The fact that Bill uses appropriately selected quotes from military, political, and business leaders demonstrates the value [of his ideas] to organization leadership and management 4. The fact that Bill uses appropriately selected quotes from military, political, and business leaders demonstrates the value [of his ideas] to organization leadership and management in a variety of venues. To the extent that the qualities, characteristics, and tips given can be transferred from sports into real life, Bill Walsh does an outstanding job in articulating these.
Bill covers leading, teaching, coaching, counseling, mentoring of players; and the importance of knowledge, skills, aptitude, attitude, and learning. One of the most important ideas Bill conveys about leaders is the concept of functional intelligence and how much more important this is than pure intelligence or the smartest guy in the room folly.
He is also particular to point out the primary objective of various meetings and practices. He admonishes not to emphasize every point every time because that merely emphasizes nothing. I found this book enjoyable to read because I am a big fan of Bill Walsh and the 49er teams he led, as well as having a memory for the players and coaches he mentions.
That would be a mistake because this book is most useful for anyone looking to build success and to sustain excellence in whatever organization they may find themselves leading. I would draw comparisons about achieving and sustaining organizational excellence mentioned here with what Senator Cotton describes of the Old Guard in Sacred Duty and Sir Alex Ferguson in Leadership.
Mar 07, Timothy Pangburn rated it it was amazing. This is a must for anyone coaching or want to become a coach! Dec 19, Jeffrey Cave rated it it was amazing. The bible for coaching football. Oct 02, Mike rated it it was ok. I'm no football coach, but if I were, I might have been more responsive to the incredible detail of how to be an administrator of a football team. Dec 17, Steven rated it it was amazing. The BIBLE of football coaching books If you are looking for an extremely detailed book on how to build a football organization, this is it.
LOVED this book. The insiders perspective is amazing. Jan 07, Zak Brandon rated it it was amazing. Found it at a thrift shop for 50cents, absolutely amazing knowledge. Apr 12, Thatsgreateric rated it really liked it. Mike Breault rated it really liked it Sep 16, Owen Barber rated it it was amazing Mar 28, Michael W. Berry rated it it was amazing Jun 18, William Carr rated it it was amazing Jun 15, Owenisan accomplishedprofessionalandawonderfulphilosopher.
IwouldalsoliketostatemyappreciationfortheexpertskillsofRichardVanRapaport,thewriterwho moldedmythoughtsintodefinablereadingforourpiecethatappearedintheHarvardBusinessReview.
OwenandRichwereabletotranslatefootballintosomethingofinteresttothecorporate environment. Iwouldalsoliketoacknowledgethefollowingindividualswhohaveaffectedmylifeinmeaningfulways:MartinConnellymylifetimefriendandcolleagueyour insightandwisdomhavemeantsomuchJaneWalshmyfriendandassociateyourpartinthisprojecthasbeeninvaluableDr.
HarryEdwardsyourstrengthand professionalismhavemadeamajorimpactonmylifenewspapercolumnistJimMurrayIamindeptedforyoursupportthroughouttheebbandflowofmycareer EddieDeBartoloandCarmenPolicywe'vesharedeverypossibleemotionCoachBobBronzanthanksforsettingastandardforindividualslikemyselfto emulateStevenKayIamindebtedtoyouforyourcounsel,adviceandfriendshipDr. GlenAlbaughyourdedicationandyourcommitmenttosocietyhavegiven justificationtosportandDickVermeilandMikeWhitewhatarunwe'vehad.
BW Asisusuallythecase,thecompletionofthisbookwasmadepossiblethoughthehelpandguidanceofanumberofpeople. Finally,wewouldliketoacknowledgethoseinthecoachingprofession,toonumeroustolist,fortheircreativeanddevotedcommitmenttotheindustryandtheir collectivecontributionstothephilosophiesandstructuresoutlinedinthismaterial.
BillWalsh'sFindingtheWinningEdgeprovidesreaderswiththefirsteversystematic,practicalguidetoestablishingandmasteringthestepsinvolvedinthatcrucial process. Althoughheiswidelyrenownedasthe architectofthe"WestCoast"offense,hisinnovativeapproachtothegamehasextendedfarbeyondhisimaginativeideasonoffense.
ToBill,footballismorethanaphysicalcontest, andsuccessismorethanavictoryontheplayingfield. Suchaprogressioninvolvesatleasttwokeycerebralfactorsattentiontodetailandanabsolutecommitmentto perfection.
