O-Line Leadership

My son Brooks played Offensive Line in high school. I love anything about coaching so reading an article about coaching an offensive lineman was interesting to me. Don't judge.

Sometime leadership is just clear and obvious and just slaps you in the face. No explanation is needed. Here is what I read in a recent Sports Illustrated article.

Andrew Whitworth is 6'7 and 330 lbs. He has a bald head and salt-and-pepper beard. He radiates class and confidence. Inside his locker, engraved on his lock-box, is a passage: I want to inspire people. I want someone to look at me and say, "Because of you, I didn't give up." Tacking up a motivational message like this is one thing. Living up to it is another.

This off-season, Whitworth approached the final year of his contract and watched the Bengals draft two potential replacements. How did he react? By reaching out to both rookies, inviting them to his house and offering any help they needed. "At the end of the day, who you are as a man is more important than who you are as a football player," says Whitworth. "For those guys to one day be as good as they can possibly be is more important than whether or not they beat me out. If you're a true warrior, competition doesn't scare you. It makes you better." 

Thoughts on a Rainy Monday

Our schools are going through a debate on Prayer in Schools, specifically prayer before the school board meetings. Recently I read a post from a school board member who asked, "Can't we disagree without being disagreeable?"

I am proud of our school board and also our county commissioners because for the most part they operate with the formula of respectful debate. The challenges for our elected officials at all levels is when the outside forces create a political debate in a way to manipulate the electorate. It has become a do anything or say anything so that "My Group" can win and then we can impose "Our Will."

What if instead of demonizing opponents we looked for steps to persuade them? Maybe I am too idealistic to think that two sides can come together and work for creative solutions.

Steven Covey was right in his 7 Habits for Highly Effective People. One of the habits is Seek First to Understand. I read recently and believe this quote, "If we move to attack before we have taken time to understand, we will not be able to find solutions to the serious problems before us."