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“This Is NOT A Democracy” and 5 Lessons On Creating A Winning Culture From Nick Saban’s Epic Rant

on August 22, 2021 in Sports Leadership

The Press Conference

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban is famous for using his press conferences to target messages to individual players, the team, the media, the fans, or any other group who needs addressing at a particular moment.  Do not be confused, the media and its questions are not driving the flow of information.  Coach Saban strategically uses this time to create culture and drive the mission and vision of his organization.  After all, it is his press conference to get out his message, and he brilliantly uses the media to fulfill his purposes.

Following Saturday’s second team scrimmage, Saban was asked about highly-touted tight end Jahleel Billingsley’s low status on the depth chart.  The question afforded him the opportunity to address issues about authority, the prioritization of practice, and the players creating value for themselves.

It is a safe bet to say Billingsley got the message but I am confident it was also directed at a number of other players.  Check out Coach Saban’s comments in the following video:

Alabama’s Winning Culture

The following are 5 Lessons On Creating A Winning Culture we learn From Coach Saban’s press conference:

  1. You Are Responsible For Your Own Personal Development – Your organization and its culture creates the opportunity, but ultimately your success and development is up to you.  Regarding Billingsley’s position on the depth chart, Saban said, “Well that’s up to him.  That’s not up to me.  He knows what he’s supposed to do in practice.  He knows what he’s supposed to do.”
  2. Coach Saban Sets The Culture At Alabama – He emphatically said, “You know, this is not a democracy.  Everybody doesn’t get to do what they want to do. Everybody doesn’t get to do what they feel like doing.  You’ve got to buy in and do what you’re supposed to do to be a part of the team and do the things you need to do in practice every day.”
  3. Coach Saban Defines The Culture At Alabama – There is no lack of clarity on what is expected from Alabama Crimson Tide athletes.  Just in case there was any confusion, Coach Saban clarified it by saying, “A sense of urgency, play fast, execute, do your job.”
  4. It’s A Privilege To Be Part Of The Winning Culture At Alabama – For those players who buy-in to the culture, they experience several unique benefits.  Mainly they create value for themselves in the eyes of professional scouts and coaches.  Coach Saban continued, “It’s a privilege for everybody to go out there and be able to create value for yourself.  And we have scouts at practice every day.”
  5. People Are Held Accountable In Winning Cultures – Coach Saban concluded, “I try to get them to do it.  I try to point out the importance of them doing it, but it’s up to them to do it.  Maybe that’s not my question to answer.”   In this case, it is Jahleel Billingsley’s.  I’m confident you will respond.

Creating Value For Yourself

The following are 3 additional Lessons On Creating Value For Yourself we learn from Coach Saban’s press conference:

  1. Each Of Us Have An Opportunity To Create Value For Ourself Every Single Day – Regardless of your profession, smart leaders know they are constantly being watched and evaluated.  Coach Saban said, “So, everybody thinks it’s just about playing in a game.  It’s not just about playing in the game.  They watch practice film, they watch guys every day.  You guys on ESPN, you evaluate what happens in the game, but they evaluate what happens every day, what you do every day.”
  2. You Should Be Strategic About Creating Value For Yourself – Do you create value for yourself by default or design?  You should have a value creation strategy.  Coach Saban asked the question I now ask you, “So, what are you doing every day to create any value for yourself?”
  3. Creating Value For Yourself Creates Confidence In Your Ability – Creating value is not all about you.  It actually makes you a more useful teammate.  Coach Saban insightfully noted, “But you got to create value for yourself so that your teammates and everybody gets confidence in you so that you can have their confidence when you go out there and play, and that’s up to every player on the team.  I don’t make that decision for everybody on the team.”

For more on the subject of creating value for yourself, read Nick Saban’s 2 Most Important Words You Need To Know About Creating Value For Yourself and 6 Ways Nick Saban Adds Value To His Alabama Crimson Tide Players.

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!

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