Leadership Blog | Coach Pat Sullivan

03 Aug

Leaders and Decision-Making

The most important and possibly the most difficult task a leader has to do may be decision-making. The proverbial buck does stop with the leader and more often than not, he or she will be judged by the decisions he/she makes.

I’d like to share three thoughts with you to consider when making decisions. See if you think these concepts have merit.

For its 75^th anniversary Fortune Magazine dedicated the entire edition to one concept – decision-making. They interviewed leaders from the business, military, education, and political worlds on their philosophies of decision-making. Because I was the Athletic Chair serving 350 student-athletes and 35 coaches at the time, I was most interested in learning more about this topic. After reading every article in the magazine, I thought the most insightful comment came from Jim Collins, the author of “From Good to Great.” He said the best decisions made in business board rooms in the past 25 years, regardless of the business, began with the same three words from the leaders – “I don’t know.” As I thought about this, I realized that the strongest and most secure leaders I worked with were those not afraid to say, “I don’t know.”

Cardinal Newman once wrote about faith stating, “A thousand doubts don’t make one disbelief.” Decision-making is tough because the most difficult decisions do involve doubt. That is why if your decisions ultimately come from your core beliefs, you do eliminate some of the doubt. The great leaders I worked with always operated from their core beliefs and they did one more thing to attack doubt. They got as much feedback as possible from their constituency, then made the final decision.

When Rose Kennedy was asked how she dealt with all the tragedies she experienced in her lifetime, she gave this answer. “When the storm is over, the birds do sing.” The most trying decisions a leader has to make are usually made during a storm. It may have merit for leaders to remind themselves during the throes of making a decision that tough times do come to an end.

Realizing that you don’t have all the answers, that you make your decisions based on your core beliefs, and that the birds do sing after the storm may help you in your decision-making.

01 Aug

Lessons from Frank Thomas: Know the Zone, Keep it Simple

Frank Thomas was inducted last weekend into the Baseball Hall of Fame, along with two others with fairly strong Chicago-area ties: Greg Maddux (Cubs) and Tony LaRussa (White Sox).

Having been a former college and semi-pro pitcher, when Frank Thomas came to the White Sox, I thought he really looked like an excellent hitter. So, I asked the best hitter I ever pitched against, Ed Spiezio, what he thought. Ed played ten years in the Major Leagues with the Cardinals, Padres, and Sox.

Ed said there were two things that he felt would lead to a great career for Thomas – he really knew the strike zone and he had excellent discipline at the plate. He rarely swung at pitches out of the strike zone.

Just like Thomas knew the strike zone, leaders have to know their business. I always admired our local 7UP Company. When college graduates came to work there, they all began their careers on the truck. They learned the beverage business from the ground floor.

Joey Meyer, the former DePaul basketball coach, once made an interesting observation on our two coaching careers. He said I was fortunate to begin coaching at the high school freshman level, whereas he began at the college level. His point was I had to learn the game from the most elementary level. I had to learn the simplicity of the game, the fundamentals of the game.

Thomas had discipline at the plate. Leaders cannot jump at all the new ideas. They have to have the patience and discipline to judge what fits their business and what does not.

Knowing the strike zone and having discipline at the plate led Frank Thomas to a Hall of Fame career. Keeping things simple and having the discipline to stay with that simplicity can make for a Hall of Fame career.

28 Jul

Greg Maddux and Leaders

After winning four Cy Young Awards and 355 baseball games – mostly with the Braves and Cubs – Greg Maddux was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday.

Two things were told to me about Maddux from former major league players that can be insightful for leaders.

Steve Parris, a University of St. Francis athlete who pitched approximately six years in the majors, once spoke to our basketball players on concentration. Who better to talk to any sport team on concentration than a Big League pitcher? After his presentation, our players had the opportunity to ask general questions about baseball. One of our players asked Steve who Big League hitters hated to bat against the most. We all thought it would be one of the great fastball pitchers – Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, etc.

Steve said it was Maddux because one thing hitters at the Big League level don’t want is to look bad at the plate. If you strike out on a 95-mile an hour fastball, everyone understands. Maddux didn’t throw 95; he just made you look bad.

Mark Grant, a Joliet Catholic High School athlete and the current voice of the San Diego Padres, was on the pitching staff at Atlanta with Maddux. He told us when the scouts would present the strengths and weaknesses of the opposing hitters prior to a series, all the pitchers listened. But Maddux not only listened; he took copious notes on all the hitters.