Everypossiblecircumstancethatmightaffecttheperformanceoftheteamand theproductivityoftheorganizationshouldbeaddressed. Hisconvictionsonthematterwereillustratedvividlytomeduringaneventthatoccurredonedayin practice.
Asthe49ers'quarterbackcoach,IwatchedJoeMontanathrowapassslightlybehindJerryRice,whoneverthelesswouldcatchsuchapass99timesoutof Heimmediatelycametomeandexplainedingreatdetailwhyapassinvolvingthatroutehadtobe throwntwelveinchesinfrontofthereceiver,notsixinchesbehindhim.
Writteninaneasytoread, straightforwardstyle,thisgroundbreakingtextcanhelpcoachesatallcompetitivelevels. Inhismorethanfourdecadesofinvolvementwiththegameasaplayer,acoach,andatopleveladministrator,noindividualhashadamoreworthyormeaningful impactontheplayershecoachedorthecoacheswithwhomheworked.
AlistoftheassistantcoachesthatservedwithBillandwhosubsequentlywentontoachieveremarkablesuccessasheadcoachesonboththecollegiateand professionallevelsisquiteextraordinary.
Thebookofferseverycoachagame planforsuccess. Thisgamehadeverythingpassion,drama,heroicsandtwohighlycompetitiveteamswithcomparabletalentlevels,theCincinnatiBengalsandtheSan Francisco49ers. Trailingwithjustoverthreeminutestoplay,the49ers'offensebeganafatefulscoringdrivethatculminatedwitha10yardpassfromJoeMontanatoJohn Taylorforthewinningscorewith34secondsleft.
Unbeknownsttothe75,peoplewhowereinthestandsthatdayorthemillionsofindividualswhowerewatchingtheintensegridironstruggleontelevision,Walsh hadmadethedecisionbeforethegametoretireasheadcoachofthe49ersafterSuperBowlXXIII.
ThefourpointvictoryovertheBengalsthatearnedbothhimand the49erstheirthirdSuperBowlvictoryinadecadeonlyservedtoreinforcethevalidityofBill'spreoccupationwithperfection.
WhenBillapproachedmeabouthelpinghimdevelopandwritethisbook,itbecameimmediatelycleartomethatoneofBill'smainprioritieswiththeprojectwasto keepthefocusandperspectiveofthematerialonawelldefinedandpracticallevel.
Furthermore,hewantedthisbooktobeaninvaluablereferencetextforcoaches atallcompetitivelevels. FindingtheWinningEdgepresentsBill'sideas, principlesandconceptsfordevelopingasuccessfulfootballprograminasinglevolume. Inaddition,FindingtheWinningEdgefeaturesanextensiveAppendicessectionthatincludesseveralvaluablesegments e.
ThesectiononExperiencesandValuesprovidesabriefsummaryofCoachWalsh'sbackgroundandareviewofsomeofthemajorinfluencesonhispersonaland professionalattitudesandvalues. Inaddition,anoverviewofthefactorsrequiredforafocusedphilosophyispresented,withaparticularemphasisonunderstanding themeaningoftruecompetition. Anoverviewofthesteps involvedandthecriteriausedtoevaluateplayersisalsopresented. Furthermore,thissectionincludesasummaryofwhataheadcoachshoulddotoensurethattheskillsandtalentsofeachplayerontheteamaredevelopedandutilized inanappropriateway,particularlythoseofthequarterback.
Inaddition,theareaofhowtheheadcoachshoulddealwithrelevantissuesfacinghisathletesis reviewed. ThesectiononTheGamelooksatseveralofthecriticalfactorsthatdirectlyimpactontheteam'sperformanceandsuccesslevel,includinggameplanning,practice structureandgamedaymanagement. Inaddition,areviewofhowtheheadcoachcanmakesounddecisionsandhowselectedmentalaspectscaninhibitaplayer's performanceissummarized. Amongtheseasonalsituationsthatareexaminedare thoseinstancesinvolvinganewlynamedcoach,anextendedlosingstreak,thelastsecondloss,anextendedwinningstreak,reboundingfromalosingseason,the coachwholeavesthejob,andtheoffseason.
Adviceisalsopresentedconcerninghowtohandledifferenttypesofteams,includingtheinexperiencedteam,the downandoutteam,thetalentedteamandtheteamwithhighexpectations. Thefinalpartofthesectioncovershowtheheadcoachshoulddealwithindividualgame circumstances e. ThesectiononTheBusinessdiscusseshowtheheadcoachshoulddealwithspecificfinancialissues,includinginteractingwiththeteam'sCFOandunderstandingthe NFLsalarycap.
