Mike Henderson

Peyton Manning: How to Leave an Organization with Grace

Wow!  The day many thought would never come, came to pass today.  Peyton Manning, one of the greatest quarterbacks ever in the NFL, is leaving the Colts.

Manning changed the football culture in the state of Indiana and particularly in Indianapolis.  His influence goes way beyond the football team itself.

Here are some thoughts from the press conference.  They are exemplary for anyone who is leaving an organization.

1. Loyalty-Peyton said he will always be a Colt.

2. Gratitude-he said Thank you several times.

3. Smiled-no sign of any anger.  Sad, but many times anger accompanies a departure.

4. Friendship-this event will not change the friendships that Peyton has developed.  Why is it, that firings, separations, and departures  are almost always taken personally?  Just a thought.

5. Respect-it goes both ways.  Both Peyton and the owner deeply respect each other.

6. Memories-neither are going to forget all the good times.

7. Appreciation-beyond a thank you, Peyton was incredibly grateful for the opportunity given to him by the Colts.

8. Humility-"you don't always get what you want." Peyton

9. Unselfishness-The fact is Manning was great.  He could have been selfish and many would have backed him up.  What a class act.

10. Passion-his passion is so great that he can't imagine retiring.  He wants to still be a quarterback.

11. Grace-without a doubt Peyton Manning is leaving the Colts with grace.  There is not even a hint of malice, anger, backbiting, or regret.

12. Legend-Peyton's actions, attitude, words, and time in a Colt uniform will leave forever positive memories for all Colt fans. 

As you can see, there is a right way to leave an organization.  With GRACE.

 

Never Let Failure Be Your Undertaker

One final lesson from this week's Super Bowl.  The lesson comes from a favorite quote of mine from Zig Ziglar.  "Make failure your teacher, not your undertaker."

It seems unreasonable that some would consider the Patriot's season a failure simply because they lost the Super Bowl. 

But let's go along with that thinking.  So what?  Does that mean that Tom Brady will pack it in and give up on football?  Absolutely not!

The legendary coach, Vince Lombardy, after whom the Super Bowl trophy is named was an assistant coach at Fordham University at age 35.  After that he went to West Point where his coaching career endured two seasons where 43 out of 45 players were discharged by adminstrative order.  Finally, in his 40's he made it to the NFL.  Was he a failure up to that point?

In baseball, Hank Aaron, the home run king who beat Babe Ruth's record, struck out more than 99% of all other baseball players.

Now most would consider being a line coach at a small, unknown school somewhat of a failure.  Then at Army the circumstances certainly would not qualify for success in today's world. Even though the players were the ones out of line, typically the coach takes the rap at some point.  Neither would the strike out king be up for an award either.  Unless perhaps our definitions of success and failure begin with the wrong presuppositions.

People who succeed also fail, and fail often.  So how do they become a success? 

They persevere.  They stay in the game.  They get ready for the next season, the next game.  They keep practicing and keep learning from their mistakes.

But above all...

They never let failure become their undertaker!

 

Win or Lose; It's Rarely Just One Thing

The sports pundits will be out in full force all week.  Many, including Tome Brady's wife, will point to one thing.  Inability to count.  A dropped pass in the fourth quarter.  A safety on the Patriot's first play from scrimmage.

But did the Patriots lose because of one thing?

Here's the fascinating thing.  One more play in the Patriot's favor and all the talk would be the other way around.  What if someone had caught the hail mary in the end zone at the end of the game?  What if there had been no safety early in the game.  What if twelve men were not on the field on a critical play?

Go back even farther.  What if San Francisco's punt returner had not muffed a punt?  The Giants would not have even been in the Super Bowl.  Everyone is going to overanalyze to where it gets ridculous.

If it helps with the ratings so be it.

We could even step back and say, "Why didn't the Patriots have another receiver who could step in and help fill the gap with Gronkowski injured?"  Then we could say the coaches were at fault.

How many of you noticed the one misspelling at the beginning of this post?  Bothers you doesn't it?  Wow, he can't even spell Tom right!  In fact, for some of you that's all you can think about.  I guess it is just human nature to focus and obsess on a mistake.

