Newsletter

Building Champions On and Off the Field: Transforming Athletes into Leaders

Sports, particularly Football, are the threads that bind the American culture together.

I have postulated with several friends over the last year, now that I have a son playing varsity high school football (a daughter who also was a cheerleader last year), that there is no more remarkable display of Americana than Friday Night Lights.

In Texas, it’s a religion.

Sports are funded publicly in the billion-dollar range in Texas.

Sports bind, and yet they also polarize and divide.

My home state of Ohio is rich in football history. It is the birthplace of professional football and houses the Professional Football Hall of Fame.

There also lies an institution proud of its football standing, Ohio State University. Although I didn't graduate from Ohio State University, I am a Buckeye for life.

My three kids deeply understand the meaning of Ohio State football and are avid fans.

There is also no greater rivalry, nearly as bitter as the current American political landscape, than between the Ohio State University Buckeyes and the University of Michigan “Wal-Mart” Wolverines! (Listen to the podcast to fully understand the reference.)

The annual match-up is billed as “The Game.”

When coaches are hired at each respective school, they know they are hired to beat only one team: TTUN or TTDS (that team up north or that team down south).

Their record of success is determined not by total wins and losses but by the number of times they have won “The Game.”

In recent years, just as the political world has become vile, so too has the vitriol between the school’s fans.

I doubt much has changed on the field since 1997 when David Boston and Charles Woodson attempted a boxing match during the game.

That’s the background; now, let's look ahead.

A few weeks ago, I attended a leadership event, and my new friend Robby was also attending.

Robby and I have so much in common. We both have three kids. We love sports and what they teach about life and leadership. We both have the same anniversary date. We both are from the Midwest. I could keep going and list off many deeper-meaning values of substance.

Yet we have one major difference. For some, it's a show-stopper. In parts of our home states, being cordial with each other would even be a challenge.

Over the last few years, he has worked to bring total heartache to me, my family, and so many others I know.

He has worked to completely attack the things I hold near and dear.

He works for TTUN. Robby Emery is the Director of Character Development for the University of Michigan Football team, and I wish he sucked at his job 1 day a year!

But he doesn't.

And that is why TTUN is the reigning national champion of college football.

Disagree in Love

As I have pointed out, our current political sphere is a hot, ugly mess of hatred and vitriol, much like the environment in bitter college football rivalries.

Just as much as I don't like Xichigan, there are PEOPLE who work and play there. And, as my friend Roy Hall Jr, who works in a faith advisory capacity for the Buckeyes, shared when we had lunch together last winter, they believe in and pray to the same God.

The person voting for the opposite political candidate you prefer is the same. They are human. They want the best for their families. They have many of the same values and beliefs.

They are just rooting for a different team.

As I sat down to have a wonderful conversation with Robby, I hope you, too, can find a way to relate to those who vote differently from you this fall and in the future.

A Diamond Shaping Leader

I got that piece off my chest and out of my heart.

I want to recap one piece of my conversation with Robby: his analogy about diamonds: the four ways a diamond and people are valuable.

He related working with players at the U of M as diamonds and the 4 Cs of Diamonds.

Creation

Each athlete was created to be unique and special, with talents predisposed to achievement on the football field. This also holds true for leaders off the field. The people we work and interact with were also created with unique and special talents.

Color

The color of the diamond is what we see. This is the character of each individual. It isn’t set like it is in a diamond for people; instead, it can be developed over time with focus and dedication. The way that people see and experience you is how they value you.

Cut

Diamonds, in their raw form, have the shape and makeup of any other rock. Diamonds only take on the shape that makes their natural elements sparkle and shine through the precise cutting process. For Robby, his role in helping ‘cut’ players is to remove those parts of their life that need to be removed to bring out the best. It can be the people we surround ourselves with or the past experiences that affect everyone. As leaders, when we can guide and mentor people and help them move towards the best version of themselves, we help shape them by cutting away what is not serving them.

Clarity

Clarity is all about vision. A clear diamond reflects more light from its cut edges. When we have a clear vision of our future or our organization's future, we can achieve that vision more. When we are clear and precise about the vision, it is easier for people to embrace and pursue it.

Treat People Like Precious Gems

Just like Robby pitches helping athletes become the gems they can be, leaders have the same opportunity wherever they are. Leadership is simply helping people be the best possible versions of themselves.

Leaders who have honed and milled themselves create a setting where they can maximize their potential impact.

When we treat those we lead like precious gems, we care for them regardless of their allegiances. We cast a vision for them to accomplish and achieve, working to clarify and develop themselves in a setting that brings out their best.