Leadership

Covid-19 has brought out many different leadership styles, and that has made me think about what I need to do to become a better leader for my students.


I remember when John Madden, former coach of the Oakland Raiders (76.3 winning percentage), talked about the 1987 football strike.  He would say the players were being too greedy in their demands.  And in the next breath, he’d talk about how greedy the rich owners were being.  At those times, he really hated the game.


And when he hated the game, he would go out and have beers with the linemen.  The linemen?  I could challenge anyone to name three linemen on this year’s Super Bowl-winning Chiefs.  Most people might say they wanted to spend time with Pat Mahomes, Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers. But the linemen?


What made Madden an outstanding coach, however, is that he truly loved the linemen.  He was not caught up in idolizing celebrity quarterbacks; he cared about the people who helped quarterbacks win.


Now, it’s easy to say that you care about people who work for you.  Every administrator I have ever worked for has told the faculty that they are the best faculty.  I, however, have developed a checklist of questions I ask myself daily to make sure that I continue to share and live John Madden’s values.


When you argue with management, are you fighting for your people?

Does it absolutely drive you crazy when your people do not have the tools to get the job done? 


If you have an appointment and your boss calls to arrange a last-minute meeting, do you tell them you cannot meet because you have an appointment with one of your people?


When you are at your lowest, do you want to hang out with the equivalent of your lineman?



If you answered “no” to any of these questions, then you do not have the love for the “little people” that made Madden successful.


My challenge to you is to ask yourself these questions each day, so that you continue to get to “yes” on all of them