CAPTAIN DEREK

“You just try to play hard because the least you can do is go out there and give 100% effort. It doesn’t mean you’re always going to get the job done or be successful, but the last thing you want to do, when it’s all said and done, is wish you had tried harder.”

-Derek Jeter

(This blog was never intended to come out after last night's events, but nonetheless I add insult to injury because that was the most pathetic sports moment of my life.)

Derek Jeter is one of the greatest leaders in the history of professional sports. Certainly his 3000 hits, 5 World Series Titles, 5 Gold Gloves, and numerous other baseball accolades lock him into the Baseball Hall of Fame, but when it’s all said and done we should remember The Captain for everything he taught us about being a leader- both to himself and the greatest professional sports franchise in history (Although I am hard felt to admit this as a member of Red Sox Nation, the Yankees do have 27 World Championships, which is more than any other professional sports team).

Throughout his life, Derek Jeter (DJ3K) has exhibited numerous forms of leadership in achieving greatness; the two most notable forms being setting goals high (and, of course working endlessly to achieve those goals) and leading by example. In Tuesday’s class, Wesleyan senior Coale Mechlin commented on Jeter’s ways. “I think Jeter has enjoyed so much success because he is so good at what he does. Everyone respects the guy because of the way he carries himself and how hard he works.”

From an early age, DJ3K was known to set his goals high. At age 9 he told his mother that he was going to play in the Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. He ate, slept and lived baseball. From his grandmother to his sister and elsewhere, Derek was always looking for someone to play baseball with. He was passionate for the game and that passion was slowly shaping him into quite the ballplayer. DJ3K believed in himself and the amount of work he put in over the years proved that. “There is always going to be someone who is better than you, but there is no reason someone should outwork you,” mentioned Jeter. This is the type of positive attitude that all great leaders possess.

Additionally, DJ3K displayed the ability to lead by example. In the clubhouse, on the field and in society, Jeter has made his presence felt by all. He was never intimidated by teammates and confronted them if he didn’t like something – signs of a great leader. For example, DJ3K approached a Yankee pitcher who made negative hand gestures after an infielder committed an error. “We don’t do that kind of thing on this team,” stated Jeter. By holding himself accountable for his actions, he forces others to follow. “He doesn’t put blame on others,” stated classmate and Wesleyan senior Ali Singer. “When you look up to someone you want that person to show he or she is human. A great leader admits to his or her mistakes,” Ali added. DJ3K admits when he makes a mistake and forces others to do the same.

What our class loved about DJ3K was that he was very relatable. He likes hanging out, women, and partying, but has never let that get in the way of what he is trying to accomplish (Contrarily, our class discussions proved Michael Vick and Tiger Woods did.). “Jeter gets along with everyone and is able to deal with personality differences, but the second someone gets out of line he is right there to humble them. That’s the sign of a leader,” stated Wesleyan senior AJ Ferraro.

Congrats to Captain Derek on all his accomplishments. All young athletes look up to DJ3K and although I am older now, I still share that admiration. Derek Jeter is and will be a model for athletes and leaders to come. Much like Coach Whalen, DJ3K is a born leader.

Jim Collins - Eric Mangini - Mike Whalen: LEADERS

Our class this week revolved around a series of videos on how effective leaders gain effective followers. The first video was an interview with Jim Collins. Jim is the author of two National best sellers, Built to Last and Good to Great, which we will reference continuously throughout the semester. In the interview, Collins makes a great point on the conditions in which he believes leadership is most effective. He states, “True leadership only exists when people follow, if they have the freedom to not follow. If I put a gun to your head I can make you do something, but I haven’t led you anywhere.” He later says, “If the people truly have the freedom to follow, they are not going to follow if in the end: a.) it’s about you or b.) you’re unwilling to sell the mills.” I believe Collins hit the nail on the head with this one. If a leader plans to be successful, he or she must have the respect and commitment of the team working under them. This can only be achieved if the followers actually believe the leader’s vision is for the greater good and not personal goals. Our senior classmate Geoff Mucha had a great comment on this issue. “Today, people are using leadership positions as a platform to advance professionally. When employees see this, they are less inept to believe in the leader,” stated Geoff. Our class agreed. We also concluded that a balance of personal and company goals is key for both leaders and followers. Mike Barsotti summed it up nicely. “Air on the side of productivity,” Mike stated.

