Bill Parcells

In 1983, Bill Parcells led the New York Giants to a 3-12-1 season. The Giants wanted to fire him. They even offered his job to Howard Schnellenberger, but he declined. So the Giants brought Parcells back. He knew that he had nothing to lose, so he changed everything going into that offseason. Parcells lacked confidence in his first year. He was tentative, he didn't confront players, and he didn't connect. As a result, he didn't have the players' respect. He realized that he had to lead and take charge.

He said, "To lead, you’ve got to be a leader. That may sound obvious, but it took me an entire year to learn - and it wasn’t a pleasant year." That is when the team started to turn it around in 1984.

His 3 Leadership Actions to Change the Culture:

1. Accountability - He told the team that losing was no longer tolerated. He was going to confront players on their performance and hold people accountable. Bill said, "The only way to change people is to tell them in the clearest possible terms what they’re doing wrong. And if they don’t want to listen, they don’t belong on the team."

2. Values and Purpose - The team had to focus on achievement. Bill told the team that achievement comes from relentless effort and commitment. He said, "It wasn’t going to be easy, but at the end of the day, achievement would be the most important thing they would take home with them." He connected the purpose to the players and anchored the team on values and that purpose.

3. Connection - He would spend time connecting with players and coaches 1-on-1. He needed to build credibility and respect. That meant being honest and communicating with everyone. He said, "I’ve found that holding frank, one-on-one conversations with every member of the organization is essential to success."

In 1984, Bill Parcells led the Giants to the playoffs and a 9-7 record. 2 years later, he won his first Super Bowl. He is known as one of the best NFL coaches of all-time and for his ability to turn around teams.

Takeaway 1: Leadership is about your behavior. You can see the difference in how he led the team in Year 1 vs. Year 2. He effectively communicated, connected with his players, held people accountable, and anchored the team on specific values and purpose. When you show the way and lead the way then people trust you and follow.

Takeaway 2: You have to be yourself. People know immediately when you are faking it. You have to do it your way with your personality and style. Parcells learned that in year 1. He knew that if he was going to get fired, he needed to at least try winning in the way that best fit him which meant connecting and being tougher.

"I’m convinced that if you get people onto your team who share the same goals and the same passion, and if you push them to achieve at the highest level, you’re going to come out on top." - Bill Parcells

• From @Coachajkings