Leadership: In My Humble Opinion

[casmith07]

Cas, I was knee deep in floor scouring powders and was tattered and soiled from head to foot getting ready on Friday night for a SAMI. There was room disarray in preparations. At about nine p.m., our door exploded open and a Major walked in. Both of us came to stiff positioning, with chins tucked and eyes fixed forward. The officer then went about our room, which was being put into position for the next morning's inspection, and tore out all of my drawers and threw them on my bunk. He then threw half of my clothes in the closet onto the bed as well. He then got in my face and started to tear into my appearance, day old shave, and soiled clothing. He turned towards my roommate, who was Ada, Oklahoma, and he started to howl. The Major then turn towards myself, and asked me if I knew he was. I replied that no, I didn't. To which he replied, look down at my name tag. He had the very same last name as myself. He was assigned to the Academy, and had both my first and last names. He then invited me and my roommate to his quarters to dine and meet with his family.

My point, being that there is a personal side, but principals of appropriateness were the relevant issues at context. Accountability was involved even if taken to personal levels. Lol...:starspin

Sounds like a typical academy story, haha...I once had a guy tear into me as a Plebe, but he was a guy that I played football with in high school that graduated a couple years before I did. After screaming and yelling at the top of his lungs how jacked up I was, he leaned in real close and whispered "how you doing? you doing okay? your uniform looks good...just play the game..." and then howled "GET OUTTA MY FACE!"

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

But, on topic, yes, the open-door policy is good but it still needs to be regulated to an extent.

 

[CCBoy]

Good old Task, Conditions, Standard! In my humblest of opinions, the best three-part teaching tool anyone can use for anything, whether its engaging targets with an M16A2 service rifle, or learning to tackle a ball-carrier.

In humor, I was an Instructor at the Armor School for an extended period. We had task, condition, and standard in Lesson Plan for everything to Intel considerations with TP.

Great Irony...How do you process 100,000 POW's in three days while executing Awe and Destruction?

Answer: One at a time!

 

[casmith07]

In humor, I was an Instructor at the Armor School for an extended period. We had task, condition, and standard in Lesson Plan for everything to Intel considerations with TP.

Great Irony...How do you process 100,000 POW's in three days while executing Awe and Destruction?

Answer: One at a time!

Thing is with something like football, you don't have to put it all on a butcher board for the guys to read...its just the method of teaching and coaching.

I think Wade Phillips is giving our guys a task, but the way that they play there is no purpose nor any standard to be met. It's like they're put on the field and told "go play defense" and nothing more is said.

 

[CCBoy]

Sounds like a typical academy story, haha...I once had a guy tear into me as a Plebe, but he was a guy that I played football with in high school that graduated a couple years before I did. After screaming and yelling at the top of his lungs how jacked up I was, he leaned in real close and whispered "how you doing? you doing okay? your uniform looks good...just play the game..." and then howled "GET OUTTA MY FACE!"

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

But, on topic, yes, the open-door policy is good but it still needs to be regulated to an extent.

And continuing, from the lower level of management....the difference in boot camp and training camp is only in severity of final variables involved. Both in a sporting venue and in service connections, the base level of response has to be adaptitve enough to forge focus under stress for future and more directional training of that individual. It forces the individual to adapt to harshness of environment while providing opportunities, directed hopefully, towards personal focus and re-directions. This inclusive of social appropriateness that adds to intensity and strength of applied principals that come to an individual's view as he develops in personal attributes and strengths.

Here, a man's flight is still directed by the strength of his knowledge. That can be broken down simply, under duress even, and learned. That improves that ability to cope and overcome. Here, is where the Cowboys presently are...have you had any conversations with some having 'visited' in the Hanoi Hilton? That comparison is stylized in considerations of where some of the current Cowboy players are with respect to team status in the now. That is an element of their present status as well...but that is a departure from core thread topic. But discussive in development of topic as swell.

 

[CCBoy]

Thing is with something like football, you don't have to put it all on a butcher board for the guys to read...its just the method of teaching and coaching.

I think Wade Phillips is giving our guys a task, but the way that they play there is no purpose nor any standard to be met. It's like they're put on the field and told "go play defense" and nothing more is said.

Directional comparisons for identification....not a 'war story.' But, if one is to look about, and include the electoral process, there are major confrontations that are getting vein little directional imput as well as application to the common joe. And that is what I was chunking at...and that could be simplified, but message of concern missed completely. Kind of like when Wade smiles...here, it has a sinister meaning and attachment that has to be walked around. Or, to point, ignored...with a smile.