I like what Belechick said.  He praised his team and admitted they came up short on winning the Super Bowl.  In a nutshell that's about it.  In any game you could have executed better.  It's not like the Giants played flawless.

In fact, think about this.  Which player made what could be called two bonehead plays?  I can't think of anyone except Bradshaw.  He fumbled early in the game and scored prematurely at the end of the game.  But who cares?  No one, because the Giants won.  Had the Giants lost that fumble would be the talk of the town and Bradshaw may not be able able to show his face in New York.

Bottom Line:  The Patriots did not lose because Wes Welker dropped a pass late in the fourth quarter. The guy was phenomenal all season with over 120 catches.  But he's not perfect and even the best will drop a ball at some point in the season.  Sure, you would rather not do it in front of the largest TV audience of all time, but no one and no game is flawless.

Let's just admit that it was a great game.  And do we really need a scapegoat?  The Giants did not win because of one thing, and the Patriots did not lose because of one thing.  Win or lose; it's rarely just one thing.

Life Lessons From Super Bowl XLVI

Once again football has provided us with some incredible life lessons.  Here are several this year's Big Game.

1. Pay attention to details.  New England recovered a fumble inside the 10 yard line, but they had twelve men on the field rather than eleven.  That allowed New York to maintain control of the football and eventually score a touchdown.  That one little mistake gave the Giants 7 points.

2.  Never quit.  At one point in the season the Giants lost four in a row.  They wound up with only nine wins, which rarely turns out well.  But New York never gave up.

3. Always communicate.  At the end of the game Bradshaw accidentally scored a touchdown.  No one made it clear that the goal was not to score a touchdown but simply be able to run the clock down. That way the Patriots would not have time to do anything.  It turned out ok, but Bradshaw never got the memo.

4. When things don't turn out avoid placing too much blame on yourself. This happens in parenting, at work, and in sports.  Welker made incredible catches all year long, yet his one drop late in the game gets all his focus.

5. Win as a team, lose as a team.  This was one of those games where one player was not the hero, and no one player was the goat. 

6. Be careful of your criticism.  Just a couple of months ago many in New York wanted the coach Tom Coughlin fired.  Last night they realized that their criticism was wrong.

7. Analyze, but don't overanalyze.  This game could have easily gone the other way.  One play is all it would have taken.  One play the other way and all the analysts would be talking way differently following the game.

8. You don't have to be perfect to win.  You will make mistakes.  You will have setbacks.  Just keep playing. 

9. Don't put too much pressure on just one person.  Tom Brady is without a doubt one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.  But even the great ones need other great players around them.

10. Never sell yourself short.  There were a ton of players who went undrafted and went to no-name schools.  But they were playing on the biggest stage ever.

11. Enjoy the journey.  Both teams had ups and downs during an fascinating and enjoyable NFL season. I'm sure there were times when it was not fun.  As they look back I'm sure they would admit that it goes by so quickly, they wish they had enjoyed the ride a little bit more.

Do You Make Those Around You Better?

As a kid growing up my best friend, Neal, was loyal, an encourager, and he helped me improve my hitting in baseball.  Perhaps that experience led me to believe that everyone wants to make those around them better.

Now as an adult I realize that is not always the case, but I like to think about the positive people I have known or read about.

When my dad went to work with a guy named Bill Butts, my dad made him better.  A business that was bankrupt turned into a profitable company.  

Recently my dad and I were talking about old times a little, and he said it was amazing he ever made it in business.  Hiring good help was always a challenge, but my dad had several men who made him better.  He even had a phenomenal secretary who made him better.

The same thing holds true in sports.  A few years ago a wide receiver, Ronnie White, was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons.  After two years he was considered a bust.  That is until Matt Ryan became the quarterback.  Now Ronnie White is a Pro Bowl football player.  Matt Ryan made him better.

Michael Jordan will go down as the greatest basketball player of all time.  But it is hard to think of Jordan without also thinking of Scottie Pipen.  They both made each other better.  Iron truely does sharpen iron.

Without a doubt Carol has made me better, by a long shot. 