The second clip was an interview hosted by Wesleyan in 2010 with ’94 Wesleyan graduate Eric Mangini. As some of you might know, Eric was a head coach in the National Football League with the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns. The clip fit our class perfectly as not only does Mangini have a personal connection with Wesleyan, but he also focuses his interview on leadership. The comment that stuck with me most was when Mangini talked about recruiting players at the 2:22 mark of the interview. He states, “I drive the personnel guys crazy. They’ll come in and tell me about a guy’s 40. They’ll tell me about his broad jump, how many tackles he had, and I don’t really care about that. I don’t care about the player until you can tell me about the person because I know that one guy is going to affect five guys in the locker room either positively or negatively. “ In other words, you can have the talent, you can have the grades, you can have all the skill in the world, but if you don’t have the heart you will never reach your full potential. In some cases, you might even negatively influence team or company goals. Wesleyan senior Colin Hartwig stated, “Recruiting people with value - by knowing he is a good person, then you can trust him. You can trust that he will be at work on time, value his job, and be an asset in more than the traditional ways.” Jim Collins talks continuously about having the right people. The right people are any team, firm, or organizations most valuable asset. Those are the people who know how to deal with the challenges and overcome them because they are willing to go the extra mile and do whatever it takes.

The final video was an interview with current Wesleyan head football coach and ’83 graduate Mike Whalen. By the tone of his voice and his first comment you can without doubt tell Coach Whalen is a born leader. Coach Whalen states, “The first words out of my mouth when I met with the team…..was guys we are going to win now.” I am a competitive person and when I heard this chills ran through my body. Even though I am not on the football team, I felt like I immediately accepted Coach Whalen’s identity. He didn’t sit there in front of Wesleyan Alum’s and current coaches and preach NESCAC championship or anything like that, but rather put it simply by saying “we are going to win now.” That’s deep. I have been around sports all my life and never heard anything so meaningful. Would you follow?

-A leader laying out the most simplistic vision possible, yet the most effective vision.

In class we discussed that this was probably so effective because of his reputation and I agreed to some extent. (For those unfamiliar with Coach Whalen, he was the head coach at rival Williams College for six seasons posting a 38-10 overall record during that time.) However, everyone wants to win regardless and for that, he earned the respect upon hiring and will someday lead Wesleyan football to the big prize, a NESCAC championship. Is this even up for debate? Coach Mike Whalen is the right person for the job. He is a born leader.

Effective Long-Term Leaders

In class on Tuesday we discussed long-term effective leadership. We determined that the most effective leaders believe in themselves and their strategies. They are confident people, but also admit when they are wrong. This is the type of check and balance system that eliminates a leader from appearing arrogant or cocky. Wesleyan senior Liz Chabot stated, “You need confidence in everything you do, but effective leaders do not let their egos get the best of them.” Our class agreed. We also determined that creating a family-like working atmosphere where all opinions are equally valued is important to long-term success. Obviously the leader has the last say, but individuals in a firm or on a team should be able to think freely and feel important. When employees and team members feel valued they are far more likely to perform at their best. Wesleyan senior Derrick Williams supported this idea. “The CEOs were not always around, but when they were they took the staff out to lunch on them. This created a feeling of importance and made us work hard everyday regardless of whether or not they were around.” Part of being an effective leader is having effective followers. In our coming class, we will discuss how a leader can build character in his or her followers- the type of character that appears when people are not watching.

Best,

Salah 

Leadership: Commitment to Building a Clock versus Telling the Time

Taking over the student forum in the fall, will be Tom Salah who you might remember posted back in February: http://leadershipatwesleyanu.blogspot.com/2011/02/salah-comments-on-leadership.html. He'll be leading class with the help of Wesleyan Government Professor Giulio Gallarotti. It's an honor to have the academic deans pass the class again and Tom is going to do a great job with it. Here's a post he's written while he's done research over summer break:

Last week ESPN’s Rece Davis hosted a 2-hour special with two of the most committed leaders in the history of collegiate athletics: Penn State Football coach Joe Paterno and Duke Basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski. “Difference Makers: Life Lessons with Paterno and Krzyzewski,” examined the illustrious coaching careers of these two individuals, their strategies of leadership, and what got them to where they are today. To them it was the structure, the process, and the passion they had to build the indestructible clock. On numerous occasions they lost five-star recruits, blew big leads, and had by their standards, ‘unsuccessful’ seasons, but at no point lost faith in what they were trying to accomplish. They believed that overcoming these challenges was a small kink in the armor and that little had to be done, if anything at all. Joe Pa and Coach K stayed true to themselves and their mission and in doing so built a legacy of trusting and committed players who believed in the clock that never stopped ticking.

