If you’re the head football coach of an NCAA Southeastern Conference (SEC) Football team, don’t expect much help with your career from Nick Saban. In fact, you should expect him to be a career saboteur.
Just consider the fate of Mark Richt, who was fired three days ago after he fell short of benefactors expectations, finishing the year with 9 wins and 3 losses. In his 15 year run as head coach of the University of Georgia Bulldogs, he won 74% (145) of his 196 games. Not bad, but not good enough to keep his job. The two time SEC coach of the year with 2 SEC championship titles and 6 division titles, has lost all his games against Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide since 2008, and has failed to deliver a National Championship to the Georgia faithful.
According to Yahoo sports writer Dan Wetzel, Saban is the reason Richt lost his job this past weekend and why Les Miles, head coach of LSU (2-7 against Saban), almost followed in Richt’s footsteps.
So, how can Nick and Mark help you? Neither are going to come to your office to be your one-on-one executive coach, but as the great philosopher Yogi Berra once said, “You can observe a lot just by watching.” Here’s what I’ve observed by watching the “Saban Gold Standard” and its affect on the Division I NCAA monetary system. These are valuable lessons for all us leaders, from middle managers all the way to the C-Suite, corner office dwellers:
- Lesson #1: Perform at a high level or be fired – that’s why they pay you the big bucks – Don’t long for the good old days – they don’t exist anymore. On December 3, 1957, The Tuscaloosa News reported the best football coach in the country, Paul (Bear) Bryant, had been signed to a 10 year contract to be the head coach at the University of Alabama for the hefty sum of $17,500 per year – approximately $193,000 in 2015 dollars. After ten years as head coach he had won about 80% of his games. In his next three seasons he won only 20 games and stacked up 13 losses, a mere 60% winning record. But you don’t fire guys who make $193,000 per year just because they had a couple of mediocre years. You do, however, fire guys like Mark Richt who make $4 million per year when they lose three consecutive times to St. Nick. Welcome to the big leagues!
- Question: Do you long for the good old days of no air conditioning, covered wagons, outside bathrooms, morse code, pony express, etc?
- Lesson #2: Don’t expect an organization to be compassionate and sympathetic – expect it to be pragmatic – A few years back a colleague of mine was experiencing a discouraging time at work. He said to me, “The company just doesn’t value me.” He’s right. Organizations don’t value you – only people have the ability to value you. Organizations are impersonal entities whose cultures reflect the values of those in charge. The Institution or organization has no soul. It can’t laugh, cry or sing. Don’t expect UGA to keep Richt, a man of deep faith, a husband to the same woman for the past 26 years, the father of 4 children (2 adopted from the Ukraine), and a great ambassador for the UGA Nation, just because he represents all that’s good off the football field. It’s about what happens “between the hedges”, and it’s about X’s and O’s, or better stated, dollars and more dollars!
- QUESTION: Are you throwing a pity party because “the company” doesn’t treat you fairly?
- Lesson #3: Be thankful and count your blessings! Don’t feel sorry for the loser. Charlie Weiss, head coach at Notre Dame for 5 years and Kansas for 3 years, managed to compile a losing record of 41 wins and 49 losses between the two schools. He will collect $18,966,867 from the Fighting Irish when it’s all said and done (SBNation article). It is also noteworthy to point out that Kansas reportedly still owes him $5.6 million on his contract buyout. Not bad for a loser. Chances are you’re making more than you ever thought you would, and to top it off, you’re living in the greatest country on earth. You probably make more money than your parents and experience a more affluent lifestyle, even after adjustments for inflation. I don’t feel sorry for Charlie and he doesn’t feel sorry for you.
- QUESTION: Do you feel sorry for you because you haven’t won every game you’ve played between the corporate gridirons?
- Lesson #4: Make sure you can afford to be fired – Save for a rainy day. When I retired last year from my higher paying job to build my own business (a big initial pay cut), I had several colleagues my age and older, call to congratulate me and say they wish they could do the same thing, but could not afford to do so. That’s not good. I think Richt will be ok. He seems to manage his money pretty well. He sold his lake house a few years back “to be in a better position to give and bless people that don’t have anything (Bleacher Report article).” And he has another $4.1 million coming to him from his contract buyout. At $7.7 million, Saban makes 157 times the average pay of a school teacher in the state of Alabama. I think he’ll be ok when he gets fired, too.
- QUESTION: Can you afford to get fired?
- Lesson #5: The ride trumps the destination – enjoy the winning and the losing – I hope Nick Saban is having fun, but I really can’t tell. If he’s not, he should start. Studies show “that life experiences give us more lasting pleasure than material things, and yet people still often deny themselves experiences and prioritize buying material goods (WSJ Can Money Buy You Happiness?).” A recent study from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School, states that the lower a person’s annual income falls below $75,000 per year, the unhappier he or she feels. But no matter how much more than $75,000 people make, they don’t report any greater degree of happiness. If you’re making $75,000 you’re about as happy as you’re going to be.
- QUESTION: Are you enjoying the ride – are you happy?
- Lesson #6: The best is yet to come if you have a plan for the next season – You better have a plan when the ride is over. Don’t fool yourself – it will come to an end. Either you get fired or you fire yourself (retire or quit). Your plan should not be to make all you can and can all you make. It should be to make a life, not just a living. To make a difference – to leave the world a better place than you found it. I’ve heard interviews with Mark and Katharyn Richt and I can tell you they have a heart for the less fortunate of the world, and they give generously of their time and money. I look forward to seeing what’s next for them, because I’m convinced that they believe the best is yet to come for their family. There are two great books on the subject that I would suggest you read: Disrupt Yourself by Whitney Johnson, and Halftime by Bob Buford. Both of these books will help you plan your next career and/or life move. There’s nothing sadder than seeing the ride come to an end for a person who has no clue as to what to do next.
- QUESTION: How about you – what is your next move?
- Lesson #7: If your primary identity is tied to your employer, you will be a loser when the fourth quarter ends – As long as there’s a Nick Saban in the room, the best you can be is a Mark Richt. Competition is a good thing and it serves leaders well, but I’ve seen it take down individuals, families and companies when beating the Sabans of the world becomes the only thing. What happens if you don’t beat them? What happens if you do? I’m sure Mark Richt would like to have a national championship trophy sitting on his mantle, but he has a healthy identity that goes beyond the title of football coach; husband, father, friend, mentor, man of faith, community leader, and difference maker.
- QUESTION: To what is your identity tied?
There is much to be learned from the winners and the losers and the games they play. Winning is great, but finishing well is better. I think both of these great coaches are on their way to doing so. How about you?
Further Reading: “Why Hire an Outside Insider?”
Bill Edmonds is an “Outside-Insider” (an Executive Coach and Consultant), who works with leaders to help them reach their full potential in the areas of organizational and personal development. He spent 24 years with Merrill Lynch until his retirement in 2014, where he led a $100+ million per year revenue wealth management business unit as a Director with the firm.
Have a comment? Share your thoughts about this post here or on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
(click a social media share button below to share you comments)
