A lifetime of leadership lessons in a single Instagram photo
Tom Coughlin’s 12 year run as the head coach of the NY Giants have come to end after his resignation earlier this week. One of his players, Justin Tuck, posted this thoughtful message and photo on Instagram commemorating his time playing for the 2-time Super Bowl Champion coach:
Coughlin has been a coach at various levels for over 40 years. It’s clear he’s learned a lot about leading and motivating during that time from the things Tuck wrote. There’s so many great lessons buried within his comment, I’d like to break them down so you can apply them when you’re leading:
1) One on ones are a crucial part of leading and motivating
“As I sit back and reflect on Coach Tom Coughlin, I remember all the one on ones in your office talking football, game plan, etc...”
Taking the time to meet privately, one on one with your people is critical. It’s a time to strengthen your relationship, give and receive feedback, talk about growth, and a whole lot more.
Most topics you should cover in a one on one never have another time to talk about them; it ends up being things you mean to, but never discuss. Open door policies fail, and relying on reactive management can be killer. It can be hard to make the time in a busy schedule, but the alternatives (disengagement, festering problems, etc) are much worse.
If you’re not having one on ones, you can learn more about them here and get step by step instructions to get started with one on ones here.
2) Lead by example
“…I used to try and beat you to the facility. I would get there at 6, you were there. I got there at 530 and you were there. 5am… I knew I would beat you then.. NOPE YOU WERE THERE. I remember feeling the hood of your car and it was cold. Come to find out there were nights you slept in the office. No one worked harder, no one demanded more and I LOVE YOU for it.”
There’s nothing more important to the culture of your team than the example you set. Whether that means you’re first in the office, or first to blame others for problems, your team will follow suit.
While NFL coaches are notorious for sleeping in their offices, clearly, you don’t have to go that far. What does matter is that any habits or characteristics you want to see in your team (like hard work, dedication, attention to detail, or accountability), you need to demonstrate.
Leadership by example is the core of great company culture. No value on the wall matters if the leaders in a company don’t live it, especially when it’s difficult. If you want the unfiltered truth from other leaders, you can read a deep dive on company culture here.
3) You have to care about your people and their growth
“…I will remember you for helping me become a man and challenging all of us to be better husbands and fathers and men. You did it the right way Coach. And you might be retired from coaching but I’m sure this isn’t a goodbye. That’s not in your nature.”
Being a great leader is about more than results on the field or the balance sheet. To truly motivate and engage your people, you have to care about them like Coach Coughlin. (If you’re not sure this matters — look at why Chip Kelly, a truly innovative football coach, failed in Philadelphia).
As Gallup discovered in their, “State of the American Manager” study, building rapport with your team so they can come to you with any problem is essential to keeping them engaged at work:
And it’s not just about caring about them beyond work. It’s also about their growth and development as a person.
When your people are growing in the ways that are important to them, they’ll be happier and more motivated. As you can see from Tuck’s comment, Coughlin cared about their growth on and off the field, and now Tuck cares about him even after he’s gone.
Want your team to feel the same way? You can learn how to have a great conversation about your team member’s growth here.
Want to shortcut a lifetime of leadership learning by trial & error and build the habits to motivate and retain your team today? Then learn more and sign up now for a free trial at GetLighthouse.com.
