Should I Stay or Should I Go?

The big sports story in New Jersey has been the success of the Rutgers University football team. Under the leadership of head coach Greg Schiano, the team has gone from years of being a doormat to a team ranked among the best nationally.

As a result of Greg’s success, he is receiving a lot of interest to leave Rutgers and take a “bigger job” for a lot more money at some of the nation’s more traditional football powers, i.e. the University of Miami.

Greg decided not to pursue the Miami opportunity (see article). However, I strongly believe that as comfortable as Greg may be at Rutgers currently, his ego won’t allow him to stay there too much longer.

Here’s what I mean…

He’s been able to turn a perrenial loser into a winner. Rutgers is going to their second consecutive bowl game–the first time in school history. They were ranked this year in the top 10, and beat the then-#3 team in the country.

With all that said, Rutgers…I my humble opinion…will never be a “football school”, producing national championships and consistent NFL first round draft picks.

So, Greg’s drive, skills, and proven ability to win will always leave him wondering, “if I can succeed here (at Rutgers), HOW MUCH MORE COULD I DO AT A PROGRAM THAT IS BUILT FOR SUCCESS YEAR AFTER YEAR?”

I believe the answer to this question will leave a lot of Rutgers fans very disappointed in the very near future.

What do you think?

Leadership…From Inside the Team

Yesterday, I had a chance to chat with Tony Pittman and Phil Collins on Tony’s Penn State Football Podcast.

Obviously, we talked about the Penn State Football Team. However, a good deal of the conversation dealt with LEADERSHIP.

John Maxwell, the famous leadership guru, states that “everything rises and falls on leadership.”

I agree. The success of teams is really dependent on the quality of leadership–especially the leadership that exists among the members of the team.

It is one thing for a coach, or a boss, or a pastor to “lead” a team from the periphery, but when one of the team members is connected to the mission/purpose of the team, and demonstrates a commitment to executing that purpose, the impact on the rest of the team is undeniable.

There’s something contagious about a peer who wants to succeed. It’s a whole lot different than a coach/boss/leader telling me what to do.

Think of the most successful teams, or groups, that you’ve been a part of. Can you identify a real leader among the team members?

Successful Teams

Teams are an interesting phenomenon. They are found throughout most, if not all, human institutions: business, government, social groups and even families.

I’ve been involved in teams for most of my life. As a former athlete, I participated primarily in team sports: football, basketball, and baseball. I wanted to share a few observations from my experiences as a member of lots of teams–some more successful than others.

Teams must have a purpose.

Trying to get people to work together simply for the sake of them working together is usually an exercise that ends in disaster. Unless there is a legitimate reason that individuals are assembled, and forced to work together, then the group will probably fall apart fairly quickly. I will sacrifice my independence ONLY if there is a purpose bigger than I can handle on my own.

Too many superstars can mess up a team.

Having a collection of individual superstars rarely guarantees a successful team. Teams filled with “All-Stars ” are often distracted by the overwhelming collection of egos. I’ve heard that “the goal must be more important than the role”. However, when team members are unable to submit themselves to the goal of the team, soon the leader will be acting as a referee instead of a coordinator.

I actually believe that ego and pride (which are usually masks used by emotionally unhealthy individuals) are the reasons that moderately talented individuals work better together than highly talented people.

Opponents are great team-builders.

I’ve had teammates that I never would have connected with had we not been on the same team. More times than not, it was our desire to defeat our opponents that proved to be the primary bonding factor. In other words, I wasn’t really concerned about us being buddies. However, we needed to beat Notre Dame (the “enemy”), so we needed to work together. The opponent created the bond.

So then, if you are looking to either lead, or be a part of a successful team, I recommend the following:

1. Identify your purpose and your goals - Why does this team exist?

2. Don’t be enamored with superstars. The best teams don’t always have the most talented individuals.

3. Identify your external opposition. Your enemy can be your best team-builder.

Many of the members of this group are leaders of teams (organizations, church groups, sports teams). Hopefully, this will jump start some dialogue that will be insightful and beneficial to all of us.