(Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)
The motivation of a team, its preparedness, and general cohesiveness starts with the philosophy and environment that the head coach instills on a NFL team.
What makes a great head coach? My definition of leadership is communicating to people their worth and potential so clearly that they are inspired to see it in themselves.
Inspire Trust
You build relationships of trust through both your character and competence and you also extend trust to others and players. You show others that you believe in their capacity to live up to certain expectations, to deliver on promises, and to achieve clarity on key goals.
Clarify Purpose
Great coaches involve their people in the communication process to create the goals to be achieved. If people are involved in the process, they psychologically own it and you create a situation where people are on the same page about what is really important—mission, vision, values, and goals.
Align Systems
This means that you don’t allow there to be conflict between what you say is important and what you measure. Directing other coaches to mold the players for one common goal.
Unleashed Talent
When you inspire trust and share a common purpose with aligned systems, you empower players. Their talent is unleashed so that their capacity, their intelligence, their creativity, and their resourcefulness is utilized. When that happens you found your play maker.
Miami's Tony Sparano (1)
Sparano out-performed every coach in 2008 with out question. He oversaw almost an impossible turnaround, leading Miami from last-place finish in 2007 to a playoff berth in 2008. The former offensive line coach in Dallas, joined Bill Parcells with the Dolphins and the makeover in Miami was just as impressive as in Atlanta.
The Dolphins were 1-15 a year ago before cleaning house, and Sparano guided them to an 11-5 mark that won the AFC East. Only one team has ever improved as much as Miami’s 10-game turnaround: the 1999 Indianapolis Colts. In 2007 Miami’s defense finished 30th for points scored against.
The improved greatly in 2008 and found them self’s in the NFL’s top ten points per game. and 8th best in the league for total sacks. Even special teams enjoyed a top 3 finish on the kick off unit, and 2nd best overall on field goals and extra points made.
New York Giants' Tom Coughlin (2)
Coughlin is a master of sorts playing home going 7-1 for the season. Coughlin’s inability to mold Manning into a consistent quarterback is just one of many achievements. Coughlin learned to listen more attentively to his players and staff.
We're going to send you the most entertaining Chicago Bears articles, videos, and podcasts from around the web.
42 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete