Comments

Try reading 'Managing my Life' - Sir Alex Ferguson - grounded in common sense and simple leadership lessons like humility, integrity, trust in the front liners, focus and hard work. Most successful coach ever in UK Soccer. Good reading if your having a month off. :-)

Posted by Trevor Gay at October 24, 2007 11:18 AM

A piece of evidence that at least some educators are reinforcing the Schembechler/Bossidy message: this morning in an assembly at my kids' elementary school -- which was being rewarded for winning the district-wide Reading Is Fundamental fundraising contest -- Austin's superintendent of schools couldn't wait to praise the kids, not for being smart or for already being good readers, but for . . . their EFFORT at improving their reading ability, and how important their HARD WORK was for their future success. He said "effort leads to intelligence"! It was Schembechler Way as preached to K-5 students, and it was very inspirational!

Posted by Tim Walker at October 24, 2007 1:19 PM

Yep...execution is, in the end, what you stand on. But really, would a brand manager want to give up four days on a photo shoot for four days in the plant or four days with the customer or four days in the contact center...
I like innovation...but good lord, when execution is like Manny being Manny with arms up high...well then, innovation is nowhere.
Go Rockies!

Posted by Scott Swift at October 24, 2007 1:34 PM

Schembechler was once asked by an interviewer if he had any football superstitions. The response: "Yes, I believe it's bad luck to be behind at the end of the game."

Posted by Wally Bock at October 24, 2007 2:39 PM

This was Bo:

http://michigan.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=609563

Posted by Tom at October 25, 2007 12:00 PM

Oh man Tom...this one is tough...As a Spartan, through good times and bad, I reluctantly give Bo his due...but only in football. He was to my Tigers what Matt Millen is to my Lions. And that ain't good. We do miss Bo though when Big Ten football rolls around (or the MAC for us Miami fans)

Posted by Mike Neiss at October 26, 2007 12:43 PM

What's the other 2.77%?

Posted by DUST!N at October 26, 2007 2:31 PM

Being a graduate of the University of Michigan, and a football fan, I can empathize with Bo’s lessons. In the football arena, there’s no question Schembechler’s advice is sound. However, my experience in the technology field is that companies do have to hire the hotshots, if for no other reason than to attract other talented employees, financial resources, and customers. Second best won’t do it. You may not always attain the best in the way of teamwork from hotshots, being that they are more independent and not necessarily oriented toward team response. But you need hotshots, and you need team players, and you need to hire and get the most out of both.

Posted by Dr. J. Robert Beyster at October 31, 2007 3:09 PM

Tom,
RE that phenomenal quotation on character you gave
us from Coach Schembechler:

cheapest viagra australia "Neither great natural resources nor engineering
skill can build a successful civilization on any
foundation other than character. Never confuse
character with reputation. Reputation is what
people think you are; character is what you really
are. Without character, confidence and courage
cannot be kept alive, and without confidence we
cannot conduct any business or make the
engineering or any other branch of higher
education useful to the world.

"If we could not depend upon the integrity and
character of the great majority of our fellow men,
it would be impossible to operate a business
establishment or succeed in a profession. The most
valuable asset that you have is character."
—Thomas J. Watson, Sr.

(From an address at the Commencement Exercises,
Columbia University, Hamilton, NY, June 15, 1936)

John

Posted by Shakespeare's Fool at October 31, 2007 11:23 PM