Leadership Lessons From A Professional League

What has transpired in the National Football League (NFL) over these past months on the actions of players and owners are indeed solid lessons for us all.  The owners, the league were not a profile in courage or aptitude.  What we saw in videos and pictures were something we all already knew, but these situations made it so clear.  The League and the teams involved care more about money over doing the right thing. That is not breaking news, but it's more clear than ever.  The images of a battered child, shattered and bruised girlfriends, knocked out fiance, were not going to force the teams to bench their stars, it took corporate monies pulling its money that did.  

Again, this is not breaking news on the power of money or financial sponsorships nor is it isolated to professional sports.  It's happens in companies, non-profits and governments. Why does it continue to go on?  Why are leaders risking it all over their bad choices? What leads them to make these choices? Hubris, Compromise, Fear, Poor Advice.  What values are leading these decision makers? The ramifications are huge. 

We all make mistakes. Unfortunately for leaders, many of the mistakes are made in front of an audience. Board members, employees, stakeholders/fans and the media are all watching closely, scrutinizing every move.  All social media and its landscape can shift the sands underneath a corporation's feet with great rapidity.  There was mobilization against the NFL and the teams that came together so fast that they all seemed unprepared for it.  How can that be?

There are always signs that a decision is going south. Hopefully, those signs make themselves apparent during planning stages. Senior or junior executives, managers and employees should be confident in voicing their concerns.  If it is not the leader, then the team should understand it’s imperative to catch the potential mistake as soon as possible. Many leaders will continue implementing a flawed strategy, attempting to wait it out or to avoid admitting defeat. This only makes things worse.  We witnessed this repeatedly in the NFL situations: all that the owners of teams had to do was look at the previous situations and learn from how they bungled handling their case.  As James Joyce wrote, “A man’s mistakes are his portals of discovery.”

The key is to minimize the impact of mistakes so that when you stumble, your organization does not fall. Here are four steps you can take to make that happen:

 

1. Admit it

It is difficult to admit mistakes, particularly for someone in such a prominent position. Rather than shifting the blame to someone else or developing a hundred reasons to justify your terrible mistake, set an example and be accountable.  You have to first admit there is a mistake before you can take corrective action. Lead!

2. Apologize

Don’t underestimate the power of the apology. Apologizing can be cathartic, and people need to hear it. If you make a mistake that impacts your management team, then you need to apologize to your management team. If you have alienated the public, then you issue a public apology. Usually the standard apology is “I’m sorry. I won’t let it happen again. Here’s what I learned.” The word “sorry” is not an admission of weakness – if anything, it is a show of strength. Lead!

3. Fix it

Apologies lose their luster when they are not backed by substantive action. Dominos’ CEO, Patrick Doyle, demonstrated this a few years back when YouTube videos of unhygienic behavior went viral, as did pictures of pizza that didn’t look safe for consumption. Doyle not only apologized, profusely, he set out to make it right with the hungry public. His sincerity resonated with many consumers. People liked Dominos better after the snafu because the company put such a concerted effort into righting a wrong.  Lead!

4. Take the opportunity to improve

When a leader can admit, apologize and correct mistakes, it fosters confidence both within and around an organization. People understand that mistakes happen – what they react so strongly to are attempts to blame others or cover them up. 

Executive accountability is not only admirable, it also filters to every other employee in the company. If you are not willing to hold yourself accountable, no one below you will be accountable either. The best culture you can create and foster as a leader is one in which you do not worry about holding people accountable because they do it for themselves. This type of culture begins at the top.  Lead!

What resonated with you? What steps will take to align your values as a leader to your people, your organization, your sponsors, your critical audiences?  Send me a note via email: brad@aperiocoaching.net or on Twitter @bparcells.  Thank you for your time and support.

In Latin, Aperio means to reveal, uncover, to make clear.  Coaching is a powerful process that enables the client to reveal and illuminate their authentic leadership style via a sharp focus on who they are at their core.