It's not the best seat in the house, but the most important one . . .

Business and management lessons from head coaches on the gridiron. . .

When you watch a football game and the camera pans the sidelines, you usually see a head coach pacing back and forth, and he’s wearing a headset talking to someone on the other end. This wasn’t always the case, but it’s become the norm today.

Have you ever wondered about the mechanics behind the way head coaches manage the game on the sidelines? Let’s delve deeper as there's business management lessons found there.

From personal experience, I can tell you that the sidelines of a football field are one of the worst places from which to view a game. Frankly, on the field isn’t much better (and a lot rougher). Because the football playing field is long, wide, flat (in fact, often crowned), spread out, and packed with activity and frantic movement, when you're down on the field level it’s really difficult to get a sense of everything that’s happening, much less direct traffic. Hint - Doesn't that sound a little like running a business or financial enterprise?

So, if that’s the case in football, let’s look at the head coaches and ask:

a) Why do they stand on the sidelines?

b) Why do they wear headsets?

c) Where are the people located to whom they're talking?

a) Why the sidelines? – Despite the poor vantage point, most coaches realize that it is their presence on the field and sidelines that keeps the team and players grounded. As the person who is ultimately responsible for results, the head coach knows that players will take their lead from him. By being in the midst of the action, he is able to look the players in the eye, provide leadership by example, make and directly communicate immediate decisions, and respond to events and crises as they occur. Bottom line - It involves the “personal touch”, and it makes total sense.

• Business correlation – As the leader of an organization (like a head coach), it usually works out best if one is on or near “the sidelines” supporting his/her team. It gives a better appearance of leadership and involvement, and facilitates a truer picture of what is going in the "heat of the battle", and reveals the true challenges at hand. An added benefit of being in the trenches with staff members, it avoids creating the dreaded image of being removed from reality up in the “ivory tower”.

b) Why the headset? – Head coaches today know that team success is collaborative and not the result of the efforts of a single person. It can’t be done alone, and they have other support staff and advisors who are skilled in the various specialties/disciplines of the game. Furthermore, during the chaos of the game, there’s usually too much going on for one person to control everything. So, thanks to developments in technology, a head coach routinely uses a headset during the game to communicate back and forth with staff members to stay abreast on insights, information, observations, and different perspectives.

• Business correlation - As leader, it's best not to go it alone. By assembling a seasoned advisory staff, one can glean a wider perspective on issues, challenges, and potential solutions. It also helps limit blind spots. And just like a headset, technology today gives us more and better tools with which to communicate.

c) Where are the others located? – Just as the field is the worst place to view a football game, the press box is the best place to see the game with the "big picture" perspective, which is why assistant coaches and coordinators are often placed there, and on the other end of the headset. By being able to see the entire field of play, and with expertise viewing from that vantage point, they can observe and detect patterns/trends, spot strategic gaffs, catch player miscues, and identify weaknesses, while also seeing opportunities and generating ideas for change and potential success. The coordinator in the press box represents the head coach’s “eye in the sky”.

• Business correlation – As the leader of your organization, you, too, can use a view from the press box. But unfortunately, like the head coach, you’re down on the sidelines, often short-staffed, managing crises, with your team out there on the field playing, and your managers right beside you on the sidelines pitching in.

The leadership lesson: By following the example of head football coaches, who operate as CEO's and use their coordinators to provide key information, it might be advisable for you to have trusted resources on your team, who are -

1. Trained and experienced in strategic matters and specialty areas,

2. Positioned in the “press box” with a complete field view of your organization and the playing field (i.e., a view other than what you might be seeing),

3. Connected directly and communicating candidly with you.

If you do, you’ll have a much better chance of making informed “real time” decisions to help you make the best play calls during your game.