John Maxwell’s The Law of the Inner Circle Is At Work In Texas
After the University of Texas Longhorns defeated the mighty Alabama Crimson Tide 34-24 on Saturday, September 9th, the question many were asking is if the Texas program “was back?” The answer remains to be seen but Jayna Bardahl of The Athletic made an interesting observation in this article.
She noted head coach Steve Sarkisian had formed an elite coaching staff which includes the following:
- Defensive Coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski, considered a top coaching mind while at Boise State and the University of Washington
- Special Teams Coordinator Jeff Banks (formerly of Alabama)
- Offensive Line Coach Kyle Flood (formerly of Alabama)
- Defensive Line Coach Bo Davis (formerly of Alabama)
An unnamed SEC source said, “Sark went out and got a bunch of guys who are either the best at what they do or are among the best, and now it’s really showing up.”
John Maxwell’s Law of the Inner Circle teaches that a leader’s success is determined by those closest to him or her. Coach Sark is the living embodiment of this principle. If you want to get better as a leader, one of the first things you must do is get better people around you.
You’re Either Coaching It Or Allowing It To Happen
A popular axiom among coaches is “You’re either coaching it or allowing it to happen.” This is a statement about culture and the type of behaviors allowed in a given program.
In a recent cross country race, Stevens Point Area Senior High (WI) sophomore Cooper Erickson was in third place when he saw the second-place runner ahead of him fall down. Erickson, along with fourth-place teammate Ethan Olds, ran back to pick-up the currently unidentified runner and together, they helped him cross the finish line. A video of the moment is provided below.
Afterwards, Cooper said in this ABC News article, “I know our team … has great respect for people that give their best efforts, and that’s what he did. He just came up 10 feet short, so I think we both just kind of felt like that he deserved to finish that one.”
“Our team … has great respect for people that give their best efforts.” That’s culture. That’s coaching. That’s leadership. That’s character. You’re either coaching this type of behavior or allowing it to happen.
Beyonce’s Influence
Leadership is influence.
September 4th is Beyonce’s birthday. To celebrate, she asked her fans to wear silver and create a “shimmering human disco ball.” Per the September 12th edition of Morning Brew, the popular gift site Etsy subsequently saw a 25% spike in searches for silver blouses, corsets, tops, and “disco hats.”
Beyonce moves the meter. That’s influence.
4 Keys To Innovation
In Michael Lombardi’s new book Football Done Right: Setting The Record Straight On The Coaches, Players, And History Of The NFL, he quotes legendary coach Bill Walsh saying, “Innovation involves anticipation. It is having a broad base of knowledge on your subject and an ability to see where the end game is headed. Use all your knowledge to get there first. Set the trend and make the competition counter you.”
Coach Walsh teaches us the following four keys to innovation:
- Anticipation
- A broad base of knowledge
- Ability to see where things are headed
- A competitive spirit
I’m sure that last one surprised you.
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