The Will to Win!
01/13/03
Herman Edwards, coach of the New York Jets, had faith in his struggling team and his team has responded winning 8 of their last 10 games. His view of coaching football can teach us something about staying the course to victory during tough times as change agents: "This is what the greatest thing about sports is: You play to win the game. Hello, you play to win the game. You don't play to just play it. ... I don't care if you don't have any wins, you go play to win. When you start telling me it doesn't matter, then retire, get out, because it matters. ... One thing I know, I don't quit. That will not happen. ... If players say, 'Coach is coming out of character,' that's when you lose the team. If you are the head guy and you show them your will, they say, 'Coach is OK. He's OK; we're OK.'"
In professional football, this has been the season of comebacks. Team after team have responded to coaches, quarterbacks and team leaders to stage late game rallies that have kept us glued to our TV screens. Teams of all kinds look to their leaders for faith in the future and the rock-solid will to persevere in the face of setbacks. Many of you are leading teams who have faced a series of setbacks. Do they sense your faith in the future? Do they see you apply that will to the tasks of the day? Many companies have not had to deal with the kind of economy we now face. They are looking to leaders with perspective who can take the track record of overcoming past setbacks to find strength for the present. We might learn something else from Coach Edwards. The unshakable, unsinkable Edwards transformed the Jets with a steady vision and disciplined attention to detail. Edwards ticks off the values he strives to pass on to his team: Discipline, hard work, respect for authority, humility, politeness, and attention to those little details that will help produce the success the team craves. Win or lose on any given Sunday, Coach Edwards has found an approach to leadership we would be wise to emulate. Do you have any little details you and your team need to work on this week?
A PAULSON QUOTE FOR THE WEEK
"When your team works hard but they lose anyway, be ready to be frustrated along with them instead of at them. When you stand up for your people and acknowledge their heroic efforts, they will stay with you through the tough times on the road to excellence." --Terry Paulson, PhD, CSP, CPAE
MONDAY'S MIRTHFUL MOMENT
Loren Ekroth (www.conversation-matters.com) provides today's mirthful moments--actual Goldwynisms uttered by the famous Hollywood producer, Sam Goldwyn. Enjoy!
"They didn't release the movie; it escaped."
"You are partly one hundred percent right."
"A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on."
"I don't pay any attention to him. I don't even ignore him."
"That makes me so sore it gets my dandruff up."
When you keep your eyes open for mirth, you just may find it! Hope this kicks off your morning and helps get your mood adjusted for the week. Now, get busy MAKING CHANGE WORK and have some fun along the way!...