Everywhere we look we see examples of people who made others better. 

Look around.  Who are you making better?

Winning is More Fun than Drama

Some gravitate to drama.  After all, TV viewers love to watch drama on the big screen.  Drama sells.  However, it can be devastating in an organization and even in the home.

Think about what it would be like if every time as a teenager you came home your parents were arguing and screaming at each other.

What would it be like if you had to go to work and pretend to get along with a coworker or boss who had some kind of vendetta against you?

Without a doubt some are totally oblivious to the harmful effects of drama.

As I think back over the 2011 NFL football season there is a classic case of how drama damages a team.

The Cincinnati Bengals were absolutely horrible during the preseason.  At the time they were having contract disputes with one of their star quarterbacks.  Previous to that two other players continued to negatively effect the team with their own egotistical personal behaviors.

As a result, when the season started most analysts wrote the team off completely.  Why?  Because emotionally healthy people clearly understand that teams and organizations cannot overcome the type of dysfunctionalism that results from all the crazy drama.  In fact, many felt that the coach himself should probably go because the Bengals simply had too many deep issues in the organization.  Some predicted the team would likely win no more than two games.

By mid-September all three players were gone from the Bengals team.  

Guess what?  The drama was now gone.  And the team started winning football games.  When the season ended they had won enough games to get into the playoffs.  They did not need a new coach, they simply needed to get rid of the players who were creating all the drama and holding the team back.

Sounds simple.  Get rid of all the drama and get back to winning!

Personal Failure and Success

While I recognize the benefits of personal failure there is a part of me who hates to see people fail. 

For instance, I hate seeing a kicker miss a field goal at the end of the game and watching the team lose.  Recently with all the media focused on Tim Tebow, many have escaped an inordinant amount of attention on their own failures. 

As an example, in the Chicago Bear-Denver Bronco game I was pulling for the Broncos.  What an incredible win they got.  But for the Bears, it was Marion Barber who made two costly, game losing mistakes.  Now, let me say as a fan, I am all for the opposing team messing up, getting penalties, and missing field goals.  But at the same time I feel bad when one particular player stands out as the reason for the loss.  I realize that other things can be pointed to, but it is the end of the game that gets all the attention.

So what did Barber do?  He ran out of bounds which stopped the clock.  Then in overtime he fumbled the football.  Two incredibly huge mistakes.  Ultimately it cost the Bears the game.

Perhaps you are thinking I am being schizophrenic.  I must be a wierd fan, because I felt bad for Barber, even though he was on the Bears team.  Is it possible to want the team to fail, the play to fail, without wanting to see a particular player fail?

I'm just not a fan of watching people fail.  But once again, I totally understand the value of personal failure.  We learn so much from out mistakes and failures.  Abraham Lincoln is known for years of personal failure, but ultimately he became one of our best presidents.

As much as I dislike the Dallas Cowboys being a Redskin fan, I was glad that Tony Romo did not make a game losing mistake.  And I do not like watching kickers miss last second field goals.  However, in the Cowboy loss the kick was partially blocked, and so really no one person was really at fault.

It can't be easy to be criticized for a personal failure.  Life is tough enough.  While personal failure is frustrating and at times humiliating, it truly can be life changing and a stepping stone to personal success. 

So while I have a disdain for watching people mess up, I love watching people succeed.  With that said, I guess I'll have to watch more people fail so I can watch more people can succeed.

 

Disunity is Devastating

Every year in sports world we see the devastating effects of disunity.  This year as the NFL began its season the Philadelphia Eagles were called the Dream Team.

Yes, without a doubt they had acquired some playmakers.  However, it was their superstars who brought the disunity to the team.

In particular, Desean Jackson, who has been explosive on the field making incredible plays, has also displayed a poor attitude on and off the field.

This is not to say that he is responsible entirely for the downfall of the team.

However, it is clear that a lesser talented team that is unified can beat a more talented team that is characterized by self-centeredness and disunity.

And the year the Philadelphia Eagles thought they would make a credible run for the Super Bowl will now be remembered as the year that they were devastated by disunity.

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.