The Influence of Great Coaches by Paul MacMillan

After tonight’s Super Bowl much more will be written about the coaching and leadership styles of the Harbaugh brothers. The winner of tonight’s game will probably have a best-selling book out by the end of 2013 and it will be a great Christmas present for the sports fan/businessperson who has everything.

What we’ve already learned about the Harbaugh boys (John and Jim) is the impact that other great coaches have made in their lives starting with their father, Jack Harbaugh. And is it any coincidence that Jack was significantly influenced by another the great coach named Bo Schembechler?

Behind every great team you’ll find great coaches. And with every great coach you’ll almost always find that his or her life was influenced by one or more impactful coaches and/or mentors. Just look at Mike Kryyzewski, a.k.a. “Coach K” of the Duke Blue Devils. Coach K is the winningest coach in NCAA Division I men’s basketball history and his mentor, Bobby Knight, is second. Coincidence? I think not.

Or how about Coach Cathy Rush of Immaculata College? She led her team to three straight national titles in the early 70’s. Her unparalleled seven-season career with the “Mighty Macs” concluded with a 149-15 record and a .909 winning percentage! The positive influence of Coach Rush is seen in several of her players who also became successful coaches. Two players from her 1972 national championship team continue to play vital roles in women’s college basketball today – Theresa Shank Grentz, former head coach at St. Joseph’s University and Rutgers University and now head coach at the University of Illinois, and Rene Muth Portland, a former assistant to Rush and now head coach at Penn State University. By the way, if you want to watch a great movie with your family and be inspired as a leader then watch The Mighty Macs.

John and Jim Harbaugh’s successes are not coincidental nor a matter luck or even fate. Nor is their success a matter of having a certain personality—have you watched these two guys in an interview? They have totally different personalities.

I believe their success comes from their commitment to consistently practice certain disciplines that less successful coaches aren’t willing to practice. And I believe they learned these disciplines from their mentors. This same commitment can be found in the other great coaches referenced above. It’s that simple. But don’t confuse “simple” with “easy.” It’s not easy to work 16 to 20 hour days during the NFL playoff run, but that’s what it takes if you want to win the biggest game in your profession.

The good news is that we can all learn to be better coaches, if not great coaches, assuming we are willing to practice the right set of disciplines. I see great coaches around me all the time. Coaches who consistently practice disciplines that set them apart from other coaches. I see this commitment in the coaches of my daughter’s 12 year old basketball team. Her coaches happen to be successful business leaders. Hmmm…is it coincidental that my daughter is learning a ton on the basketball court and loving every minute of it? I think not.

Even if you’re a great coach today, do yourself and your team a favor and learn from other great coaches. And then, practice what you’ve learned. Just imagine--you have an opportunity to leave a lasting legacy on your “corporate” athletes. And one day, those athletes will talk about what a great influence you were in their lives. And I think that’s pretty cool!!