Inaddition,anoverviewofcommonsenserecommendationsandadviceonhowtheheadcoachshoulddealwiththemediainavarietyof circumstancesispresented. Eachofthese quotesisboxedintohighlightitsimportance. WheneverthelegacyofBillWalshisdiscussed,anumberoffactorswilltypicallybeconsideredhislifetimecommitmenttoexcellence,hiscompleteandtotal concentrationonthetaskathand,hisabilitytotranslateandapplyhisinsightfulconceptstooffensiveschemes,andhisgiftofinspiringandmotivatingothers as reflectedbyhisthreeSuperBowlvictoriesandthelegionofformerassistantsandplayerswhohavegoneontomaketheirmarksinthecoachingprofession.
IfFindingtheWinningEdgeprovidescoachesand administratorswithatoolthatenhancestheirabilitytohelptheirteamsreachthenextlevelofsuccess,thentheeffortstowritethisbookwillhavebeenwell worthwhile. Chapter1 PuttingThingsintoHistoricalPerspective ''Whoknowswhatforcegnawsatus,tellingusthatouraccomplishments,nomatterhowsensational,arenotenough,thatweneedtodomore?
Ifit'sa moment,oraday,you'recuttingdownontheoddsforsuccess. Butifyourecognizethatinbusinessasinsports or anyoflife,forthatmatter ,there'sa"season"madeupofseveralopportunities,thoseoddsgoupconsiderably. Themostsuccessbusinesspeoplearethosewhorealizethattheyaregoingtotakesomehitsintheprocessof searchingoutthebigscoresthosewhoknowthatperformanceoverthelonghauliswhatcounts. Ifyoucanseize theday,great. Allthreeof uswereabletosustainrecognitionasheadfootballcoaches.
AscoachofthePhiladelphiaEagles,hewastwiceawardedCoachof theYearhonors. ForDick,Mikeandme,energyandenthusiasmmarkedtheearlystagesofourcareersandwerefollowedbyaperiodoflearningtoteachthetactical phasesofthegame.
Inthelatterstagesofourcareers,weeachbecamewell groundedinorganizationandmanagement. Allthreeofushad theabilitytocommunicateandinteractwithotherstoestablishanatmosphereofhighmotivationandasearchforexcellence. Itisinvokedconstantlyandunconsciouslybyeveryperson,everyday,tohelpthemmake decisionsbased,tosomeextent,onwhathasgoneonbeforeintheirlives.
Inthatregard,past eventsandactualexperiencesinmylifehavehadatremendousinfluenceonmepersonally. The breadthofthepersonallysignificantoccurrencesinmyliferangesfrombeingabletoobservefirsthandmyfather'ssteadfastworkethictohavingtheopportunityto workwithandlearnfromsomeofthefinestindividualsinthecoachingprofession. SpringboardtoaCareerinCoaching Notunlikemanyyoungpeopleinmygeneration,Iwasbornintoanenvironmentwhereeverykidplayedsportsinthestreetsandontheneighborhoodlawnsuntilwe werekickedoff.
IgrewupinanareaofsouthwestLosAngelesalocationthatisnowknownassouthcentralthatwaswithintwominutesofthecampusoftheUniversityof SouthernCalifornia. Intheprocess,IassociatedwithseveralUSCplayerswholater becamecoaches. Asmyboss,he showedmethattherewasonlyonewaytodoajobtherightway. Afterdiscoveringthat OregondidnotexactlyreceiveCalifornianswithopenarms,wethenrelocatedtoHayward,California.
Iplayedonthefootballteamateachschoolsometimesasa quarterback,butusuallyasarunningbackbecauseIwasalwaysnewtotheprogramandthesystem. IthenwenttoSanMateoCommunityCollegefortwoseasons, whereIwasfinallyabletoplayquarterbackonaregularbasis. IthendecidedtocompletemyundergraduateeducationatSanJoseStateUniversity,whereIhadtheopportunitytoplayasanendontheSpartanfootballteam underthedirectionofBobBronzan. Hestressedthefactthateveryoneneededtobewillingtomake sacrificesiftheteamwastosucceed.
