A great leader is a rare and hard to find commodity not only in the sports world, but in every aspect of life. A leader can be taught how to succeed, he can be shaped and molded from influences and factors in his or her life. However, a great leader has some extra quality, something that enables them to surpass everybody else with the same background. In When Pride Still Mattered, the question was raised of which was more important, “the talent of the troops or the skill of the leader?” (Maraniss 250). No matter how great your talent is, without a strong and efficient leader everything else amounts to nothing. It is easy to evaluate and judge a leader when you base your judgements not only on the six charismatic leadership traits, but also on nine other easily definable traits that a leader should possess and be a master at. When following these two models it is easy to see how Vince Lombardi is the perfect example of a great leader.
To better understand and evaluate a leader, it is first important to come to a clear decision on what a leader actually is. A leader is somebody who is able to make fundamental changes to an organization, he is somebody who may fail from time to time because he is willing to try new things and take chances. A leader has to come up with some form of idea that can shape an organization. It is important for a great leader to possess managerial skills, yet the two skill sets do not overlap completely. Whereas the leader can be compared to an artist, the manager can be compared to a technician. It is the leader’s role to come up the vision or idea, and it is the manger’s plan to implement this idea and react to it. The best leader will not only have innate leadership skills, but also have the capability to manage and operate on a day to day basis. It is this rare breed, this rare few, who have that undefinable extra trait that lead the way in their respective fields.
One prevalent way to evaluate a leader is based on the six charismatic leadership traits. These traits include the ability to challenge the status quo, to create a compelling vision, to establish shared values, to enable others to act, to model the way and to encourage the heart. When Vince Lombardi joined the Green Bay Packers, they were in a complete state of disarray. Lombardi was able to “[find] the best in his players” whereas under pervious regimes the same “handpicked Packers had played on losing teams” (Maraniss 250). A leader and the atmosphere he can create can absolutely change a franchise or organization around.
Lombardi succeeded a coach who was easy going and gun-shy. When Lombardi came in he challenged the status quo from the get go, in order to change around the entire atmosphere of the team. He had “no tolerance for the halfhearted, the defeatist” (Maraniss 219). Being a .500 team was not an option for Lombardi, the goal was to be “world champions, every day…relentless in the pursuit of victory” (Maraniss 219). Lombardi had to establish himself from the start as man who would change everything about the Packers; Vince would not except mediocrity, he wanted to be a champion from the start.
Lombardi was able to challenge the status quo, but to do so he had to have the support of his players and the team. He needed to create a compelling vision, establish shared values and encourage the heart. Without this, no matter how smart a leader may be he will never be followed by others or believed in. When Lombardi came to the Packers, he “[exuded] a sense that he knew precisely what to do” (Maraniss 215). A leader must be confident in himself and his plans, without that his subordinates will never buy into it. Lombardi was so convincing with his plan that after his first meeting with the quarterbacks Bart Starr exclaimed to his wife, “I think we’re going to begin to win” (Maraniss 214). Lombardi was a master at making his team believe in what he said. He established a culture in the Packers, a no-lose, try hard, old fashioned system. He was so confident and sure minded the players had no choice but to abide by his rules and procedures. The more the players bought into it, the more success the team had, and in turn, the easier it was to keep players following the plan.
The amazing thing about Vince Lombardi, was that the vision and values he created and shared with the team were picked up so quickly. The Packers had immediate success and would obviously go on to Super Bowl glory; while Lombardi would finally gain the recognition he had long deserved. It is of no mere coincidence that the Super Bowl trophy is the Vince Lombardi trophy, the man epitomized everything great about the game of football, he defined what it took to win and he was a clear illustration for how a team should be lead.
Lombardi established a military-time system, which later became to be named after Lombardi himself. This meant that “on time” was actually ten minutes early, which was what was demanded of all the players. The players would no longer wear “t-shirts on the road” there would be “blazers and ties for everyone” (Maraniss 217). Lombardi made sure that the team was to be a cohesive group of “dignified professionals…only winners” and anybody who didn’t want to live up to expectations was “free to get the hell out” (Maraniss 217). Football was more than a game to be played on the weekend for recreation; football was to be a respectable lifestyle. These men should be proud of their status in society, and they should exhibit that to the world. Changing standards like these and expecting more from his players as people and individuals was extremely important to Lombardi’s success.