I think that he gives parts of his heart which are observable. The quality of his staff does have an active interface as well. I don't know, I think the sensationalism that resonates in about the media and it's life unto itself, has tarnished player perspectives. A return to base of execution has been my direction, and not an evalutation of Wade specificly. Wade won't weather this storm...and that cloud approaches no matter how the team develops from this point. BUT, he still is part of that directional requirement in progressing past the deficiencies apparent in each game this season. The team has lost focus and accountability. That probably should not be lost...and the lingering aspect in association that must be dealt with, even in being a fan.

As to dignity of life, even in war...that is always respected, in this corner.

 

[The Curly One]

Jason Garrett is NOT the answer. It is Jerry, Wade and Jason that got us in this mess. Jerry listens to Coach Wade and Jason then makes his decision but in the end Jerry does what Jerry wants. Coach Wade and Garrett do the best they can with what they have to work with.
I never thought the Cowboys would win the Super Bowl this year our players are not that good but we are playing well below our talent level. That lies solely on Coach Wade and Garrett.

For me In 1992 when I saw Troy Aikman get sacked I knew we were going to win the Super bowl. Why? Becauce I saw our offensive line help him up, apologise, get pissed off and attack the defense. I saw Eric Williams get pissed of and hurt people for hitting his quarterback. Right now our offensive line does not protect our QB, they do not help him and they did not even check on him when he got hurt. And he got hurt because they did not do their job! Nobody cares if they do not do their job, sure they talk the talk but they do nothing about it. They are accepting failure and getting beat down.
Nobody on the team has that kind of fire right now except maybe Dez Bryant.
Wade and Garrett have had plenty of time to get the job done and the results we have right now lie solely on Wade, Garrett and Jerry. Garrett is NOT the answer!
In fact I think it would be worse if they fired Wade and put Garrett in.
I did feel that Sean Payton was pretty special but there is nothing special about Jason Garrett. He is not and "X"s and "O"s genius, he is not some kind of super motivator or great talent scout. He is just a good back up and that is all he will ever be.
In the end Jerry gets the players HE wants and Garrett and Wade have to deal with it. Still Wade and Garrett and not getting full potentail out of what they have to work with.

 

[casmith07]

Jason Garrett is NOT the answer. It is Jerry, Wade and Jason that got us in this mess. Jerry listens to Coach Wade and Jason then makes his decision but in the end Jerry does what Jerry wants. Coach Wade and Garrett do the best they can with what they have to work with.
I never thought the Cowboys would win the Super Bowl this year our players are not that good but we are playing well below our talent level. That lies solely on Coach Wade and Garrett.

For me In 1992 when I saw Troy Aikman get sacked I knew we were going to win the Super bowl. Why? Becauce I saw our offensive line help him up, apologise, get pissed off and attack the defense. I saw Eric Williams get pissed of and hurt people for hitting his quarterback. Right now our offensive line does not protect our QB, they do not help him and they did not even check on him when he got hurt. And he got hurt because they did not do their job! Nobody cares if they do not do their job, sure they talk the talk but they do nothing about it. They are accepting failure and getting beat down.
Nobody on the team has that kind of fire right now except maybe Dez Bryant.
Wade and Garrett have had plenty of time to get the job done and the results we have right now lie solely on Wade, Garrett and Jerry. Garrett is NOT the answer!
In fact I think it would be worse if they fired Wade and put Garrett in.
I did feel that Sean Payton was pretty special but there is nothing special about Jason Garrett. He is not and "X"s and "O"s genius, he is not some kind of super motivator or great talent scout. He is just a good back up and that is all he will ever be.
In the end Jerry gets the players HE wants and Garrett and Wade have to deal with it. Still Wade and Garrett and not getting full potentail out of what they have to work with.

I think you're wrong about Jason Garrett, but I agree about Aikman getting sacked.

When Romo got hurt, the only guy that went to check on him was Dez Bryant. Dez ran over and took a knee next to the trainers while they were working on him.

Something to think about. I think Dez will be among the leaders on this team by the end of training camp next year.

 

[LarryCanadian]

There is some outstanding talk of leadership in this thread.

