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Coach Mac's Philosophy.. and its shortcomings

aeroxx

New Member
In his presser, Mac argued that the essence of leadership is Character (Integrity), Competence, Chemistry ("I believe in you" as opposed to blaming), and Commitment (refusal to quit).

This definition of leadership leaves out Communication and Wisdom. It strikes me as not a coincidence that the bulk of the criticism has centered on these two aspects.

Communicating is the ability to translate complex ideas (facts, feelings, values) into actionable thoughts or words. All of Coach Embree's pedigree and NFL experience (and the staff's) may or may not have helped him improve his communication. Sometimes experiences lead to new understandings and skills; sometimes experiences lead to myopia and a clinging to past conventions which might not perfectly apply and even be counterproductive in new situations.

Wisdom is the ability to see what is--to perceive accurately--while also not losing sight of what could be or what should be--and then to provide a practical roadmap so that everyone can do the work necessary, to get there.

Coach Mac has a similar personality to Coach Embree (ESFJ) so it is no surprise that they value and respect each other. But neither is it a surprise that leaders with this kind of temperament are weak in wisdom (as defined above), empathy, and strategic planning like an ENFP or ENTP would exhibit. I am not trying to criticize them as people, for they are worthy of love and respect, but I don't think Coach Embree (or Mac as a proxy) has addressed the growing concerns about the coaching staff's ability to communicate what their roadmap of success has been, is, or will be. Has it changed? What is it? etc... And without this, everything else, is well (and this is going to hurt), academic...

Given the absence of clear and practical vision for the program, (bowl game might be clear but not practical) the only other inference I can make about the staff's plan is they hoped to recruit well, get the players on the field, and have them learn as they go. I think history shows that this rarely works in business, sports, or really any organized activity. Belief, positive thinking, etc, only take one so far.

I hope Coach Embree can perceive the breakdowns in organization that are occurring, learn how to fix them, and adapt to the unforeseen challenges which are ahead. But as I have mentioned previously, the past decisions by the coaching staff make it seem unlikely that they will do so. I hope this isn't a tragedy in the works. I hope the players are able to focus, practice effectively, and learn how to take responsibility for themselves (and not please others).

That reminds me. This was a revealing statement by Embree. He said his players are pleasers. This is indicative of ESFJ temperaments. If Coach Embree has only recruited and self-selected players with his kind of psychology, this is going to be a really difficult recovery. Successful teams need a mix of temperaments which learn how to work together.
 
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Winning football by Myers-Briggs Indicators...we really are willing to try anything at this point...
 
I know beyond doubt that Mac himself is an amazing leader.

Some of that can be quantified and described as traits. I'd actually describe the Mac traits more as Passion, Sincerity and Love. But what really makes the difference with him is the "it" factor. The dude simply has presence and always has. He's one of the special ones. You can't teach what he has and my observation is that people who have that certain light around them are often unable to see it as something unique to very few people. Mac may observe Character, Competence, Chemistry, and Commitment in others and think that makes them like he is. He may also see that those same people have things he doesn't. Maybe they're smarter or more creative or something else that makes him see an incredible potential. But if they don't have "it", they're not ever going to be a great head coach.
 
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