A Challenged Team
No team faced more adversity in 2021 than the Las Vegas Raiders. The following is a brief list of the challenges the team faced:
- In early October, emails previously written by head coach Jon Gruden were leaked containing numerous offensive comments.
- Gruden resigns one week later on October 11th.
- On October 17th, special teams coach Rich Bisaccia was named interim head coach.
- On November 2nd, 2020 first-round pick wide receiver Henry Ruggs was involved in a car crash while driving 156 mph. A lady and her dog were killed in the accident. He was released later in the day.
- On November 5th, a video of Raiders cornerback Damon Arnette was discovered brandishing a weapon and making death threats. He was released three days later.
- There were countless other issues as well related to these items and others.
Despite having everything seemingly against them, the Raiders finished the season with a 10-7 record and made the AFC play-offs. Providing steady hands throughout the entire season were quarterback Derek Carr and Interim-Coach Bisaccia.
A Grateful Coach
To demonstrate the type of leader Bisaccia is, the following picture was released after the team’s loss in the Wild Card game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
This is @Raiders interim coach Rich Bisaccia in his Cincy hotel personally hand-writing letters to his players thanking them for their hard work. Incredible.
Everyone says he’s an unbelievable person. Some kind of coach grind to get here. #SuperWildCard@wyche89 @BucSidelineGuy pic.twitter.com/4lTkZdQy92
— Vince Ferrara (@VinceSports) January 15, 2022
As reported by radio host Vince Ferrara, Bisaccia took the time to wrote each player a hand-written note thanking them for their hard work this past season. What a classy act!!!
What this picture shows is one of the most powerful tools a leader has and yet, many do not take advantage of – the handwritten note.
The Handwritten Note
In a digital world which operates with maximum speed and efficiency, when a person takes the time to do the following, it has deep meeting for the recipient:
- Stop for a moment.
- Sit down with a pen and paper.
- Give dedicated time to thinking specifically about another person.
- Then actually write a specific note to that specific person about a specific topic.
- If you write a number of these (Bisaccia wrote over 50), your hand hurts after awhile. There is a physical price to pay.
- Lick an envelope.
- Stick a stamp on it.
- Put it in a mailbox.
Hand-written notes are powerful. They take time. Hand-written notes are personal and high a high degree of authenticity. They have a depth of meaning that a text simply cannot have.
And interestingly, hand-written notes are something any leader can do.
In terms of return on your time and investment, there are few things more effective for developing loyalty than the hand-written note. For me personally, I have kept and treasured every hand-written note I have received for the last 20 years. You probably have one on your desk or refrigerator right now as well.
So why don’t more leaders write hand-written notes?
Perhaps they are “too busy” and don’t have the time to slow down and write a note. Leaders may also have not prioritized this simple expression of gratitude. Other things are “just more important.”
Another idea is that maybe leaders over-complicate things. I mean, can a simple hand-written note truly have a major impact? Well, if you’ve ever received one, you know the answer to that question.
Worst of all, perhaps we simply aren’t grateful. Therefore, the value of hand-written note never crosses our minds.
I challenge all leaders to follow Coach Rich Bisaccia’s example today. If he can sit down and write over 50 Thank-You notes after a play-off loss, surely you can write at least one today.
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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.