Another former teammate, Kevin Millwood once said that he had never known a player to be so meticulous about preparation and knowledge of batters. “’I think when he retires he could surely be a pitching coach,”’ he said. “’But he has made such a study of batters that he’d make a great hitting coach.” (Source)

Two thoughts leaders may consider. None of us, like Major League hitters, want to look bad. I think the only way to prevent looking bad is to do what Maddux did with the scouts – get prepared. Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.

23 Jul

Systems

Developing a system of work may be something for leaders to think about. And keeping that system simple may be the key to execution.

Earlier this month, the German soccer team beat Brazil in the semi-finals of the World Cup by the unprecedented score of 7 – 1. According to former German soccer players, their country developed a national academy of soccer whose purpose was to take the best young players in the country and teach them a particular system of play. They would all develop as players within that system. The result was Germany advancing to the semi-finals of the World Cup for the fourth consecutive time and then winning it all with a 1-0 win over Argentina earlier this month.

I once read that 90% of new restaurants fail, but 90% of franchise restaurants make it. The writer of that statement said he thought that the McDonalds’ of the world were successful because they had a system.

Equally as important as the system, per se, was that it was simple. They could bring in high school age teenagers and quickly and competently teach them their system because of its simplicity.

John Paxson was, I believe, cut from three NBA teams prior to coming to the Chicago Bulls. But when he came to the Bulls, he was a perfect fit for the Triangle Offense. The offense allowed Jordan and Pippen to penetrate and kick and Paxson was the perfect shooter to complement their driving. Steve Kerr succeeded Paxson at the shooting guard position and this offensive system enabled the Bulls to win six championships in the Jordan era.

When I served as the assistant to the president at St. Francis, our president, Dr. Jack Orr, organized all departments with the system of management by objectives. Everyone in the administration had the people who reported to them put their goals for the year with a timeline to accomplish them in writing. It was a very simple system that made all of us responsible and accountable.

We shared the goals with everyone in the department and verbally reported on our successes/failures twice a year. By operating this way, we were all on the same page, knew where our department was going, and could encourage and help each other accomplish our goals.

Should leaders look to develop a system of organization for their work place? And if so, should that system not be simple? Simple systems do lead to quality execution.

09 Jul

7 – 1

The above was the score of the German – Brazil match in the semi-finals of the 2014 World Cup. And, to make matters worse, in a country where soccer is a religion, the Brazilians suffered the humiliation at home.

It wasn’t a loss; it was a total embarrassment in front of thousands of rabid fans and millions of television viewers.

The media can sometimes be nasty and add salt to the wound. An ESPN sportscaster, while his station showed hundreds of Brazilians on a beach after the game, sarcastically said each of those people represent a German goal.

This is what sport and leadership can sometimes be about.

One minute the Brazil players are heroes in their country because they are members of The National Team in one of the greatest countries in soccer history. What an achievement! However, the next minute they set a World Cup record by participating in worst margin of defeat in the history of the World Cup. Even the German team said they could not believe it when they scored five goals in eighteen minutes of the first half!

If you are an athlete or a coach for a long period of time, there most likely will come a time when sport embarrasses you. When you accept a leadership position, you are most likely setting yourself up for embarrassing moments.

How do you react to these difficult times?

Pat Riley, the former NBA player and coach and current Miami Heat president, may have addressed it best when he said, “Success is getting up one more time than you’ve been knocked down.”

It’s tough to get up, but get up you must!

07 Jul

Can leadership be sustainable?

Guest Blog by Bonnie J. Covelli and Jeanne Washburn

“Sustainability” is one of those modern day words that is often overused and abused. Every business proposal, grant opportunity, reorganization plan contains the word sustainable. After all, why would you make a change or receive funding if you cannot prove sustainability?

Despite the word’s bad reputation, we propose viewing sustainability through the lens of leadership. It is difficult to lead in any situation, and it is even more difficult when barriers occur. How then, does a leader sustain momentum? How does a leader maintain continued process improvement? Can leadership be truly sustainable?

The answers to these questions are more personal than you might think. It is the leader’s inner passion and motivation that drives sustainability. It is less about the leader’s decisions and more about how the leader views his or her followers. The lasting effects of leadership, the sustainability of leadership, is centered within the follower.

