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John Maxwell famously said, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” As a result, it is absolutely critical for your organization to finds its perfect leader.
But finding the right leader is often more art than science. Even billion-dollar industries can’t seem to get it right. For instance, the National Football League’s 32 teams have had 33 different head coaches since the end of the 2016 season.
Recently, The33rdTeam.com’s Paul Domowitch wrote an excellent article entitled Building The Perfect NFL Coach. I found its content has application to any industry.
8 Keys To Finding The Perfect Leader For Your Organization
Below are 8 Keys To Finding The Perfect Leader For Your Organization I gleaned from Domowitch’s interview with Hall of Fame and former Super Bowl-winning general manager Bill Polian. Polian, author of the upcoming book Super Bowl Blueprints: Hall of Famers Reveal the Keys to Football’s Greatest Dynasties, led Hall of Fame coaches Marv Levy and Tony Dungy. Therefore, he has a keen sense of what is required in a leader.
The Template
To find the perfect leader for your organization, you must first know what you are looking for. Polian said, “I was lucky in that I worked with the living template of what a good coach should be, that was Marv Levy. He was my template. I used his characteristics for every other coach I hired.” If you are lacking a template to follow, check out I Have Found The Perfect Leader.
Culture Builder
A leader’s primary responsibility is the establishment of and adherence to a culture. Seth Godin describes culture as, “This is what we say and this is what we do.”
The living embodiment of the culture is the organization’s leader. This person will set the tenor and tone for everyone else. Polian agrees. He said, “A coach also needs to be able to create a culture. He creates it by the way he carries himself and the way he coaches his team.”
For a few quality resources on building a healthy and winning culture, click the following:
- “The Secret” – 7 Steps To A Winning Culture
- 10 Mantras Dabo Swinney Used To Build A Winning And Positive Culture At Clemson
- 35 Leadership Quotes from Daniel Coyle’s incredible book The Culture Code: The Secrets Of Highly Successful Groups
- “This Is NOT A Democracy” and 5 Lessons On Creating A Winning Culture From Nick Saban’s Epic Rant
- Who Is The Person Most Responsible For Maintaining The Culture In Successful Organizations?
Resilience
Leadership is not for the faint at heart. Addressing issues and overcoming problems is why the leader is there. The most successful leaders not only anticipate adversity but proactively equip their teams to deal with it as well.
Polain said, “Marv used to tell his players to expect adversity and expect to conquer it. So, when things go bad, the players are looking to the head coach to help them through it. He’s the captain of the ship. They’re looking to him to lead them through the storm. A good coach has to have that ability.”
Adaptability
Today’s leaders must not be rigid. They must be willing to be flexible in their approaches based upon the skills and abilities of their teams. Polian added, “You have to have the flexibility to adjust your systems to the talent that you have and the environment that you’re in.”
Two important areas he pointed identified – the talent you have and the environment you’re in.
Today’s unpredictable markets along with short-term and transient workforces have necessitated customized approaches based on your customers’ and team’s needs. The days of “My way or the highway” have passed.
The 5 Necessities
Finally, Polian concluded with the additional qualities Coach Levy possessed, “Superior intelligence, great communicator, great ability to lead and recognize the talents and personalities of his players.” To recap, the five necessities are:
- Superior Intelligence – Great leaders have high levels of competence. They know their stuff.
- Great Communicator – Superior communication skills are required if for no other reason there are comes a time in every leaders life when they must stand up and declare, “Follow me!” For more on this topic, click A Tale Of Two Communicators: : Comparing and Contrasting The News Conferences by Mike Tomlin and James Franklin.
- Great Ability To Lead – They must be people of great influence. For more on increasing your influence, click The #1 Thing Leaders Must Do To Influence As Many Other Leaders As Possible.
- Recognizing Your Team’s Talents
- Recognizing The Personalities Of Your Team
If you don’t already have a template for selecting your next leader, this provides a good decision-grid for you to use.
The Top 60 Leadership Quotes From 2021 Part 1 is my latest ebook. For many entering a post-pandemic environment, leadership looks completely different than the pre-pandemic world. People are more broken now. They are more uncertain. Fear and anxiousness are unwelcome constant companions. Cultures are more unhealthy. Relationships are more dysfunctional. Hope seems to be in short supply. Every day seems to bring a new hacking, natural disaster, or unexpected calamity.
Therefore, the fundamentals of leadership are more important than ever. The quotes in this book deal with the basics of leadership. If you want to be the best leader you can possibly be, click HERE or on the image provided to download this FREE resource. The lessons learned from last year, if applied, will sustain you for years to come.