The one post on the military training technique was super interesting. Reading that, I can only conclude the attention to detail and teaching and efficiency aspect of training this team has to be suspect. One of the littlest tidbits of info that came out about Cowboys practice and training camps was that there was inefficiency in terms of repetitions. Many groups would be standing around waiting for their turn "allegedly" (I wasn't at camp this year). This explains penalties, and lack of execution to me. The fundamentals aren't being ingrained into habits. From snap counts to watching the ball, to body position as already mentioned in a great post. FUNDAMENTALS. I can see it with the 10 year olds I am coaching. They put their feet and hands and body in the right position and things start going right for them. They don't, and they fail more often than not. That is COACHING (and attitude from the players, but not everyone is self-motivated and self-learning all the time - especially NFL kids).

I coach a LOT of youth soccer and just am starting to help out with football. This discussion is so useful.

One thing I do struggle with is the concept of friendship versus leadership. I think this is a big undiscussed issue. I think Wade almost wants to be "friends" with his players. He never wants to call them out. Calling someone an "idiot" might be old school, but it isn't constructive and will get old fast in the coaching world AND the parenting world. Telling someone in front of the team or the media that "we can't lock on to one receiver" or "the running back has to go down and not allow a fumble with 2 seconds left in the half" when asked a question by a newsreporter is not throwing someone under the bus. It shows that A. the mistake was noticed. B. that it is not acceptable. C. That it will be worked on and not happen again. D. that you aren't going to call the player an "idiot", but will treat him like a man and TEACH/LEAD him to success by giving him the tools.

My father ran a company for 40 years with a diverse group of white collar and blue collar workers. One thing he said was that being the "boss" was a fine line. He felt you can't really be one of the players or their "friend" or even a part of the team. To make it work best you had to be separate. Jerry is the COMPLETE opposite. He really treats his guys well and coddles them sometimes. Wade also says he treats them like men and professionals, and this is where I get worked up a bit, because they are HUMAN, young, flawed and in many cases DESPERATELY in need of structrure and a firm guiding hand. How many players from the NFL come from single parent, or no parent homes etc. The attitude that they don't need a firm hand is what causes many breakdowns too.

It must be similar in the military. Very difficult to have an equal "friendship" with someone that ranks significantly higher than you. The chain of command works for a reason.

Jerry and Jimmy obviously had their differences, yet there was a lot of success there. Parcells and Jerry had different opinions for sure, Parcells hating anything circus-like. Yet those team ups seemed to show most results. The friendly, quiet puppet leaders did not.

We forget Jerry was pretty cutthroat when he got to Dallas. He fired Tom Landy for God's sake! That sends a message. Things are going to change. Things are very different now. Parcells fired Emmitt (not sure I agree with it, but it got my attention). Leaders are not often liked, but they are usually often respected.

Tom Coughlin was HATED early in season when Giants won the Superbowl and beat us in playoffs. HATED. He was mean and stubborn, blah blah blah, the players were CRYING. Yet he lead them and tought them and whipped them into shape. He was in control. They loved him at end of year.

I think Jerry and coaches need to stop being a part of the team and need to start being APART from the team and lead differently.

You don't need to be an "*******" to be "old school". That is why I cringe when Mickey and others bring up how players tune out Parcells, etc after awhile. Fisher, Tomlinson etc, those guys aren't pansies, but they also aren't "abusive" either. There is a road down the middle that demands accountability but still teaches players.

LarryCanadian

 

[CCBoy]

Canadian, I enjoyed your post. I particularly got some thinktank action from your line:

Yet those team ups seemed to show most results. The friendly, quiet puppet leaders did not.

Bill Parcells teams always were ready to start the season out. They didn't just go through a routine and then start up. The discipline that promoted a bolt out of the gates seems to have worn out now.

That part I agree in hindsight. I wonder what degree of change would be affected by that fact.

Myself, I think that player pride would have to now be milked out to change and remedy the performance mode of mediocracy. I want an anger in the players. I would have thought that being humiliated over a long period of time this season, would have caused at least a few scuffles and a fight or two in the locker room.

I never thought that I would be witnessing where with a talented group, there would be a huge lacking of heart in those players.

It's almost as if instead of making a play, people are just trying to do a procedure and are content with just going through the action of that procedure. There is no homing device on action to be found on this past two weeks....with the possible exception being Dez Bryant.

Myself, I think I would be tempted to just take a forearm across a lineman's helmet cage forcefully during practice, and be off on an intensity and emotional elevation from that point forward...if it were me. If emotions got a little out of hand then, so be it. But that's me.


As to your coaching, good luck. May your journey there be long, rewarding, and intense. Don't forget that the more work that is done by yourself in preparation and attention to detail...the better off are your kids.