Three theories of leadership showcase our point:

According to Bill George (2003) in his book, Authentic Leadership: Rediscovering the Secrets to Creating Lasting Value, authentic leaders understand their purpose, practice a value system, establish relationships, demonstrate self-discipline and most importantly, lead with heart. Authentic leaders “genuinely desire to serve others through their leadership. They are more interested in empowering the people they lead to make a difference than they are in power, money, or prestige for themselves” (George, 2003, chapter 1, para. 4). Several models of authentic leadership exist, including one presented by Avolio et. al. (2004) that encourages leaders to be self-aware, to self-regulate themselves, to be open to balanced processing of information from multiple sources, and to be transparent in all relationships.
Similarly, in the theory of transformational leadership, leaders “broaden and elevate the interests of their employees when they generate awareness and acceptance of the purposes and mission of the group, and when they stir their employees to look beyond their own self-interest for the good of the group” (Bass, 1990, para. 7). Transformational leaders inspire their followers to feel like they can accomplish great things when they exert more effort, ultimately building followers’ sense of purpose (Bass, 1990; Shriberg, D. & Shriberg, A., 2011). This sense of purpose, then, links to the sustainability of the organization or unit.
Finally, many of you are familiar with the theory of servant leadership which ultimately places emphasis on developing, respecting and encouraging followers. According to Kent Keith, CEO of Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, if servant leaders listen to their “colleagues and figure out how to get them what they need, they will perform at a higher level, which improves customer experience, which affects business results” (Johnson, n.d., para 2). The followers become the leaders.

Can leadership be truly sustainable? We think so.

The authors are honored to passionately serve the University of St. Francis:

Bonnie J. Covelli, Director School of Professional Studies
Jeanne Washburn, Executive Director, College of Business and Health Administration

References:

Avolio, B., Gardner, W., Walumbwa, F. Luthans, F., & May, D. (2004). Unlocking the mask: A look at the process by which authentic leaders impact followers attitudes and behaviors. The Leadership Quarterly, 15, 801-823.
Bass, B. M. (1990). From transactional to transformational leadership: Learning to share the vision. Organizational Dynamics, 18, 19-31.
George, B. (2003). Authentic leadership: Rediscovering the secrets to creating lasting value. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. [Kindle paperwhite version]. Retrieved from Amazon.com
Johnson, E. (n.d.) How to: Become a servant leader. Success.com. Retrieved from: http://www.success.com/article/how-to-become-a-servant-leader
Shriberg, D. & Shriberg, A. (2011). Practicing leadership: Principles and applications. Hoboken, N. J.: Wiley and Sons, Inc.

07 Jul

Chuck Noll and the Art of Leading, Teaching, and Preparing

Former Pittsburgh Steeler coach, Chuck Noll, passed away June 13, 2014. He certainly was a leader.

When he accepted the Steeler head coaching position in 1969, they were the worst franchise in the NFL. In the previous 34 seasons, they had no championships and only a single playoff appearance.

In his first year they won one game and lost thirteen. The next two years were losing seasons. To say the least, success was not immediate.

But his consistent teaching and preparation led the Steelers to four Super Bowl championships, the most of any coach in the history of the NFL. It is Chuck Noll, not Vince Lombardi, Don Shula, nor George Halas who led his team to four Super Bowl championships.

“Mean Joe” Greene, one of his many Hall of Fame players, said of his leadership, “I know of no one like him before and have never met anybody like him since. There was no hyperbole about him. None at all.”

Those who played for him reiterated that he was a man of few words who never wanted the spotlight on him. Although he could have capitalized on his Super Bowl fame by making commercials and taking endorsements, he made only one commercial in his career and that was for a friend whom he wanted to help.

It was not about him, but it was about the two things he did best – teaching and preparing.

Tony Dungy, another great coach who played safety for him said this about Noll, “He was a teacher first and foremost.” Two of his mantras that his players heard often regarding his teaching were, “Whatever it takes” and “Back to the basics.”

Like all great teachers, he kept things simple. His teaching emphasized the fundamentals, the basics. The first 30 minutes of every practice were spent on blocking and tackling.

The late Bill Gleason, an outstanding Chicago basketball coach and a dear friend, was the first person to teach me the “5 P’s – Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.” Keeping things simple, I believe the hallmark of great teaching has always been and always will be preparation.

Noll showed his preparation in two ways. The first was the draft. Through meticulous preparation, he was able to spot talent. His teams were composed of numerous Hall of Famers, almost all acquired through the draft.