Lombardi was never one to dole out compliments for no reason, a compliment or vote of confidence was a rare and special treat for a Packer player. Praise given out too frequently does not make the recipients work for it, it creates a situation where mediocrity can easily become acceptable. Lombardi always knew how to use that to his advantage. After a young player named Willie Wood messed up in practice and completely lost his confidence, Lombardi waited until just the right time to encourage and motivate him. He waited until “the precise moment when it would mean the most” to let Wood know that his status with the team was secure (Maraniss 248). Lombardi had an uncanny talent for motivating and encouraging players, and he always knew exactly when it was most important.
Lombardi’s trinity of football success was “repetition, confidence and passion” (Maraniss 225) however the trinity of his own life was “God, family and the Green Bay Packers” (Maraniss 242). Lombardi gave everything to his team, and all he asked in return was that the players do the same for him. The players bought into this from the first day on, because they knew they had somebody worthy of respect. Lombardi was able to encourage the heart of all of his players and they were always willing to play their hearts out for him.
For Lombardi, there was “no distinction between the practice of religion and the sport of football,” football was truly Lombardi’s faith (Maraniss 245). Lombardi’s trinity of football success were the same fundamental principles he learned from the “religious ethic of the Jesuits” (Maraniss 245). Lombardi had many influences in his life that helped him to learn and gain wisdom. He learned these basic principles from the Jesuits and his school training. Lombardi learned his professionalism and discipline from West Point. He was taught to be a strong, bossy leader since the days he was the young and commanding brother in his family. He learned from other great football minds including Tom Landry and Crowley, who in turn learned from Knute Rockne. Lombardi learned so much from so many various sources, however it was Lombardi’s ability to combine all of this knowledge and apply it to his lifestyle, as well as his coaching, that made him so successful.
Lombardi did a stellar job at modeling the way and his players saw his unfaltering willingness to give 150%. He expected them to give everything for the team, but the players in turn saw Lombardi giving his all as well. The Packers were a third of his trinity to life, and more realistically the team was much more than that. He may have required his players to be on “Lombardi time” and to be dressed in suits, however, Lombardi would be there even earlier and would never let himself slip into attire or demeanor that he deemed to be unprofessional. Lombardi could not have done a better job at modeling the way for this team, and in doing so Vince was able to encourage and enable the players even more.
The Packers had a very simple play book, they stuck to the simple Packers Sweep and a core of several other power plays. In doing so, Lombardi was able to enable and empower others on his team to act. “The blocking calls were left to the linemen themselves, there were fewer plays, but more options” (Maraniss 213). He let the players think for themselves and make their own decisions, he did not need a complex scheme or strategy. The simplest solution is usually the best, and Lombardi fully understood this. By giving his players the freedom to make their own decisions, he not only enabled them to act but again also encouraged their hearts and made them believe in themselves. Lombardi once said, “‘[its] called coaching, but it is teaching” you can not just tell them what to do, you must “show them the reasons why… until they are convinced'” (Maraniss 213). Lombardi never merely barked out instructions and orders, he justified his ways and proved their worthwhileness. In doing this, Lombardi encouraged and enabled his team to act, while still setting a positive example and modeling the way.
A second way to evaluate a leader is based on the approximately nine principles that prominent figures in the sports world have alluded to in recent lectures. These principles include the ability to move forward and strategically plan; to be able to constantly evaluate and set new goals for yourself; to empower others to act and maintain a high level of participation; to get the job done at all costs, including having an achievement over credential attitude; the ability to change your leadership styles to fit the different needs of different people, and finally maintaining your strategic vision by understanding your strengths and weaknesses. Several of these traits including empowering others to act and having strategic a vision, as well as being able to strategically plan have been discussed however it is important to look into the others.
