A Once-In-A-Lifetime Leader
During the Saturday, November 5th edition of ESPN’s College Gameday, legendary head coach Nick Saban was asked how leaders lose their teams. He then gave a succinct masterclass on the differences between a transformational vs. transactional leader. Coach Saban even wove his personal story into the comments.
Click the image below to watch the segment. Afterwards, I will provide a transcript of his comments plus 13 thoughts on being a transactional leader vs. a transformational one I gleaned from his comments.
Transcript
“I think you have a greater chance to lose your team when you’re transactional as a leader, which is the way I was until 1998. In other words, everything was about winning or losing. And when we won I patted people on the back. But when we didn’t win I was probably too harsh, didn’t use it as a teaching moment. Negative experiences without teaching kills morale.”
“In 1998, we were going to play Ohio State. They were number one in the country. We were four and give at Michigan State. They were getting ready to fire me at Michigan State and I don’t think we can win the game. So I said, what’s my approach going to be?”
“So I had to change to being a transformational leader. You know, with somebody who players could emulate – cared about the players for their benefit and not my benefit. You know, had a vision for what we wanted to accomplish and how we were going to do it, and have value-based principles that were going to help them be successful in life.”
“And play one play at a time. Everything is about process. Nothing is about outcomes. And we became a different kind of team. We actually won that game. It turned around. You know, my coaching career actually changed 360 during that time as well.”
“Everything is transactional in college football right now. People get into the portal. Why do they get into the portal? They want more playing time or they want more money. And so those things are both transactional. But transformational means you have passion for what you want to accomplish and are trying to create value for your future. So you’re not worried about the immediate self-gratification you’re going to get from those things. So what is your passion when things don’t go well and the team goes bad?”
Nick Saban’s 13 Thoughts on being a Transformational Leader vs. a Transactional Leader
- Transactional leaders have a greater chance of losing their teams. – “I think you have a greater chance to lose your team when you’re transactional as a leader, which is the way I was until 1998.”
- Transactional leaders focus solely on outputs. – “In other words, everything was about winning or losing.”
- Outputs determine the behaviors of transactional leaders. – “And when we won I patted people on the back. But when we didn’t win I was probably too harsh, didn’t use it as a teaching moment.”
- Transactional leaders don’t properly recognize or leverage teaching moments. – “Negative experiences without teaching kills morale.”
- Transformational leaders properly evaluate reality. – “In 1998, we were going to play Ohio State. They were number one in the country. We were four and give at Michigan State. They were getting ready to fire me at Michigan State and I don’t think we can win the game.”
- Transformational leaders are humble enough to know they need to change. – “So I had to change to being a transformational leader.”
- Transformational leaders are people to be emulated. – “You know, with somebody who players could emulate.”
- Transformational leaders primarily care about what benefits their teams. – “cared about the players for their benefit and not my benefit.”
- Transformational leaders have a clear vision and plan. – “You know, had a vision for what we wanted to accomplish and how we were going to do it”
- Transformational leaders are value-based in how they approach to success. – “and have value-based principles that were going to help them be successful in life.”
- Transformational leaders elevate the process over the outcome. – “And play one play at a time. Everything is about process. Nothing is about outcomes.”
- Transformational leaders change their teams’ fortunes… as well as their own. – “And we became a different kind of team. We actually won that game. It turned around. You know, my coaching career actually changed 360 during that time as well.”
- Transformational leaders elevate their passion for others over their own self-gratification. – “But transformational means you have passion for what you want to accomplish and are trying to create value for your future. So you’re not worried about the immediate self-gratification you’re going to get from those things. So what is your passion when things don’t go well and the team goes bad?”
Final Questions
- After listening to Coach Saban and reviewing his comments, are you a transformational leader or a transactional one?
- If you are a transactional leader, what is one lesson you can implement from Coach Saban’s comments which will make you a better leader?
FREE Helpful Resource
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