An Unexpected Diagnosis
On Wednesday November 20, 2020, the University of Alabama’s athletic department announced its head football coach Nick Saban had tested positive for COVID-19. The first concern was for the health of the 69-year-old head coach. He would be fine but still need to be placed into quarantine.
The attention then turned to the greatest rivalry in college football, the annual Alabama vs. Auburn game known as the Iron Bowl. With Coach Saban unavailable to patrol the sidelines, how would the undefeated Crimson Tide fare without its legendary head coach?
Joseph Goodman in his book We Want Bama: A Season Of Hope writes, “He prepared them so well … for when he could not be there, and they knew it, and they were ready. They had all the confidence, and it came by way of hard work and sacrifice, which is the only way to achieve anything worth doing.”
A Team’s Response
How prepared was Alabama to perform in their coach’s absence? With Coach Saban watching from home, the Crimson Tide won easily 42-13.
Leadership Lessons
How do you know if you have been leading your team effectively?
The answer is how well does your team perform when you are not around?
Do they look confused, uncertain, or goof off in the boss’s absence? Or do they rise to the challenge and soar to new heights?
When you are not present as the leader, you will discover the following:
- What type of culture you have built.
- How well your team knows what to do in your absence.
- Does everyone know their roles.
- How ready they are to handle adversity.
- What their level of confidence they have in your process.
- How hard your team has worked to prepare.
- Are they willing to sacrifice for the good of the team.
We didn’t need any additional evidence about Nick Saban’s leadership brilliance, but we learned even more after the 2020 Iron Bowl. What would we learn about your leadership if you were unavailable at a critical moment?
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