Seth Abraham, founder of HBO Sports and former President of Madison Square Garden recently said, “Vince Lombardi was the best there ever was at getting the job done.” (Abraham Lecture). Style is not everything, what matters most, simply put, is that the job is done. Perhaps the most famous thing that Lombardi ever said, and what he is remembered for in some people’s mind is that winning “isn’t the only thing, it’s everything.” Lombardi would give up anything to win, to succeed, and to be the best. The most important thing he ever did as a coach was make his players believe in this concept too. As soon as they were willing to buy into his philosophy and try their hardest, success would be the inevitable result.
Getting the job done is an extremely important characteristic, and along the same lines Lombardi followed another precept of Seth Abraham, achievement over credentials (Abraham Lecture). Lombardi always preferred veteran players who have succeeded rather than highly-touted, athletically gifted rookies. However, if a rookie was willing to prove himself he would still be able to earn his place on the team. Although a player named Billy Butler was a rookie, Lombardi was quickly able to see that “Butler went all out from the first day of camp” (Maraniss 216). Lombardi did not even care if a player liked him, as long as he was willing to try. The great thing about Lombardi though, was that the values he established and the vision he created were so strong that players could hate him- and lots of his players did hate him- but they would still play their hearts out for him. To follow Lombardi was not to take a blind step into oblivion, it was a lucidly drawn out path to success.
Lombardi empowered all of his players to act, and whether they liked him or not they all played their hearts out for him. However, Lombardi knew that he would have to run his ship differently for different people. With Paul Hornung, Lombardi knew he had a free wheeling guy, who would still show up to play. While his off the field lifestyle may not have been ideal, his on the field play always lived up to expectations. Lombardi let his star get away with a little bit more; he loosened the noose on Hornung a bit. Bart Starr though, had to earn his way much more. He did this by “starting to think exactly like [Lombardi]” and buying into everything he said (230). Bart Starr, who also become an unbelievable player, had to work harder and accept more criticism to succeed with Lombardi. Lombardi was able to understand that these two men, the foundations of his team and his glory, were very different and needed to be treated differently.
Other important traits a great leader should possess are constant evaluation and constant goal setting (Tannenbaum Lecture). Lombardi clearly fits into the form of what Mike Tannenbaum discussed in a recent lecture. Lombardi never wanted to win just a few more games, or to be an average team. Lombardi wanted a championship, and he wanted it right away. After winning a championship his goals were changed to win another one, he was never satisfied. Lombardi had an insatiable appetite for victory and success, and this is what drove him and his players to glory. A loss, a poor play, a bad representation of the team all came onto Lombardi’s shoulders and he took it all personally.
He would constantly evaluate himself and his team, change the goals and raise the bar even higher. Lombardi, like many leaders, “confront their own weaknesses indirectly, by working to eliminate them in others” (Maraniss 221). If he saw a weakness in himself, as he did with his own football playing ability and his own pain tolerance, Lombardi would evaluate that and try just that much harder to fix it and instill that strength in others. Lombardi constantly moved forward, a theme discussed by George Pyne (Pyne Lecture) that can also be related to constant goal setting and evaluation.
No matter how the pie is sliced, whether you judge Lombardi based on the six traits of a charismatic leader or on the approximately nine precepts discussed in lectures this year, Lombardi fits the mold perfectly. It may be more truthful to say that the mold has been made around Vince Lombardi, and that he is the standard from which every other leader must base themselves. In 1995, a study showed that the characteristics most admired in leaders were honesty, forward-looking capability, inspiring and competence (Edington 12). These four traits summate everything that Vince Lombardi represented in his lifetime, and everything he made his players believe in and represent as well. Lombardi was honest and let his players know exactly where they stood on the team. He was constantly looking ahead, strategically planning and creating a vision and a plan for the Packers, setting new goals and always raising the bar even higher.
He was perhaps the most inspiring coach of all time, not due to his speaking abilities but due to the way he treated his players, the way he modeled the way, empowered them to act and encouraged their hearts. Of course Lombardi was competent, he was extremely hard working and his job as coach with the Packers was more than a job it was his life. Vince Lombardi is immortalized in the NFL with the championship Lombardi Trophy, but few people truly understand the nature of the man and the sheer brilliance and leadership capabilities that he possessed throughout his lifetime and coaching career.
