Page 179 - Great Communication Secrets of Great Leaders

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COACHING—ONE-TO-ONE LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATION
CHAPTER 10
THE LONG CLIMB
For Lombardi, coming to the Packers was the culmination of a long climb
from Fordham University, where he had been a lineman, one of the seven
blocks of granite, on a winning football team. After considering the priest-
hood, Lombardi eventually started his coaching career modestly—as the head
coach of St. Cecilia’s basketball team. He felt that he “wanted to be a teacher
more than a coach.” And teach he did: “physics, chemistry and Latin,” all rig-
orous subjects. He was also the assistant football coach. (His basketball team
posted a winning record in Lombardi’s first year.) 5
After eight years at St. Cecilia’s, where he eventually became head football
coach, and a successful one at that, he moved to the collegiate ranks at Fordham
and later to Army as an assistant to the legendary Red Blaik. He then became
an assistant coach for the New York Giants and finally, 5 long years later,
moved to the Packers. While the job might not have been a prize to other
coaches, it was heaven to Lombardi, and so it was with great excitement, mixed
with apprehension, that he introduced himself to the team at summer camp.
QUINTESSENTIAL LOMBARDI
According to his biographer, David Maraniss, Lombardi had rehearsed over
and over again what he would say to his new team. He began with the practi-
cal—taking care of the playbook and always being on time. He would keep
practices short, no more than 90 minutes twice a day, as Red Blaik had done.
There would be a difference, however: The practices would be tightly planned,
and the players would know what they were “supposed to be doing every
minute.” As a result, Lombardi wanted his players on the field and ready to go
at exactly the appointed hour—“prepared” and ready to learn. 6
Then he launched into what has become known as the quintessential
Lombardi lesson, which has sometimes been lost in the legend of the fiery
coach’s rhetoric. He spoke of how he—the coach—would “be relentless” in
pushing them to try, try, and eventually succeed. His expectation for them was
that they would keep in shape. He by example would do the rest—the pushing,
the prodding, the yelling, and, of course, the teaching. When Lombardi fin-
ished, the room was silent until Lombardi dismissed them. Moments later, the
coach pulled aside one of the players and asked how he had done. Max
McGhee, the All-Pro veteran, responded, “Well, I’ll tell ya, you got their atten-
tion, Coach.” 7
What Lombardi had done was put the onus of winning upon himself. He
took the pressure off them as players and carried it on his own shoulders. Of
course, the players would have to work hard and abide by the rules, but Lom-
bardi would take care of the rest. He would challenge each player privately to