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#Leadership : Did We Just Get Proof Of Nick Saban’s #Leadership Style ? Great REad!

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There are four fundamental leadership styles: Pragmatist, Idealist, Steward and Diplomat. And as you can probably tell from the names, some are competitive, others collaborative and others structured.

But the toughest, and most intense, of these four leadership styles is the Pragmatist. Pragmatists have high standards, and they expect themselves, and their employees, to meet those standards. These leaders are driven, competitive, and they value hitting their goals above all else. They’re also hard-driving and often enjoy smashing through obstacles. Does that sound like a particular college football coach we all know?

Yesterday, Wall Street Journal reporter Laine Higgins published a piece titled “Nick Saban Wins National Titles. He Loses Assistant Coaches.” And her terrific reporting may have given us the most definitive proof yet that Alabama coach Nick Saban has a Pragmatist leadership style.

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Recounting what happened after their game in the College Football Playoff semifinal, she notes that even though Alabama won, almost immediately Saban was obsessing over the team’s mistakes. He leveled some especially tough feedback at co-offensive coordinator Michael Locksley. With Alabama leading by four touchdowns, Locksley called a risky play that failed. Higgins quotes Locksley as saying, “We punt one time and he’s calling it out. You’re not getting a bunch of pats on the back or ‘great jobs.’”

“You’re not getting a bunch of pats on the back” might be one of the signatures of the Pragmatist leadership style. Working for them is not for the faint-of-heart or thin-skinned, as there will often be more criticism than praise. If you want to know your own leadership style, take the test What’s Your Leadership Style?

If they’re so tough, why would people continue for work for Pragmatists? The opportunities to learn under the Pragmatist’s tutelage are typically second-to-none. The job can sometimes feel like an apprenticeship to a master artist or professor. Partly this is because many Pragmatists are really smart.

If a Pragmatist has been in their role for a while, and they’re still getting good results, it’s likely that their talent outweighs their toughness. A Pragmatist who is not getting good results will often lose their job because they lack the political capital (that comes from niceness, good relationships, etc.) to weather the failures. In other words, if you see a long-tenured Pragmatist, it’s often because they’ve been achieving great results in spite of their intensity (and even abrasiveness).

Higgins’ article identifies another phenomenon that’s common with the Pragmatist leadership style: high turnover. She notes that “for the second year in a row, seven of Saban’s deputies from the previous season’s staff, including both the offensive and defensive coordinators, left Alabama for coaching jobs elsewhere.” And those coaches are not eager to discuss their tenure working for Saban; thirteen of the fifteen assistant coaches that have left since 2015 either wouldn’t comment or wouldn’t respond to requests for comment.

Employees working for the Pragmatist are typically at higher risk of burnout and low employee engagement than those working for a leader with a Diplomat leadership style. It can tough for many to maintain the high-intensity environment typical of the Pragmatist and that can mean shorter employee tenures.

But the plus of this is that when employees quit working for the Pragmatist, they’re often well positioned to take higher-level positions somewhere else. And it’s because of the intense learning experiences that working for a supremely talented Pragmatist can provide.

One of my recent studies called If They’re Not Learning, You’re Not Leading found that intense learning experiences are in short supply for many employees, as only 35% of employees say that they’re Always learning something new at work. Meanwhile, 52% of employees are Never, Occasionally or Rarely learning new things. And as bad as that sounds, it’s even more serious; employees who are always learning new things are 10 times more likely to be inspired than those who are not.

Nick Saban’s success at Alabama is undeniable. And with this latest report, I’d argue that so too is his Pragmatist leadership style. He’s driven, competitive, and appears to value hitting his goals above all else. There aren’t lots of pats on the back, but there are lots of opportunities to learn from, and apprentice under, a master. And while he does lose a lot of assistant coaches, there are always going to be ambitious, driven people who are more than willing to log long workdays, absorb tough criticism, and give 100% effort if it means getting a chance to learn from Nick Saban.

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Author: Mark Murphy

I’m the founder of www.LeadershipIQ.com, a New York Times bestselling author and I teach the leadership course What Great Managers Do Differently I am the author of…

Forbes.com | August 19, 2019

#Leadership : Lessons In Leadership From Alabama Football’s #Saban, Tagovailoa & Hurts… Make Sure you’re Building your #Team for the Future – When it’s your Turn to Be the Next Man Up, be Ready to Go, No Excuses.

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So many great moments in last night’s college football championship game. So many people stepping up in different ways. Three stand out as leaders: Coach Nick Saban being ready to make required changes and having the courage to make the changes when he needed to do so; freshman reserve quarterback Tua Tagovailoa stepping up to do what he needed to do to win the game; starting quarterback Jalen Hurts keeping his head in the game even after being pulled out.

For those of you who missed the game (and you missed quite a game), Georgia crushed Alabama in the first half, completely choking off the Alabama offense and heading into half-time with a 13-0 lead. Saban went with his back up, true freshman quarterback for the second half, leading to a heart-stopping 26-23 win in overtime.

Nick Saban

Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll describes Saban’s (and Belichick’s) philosophy of “Next man up, ready to go, no excuses.”

Let’s unpack that.

“Next man up” is the result of future capability, succession and contingency planning. Saban is already building his 2025-2026 team. He’s got people scouting all the rising grade school and high school stars. He’s getting to know the players he wants on his team. He won’t get all of them. But he knows what capabilities he’s going to need on his future teams and is working to fill the gaps.

With a more short-term perspective, he does succession planning. He creates opportunities to give his future starters playing time. Back up quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for example, played in over half of Alabama’s games this season, completing 49 of 77 pass attempts for 636 yards.

