While I am not a sports fanatic, I have followed one team since I was a boy. I’ve always had a special affinity for the University of Southern California Trojans football team. Therefore, it’s no surprise that one of my favorite football coaches of all time is John McKay. McKay reached the highest heights by winning five national championships at USC and the lowest lows with the longest losing streak in National Football League history while at Tampa Bay. Through it all, he never lost his sense of humor.
When the pressure is always on to win, having a sense of humor is not only important but mandatory as a way to release tension. Off the field, McKay was one of the wittiest coaches ever. For example, following a loss, when a reporter asked what he thought of the team’s execution, he said, “I think it’s a good idea.” After another loss, he said, “We didn’t tackle, but we made up for it by not blocking.”
Today, USC has another great coach. Pete Carroll has accomplished a stunning turnaround of the program. He won back-to-back national championships in 2004 and 2005, and won the PAC 10 for a record fifth straight year.When you analyze why USC is winning, it comes down to three main reasons.
First, the players are having fun. Having fun begets winning, and winning begets having fun. One player commented, “Coach Carroll makes it intense and fun. I don’t think enough coaches realize how bad it looks to the players when they stand on the sideline like somebody just died. Coach Carroll gives us enthusiasm that we can feed off.”
Second, Pete Carroll has minimized the factors out of his control and maximized those in his control. Recruiting new players is completely in his control; therefore, recruiting is his number one focus. He hires the best assistant coaches and recruits the most talented players. No program can sustain success without continually upgrading its talent.
Finally, the coach and players have an insatiable appetite for winning. They aren’t resting on their laurels. In the words of Pete Carroll, “There is no end. There is no eureka. You just keep going.”
Sports and sales share a lot of the same characteristics. Each requires hard work, perseverance, sacrifice, and personal discipline. More importantly, each is based upon preparing oneself--physically, mentally, and strategically--for the long run--whether it is an entire season or a fiscal year.
I enjoyed your comments on the winning approach at USC. I found the point on focusing on the items one can control as particularily interesting. I find many sales organizations going after the "flavor of the month" program. The result is a tired sales force resistant to change, even well thought out change. The coach's ability to get his team to pay attention to the present and accomplishing the task at hand is not to be over looked.
Posted by: Greg Alexander | January 12, 2007 at 05:08 PM