Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer has an interesting perspective on coaching. Although he has plenty of wins on his resume, his focus as a coach has nothing to do with winning games. Here are a few of his thoughts on coaching and leadership:
- The job of a leader is to earn trust. People will only follow you if they trust you and know that you deeply care about them.
- We focus beyond football. Our goal is a 100% job offer rate for each of our players. We want to make sure that they are prepared for life when they are done with Ohio State football. We are a leadership center, not a football team.
- Our goal is to be 9 strong. We have 9 small units within the team, and we want the to work as a cohesive unit. Our goal is for every unit to perform at maximum capacity.
- A fierce competitor refuses to lose. If they are keeping score, you should strive to win. You are only a loser if you accept a loss. You are not a loser if you learn from a temporary loss and use it to make you better and stronger.
- He starts every day with a 30-45 minute devotion. His time with God each day is the only non-negotiable activity that he has in his life.
- Your habits and your goals must be fully aligned. Be honest with yourself about what you really want. Don’t tell yourself you want to be a winner if you aren’t willing to do what it actually takes.
The winningest coach in college sports history, John Wooden, had a similar philosophy. He never considered himself a coach, but rather a teacher. He focused on building leaders that would succeed well beyond the court. The focus was on building Character, and the result was winning games. Next time you think about leadership, think about building Character.