Ord CA ,whereIgottoplay onthepostfootballteamandbox. Asmy mentor,BobspentcountlesshoursworkingwithmetodeveloptheskillsandabilitiesthatIwouldneedasacoach. Despitethefactthatattheageof24Iwasnotquitereadytofully handletheresponsibility,IwasnamedheadfootballcoachatWashingtonHighSchoolinFremont,California,whereIstayedforthreeyears.
AlthoughIwasn'tascompletelypreparedasIwouldliketohavebeenforsucha position,thejobwasagreatexperience. Unfortunately,Calwasnotverytalentedatthetime,sowestruggled alot.
JohnRalston hiredmetobeamemberoftheCardinal'sstaff. FollowingtheDream Whenyouactuallysitdownandtrytosummarizehowyoupursuedthemajorgoalsinyourlife,itisrelativelydifficulttodeterminefromwhichpointyoushouldbegin.
IimagineIshouldstartbyansweringthequestionIammostoftenasked:"WheredidIdevelopmyprofessionalphilosophiesand,inparticular,whendidthe'West CoastOffense'begintotakeshape? Sidmadehismarkin10seasonswiththeSanDiegoChargers,leadingthemtofivechampionshipappearancesintheoldAmerican FootballLeague.
BeingknowledgeableandgaininginsightsintoSid'soffensive schemewasprobablythebiggestinfluenceinmyearlycareer. Whatmany peopledon'trealizeisthatIspentmyfirstfewyearsincollegefootballonthedefensivesideoftheball. WorkingasMarvLevy'sdefensivecoordinatoratCal,then laterwithJohnRalstonatStanfordashisdefensivebackscoach,weretremendouslearningexperiencesforme. ItwasthetimeIspentwiththeCincinnatiBengals,however,thatgavemeachancetofullydevelopmyowncoachingphilosophiesandtoputthemtopractical application.
WorkingforPaulBrown,therenownedcoachfromOhioStateandlatertheClevelandBrowns,andthefounderoftheCincinnatiBengals,wasa tremendousprofessionalopportunityforme. Asaresult,wewereabletodevelopourownphilosophiesand systems. BecausetheBengalsweren'tstrongenoughontheoffensivelinetobeabletoruntheballconsistently,wedecidedthatourbestchancetowinfootballgameswasto somehowcontroltheball.
Asaresult,wedevisedaballcontrolpassinggameinthehopethatifwecouldmake25firstdownsinagivengameandifwealsohad good.
OvertheeightyearperiodthatIspentontheBengals'staff,wewereabletodevelopasystemthatisnowknownasthe"WestCoastOffense"atermwhichI imaginesoundsmuchmoreglamorousthanthe"MidWestOffense. AsPaulwouldsay,"Thisisjustwhatwe did. Thepointtorememberisthatwedid notdeveloptheinnovativeconceptofscriptingopenersoutofsomeovert,insightfulrecognitionoftheneedsofthefuture.
Itwassimply"whatwedid"tomake ourselvesascompetitiveaspossible. Iwasparticularlyconcerned thatotherpeopleelsewherewouldquestionmyabilitiestobeaheadcoachiftopmanagementinCincinnatididnotseefittomakemetheheadcoach.
WehaddevelopedseveralvaluedfriendshipsthereandourchildrenconsideredCincinnatitheir home. MostprominentamongthosedisappointmentswasthewayitaffectedhowIdealt withpeople. Iknewthatthetimehadcomeformetoleavethe Bengals. Infact,most peoplehaveseveralopportunitiestosucceed.
Iftheylearnfrompastmistakes,theywillbebetterabletotakefuIladvantageofthenextopportunitywhenitpresents itself. Mynewjobopportunityinlife turnedouttobeaveryfortuitoussituationformeontwocounts. Thatsinglecriteria,however,doesnottakeintoaccountthefactthatthegame offootballissuchalargedynamic,involvingnumerousdifferentpeopleandfactors.
Seldom,ifever,hastherebeenanotherquarterbackthatwasaspivotaltothe successofateamasDanwaswiththeSanDiegoChargersinthelatesand80s. ThispositionaffordedmethechancetotakefullcontrolofanorganizationandfieldtestthepreceptsandphilosophiesIhadworkedsohardtodevelopovertheyears justforthistypeofopportunity. ThetimespentatStanfordduringmyfirststintastheheadcoachoftheCardinalalsoenabledmetodevelopanappreciationfortheoverallattentiontodetailrequired forthedailypreparationofateam. Teachingismorecomprehensiveincollegebecausea dramaticrangeexistsintheabilitiesofyourplayers.
