What is the ideal personality of an effective leader? What kind of personality is most likely to lead to winning? Ultra-competitive taskmaster? Charismatic cheerleader? Nurturing and compassionate mentor?
“Personality doesn’t make one bit of difference so long as what the personality projected is genuine,” says Marv Levy, who coached the Buffalo Bills to four consecutive Super Bowl appearances. He shared his convictions in an article that appeared in the USA Today titled “Coaching Success Boils Down to Three Traits”.
“What does count are the three essential qualities found in every successful NFL head coach,” he continued.
1. Get others to adopt the team quest … completely and without reservation. That is, join you in your quest for a championship. This includes getting the players, management, owners and other stakeholders to accept your guidance, adopt your plan, and dedicate themselves to becoming the best they can be in their particular role. They must want you to win, and also want the win for themselves and for the team. This is done through genuine relationships built day-by-day, interaction by interaction … not via the occasional rah-rah speech.
2. Work effectively with others and through others … in a manner that fosters:
a. Organization-wide focus on maximizing team performance, which is achieved when each role player performs his or her role unselfishly and at a high level … without concern for whom gets individual credit.
b. Enjoyment
3. Be a straight shooter. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Criticize – when necessary – face-to-face, one-on-one. Be respectful of all people, including opponents. Play by the rules.
“What it takes to win is simple, but it isn’t easy,” he says.
This article was written in part from an attempt to interpret and then communicate the broader message in Mr. Levy’s USA Today article. The above may or may not in fact completely represent the thoughts, philosophy or beliefs of Mr. Levy.
This article originally appeared in The Business Owner Journal, the periodical of choice for owners of small and midsize private businesses. All rights reserved, D.L. Perkins LLC. © 2012.
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