Remember - Be A Titan

It’s football season! This is my favorite time of the year.  As a football coach’s daughter, the season is in my blood. And during football season, I am always reminded of leadership.  I still remember, as a little girl, sitting in the bleachers watching my Dad and the other coaches, work with their team.  (My Mom worked so my sister and I hung out with Dad in the summer—I’m sure a joy for him!)

As a fan of both movies and football, there are many, many good films about football. Remember the Titans is one of my favorites.  Why? Because it teaches all of us that when people and teams are divided by race, gender, age, geographic, or spiritual reasons, great leaders can bridge any gap and connect people.

 

Walk the Talk

 

Having a Titan - a strong, devoted leader is everything.  We all need that one person, or team of leaders, who is willing to put in all the work necessary to become a successful company. There are two main things that a captain, or leader, must always be doing: accentuating teamwork and generating a positive work environment. There is no doubt that teamwork is an absolute necessity in reaching any final goal. To develop that sense of collaboration, you must make each employee feel as though each person is a vital facet to the company as a whole, and without them, it simply would not work (even if it would). How do great leaders do this? Easy… they walk the talk. Once your employees see that you conduct your daily work in a positive way, they too will do the same, day in and day out.

 

One of my favorite quote is by Mahatma Gandhi “We must become the change we want to see.”  If you want your team to be productive…be productive. If you want people to tell you the truth… tell the truth. If you want to be respected…earn it.

 

If you get tackled, get right back up.

 

Never let the continual cheap knockdowns stand in the way of your path to victory, and ultimately, an undefeated season.

 

Regardless of how long it takes to close your first big deal or make your first sale, the key to being a strong leader is resilience. The definition of resilience varies greatly, but my favorite is “being able to flex against outside forces, but not lose your shape” i.e. never lose yourself. There will undoubtedly be things that are not in your control that will slow down your business. But, you cannot let these outside forces get you down, or get in the way, of reaching your final goal.

 

“What’s your Battle Cry?  “Mobile. Agile. Hostile.” or “MIB”

 

To get his team on the right track and working together, Coach Boone takes the Titans to an extensive football camp away from home. During one drill he yells them the question, “What are you?!” Their answer: “Mobile, Agile, Hostile!”

 

In business we should be mobile, most likely not hostile, but most importantly we must be agile. Agility is key to reaching success at the highest level. In today’s world, everything is changing at a very rapid pace. This means we must do the same in order to stay competitive. Agility’s best friend in creativity. Stay up-to-date, and relevant in your customers’ eyes.

 

I must digress for a minute.  Recently, I read an excellent book called The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. The book tells the story of the University of Washington’s 1936 eight-oar crew and their epic quest for an Olympic gold medal, a team that transformed the sport and grabbed the attention of millions of Americans. The sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the boys defeated elite rivals first from eastern and British universities and finally the German crew rowing for Adolf Hitler in the1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. The boys have struggles, as any team does. But, when in the boat they rowed as one and their cry was MIB –Mind in Boat.

 

Find a department battle cry and yell it out!

 

Having a star on your team doesn’t make you a star team

 

In Remember the Titans, the team star and quarterback gets injured due to a poor block. The back-up quarterback gets the call and steps in without missing a beat.  Businesses call this a succession plan.

 

Having a star on your team doesn’t make you a star team. Every single person contributes, and every single person deserves to be treated the same. Another key is the fact that you are only as strong as your weakest link. If one person is not pulling his or her weight everyone will suffer because of it. A leader must recognize, and make changes as these problems arise.  And leaders, please watch out for anyone who uses “I” or “My” instead of “We” or “Our”.  When you hear that…throw the flag! Penalties/issues/grandstanding/conflict is coming.

 

No Doubt.

 

Coach Henry Boone of the Titans tells his team that they are going to win. There is no doubt in his voice, and his players recognized that fact. He demanded perfection and that is what they gave him. Everyone must have that winning mentality, always. When they do, and when everyone understands the final goal of their business, nothing is impossible.

 

Ahhh, I love lessons learned from football and sports. MIB!  Mind in Business!