 

To me, a clock is built in three steps: formulate a vision, commit to that vision, and stay committed to that vision. From the beginning, a leader must construct a vision that exploits the creativity of the human mind. By this I mean, the vision should not be team specific, year specific, or aimed at a specific goal for those visions are boring and for the ‘time tellers.’ They create tunnel vision and fail to factor in human curiosity. This is why I never agreed with Rex Ryan’s strategy to adamantly publicize the Jet’s goal to win the Super Bowl year after year. When the Jet’s lost in the 2011 AFC Championship to the Steelers, one win shy of Super Bowl XLV, Rex was again found commenting in an interview about the Jets' 2012 goal. What a surprise. Their vision for the third straight season (Rex’s 3^rd season in the Big Apple) was aimed at a specific goal, to win the Super Bowl. Don’t get me wrong, Rex is a committed leader, but it seems though he’s committed to time telling and not clock building. His vision makes for a mundane working environment. No room for imagination, no room for incentive, no Super Bowl (Knock on wood – I’m a diehard Pats fan). Sorry Rex.

On the other hand, Joe Pa and Coach K never focused on how their season was going to end until it was actually the end of the season. They were committed to building character in young men and believed that the success of the team would fall into place if they were able to accomplish this goal. Their equations never changed, but allowed each one of their teams to have its own identity, thus factoring in human curiosity. Both Penn State Football and Duke Basketball have winning traditions, though not simply a credit to their great leaders. Joe Pa and Coach K built an environment deemed for success, regardless of changing time and tough breaks. Good leaders are ‘time tellers.’ Great leaders are clock builders. (Built to Last: Successful Habit of Visionary Companies by Jim Collins) Rex Ryan is a time teller, while Joe Pa and Coach K are clock builders.

Now that I laid down some ideas behind creating ‘the winning way’ if you will, let’s discuss the role commitment plays in staying true to this vision. Commitment can be interpreted in various ways, but the most successful leaders are the ones who stay committed to their original mission, regardless of what is occurring around them. Joe Pa and Coach K are the epitome of leaders who continuously stayed true to their vision. They never wavered, never let outside factors influence their decisions, (I think it’s funny how much the media influences coaching decisions, but not Joe Pa or Coach K. They could care less.) and most importantly never lost sight of the bigger picture. As previously stated, the bigger picture for them was to create a winning environment by building character in their players. Coach K discusses this point in his book, Leading with the Heart: Coach K’s Successful Strategies for Basketball, Business and Life. “If our culture is properly developed, if it’s nurtured and cared for and watered every day, then in the heat of competition, in those moments when you need to slam home a message, where you need to “spike it,” the individual, or the team collectively, will respond well,” states Krzyzewski. The framework at Duke, built from the ground up by Coach K himself, has resulted in over 800 wins and 4 National Championships. Clearly Duke Basketball players believe in the system. They believe that plugging the right habits into the equation, results in an output of a National Title. If you want to build a clock, take a page out of Coach K’s book. His clock is still ticking.

A lot can be learned from studying leaders. Whether you have intentions to lead large groups of people down the road or not, everyone should understand leadership for their own personal sake. What I share is not restricted to specific settings. You can incorporate these ideas into your family, professional, or social lives.  I think it is important to learn what different people, from various walks of life think makes up a great leader and how individuals influence others. Everyone is a leader at one point or another, so how should people measure success (I do not intend for success to mean anything more than personal satisfaction- how satisfied you are in your leadership?) For individuals like Joe Pa and Coach K, one could argue that success can be determined on the number of wins, championships, etc. but what the special revealed was they accepted leadership roles for a different reason: to build character in their players. Over the course of the next 6 months, I will continue to tackle the challenge behind what it takes to truly be a great leader. I hope to adopt many of what I’ve picked up along the way from Joe Pa and Coach K and apply those ideas to the class I will be teaching, Strategies of Leadership. Joey G (who taught the class this past spring) and I have and will continue to discuss this topic. We feel strongly about leadership and understand that unfortunately the world lacks great leaders because they don't take on the responsibility of it. However, we're here to prove that there are time tested ways to become a leader yourself. I hope you enjoy my thoughts and please feel free to respond.

