While we in the PNW are still basking in the aftermath of a Super Bowl win by the Seattle Seahawks, there’s a chance we might be able to take a few leadership lessons from their head coach, Mike MacDonald.
While we in the PNW are still basking in the aftermath of a Super Bowl win by the Seattle Seahawks, there’s a chance we might be able to take a few leadership lessons from their head coach, Mike MacDonald.
The first of a two-part series on Leadership Lessons from the Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl season
While we in the PNW are still basking in the aftermath of a Super Bowl win by the Seattle Seahawks, there’s a chance we might be able to take a few leadership lessons from their head coach, Mike MacDonald.
Admittedly, I’m an avid fan, bordering on compulsive. I’ve been listening to interviews with Coach MacDonald since he was hired two years ago. This season, several themes emerged that made me think about the broader ramifications of leadership at its best.
We should be thanking Mike MacDonald for bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to Seattle after a 12-year absence. We’d also be wise to glean a few leadership insights from him and his team.
This concept isn’t new to me. I’ve used it for years with my high school golfers. But I’ve been impressed with how Coach MacDonald elevated it with his players.
The idea is simple in theory, harder in practice.
It feels natural to chase quantifiable results. In a data-driven world, we’re encouraged to measure outcomes. While achieving great results — like winning a Super Bowl — is the goal, the focus belongs on the process of getting great.
Take increasing revenue as an example. It’s easy to set a goal of increasing annual revenue by a specific dollar amount or percentage. Measurable, right? But what’s the process that produces it?
When you reverse-engineer revenue growth, you ultimately land on daily behaviors. Depending on your industry, that might include attending networking events, joining a referral group, asking for introductions, or consistently creating content.
Those are solid daily activities. But what we learned from the Seahawks is that it’s more than simply going through the motions.
Process over results is a mindset. It requires identifying the right behaviors and then fully embracing them. Doing the work can produce good results. Embracing the work with energy and belief builds confidence and produces even better, more rewarding outcomes.
Where in your business could the mindset of process over results be strengthened?
Coach MacDonald, General Manager John Schneider, and team owner Jodi Allen appear to be in lockstep when it comes to player acquisition and team construction. That may sound obvious, but it’s not the norm in the NFL.
The reality is that many NFL teams experience dysfunction among that all-important triumvirate of owner, general manager, and head coach. When alignment breaks down, egos surface, patience wears thin, and organizational churn follows.
Case in point: the Las Vegas Raiders have hired seven head coaches in the past 10 years. The Seahawks are on their seventh coach in 42 years.
What separates the Seahawks — and a handful of other successful franchises — is clarity of vision. Ownership defines what the team should look like. They hire a general manager who shares that vision, and then a coach to execute it. The coach is clear about the type and character of players he wants. The GM finds them. In the best scenarios, the owner pays the bills and stays out of the way.
Coach MacDonald has been transparent about how he wants his team and coaching staff built. That clarity appears supported by leadership above him. There seems to be strong communication, trust, patience, and confidence throughout the organization.
Businesses need similar alignment. Owner, executive leadership, management, and employees must share vision and direction supported by trust and consistent communication.
How aligned is your organization?
What might become a legendary postgame statement came from Coach MacDonald after winning the NFC Championship over the Los Angeles Rams.
When asked how it felt to overcome division rivals like the 49ers and Rams to reach the Super Bowl, his response was simple:
“WE DID NOT CARE!”
That’s leadership clarity.
It was never about the opponent. It was about their preparation, their process, their brotherhood, their systems. It didn’t matter who lined up across from them. It was about them and the next game.
What about us in our businesses and careers?
Do we overthink the competition?
Do we obsess over what others are doing?
Are we distracted by what’s said on social media?
Or do we focus on what we do well — our process and our people?
Next month, we’ll examine three more leadership lessons from the Super Bowl champions and their coach.
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