The power of A TeamToday being the Super Bowl I thought it appropriate to comment on the unique characteristics of the Teams. There is one team that everyone was talking about leading up to today’s game; the New England Patriots.But there was another team out there today one that not many people gave any real chance of success, only it is the team that won. This morning, reading the NY Times, there was an article on the coach of the NY Giants, Tom Coughlin. It described his journey from a headstrong coach to one that began to relate to his players. To quote the article: “Coughlin, facing his coaching mortality, tried to reshape his image. Players saw him as relentlessly unbending and unnecessarily strict. The public viewed him as perpetually angry and occasionally maniacal.Coughlin created a “leadership council” of players to act as liaisons. He met with reporters individually to spur his self-examination. He took the team bowling last summer, sending a message that he was different. The team might have been going nowhere, but Coughlin was much improved.” Is this an example of a leader transforming himself and in the process transforming his team? I can’t help but wonder.
Norman,
Thanks for sharing this great example of leadership. I have not followed the NY Giants too closely, but given the outcome of their season one does not have to look too hard to discover they worked together as a team. In that type of environment (i.e. high-profile sports organization) the success of the team almost always depends on a great coach leading the way. When the coach truly connects with the team members and other personnel, the organization prospers.
The topic of a coach or leader becoming the catalyst to success is near and dear to me. I have worked as a product manager for more than five years and have learned the importance of connecting with the people on whom I rely. Much like a coach, a product manager must connect with the teams he/she works with, treat the people as assets and focus on gaining their trust. It takes a lot of work on the leader’s part, but the results are always worth the effort.
I published an article about leading on purpose in the January ’08 edition of The Pragmatic Marketer. You can link to it from my blog. Take a look and let me know what you think.
Thanks,
Michael