Othertimes,thecoach'sabilitytoteachanddevelopa playerismorecrucial. AswiththeBengals,wehadtoemployanextradimension tocompensateforbeingphysicallyoutmanned. AsIhadbeeninearliercoachingassignments,Iwasfortunatetogettoworkwithtwoexcellentyoungquarterbacksin GuyBenjaminandSteveDils.
It wasthisaffectionwhichledmebacktothe"Farm"inforanotherthreeyearsastheCardinalheadcoach. ThesuccesswehadatStanford,culminatinginanationalrankingandawinintheBluebonnetBowl,gavemethechancetobecometheheadcoachoftheSan Francisco49ersin Tomake mattersworse,afterwhatIthoughtwasaninspiringhalftimespeech,theBulldogsproceededtotakethesecondhalfkickoffandmethodicallymarchedthelengthof thefieldforanotherscoretouptheiradvantageto IcanonlyimaginewhatEddieDeBartolowasthinkingatthetimeashewatchedthisdebacleunfold i.
It wasacredittotheplayersandcoachesthatwewereabletokeepourcomposure. Ourcomefrom behind,winwasanexcellentspringboardtothechallengeoftakingovertheSanFrancisco49ers. TheapathyintheBayAreaforthe49erswasatan alltimehigh,asevidencedbythefactthatwehadthelowestseasonticketbaseintheNFL. Asaresult, theorganizationhadnosingleleadershipandnomeaningfuldirection.
Tomakethingsevenworse,the49ershadfewdraftchoiceswithwhichtorebuildduetosome poortrades. BeingassignedthatrolewasamajordecisionbecauseI'djustbeen anNFLassistantandthenacollegeheadcoachfortwoyears. TheyalsoconvincedmethatI shouldhavecompletecontrolofpersonnelmatters.
Itookaproactiveapproachtogettingatopflightpersontoassistmebytalkingtoseveralofthetoppeopleintheprofessionaboutassumingthegeneralmanager's duties. ThingshadgottensobleakinSanFranciscobothonandoff thefieldthatfewsawmuchchanceforimprovementandallthoughtittoogreatajobsecurityrisk.
JohnRalstonjoinedusanddidanexcellentjobinthe organization,butthendeparted. EverythingIhadlearnedandestablished throughoutmyentirecareer particularlyinthepast11years wouldbeseverelytestedbymynewchallenge. OneofthemostinvaluablestepsthatIwasabletotakeinthisregardwasbeingabletoattractJohnMcVay,whohadrecentlydepartedastheheadcoachofthe NewYorkGiants,tojoinmyadministrativestaff. Theplayershadbeenfragmentedbythepreviousorganizationalstructure, nottrulyknowingwhowasinchargeandhowmuchauthoritythepeopletheyworkeddirectlywith,viathecoaches,reallyhad.
Accordingly,itwasvitaltotheorganizationthatasinglefigure,withtotalcontrol,emergeiftherewasanychanceofcorrectingthemeleethatexistedinthe organization. Thethreeworldchampionshipsthatwewereabletoexperiencewiththe49ersoverthenext10yearsweremadethatmuchmoreexhilaratingbecause ofourrelativelyingloriousbeginnings. AfterwewonourfirstSuperBowlinandbegantoestablishourselvesasoneofthedominantfranchisesintheLeague,someindividualsbegantoattribute certaincharacteristicstomebasedonouraccomplishments.
Somepeopleheldtheattitudethatmyabilitiesandthesuccessesweexperiencedwerepresentedtome likea"gift"orthatIsimplyhadthegoodfortuneofbeingalignedwithplayerssuchasJoeMontana,JerryRiceandRonnieLott.
Otherindividualssuggestedthatmyownabilitiesweresomehowbestowedonmebysomepowerfrombeyondandthattheseabilitiesweresomethingthatjustcame naturallywithlittleeffort. ThiscontentionbeliesthecountlesshoursofstudyandsacrificeIspentdevelopingmycraftandtheoftentimespainfulprocessoftrialand errorthatIendured. I'dliketothinkthere'sconsiderableoriginalityinwhatIdidwithmycareer,and certainlyapersonhastohaveaparticularpredispositiontowardasubjecttoexperienceanylevelofsuccess.