Secondly, his preparation showed itself in his teams’ readiness to play. John Clayton, who covered his Steeler teams and is a current ESPN expert on the NFL, said his teams were “the most prepared teams I ever witnessed. His preparation was immaculate.”

It is no wonder why Art Rooney, Jr., one of the Steeler owners, said, “Chuck Noll is the best thing to happen to the Rooney’s since they got on the boat in Ireland.”

Noll left a legacy for leaders to reflect on. It’s not about you; you have to teach; and preparation is preeminent.

03 Jul

Nevermind the Critics: Leaders Fight Through Adversity

I was at the sixth game of the Bulls/Pistons series in Chicago’s United Center. I’ll never forget Michael Jordan’s performance at the game’s end. In the Bulls last eight possessions of the game, he scored on seven of them and had an assist on one.

The intensity in the arena was incredible. The Pistons were the reigning NBA champions and the Bulls just could not beat them. So, Jordan’s performance sent the series to a seventh game in Detroit.

All of Chicago was excited about this seventh game only to have Scottie Pippen get a migraine headache and not be able to play.

In the first game of this year’s Spurs/Heat finals, LeBron James could not play the last seven minutes of the game due to severe cramping.

Both Pippen and James were the recipients of extensive criticism. They simply weren’t tough enough to compete during the most important part of the season.

I have two questions for the critics. Have you ever had a migraine? Has your body ever shut down due to cramping? If you have experienced either of these, you know there is no way you can possibly play with either condition. Just like Pippen and James, leaders will be criticized and often harshly. And just like James and Pippen, leaders have to pay no attention to people who have no idea what they are talking about.

In the last analysis, leaders must get all the data they can, consult with people they trust, see the big picture, and make the best decisions they can. And then adhere to what Sister Margaret Duffy, the late registrar at the University of St. Francis, used to say, “Period. Amen!”

25 Jun

The Quiet Man

John Wayne made the movie but my dear friend, Dr. Gene Curran, lived it.

“The quiet man who spoke so loudly.” This was the refrain used by the homilist for Gene during his eulogy. Gene never spoke about all he did for others; he just did it and did it regularly.

He was a local podiatrist who treated thousands of patients in his lifetime…and often forgot, intentionally, to bill them.

It was said of Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs during this year’s NBA Finals that he is the quietest player in the entire League. Was that one of the reasons why his teammates – great players like Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili – were so happy for him when he was named the Most Valuable Player of the Finals?

He had little to say, but he sure let his actions speak for himself during the Finals.

Will Rogers, in his own inimitable way, saw this topic from another perspective, “Never miss a good chance to shut-up.”

When I reflect on my father, he had little to say. However when he did talk, it was like that old advertisement for E.F. Hutton. Everyone adhered to that Will Rogers adage and listened. For years, Dad volunteered for the St. Vincent DePaul Society gathering items for the poor in the community. He did it, but I never heard him talk about it.

When all is said and done, a leader, because of his position, does have the opportunity to help others. Albert Einstein had this figured out when he wrote, “I can see no other reason why we are here but to help others.” And I believe we admire people who do it, but don’t advertise it.

“The quiet man who spoke so loudly.” Not a bad mantra for a leader?

16 Jun

A Lesson on Humility from the Spurs

Perhaps the most relevant word to describe the Spurs winning the 2014 NBA championship is “humility.”

John Wooden used to say, “Give all the credit away.” You are the leader. Everyone knows you are the leader. The endeavor was successful. Why do you need the credit? I think humility and credit go hand-in-hand.

When the Spurs owner, Peter Holt, a man ranked as the “ultimate boss” among all sports owners in 2012, was interviewed immediately after the game, he was asked by ESPN’s Stuart Scott how HE did it. Specifically, he was asked “what’s your secret?”

He quickly gave his answer: “My secret is these guys behind me and Coach Pop… It doesn’t start at the top, it starts with them.”

Humility at the top can spread through an entire organization.

It was also interesting to watch Coach Gregg Popovich during the on-the-court post-game interviews. He stayed behind the team and was not interviewed. His actions spoke volumes. Give the credit to the players.

Sean Elliot, who played for the Spurs and Popovich, was asked why the Spurs have been among the top NBA teams for the past two decades. He said it all started with David Robinson and continued with Tim Duncan. The two Spurs superstars were, and are, humble. They set the team tone by wanting to be coached. When the superstars allow themselves to be coached, the rest of the team automatically follows suit.

Something for leaders to consider….Humility at the top can permeate through an entire organization and humility is best seen when all the credit is given away.