My Favorite Football Team as a Leadership Case Study

If you know me or follow me on social media, it’s no secret who my favorite football team is. For those of you new to my work, spoiler alert: it’s the Penn State Nittany Lions! In a recent edition of my #thursdaythoughts series on LinkedIn, I talk about tips for leaders interested in “moving your team from average to elite,” using Penn State’s football program as a case study.

Prior to 2024, the last time Penn State’s football team was part of a major championship game was in 2016. In 2018, after a loss to Ohio State, Coach James Franklin held a press conference, where he laid out what would become a pivotal vision for the program’s future.

I see 3 key elements he spoke of (and followed through on) that can help teams and organizations I work with leapfrog forward in the new year.  No matter who they may root for on game day! 😉 

1) The Unwillingness to Settle for Great

In the last decade, the Penn State football program has gone from average to good to great to elite. Most people are happy and comfortable with great. It’s an accomplishment and takes vision, hard work and dedication to turn any kind of organization around.

But the best leaders are unwilling to settle for great. Instead, they want to take their teams from great to elite!

This is no easy task. The same amount of work that’s required to go from being average to good to great is required to go from great to elite.

 

 

2) The Power of Speaking What Has Gone Unspoken

Not being content to simply be “great” means you have to stand up and say what may be difficult or unpopular. Franklin told university steakholders, for example, that if they wanted to inhabit the rare oxygen space of the elite football programs, they were going to have to invest. And they did!

3) The Importance of Taking the “Hits” and Being Accountable

To take any organization to the next level, leaders must be willing to accept the fact that the more they step up, the larger target they’ll have on their back. They must be willing to hold themselves accountable and manage whatever hits may come.

Franklin, for example, is not loved by all Penn State Nittany Lion fans. It takes time to go from being great to being elite, and he has held onto his vision in the face of impatience and criticism.

ASK YOURSELF

Where do I want my team or organization to be this time next year? 5 years from now? How can I incorprorate the 3 key elements above to make that happen?