5 Leadership Lessons From The Southeastern Football Conference

I just went to my mailbox and discovered my Sporting News pre-season college football edition.  This up-and-down day has a chance to end very well! 

In the world of college football, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) is the unquestioned top organization winning the last 5 national championships.  Matt Hayes writes a nice piece on why the SEC sets the standard for excellence.  His points are applicable to anyone who leads a church, business, non-profit, sports team or any other type of organization.

The following are the five reasons the SEC is so effective:

Talent – The SEC does the best job of recruiting the top high school athletes to its conference.  In February 2011, nine of the top 12 ranked recruiting classes were SEC schools.  Tennessee Volunteers head coach Derek Dooley says, “We can talk about Xs and Os and they’re important, but this thing runs on players.”  So does your organization.  Talent matters.

Branding – Thanks to CBS and ESPN, the SEC is college football’s most widely covered and recognizable conference.  There is an image, an aura, to the SEC.  Playing for their teams is important to high school athletes.  Top organizations are branded in such a way that they attract top talent.

Financial Resources – Hayes points out that the University of Florida spent an estimated $63,000 to recruit Tim Tebow while Hawaii’s entire recruiting budget was $65,000!  SEC schools have the best facilities, support staff, and amenities.  Resources allow you to do your work with excellence.  You have updated equipment, the best people, more opportunities, and a better chance for success.  Ministry costs money!  Advertising costs money!  R&D costs money!  Talent costs money!  Facilities costs money!  Need I go on?

Leadership – Say the names – Nick Saban, Gene Chizik, Les Miles, Mark Richt, Houston Nutt, Dan Mullen, Bobby Petrino.  Urban Meyer just left but was replaced by the hottest Assistant Coach in the country, Will Muschamp.  He brought arguably the best offensive mind in the game with him, Charlie Weiss.  Alabama assistant Kirby Smart is this year’s hottest assistant.  The best organizations not only have great leadership, but great depth in leadership.

Unity – Every single dollar the SEC makes is equally shared among its 12 schools.  There is a commitment to each other’s success.  This mutual success has resulted in unrivaled passion from a rabid, loyal fan base.  Great organizations are made up of individuals committed to the success of their teammates.

Talent, Branding, Financial Resources, Leadership, and Unity.  If your organization has these five elements, you are positioned to have incredible success.  What other qualities do you think are needed for success?

To read additional posts on college football, enjoy these resources:

• 13 Leadership Quotes From Stanford QB Andrew Luck
• Auburn Head Football Coach Gene Chizik Is All In At A Local Book Signing
• 15 Leadership Quotes From Alabama Crimson Tide Head Coach Nick Saban
• 12 Quotes From Leadership In Distress – Texas Longhorn Mack Brown
• 17 Pre-Game Leadership Quotes From Gene Chizik, Chip Kelly, Urban Meyer, and Nick Saban

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