Best, 

Salah

Hero to Villain Yet Still a Leader: Lebron James

Hero to villain in a matter of months.  

"He's overrated."
 
"I asked Lebron for a dollar and he couldn't give me the fourth quarter." Good one.

Lebron's one of the best in the game, hands down. For most of the playoffs he led his team in points, assists, and was a close second to Chris Bosh in rebounds. I'll make the excuse for him: he's 26 years old. He probably ran out of steam. 28 other NBA cities could only dream and wish that they ended their seasons two wins away from a world championship. Kobe, Durant, Carmelo, and a slew of other NBA stars were left at home watching one of the best and closest NBA Finals in league history.

Is Lebron arrogant? No doubt. I've never met a great player that wasn't, who didn't have that confidence in himself. Labeled as the next coming and the King since middle school, I think you'd be somewhat full of yourself too. With little guidance from adults, he had no role models to look up to. He had nobody tell him, "The Decision" was a bad idea. Maybe he should've stayed in Cleveland. But, in LBJ's defense, the Cavaliers' owner wasn't shelling out money like George Steinbrenner either. Little help from role players, and tired of mediocrity will get to people who want to look for better. Why wouldn't you want to form a legendary trio with two of the other top players in the league, be in a great city, and play somewhere else than Ohio for the first time in your life? It's like the way a father feels the first time his son leaves home for college. People will certainly feel a sense of despair, except in Lebron's case - a little hatred too.

Lebron is an icon. He is seen everywhere by young kids. He's what every kid on the blacktop at their local park wants to be - a high flying, Nike wearing, jump shooting stud. Is he Derek Jeter? No. I wish Lebron would say the right things or handled himself better.

Will he be as good as Michael Jordan? That's unfair. No one ever will. Lebron James will be as good as Lebron James is. He'll be as good as he wants to be. For probably the first time in his young life, he has failed and most of America loved to see it. LBJ didn't handle it all that well either.

Adversity. Lebron's going to grow up. As outsiders we can only hope he'll work on his jump-shot and low-post game this summer. Lebron is a leader in the NBA and in professional sports. All great leaders have failed, but all great leaders have that drive and determination to be the best at what they do. It is how people come back from adversity to achieve the goals they set out to that makes them leaders. Sylvestor Stallone said it best: "It's not how hard you can hit -- it's how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward."

I read about how Jack Nicklaus offered advice to Rory McIlroy at the U.S. Open. Nicklaus said that he always put a lot of pressure on himself. He expected himself to play well. He expected himself to be [on the leader board] all the time. It's the same with Lebron. We can only hope he does.

Guest Speaker Kennedy Odede Featured on MSNBC Nightly News

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Our friend and fellow Wesleyan student, Kennedy Odede, who came into speak to our class in April was featured in an MSNBC Nightly News clip. Kennedy doing big things and getting the positive word out about Shining Hope for Communities, his organization that is building schools for girls in his native Kibera, Kenya.

Tufts Men's Lacrosse National Champion Documentary (2010)

Classmate Todd Keats '11 let us know about this documentary in the forum. The head coach, Mike Daley, does a great job as the chief motivator guiding his players. You'll see the effort, preparation, and dedication that is required in the off-season to achieve success in-season.

Most importantly, for our purpose, you'll also see the message he sends to his players about trusting one another (which derives from those off-season workouts) and also about focusing on one thing at a time - "take care of the ball, take care of each other, and YOU will be proud, YOU will be champions." We always talks about how effective leaders inspire a shared vision [scroll down to the Kouzes and Posner part towards the Obama video]. I love when he gives his team the article about how they will get blown out against Cortland - great go to motivational tactic.

Tufts is on another run this season after winning back to back NESCAC championships. They face Cortland St. for the second year in a row, except this time earlier in the quarterfinals. Even though I'm a Wesleyan U. Cardinal, I wish them the best of luck as they represent the 'CAC in the National Tournament.