How do you know when you’ve chosen the right leader?

By the intensity of the followers

A little over a month ago, the St. Louis Rams made the decision to release Scott Linehan from his post as head coach.  The decision was difficult because the Ram’s ownership admired Coach Linehan’s character and values

In the early weeks following Jim Haslett’s ascension to the role of head coach we saw a dramatic turnaround in the team’s performance.  The fact that the results have waned recently (yesterday was a disaster that, fortunately, I missed) indicates that it wasn’t all Coach Linehan’s fault, which most of us suspected.  Nevertheless the change in intensity during those early weeks was palpable.  What made the difference?

It’s having a leader who is the right fit for the organization.  I am not denigrating Scott Linehan’s skill as a coach.  He has enjoyed great success before and will again in the right organization.  

Coach Linehan’s approach to football was not aligned with the way the Ram’s team was built.  The Ram’s players and organization enjoyed the moniker “the greatest show on turf.”  The team was built for speed and aggressive (some would say risky) play.   That requires a team with swagger - the confidence to believe that you will win even when a high-risk play goes wrong. 

Swagger and high-risk are not terms that people ascribe to Scott Linehan; methodical seems a more apt description.  It’s easy to see why neither the Rams, nor Coach Linehan, enjoyed success during their association.

It’s counter-intuitive, but when choosing a leader, make sure that his/her style is aligned with the organization’s. 

Let me know what issues you’d like addressed.  Send an email to dale@furtwengler.com.

Tags: counter-intuitive thinking

This entry was posted on Monday, November 10th, 2008 at 7:42 am and is filed under Leadership. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.