraska Cornhuskers are “fundamentally sound”.
8. Reproduces Others – Texas A & M’s coordinator Tim DeRuyter is “creative and produces a mentality with his players”.
9. Aggressiveness – Great leaders make things happen.  Frank Beamer’s Virginia Tech Hokies are “aggressive, hard-nosed, and simple”.
10. Work Ethic – Speed of the leader, speed of the team.  In addition to having an offense that is well-respected, West Virginia’s defense “puts athletes on the field and dictates tempo”.

As a bonus, the TCU Horned Frogs coached by Gary Patterson have a defense that impresses college coaches on several levels.

1. Consistency – TCU has led the nation in total defensive for the last three consecutive seasons.
2. Uniqueness – They generally utilize five defensive backs while other teams traditionally use four.  Patterson says, “We’re kind of doing something that’s maybe outside the box that other people would say ‘Oh, you can’t do that'”.  
3. Intelligence – Patterson’s defensive coordinator Dick Bumpas is extremely bright.  Patterson says, “He’s very articulate for a ball coach.  He’s a guy that can do about four crossword puzzles by the time we leave the hotel until we get to the stadium.” 

Agents of Change, Innovation, Execution, Maximizing Talent, Production, Attitude, Limiting Mistakes, Reproducing Others, Aggressiveness, Work Ethic, Consistency, Uniqueness, and Intelligence.  If you are a leader who possesses these 13 skills, you may be privileged enough to have influence in the lives of other leaders.

Leaders, are you getting the respect for your peers that you are looking for?

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