Iwouldnotendeavor,however,tobesoboldasto concludethattheprocessinvolveseitheratotallyuniquediscoveryoragreatrevelation. AsrenownedorganizationtheoristAbrahamKaplan hasnoted,"Asknowledgeofaparticularsubjectmattergrows,ourconceptionofthatsubjectmatterchanges,Thisparadoxisresolvedbyaprocessof approximation:thebetterourconcepts,thebetterthetheorywecanformulatewiththem,andinturn,thebettertheconceptsforthenextimprovedtheory.
Itisonly throughthissuccessionthat we canhopeultimatelytoachievesuccess. Asaresult,myattemptstobemoreknowledgeableaboutthegameandtocontinuallyexpandmyoffensiveconceptseventuallyledtothe nextstepintheevolutionof,forlackofabetterterm,the"WestCoastOffense.
Itwasveryinterestingmakingthetransitiontotheroleofconsultantwiththe49ers andtryingtobeeffectiveinanewrolewithouttheauthorityIoncehad. Steppingawayfromthe49ersforawhileenabledmetopinpointwhatitwasIdidwellandto identifythosethingsIcoulddobetter. WhenIreturnedasaconsultantwithspecificobjectives centeringonoffensivestrategyandquarterbackperformance,Ididn'thavetoworryaboutthebigpicture. ThatisnotwhatIwashiredtodo, butformeitwasarewardofbeingoutfromundertheweightofleadership,asituationwhichonlyaddedtomyoveralleffectivenessasaconsultant.
Theabilitytohelpthepeople aroundmeselfactualizetheirgoalsunderlinesthesingleaspectofmyabilitiesandthelabelthatIvaluemostteacher. Isupposethisexperienceincoachinghadsomethingtodowithmyownorientationtotheuniversityandtoa teachingcareer. IalwayshavefoundthatifIcould createanenvironmentaroundmeinwhicheverybodyfelttheywerelearning,Iwouldhaveahotgroup.
Ihave alwaystriedtoincludepeopleinwhatIwasdoing,toencouragethemtosaywhattheythink,toletthemseethe problemsthatwereconfrontingusall,andtocreateanatmosphereinwhicheveryonecouldfeelattheendofthe day,ortheendofaweekoramonth,thatheorshehadlearnedsomething. Formenandwomenwhoareextremelygoodatwhattheydo,nothingismorediscouragingthandiscoveringthat thethingtheydosowellisn'twhat'sneededtogetthejobdone. Whenasuccessfulmanagerconfrontsasituationin whichaphilosophythathasalwaysworkedandhehaseveryreasontobelieveisfundamentallysoundfails,he mayhavetofacethehardfactthatthegroundruleshavechangedandthatheandhiswayofdoingthingsmaybea problem.
Thetruetestofleadershipistheadaptability andflexibilityamanagerbringstothistypeofsituation. Thechallengecomesinhavingtoleaveyourcomfort zoneanareawhereyou'vebeenoperatingeffectively,perhapsforyears. Thispointhasbeenmade cleartomeonanumberofoccasionsinmycoachingcareer. MinnesotawasvastlyunderratedandSan Franciscohadtiredandbecomestaleduringtheirtwoweeksofpreparation.
Isensedthat,inadditiontonothavingtheprotectionheneeded,JoeMontanawasnot athisbest. Ononehand,itwasoneofthetoughestdecisionsIhaveeverhadtomake,butontheother hand,itwasalsoveryeasy. ButIwas stillpullingperhapsthegreatestquarterbackinthehistoryoffootballoutofaplayoffgame. Ialsoknewtheexperience wouldbetraumaticforJoe.
IwastheheadcoachandIwasresponsibleformakingappropriatedecisions,evenifIknewI wouldbecondemnedbyothers. IwasawareofthepossibilitythatStevemightfarenobetterthanJoe,butweweredowntoa"one gameseason"andsomethinghadtobedonequicklyforustohaveanychanceofwinning. Stevedidsparktheteam,and webecamemorecompetitivebutstilllost. IfIhadtakentheeasy wayout,lettingJoestayinthegameandthenbecriticizedfornotplayinguptopar,Iwouldnothavebeenfulfillingmyresponsibilitiesastheheadcoach.
Inordertohandlethosechallengessuccessfully,theheadcoachmusthavetheinsightto knowwhatneedstobedoneandmustpossessthecapabilitiesandtheconvictiontodowhateverisnecessary.
