Mike Henderson

Open Letter to the Next Penn State Football Coach

Without a doubt the hardest job to take on in the near future is the head coaching job for the Penn State football team.  With that said here are my thougths for the next coach.

You are walking into a mess.  The current is against you.  There are few favorable winds at your back.  But you took the job knowing all that, and because you believe your previous experiences, your character, and your success coaching football have prepared you for this undertaking. 

I would add at this point that unless you have ever been broken at some point in your life, my advice is to pass up this job.  You are walking into a broken situation, you will be surrounded by broken people, and you must be able to walk in their shoes.

One of the great stories from the book of Genesis centers around the life of Joseph.  Let me encourage you to read that story multiple times and learn from how he led during a great famine. 

Here are six lessons to begin with:

1. Not all leaders can lead during a famine.  Egypt went through seven years of famine and Joseph led the way.  Part of your job is going to be to lead Penn State through the current crisis.

2. Do not complain.  Everyone knows the circumstances.  Everyone knows there is a famine in the land.  Be proactive and lead.

3. Don't play the blame game.  Yes, people previous to you made some poor decisions. We get all that.  Remember, you took the job knowing all that, and you felt like you measured up to the challenge.  Deal with it, and do not bring up the earlier administration.

4. Set the example.  Avoid spending too much time looking in the rear view mirror or you will wind up in the ditch.

5. Identify some benchmarks or milestones to track your progress along this long journey.  As you travel, you will gain hope as you reach these along the way.

6. Cast a compelling vision for a bright future. Stay positive, encourage those around you, and serve your coaching staff and players well. 

Yes, the sun has gone down on the University of Penn State.  But it will rise again.  And you can be the coach who is at the helm when that happens.

One more thing.

Remember that the country is pulling for you.  Yes, Penn State has that much influence.  And many will be cheering for your success.

Owners Stand Out

Back in the 1960's the Green Bay Packers won the first two Super Bowls.  Ever since that time the quarterback has lived in some sort of fish bowl.  In those days the legendary Bart Starr was the quarterback.  The next legend to come along two decades later was Brett Farve.

Today the quarterback is Aaron Rodgers.  He has already in his young career solidified himself into the hearts of Green Bay fans.  Yes, his statistics are phenomenal.  At this point they are undefeated following a Super Bowl win last year.

And we could go on and on about his great decision making, his accurate throwing, and his ability to read defenses.

But here is one of my favorite qualities that he possesses.

Ownership!  Here is what I mean.  This past week the former great tight end and coach of the Chicago Bears, Mike Ditka, noticed that when the punting team took to the field Rodgers was on the sideline counting the number of players to make sure they had eleven. 

Now why was he counting?  That's not his job.  Plus, no one would have even entertained a negative thought had he just took a seat on the bench.  And I am not suggesting that he never takes a seat on the bench, because sometimes you have to communicate with the coaches upstairs.

I simply want to point out that he is so much into the game that he is noticing even the things he in not responsible for.

Think about the company or organization you are a part of.  Do you notice things outside the realm of your responsibilties?

Perhaps you are in a meeting and you notice there are not enough pens at the table.

Or as you walk up to the front door you notice a piece of trash lying on the sidewalk.

Or maybe the toilet paper is running low.

The truth is, it all matters.  Does it matter to you?  It does if you have taken ownership.