Something caught my ear in CCLs press conference yesterday. It's a phrase I used to hear from restaurants managers when things didn't go as expected or the team underperformed. A restaurant has multipe components that create an atmosphere of competence or a level of incompetence...just like football tea⁹ms.
After a week of work the GM usually gathers the various department heads to discusses what went right and what went wrong. Inevitably, the discussions got specific about where things failed and without fail the department heads when asked why something failed all of a sudden would say the dumbest expression ever showing they really were not ready to lead a team of people. There were several....but the one I hated the most was "well, I told them what to do, or I told them what would happen" if they did or didn't do this or that. Think about that expression....it's so stupid. If anyone that is a leader and expects young people to do something because you "told them" what to do then you are "never" going to succeed....ever. It's about demanding expectations be met and if not met then there are consequences.....period.....sticking to your guns and showing them exactly what you want.....not telling them a bunch of stuff then hoping they do it. Some will....most won't then that leader is left with egg on the face and hence....the expression.....well, I told them what would happen....somewhere in their mind they thought by telling them what would happen if they didn't do this or that.....or just trying to talk them into doing what was being taught would somehow magically translate into a competent staff.....
Then once you get into upper management and you have multiple stores all with the same concept.....you begin to hear that from the GMs that can't seem to hit their numbers or underperform in certain areas. It's always the ones that can't seem to get their store and its people to do what is required.....and hence the expression.....excuse....."well I told them what to do" which to me was telling me.....I am supposed to be leading them but they are not going where we want them to go.....therefore I am a miserable leader.
The best and most simple definition of Leadership is " getting things done through others".....it's that simple and when a person is hired to lead and "I told them what to do" but they didn't do it......what is the issue.....it's Leadership.....even if the staff is rag-tags....if they follow procedures then things WILL go better because they followed your lead....because you cant and don't accept their excuses.
It never failed that the weak leaders would say "but I told them" .... or in other words....it's not my fault because I'm smarter than them and they are stupid because "i told them what to do and I told them what would happen".... you can't mix in the occasional I have to do better....it's one or the other....
I am hearing this far to often from CCL....I told them..... that's so weak....its an admission that your not reallly leading them.....it's an attempt to justify why you're failing and an admission that you are not getting things done through others.....the exact definition of what a leader is.
We have talked alot about Lance L at Kansas.....He doesn't have to say that....because he plays his best players despite their excuses.....he demonstrates that he will not accept anything but their best and the best are the ones that play....anything other than that sends a wrong message and negates anything and everything you say. I have seen this senerio play it's self out so many times....playing favorites and then TELLING everyone what to do.....a form of weak arrogance expecting people to do something because your the gm, kitchen manager, area supervisor, chef, oc, dc, hc.....it doesn't matter.....
When he starts into what he is telling them...and then they aren't doing it.....
I swear CCLs teams are slow starters and playing uninspired football and that falls right on ccl. I think he can fix it....but he has to see that he is the problem and all this intellectual talk is not going to motivate a football team....and the players might be impressed.....but they are not inspired by it.
Demanding from your assistants and players anything less than their enthusiastic best will only result in them equaling their own expectations.....every time.
Guys like LanceL JamesF NSaben all have that fire that translates....I think the best of them all was Spurrier.....especially in his hayday. His message was less about what he told them to do and more about how he demonstrated to them what he wanted and when they didn't.....anyone...... didn't do what he demanded....he proved he wouldn't put up with it.
Now everyone is going to experience the "i told them" phenomena because we are all imperfect, but once it becomes a pattern or excuse.....it's inevitable that failure will follow....
After a week of work the GM usually gathers the various department heads to discusses what went right and what went wrong. Inevitably, the discussions got specific about where things failed and without fail the department heads when asked why something failed all of a sudden would say the dumbest expression ever showing they really were not ready to lead a team of people. There were several....but the one I hated the most was "well, I told them what to do, or I told them what would happen" if they did or didn't do this or that. Think about that expression....it's so stupid. If anyone that is a leader and expects young people to do something because you "told them" what to do then you are "never" going to succeed....ever. It's about demanding expectations be met and if not met then there are consequences.....period.....sticking to your guns and showing them exactly what you want.....not telling them a bunch of stuff then hoping they do it. Some will....most won't then that leader is left with egg on the face and hence....the expression.....well, I told them what would happen....somewhere in their mind they thought by telling them what would happen if they didn't do this or that.....or just trying to talk them into doing what was being taught would somehow magically translate into a competent staff.....
Then once you get into upper management and you have multiple stores all with the same concept.....you begin to hear that from the GMs that can't seem to hit their numbers or underperform in certain areas. It's always the ones that can't seem to get their store and its people to do what is required.....and hence the expression.....excuse....."well I told them what to do" which to me was telling me.....I am supposed to be leading them but they are not going where we want them to go.....therefore I am a miserable leader.
The best and most simple definition of Leadership is " getting things done through others".....it's that simple and when a person is hired to lead and "I told them what to do" but they didn't do it......what is the issue.....it's Leadership.....even if the staff is rag-tags....if they follow procedures then things WILL go better because they followed your lead....because you cant and don't accept their excuses.
It never failed that the weak leaders would say "but I told them" .... or in other words....it's not my fault because I'm smarter than them and they are stupid because "i told them what to do and I told them what would happen".... you can't mix in the occasional I have to do better....it's one or the other....
I am hearing this far to often from CCL....I told them..... that's so weak....its an admission that your not reallly leading them.....it's an attempt to justify why you're failing and an admission that you are not getting things done through others.....the exact definition of what a leader is.
We have talked alot about Lance L at Kansas.....He doesn't have to say that....because he plays his best players despite their excuses.....he demonstrates that he will not accept anything but their best and the best are the ones that play....anything other than that sends a wrong message and negates anything and everything you say. I have seen this senerio play it's self out so many times....playing favorites and then TELLING everyone what to do.....a form of weak arrogance expecting people to do something because your the gm, kitchen manager, area supervisor, chef, oc, dc, hc.....it doesn't matter.....
When he starts into what he is telling them...and then they aren't doing it.....
I swear CCLs teams are slow starters and playing uninspired football and that falls right on ccl. I think he can fix it....but he has to see that he is the problem and all this intellectual talk is not going to motivate a football team....and the players might be impressed.....but they are not inspired by it.
Demanding from your assistants and players anything less than their enthusiastic best will only result in them equaling their own expectations.....every time.
Guys like LanceL JamesF NSaben all have that fire that translates....I think the best of them all was Spurrier.....especially in his hayday. His message was less about what he told them to do and more about how he demonstrated to them what he wanted and when they didn't.....anyone...... didn't do what he demanded....he proved he wouldn't put up with it.
Now everyone is going to experience the "i told them" phenomena because we are all imperfect, but once it becomes a pattern or excuse.....it's inevitable that failure will follow....