Collectively,thesebeliefscomprisehis philosophy. Itisderivedfromaprocessofconsciouslythinkingaboutcriticalissuesanddeveloping rationalreasonsforholdingoneparticularbelief position ratherthananother. Byadheringtohis philosophicaltenets,heisprovidedwithasystematic,yetpractical,methodofdecidingwhattodoinaparticularsituation. Assuch,hisphilosophyprovideshimwithaconceptualblueprintforaction i. Forexample,whilewinningiscertainlyimportant giventhefactthatanindividualcanlosehisjobifhisteamdoesn'twinonaregularbasis ,it'scertainlynottheonlycriteriaforsuccess.
Infact,allfactorsconsidered, itshouldnotevenbethemostessentialfactor. Assuch, hecanplacegreateremphasisondevelopinghisplayerstotakeadvantageoftheirfullpotential,andondevelopingaproperfoundationfortheteamtoperformwellin thefuture,thanonwhateveractionsmightotherwiseemanatefroma''winnoworelse"approach.
Disciplineisbasedonprideintheprofessionofarms,onmeticulousattentiontodetails,andonmutualrespectand confidence. Disciplinemustbeahabitsoingrainedthatitisstrongerthantheexcitementofbattleorthefearof death. Althoughmanyofthesefactorsarediscussedingreaterdetailinsubsequentchaptersinthistext,therearenumerouspreceptsthatshouldbethebuildingblocksofa soundphilosophy. Astheheadcoach,youshouldconsiderembodyingthefollowingpointsofphilosophicalcounsel: Beyourself.
Throughoutyourcareer,youwillhavetheopportunitytoobserveandworkwithother coaches. Whileitisimportantthatyoulearnwhateveryoucanfromeachoneofthem,youmust recognizethefactthatyoucan'tbeanyoneofthem. Forexample, youcanbecomemoreknowledgeable. Youcanenhanceyourabilitytoapplythatknowledgeinthe fulfillmentofyourprofessionalresponsibility.
Atanygivenmomentintime,however,"youarewhoyou are. Ifyoutrytobesomeoneyou'renotoractassomeoneyouwanttobe,theeffortwilltypicallybeperceived asphonybybothyourassistantsandyourplayers. As aresult,yourabilitytoleadeffectivelywillbeseverelycompromised. Theimportantthingistoapproacheverytaskina sincereandhonestmanner. Toapoint,youmustbewillingtoworkextremelyhardandmakewhatever reasonablesacrificesarenecessarytoachievetheorganizationalgoalsthathavebeenestablishedforthe team.
Atthesametime,youmustensurethateverymemberofyourstaffandallofyourplayersfully understandthatthecommitmenttoexcellencecanneverwillinglybecompromised. Every situation.
Assuch,oneofthecriticalkeystosuccessis execution. Moreoftenthannot,theprimarycatalystfor theoccurrenceofsuchplaysisanunwaveringcommitmenttoexcellence.
Yourstaff andyourplayerswillrespondbettertoapositiveenvironmentthantoanegativeone. Whileitisoftenveryeasytoaccentuatethenegativeaspectsofaparticularsituationorsetofcircumstances, suchanapproachtypicallyaccomplisheslittle ifanything otherthantoserveasameanstoletyouvent yourfeelings. Inmostinstances,whatitreallyachievesistoestablishamentalbarrierbetweenyouandyour staffandyourplayersthatinhibitstheirabilitytomaintaintheproperfocusandtocommunicateeffectively withyou.
Whilecoachescannotactually controlwhichteamwinsagame,theycandeterminehowtheirteamspreparetowin. Goodfortuneontheplayingfield i. Accordingly, youmustdevelopaplantoensurethatyourteamisproperlypreparedtohandleeverycontingencyand possiblesituation.
Youmustaddressallaspectsofyourteam'seffortstoprepare mentally,physically,fundamentallyandstrategicallyinasthoroughamanneraspossible. Being organizedisthesinglebestwaytoavoidwastingeither. Theprocessofbecomingorganized essentiallyrequirestwoqualities:adisciplinedmindand. Gettingorganizedcanprovidesubstantialbenefits e. Giventheaxiomthat"luckis merelypreparationmeetingopportunity,"themorewellorganizedyouare,themorelikelyyouwillbe "lucky. Deflectingblame,evenifyouarenotresponsibleforaparticularoccurrence,isoftenviewedasasignof weaknessbybothyourstaffandyourplayers.
