Coach Prime: The Right Person, Right Personality, and Right Principles

When you think about making a difference in a community, coaching college football probably isn’t the first thing that springs to mind. You might think of charities, non profits or even food banks.

However, that’s exactly what Deion Sanders, or Coach Prime, did when he took over the head coach position at JSU. Not only did the Tigers do exceptionally well against their competitors, but his influence on the team, the university and the city of Jackson far exceeded what anyone could have expected.

Instead of simply inspiring and influencing the players on his team – although he did plenty of that too – he even had a measured, positive impact on the city of Jackson’s economy.

While Sanders might be leaving the to coach the Colorado Buffaloes, there are still many lessons to be learned from his coaching track record with the Tigers.

Here’s how the perfect combination of the right person, right personality and right principles can have a ripple effect in life and in business.

Right Person

 Deion Sanders was the right person to transform the JCU Tigers and the community they played in because of his own experiences in life.

Whether it was excelling in three sports in college, playing professionally in not one but two sports or his many other business ventures since, Sanders has never believed it when people told him it couldn’t be done.

This is why it’s so important to put the right person in a leadership role in business.

There are many people who think management and leadership are interchangeable terms, but that’s just not true.

Managers create rules and enforce them. They analyze and review data and strategize. They create policies and processes that improve productivity. They’re usually exceptionally good at those things too.

Leaders can be great managers too, but there are a few key differences between leadership and management.

Great leaders have vision. They are often the first to spot opportunity and are always ready to take them on. They foster a culture of inclusion and transformation, aren’t afraid of disruption when it’s for the greater good, and they have an enormous amount of impact and influence on the people around them.

Not all managers can be great leaders, so make sure you always choose the right person for leadership roles.

 Right Personality

 It’s hard to turn a football team into a winner. Taking so many different people, with different strengths and personalities and teaching them not only the technicalities of the game, but also the power of teamwork is a mammoth task.

It’s even harder to take that kind of influence and inspiration off the field. To inspire other students. University administrators. A whole community.

Yet that’s exactly what happened in Jackson.

The secret is personality.

Deion Sanders has spent a lifetime proving people wrong, and he’s learned that it’s only impossible until someone does it. All of those experiences created a personality that is positive, can do and ready for any challenge.

We’re all a sum of our experiences, and they are probably the most important factor in forming our personalities. Which means that Sanders’ influence not only impacted the lives of his team now but will continue to resonate in the future.

In business, personality is a huge factor in success too. Positivity, tempered with realism and grit, are some of the most important personality traits for any leader in any business. It’s what gets results and makes a lasting impact.

So, when you’re looking for people to take leadership roles, be sure to look beyond resumes and papers. Discover the personality behind the paperwork, and you’ll find out if you’ve found the right person for the job.

Right Principles

 Building a successful team is about so much more than just teamwork.

It’s about inclusion, culture, and transformation. It’s about taking young people who might be unsure of their own skills and abilities, and showing them that they’re not only good enough, but that they have a direct impact on team success.

Deion Sanders has been doing that for a long time, on and off the field.

These days, it’s not enough to crack the whip in the office. Leadership is about more than enforcing the rules. It’s about helping your team to understand and reach their goals. About ensuring that no one is left behind, and yes, that transformation and diversity is firmly on the agenda.

The world is changing rapidly, and principles in leadership is what will make or break many companies. So, make sure that the people you choose for top positions have vision, are forward thinking, and are ready for disruption, whether it be internal or in your industry.

Ripples In a Pond

 Perhaps the most important thing we can learn from Coach Prime is that even when you think you’re just tossing a pebble into a puddle, you can make some pretty big ripples.

That’s true in business as well as on the sports field, and in every other aspect of life.

Seemingly small changes, actions and influence can travel far further than you ever imagined, and they could very well be the reason you succeed.

So, whether you’re in a leadership position already or still just dreaming about the corner office, remember that you have more influence than you think. Your impact, whether positive or negative, will probably be felt a lot further than you think, and while it could take time to see the effects, you will see them eventually.

This is true not only for business opportunity, but also for building a culture of inclusion and transformation.

The changes we make today to our attitudes, our hiring policies, and how we build and nurture teams in any business are the pebble. The ripples will be felt for many years into the future.

Grab the Opportunities

 We can all learn a lot about life and business by looking at the career and influence of people like Deion Sanders.

One of the most important lessons is to grab every opportunity that comes along and see where it takes you.

Sanders excelled in football and baseball sports in college. He went on to play professionally in two of the biggest sports in America. He grabbed opportunities to coach at the high school level, recorded music professionally, and earned his business management degree.

No one ever knows what the future holds, but there’s one thing we do know: you miss all the shots you don’t take.

Somewhere out there there’s a position or role that is perfect for you. That you’re the right person for, with the right personality and the right principles. All you have to do is keep looking until you find it.

So don’t let fear or uncertainty stand in the way of something potentially amazing. Try new things. Rock the boat a little. Get comfortable with discomfort, and with disruption. One day, you’ll toss a pebble in the puddle, and just like Deion Sanders, you’ll create ripples you never even imagined were possible.

Dr. Terry Jackson is Executive Advisor, Thought Leader Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coach, Top 10 Global Mentor, and Thinkers50 Top 50 Global Coach Transformation Coach. Dr. Jackson partners with Executives and Organizations to align Strategy, People and Processes to transform and sustain Peak Business Performance.