As a society, we have been cheated by having Nick Saban as a football coach. Sure, he has provided countless hours of entertainment and the type of young men he has produced during his career cannot be quantified. However, can you imagine if Nick Saban was a scientist or United States president? Our country and world could potentially look like the University of Alabama’s football program.
Coach Nick Saban is an elite, elite leader.
Recently, he was speaking to the Alabama Football Coaches Association and addressed the topic of the Henry Ruggs car accident resulting in the loss of his career, being incarcerated for the majority if not the rest of his life, and most importantly, the death of an innocent young woman.
The following 82 seconds should be listened to by all leaders. I will follow his speech with some observations.
https://youtu.be/xSnFWri_h10
Leaders must have the Courage to Stand Alone
Coach Saban said, “People are more apprehensive about being leaders than they’ve ever been before because they’re worried about what everybody thinks.” I agree. Leadership is often a lonely place. Hard decisions come with the territory and leaders must have the courage to stand alone amidst criticism. Conviction and mental toughness are required. This is a price more and more leaders are unwilling to pay.
Leaders must be Willing to Sacrifice Relationships for the Greater Good
Coach Saban then brought a sobering message all leaders need to hear. Referring to Ruggs, he said, “If there was a player in Las Vegas who was drinking at 3 o’clock in the morning with his buddies and his girlfriend and somebody would have taken his keys away, probably would have pissed him off, probably would have made him mad, probably wouldn’t have thought very much of you for doing that. But would he be better off now or is he better off where he was going 156 miles per hour and running his #@& into somebody and killing them? And he’s in jail and doesn’t have a career anymore.”
What Makes a Leader a Good Friend?
Sometimes it is not what you think. Being a good friend is doing what is best for the person regardless of the circumstance and whether they appreciate it or not at the current moment.
Saban asked this of those closest to Ruggs, “So what kind of friend were you? What kind of leader were you when you allowed the guy to do it? But nobody wants to do that because they’re afraid of somebody’s going to think of them.” To say Ruggs did not have good friends would be a tragic understatement.
Are we more concerned about what someone thinks of us or what is in their best interest?
The Value of Preparation
Coach Saban, reflecting on the team’s 33-18 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs in the national championship game, also discussed the value of preparation. Watch the video below and I will provide additional comments.
Frustration with Circumstances can either Lead to Innovation or Indignation and Stagnation. You Decide.
All leaders get frustrated from time-to-time. That’s not the question. The question is what do they do about it when those times arise? Do they complain, sulk, and become selfish? Or do they work harder and figure out ways to create value for themselves and the team.
Based upon Coach Saban’s comments, it appears the backup wide receivers chose the former. He said, “So the lesson to be learned, there were three guys and I’m not calling out any names, basically didn’t do the things they needed to do throughout the season because they were frustrated with their circumstance… They’re frustrated with their circumstance because they’re not playing as much as they want to.”
Unsuccessful Leaders Focus on Outcomes
Continuing with his analysis, Coach Saban added, “They’re outcome oriented. They worry about how many balls they catch or how much playing time they get, or whatever it is.”
Successful Leaders Focus on The Process
We focus too much on results as leaders. Successful leaders know success lies in the journey, the things you do every day, not in the destination itself.
Coach Saban elaborated, “So they don’t focus everyday on being a complete player at their position, and they don’t work and practice and prepare for the games because they say to themselves, ‘Why should I do this, I’m not going to play anyway?'”
“So we got three guys, they all had a significant role in the national championship game, and NOT ONE OF THEM, NOT ONE, could take advantage of the opportunity they had… Cause they never ground through it, cause they never made themselves the best player they could be and when they got the opportunity they couldn’t do it.”
A Lesson for Everybody
Coach Saban concluded by saying, “It’s a lesson for everybody. What comes first – playing time or making sure that you’re ready to play and create value for yourself when you get the opportunity?” This is the essence of The Process.
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