Whateverthesituation,offeringapparentlywellreasonedexcusesandplausiblealibistoexplainyour failingsissimplyirresponsible. Ifyouexpectloyaltyfromyourstaffandyourplayers,youmustshow ittothemfirstbybeingaccountableforyourownactions.
However unfairitmayseemthatyouareheldresponsibleforsomethingthatisnottotallywithinyourcontrol,the responsibilitycomeswiththeposition. Iftheteamwins,yougetmuchofthecreditifitloses,youget mostofthecriticism. Assuch, fairornot,itislogicalthatyouwouldbeheldaccountableforwhethertheirperformancesledtothe requisitenumberofvictories. Fromaleadershipstandpoint,aneffectiveheadcoachissomeonewhoisabletodevelopa visiononhowtheteamshouldoperate,isabletoestablishastrategyforachievingthatplan,andisableto inspireeveryone staffandplayers tocarryitoutsuccessfully.
Hisactionsemboldenconfidenceandrespectforhimbythose withwhomheworks. Hedemandsthatallstaffmembers meetthehighestpossiblestandards.
Hepreferspositivereinforcement,ratherthanthe"bigstick" approach. Hedoesnotsecond guesshimselfondecisionsthatweremadewithintegrity,intelligenceanda"teamfirst"attitude. Heisable toidentifyappropriatepriorities. John deservestobeintheHallofFame,notonlyforhiscoachingeffortswiththeOaklandRaiders,butalso forhiscontributionstothegameasatelevisioncommentator. DuringmyfirstyearontheRaiders'staff,Ihadthe opportunitytolearnalotaboutquarterbackingfromTom,whenhewasstillanactiveplayer. Youmustbeabletokeepeverythingintheproperperspectiveandtoconcentrateonthe appropriatetaskathand.
Everythingshouldbeviewedintermsofhowitaffectstheteamandthe organizationnothowitaffectsyou. Totheextentpossible,theseresultsshould bemeasurable. Alleffortsandplansshouldbeconsiderednotonlyintermsoftheirshortruneffect,but alsohowtheymightimpacttheteamandtheorganizationinthelongterm.
One ofthebetteronesinvolvedacoachwhobelievedthatbybuildingthemostintense,mostphysical, toughest,bestconditionedsquad,histeamwouldhaveundeniablesuccesseventotheextentof dominatingandintimidatingtheopposition.
Despitethefactthathisteamsubsequentlydevelopedawelldeservedreputationfortoughnessand enduredanincrediblelevelofhumansacrificeinbothtrainingcampandpracticesessionsduringthe season,theteamproceededtolosevirtuallyeverygamebadly. Thelossesweredirectlyattributableto faultystrategiesandpoorgametogametactics.
But when you consider who has impacted the game most in terms of those who sought to copy, emulate, reproduce or extend a definable system, style or structure, Bill Walsh stands alone.
In Finding the Winning Edge, the coach of three Super Bowl Championships illustrates and outlines the basic organizational, coaching and system philosophies that he has used throughout his career. When those who chronicle the history of the game list the people who have had the most impact on the National Football League, Bill Walsh will clearly be among the names of Halas, Lombardi, Brown, Landry, Noll and Shula.
But when you consider who impacted the game the most in terms of those who sought to copy, emulate, replicate, or extend a definable system, style, or structure, Bill Walsh is the one. In Finding the Winning Edge, the coach of three Super Bowl championships illustrates and describes the basic organizational, training and system philosophies he has used throughout his career.
This is one of the treasures of the NFL books. After a brief stint at Stanford that ended in , Bill Walsh retired from coaching and poured everything he knew about work into this book. He worked with Brian Billick, a former 49ers staff member who would later win a Super Bowl as head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, and Jim Peterson, a writer friend of Billick, to help turn a mass of notes into a book.
The result was such a well-liked book that you'll find a copy on the shelves of most NFL offices. The Winning Edge is the first nutrition book that's both scientifically sound and practical. In clear layman's language it shows you how the right choice of food can dramatically improve your athletic fitness and performance and help prevent problems like obesity and heart ed on: Febru Book Summary: The title of this book is Finding the Winning Edge and it was written by Bill Walsh, etc.
This particular edition is in a Hardcover format. Last edited by Zubei. Genre Directories. Contributions Killpatrick, James. The Physical Object Pagination p. Share this book. The thorn. A comparative study of school-aged child care. International Rye Symposium : technology and products.
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