Is it just me or does Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban seem like he is having fun. He sure appeared to be following his team’s 52-24 demolition of Ohio State in this year’s national championship game.
Afterwards, he had a very revealing interview with Scott Van Pelt of ESPN which is shown above. Coach Saban had some very insightful comments, particularly in the area of adding value to those you lead.
The following are 10 Post-Game Comments from Coach Saban and the leadership lessons learned:
- “The team that handles the disruptions the best is the team that’s going to have the best chance to be successful in the end.”
- “A lot of the disruptions… actually made the team closer and we became a better team because of some of the disruptions… When something gets taken away from you, we all have more appreciation for it when we get it back.”
- Great Leaders Are Unique – “He’s a unique person in the kind of leadership he has, the kind of competitive spirit he has. I think Smitty would be successful in any endeavor he will try in his life.” – Coach Saban on DeVonta Smith
- Longevity, Stability, and Continual Development Creates Value – “He (Smith) created a lot of value for himself coming back (for his senior season).”
- The Type Of Player Nick Saban Loves – “He’s (Smith) the ultimate team guy. He’s a great example for his teammates. He cares about his teammates… He’s (Smith) hard to beat. I just love that guy.”
- Successful Leaders Stay Focused On What They Need To Do – “Some people would have a difficult job time taking the head coaching job at Texas the day or two after we beat Notre Dame and staying focused on what they needed to do. But that shows his (offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian) appreciation for the players. That’s something I really admire in him.”
- “I think that’s the most important thing in being a coach. You care about the players. You want to do what’s best for the players.”
- A Leader’s Success Is Found In The Success Of Others – “I want to win this game for our players because of what they’ve accomplished and what they’ve done all year long. It was really special for me to see them have success tonight.”
- Great Leaders Often Hate Losing More Than They Love Winning – “I hate to lose and no matter how much I win, I hate to lose. We could talk about the seven that we won but the two that haunt me we lost.”
- 6 Areas Of Value Nick Saban Adds To His Alabama Crimson Tide Players – “I have a lot of pride in performance and want to do the best I possibly can as a coach to have the best program that creates value for the players. I’m talking about value in terms of personal development, academics, and graduating and developing and careers of the field, career development, and as football players… That’s why we get a lot of good players.”
What is one thing you learned from Coach Saban about leadership and adding value to people?
To receive more leadership insights from Coach Saban, click HERE or on the image to the left for my new ebook The Leadership Of Nick Saban: Timeless Truths From The Incomparable Head Coach Of The Alabama Crimson Tide. This is an invaluable resource for both sports fans or anyone interested in organizational leadership. Enjoy!