Is Super Bowl Coach Bill Belichick a Detached Jerk
Bill Belichick, coach of the New England Patriots, has one facial expression. I’m not sure if you’d describe it as grumpy, unhappy, or intimidating – maybe all three.
You wouldn’t call it warm.
The detachment of a clear goal:
People with clear goals and roles avoid distraction. They may seem harsh and detached. You either help them reach their goal or you’re irrelevant.
In his own words, Belichick focuses on one goal. Win. His focus reminds me of a conversation I had with a pilot.
I spoke with a Life Flight pilot about the things that happen in the back of his helicopter. He carries broken people to trauma centers. Some die. His reply might seem harsh and detached.
He said he ignores what’s going on in the back of the helicopter. He has one job. “Get to the trauma center as quickly and safely as possible.”
The pilot went on to say that what’s happening in the back is a distraction.
Belichick seems like a detached jerk because he has one clear goal.
What about personal connection?
Belichick acknowledged one of his early mistakes was not paying attention to the personal lives of his players. You could say he was too detached. In a CNBC interview with Suzy Welch he said…
“There were times when I was too detail oriented…I didn’t give enough breadth or give enough leadership in other areas…” He was speaking about being aware of personal issues of people on the team. He said, “The more you can help take care of those (personal or family issues) … the smoother the ship runs….”
During the interview, he talks about going to movies and playing games with players.
Belichick doesn’t do this because he enjoys relationships. He does it because it helps him win.
What is the goal of leadership?
What distractions hinder leaders?
***What is the goal of leadership?
Continuous, voracious pursuit to accomplish concise goal(s) accompanied by oversight command & control of the needed resources.
***What distractions hinder leaders?
Managing change, senior leadership & BODs, ineffective managers, business finance.
Thanks J Hill. You got me thinking about the difference between managing and leading.
Consider watching “A Football Life with Bill Belicheck”. This episode provides a more human side of a serious man. Having had the privilege of coaching for many years I find myself admiring Coach Belicheck more than excoriating him for his sparse word responses to the media. The system Belicheck has created and the intensity and focus he is able to garner from players is a reason the Patriots have been to the Superbowl 8 times in the last two decades with a higher winning percentage than any other team.
Hi Dan, sports in general (for me) is an odd thing to compare to leadership and I understand the parallel you are making. Maybe I need some help processing… ? Anyone ?
For me the odd comes in with the realization that a coach can care today for “Smith”. Tomorrow “Jones” comes in out performs Smith and Smith is no longer needed. Hey Smith, clear out your locker. Belichick can care today, and not care the next. It’s a characteristic of sports that is not evident in my world. Bill cares as long as HE is winning, because HE can be gone just a quick as Smith was. From what I understand, Jim Caldwell, a former NFL HC, cares greatly for his players. A players coach who is interested in his players professional AND personal growth. Still, in spite of success, in spite of that connection he makes, he is fired because his team does not win a title.
Caring is crucial in leadership, not sure where it lands in sports. Anyone?
Thanks Will. What a compelling comment. I recently read, Powerful by Patty McCord. She thinks the sports team metaphor is better than the family metaphor for an organization. I’ve been thinking about this for several days. I had planned to write about it and still may.
You bring up a key concern. The other side to consider is with family style leadership there may be a tendency to put off tough conversations and allow for poor performance. After all, you don’t through your family out in the street.
Seeing your comment is motivation to post something.
I’m thankful for your reflection on this.
The sport model is a bit like livestock management: you care about the animals because caring is necessary for productivity, but as soon as that cow goes dry or the sow stops producing piglets, it’s off to the pie factory. They’re expendable assets and as soon as they don’t produce, well…
You’re not going to get a lot of people lining up to innovate and fail under that model, I guess.
Thanks Mitch. When someone doesn’t produce we have a few options that don’t include sending them to the pie factory. (Love the way you put that)
Reassign. Retrain. Remove. Even in removal, there can be compassion. But, let’s face it. When someone isn’t producing, they don’t fit. They should go. Perhaps not to the pie factory, but to another organization.
The cut throat side of this is using layoffs as a way to raise profits and forcing employees to do more. This practice certainly doesn’t inspire anyone.
I think the struggle may be with professional sports. If you look to collegiate athletics, it’s very clear that caring and winning are not mutually exclusive. Take the legendary Pat Summitt – it’s hard to argue the leadership traits of a woman who had 1098 wins (over 1300 or so games) and a 100% graduation rate and, oh by the way, put women’s basketball on the map. There is much to learn from her and the sports analogy – thanks for bringing it up, Dan! (P.S. Read Pat’s books, they’re great!)
Carolyn,
I’m a big Pat Summit fan. One game, I had seats directly behind her and the Tenn players. Watching Coach Summit communicate and interact with her players is an experience I will never forget.
Thanks Carolyn. I noticed that the winning Eagles used the word “family” to refer to their team. It’s easy when you’re winning to say that. I doubt that their Patriots football players and coaches are thinking family, right now.
What is the goal of leadership?
…to help people grow, develop, and perform at their best.
Thanks Paul. I’m with you on this. It’s about the people. Even Jack Welch – with his Neutron Jack nickname – says he spent over 1/2 his time in the role of developer.
Agree with you on the goal. It gets challenging when people don’t want to grow or develop; perhaps a leader must try to inspire and to convey this message.
Dan,
Quite the “gambit” today!
I’m with Paul on the leadership goal as that statement fits all compared to some.
What distractions hinder leaders? This is wide open to some extent, in Sports it can be publicity Pros & Cons, the media can drive people crazy if that affects them? Some show no outer expressions yet inside they are churning! Then you have the individuals who want to be in the spot light all the time, so leaders have to keep this out from the team or as you have seen in sports quite often total disruption! Putting sports aside lets look at students disruption becomes distractions so maintaining a classroom with respect for the Teacher/Leader is critical or the learning goes out the door. There are so many applications this could take a while!
Thanks Tim. Yes… the distraction path is wide open. When I typed the question, it felt like an open door to so many places.
Regarding the outer expression. It’s been a mistake on my part to judge people as uncaring because they are low-expression people. Another group I’ve misjudged in the past are those who seem to be hard on people. Often tough leaders have very tender hearts.
Thanks Tim.
Dan,
Very True, some of my Teachers in school were Ex-Marines, Tough on the outside yet they would smile and we knew they had our best interests!
If you read Belichick’s authorized biography by The Education of a Coach by the late author David Halberstam provides great insight into Belichick’s behavior and how he is.
mp/m
Thanks Mike. I just ordered it!