Saban’s contingency planning is closely linked to his succession planning. The players on his depth list need to be ready to go at a moment’s notice. Saban says he trusts players. “Players that do things the right way. Players who prepare the right way, practice the right way. They’re dependable.”

The “no excuses” part of the philosophy goes both ways as well. No excuses for coaches that do not give their rising stars the opportunities to learn and grow. No excuses for players that don’t get themselves ready. No excuses for not making the right moves at the right time. With Hurts struggling, Saban had Tagovailoa ready and was ready himself to make the move.

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Tua Tagovailoa

Tagovailoa was the next man up. He was ready. He made no excuses. To be clear, he did not play perfectly. He threw an interception and suffered at least two big sacks on plays in which he should have thrown the ball away for no loss. He made a bunch of other mistakes. But, and it’s a big but, he ignited the team, made big plays to keep drives alive and score when he needed to do so. Bottom line, he delivered what the team needed to win the game.

Jalen Hurts

Jalen Hurts kept his head in the game, switching roles with Tagovailoa at half-time. That’s a hard switch for a starting quarterback. Throughout the second half he was right by Tagovailoa’s side on the sideline, paying attention to everything the coaches were saying and encouraging Tagovailoa and the rest of the team every step of the way. Had Saban needed to go back to Hurts, he was the next man up, ready to go, no excuses.

Implications for you

Your organization needs all sorts of leaders: artistic leaders, scientific leaders, interpersonal leaders, strategic leaders planning the alignment of forces before the battle, tactical leaders moving forces in the battle and supportive leaders. Make sure you treasure all of them.

Make sure you’re building your team for the future – with future capability planning for the long term, succession planning for the mid term and contingency planning for, wait for it, contingencies.

When it’s your turn to be the next man up, be ready to go, no excuses.

When it’s someone else’s turn, make sure you’re supporting them and ready yourself.

Click here to see all my Forbes articles and get a summary of my executive onboarding book: The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan.

Forbes.com | January 9, 2018 | George Bradt , CONTRIBUTOR 

 

#Leadership : 3 Tips To Close Out The Year Strong From The Best Coach In College Football… Like Saban’s “Process,” you Must stay Focused on the Play Ahead—but What is that Play for You? What Do you Have to be Focused on Today that Could Bring you #Success Tomorrow?

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‘Tis the season to be…stressed. If you’re reading this blog, most likely you’re doing so on a smartphone while flying by the seat of your pants, trying to meet deadlines and end-of-year sales goals. Your email inbox is overflowing, and the pressure to plan (or attend) all those delightful holiday parties may be sending you to the edge. This is the uncomfortable truth: It’s normal to feel overwhelmed during this time of year.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban leads the team onto the field for warmups in an NCAA football game, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

But how, among all these challenges, do you close out the year strong?

If there’s anyone who has mastered the art of keeping a team focused, it’s Nick Saban, head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide. Saban has won three championships with the Tide and he’s currently in the national championship hunt again. He credits the success to his “Process,” a simple yet effective method of breaking down goals into manageable, bite-sized pieces…especially in challenging times. You don’t have to like Saban or Alabama to learn from him.

Some of his tips:

1 – Focus on the moment at hand

Saban framed the “Process” when he was coaching at Michigan State. Shortly before playing No. 1 ranked Ohio State, Saban told the Spartans to focus on executing the next play and not to worry about winning. The outcome: Michigan State upset the Buckeyes 28-24, giving Saban one of the first major wins in his storied career.

This is a simple yet profound tactic. Humans spend too much time thinking about past mistakes or way-in-the-future events; such micro-focus can have paralyzing effects on a team. Saban teaches his players to win the moment— it’s not about what was accomplished in the past and tomorrow isn’t promised for anyone. Winning is about the present.

 

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2 – Eliminate the clutter

Saban’s “Process” depends on clarity, not messiness. “Eliminate the clutter and all the things that are going on outside and focus on the things that you can control,” he shared in interview with the New York Times.

If you are having difficulty with goal completion, consider cutting down all non-essentials from your time and focus. You can start by examining your email, desk and even the upcoming list of meetings on your calendar—whatever isn’t contributing to your primary goal needs to be reassessed…or dropped altogether.

Like Saban’s “Process,” you must stay focused on the play ahead—but what is that play for you? What do you have to be focused on today that could bring you success tomorrow? Leave me a comment. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

3 – Champions have mental toughness and discipline

Saban’s Crimson Tide have endured more than just the SEC’s blistering defenses, but also face media scrutiny and the constant pressure to succeed to annually high expectations. Like many of the Great leaders in sports, Saban refers to adversity as a “friend” and credits mental toughness with helping his team face challenges. He often tells his players that the majority of people avoid the things they don’t like to do, but the Great Ones make a daily choice to face difficulties head on.

Most people have trouble accomplishing their goals because it’s very difficult to maintain the laser-focus required to reach them. This is especially true during the holiday season—one of the busiest times of the year. (Right now I am planning a holiday trip with my family, finishing the editing of a new book on the habits of great teams, and post-release marketing on my current release “Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates”…yes, I’m feeling it!)

Consistent winners know what it takes to handle each day’s business with authority. Success in crucial moments depends on sticking to your game plan, blocking out all distractions and facing adversity head on —that’s what the Great ones do.

Hopefully all of you are well on your way to completing some amazing goals in 2015, and will make 2016 even greater. Like Saban’s “Process,” you must stay focused on the play ahead—but what is that play for you? What do you have to be focused on today that could bring you success tomorrow? Leave me a comment. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

 

Forbes.com | December 14, 2015 | Don Yaeger