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In an unlikely setting last fall, an unassuming man quietly achieved something memorable. John Gagliardi, football coach for 55 years at St. John's University in central Minnesota, became the winningest coach in college football history. By achieving 409* victories, this shy, decent man broke the total-wins record set in 1997 by the legendary Eddie Robinson, of Grambling State University – a record that, at the time, many said would never be broken.
Over those 55 years, John, as his players, current and former, all address him, has compiled a winning percentage of nearly 80 percent. His last "losing" season was 36 years ago. These feats have been accomplished at a school that offers no athletic scholarships. Men attend SJU to learn first and compete second.
Fittingly, John's players will tell you that he teaches life lessons first and football lessons second. The wisdom and approach of his lessons might also find application with business leadership, whether as executives, sales leaders, coaches or mentors.
#1: Focus on Winning
John Gagliardi has a list of around 100 no's that all run counter to conventional football wisdom. For example, he tells his players "no tackling in practices." All plays are run crisply, but end with a touch rather than a blow. Why? Gagliardi wants his best players available to win each weekend. If they are banged up in practice, that cannot happen.
The list goes on: no mandatory weight training, no spring practices, no practices outside in inclement weather or when the gnats or mosquitoes are bad, no set warm-up drills before the game, and many more – all of which fly in the face of what most college coaches insist is the "right way" to coach. Gagliardi's explanation for doing things differently is simple and wonderful. What matters most is winning each week. Anything that detracts from that goal (like practice-field injuries) or adds nothing (like regimented warm-up drills) must be discarded.
As sales and business leaders, we also can benefit from realizing nothing matters but the win – closing the deal and generating revenue. A bundle of other things that people teach are nice but, if they do not lead to the end goal of winning the business, they are distractions. We should be diligent in excising anything that gets in the way – unnecessary reports that tie up the sales force, idle phone calls that take time away from our dialogue with customers and prospects, sales meetings dominated by talkers who don't produce, and other unproductive activities.
#2: Respect Others
John did not amass his 409-plus wins merely by avoiding distractions (his 100 no's). He showed respect for each team he coached against by never underestimating his competition. He is a coach who uses every tool at his disposal to prepare for victory. For instance, he has been one of the first coaches to embrace each technical innovation – from videos to spreadsheet diagnostics. Why? Because he respects everyone, including his opponents, and therefore strives to be, and to bring out, the best.
When you talk to Gagliardi's players, one of the first things that comes through is their respect for him as a human being. It is a deep respect, reflecting more than a young athlete's gratitude for having had the chance to play for a winner while getting an education and soaking up life lessons; and it is a profound respect, well beyond that evidenced when those who have played college football elsewhere gush about SJU, "Wow, what a cool program."
The respect afforded Gagliardi flows from the respect he affords others. His respect for his players has enabled many of them to accomplish more than they ever thought was within their grasp. Gagliardi seems to expand the possibilities for people, allowing them to stretch their personal envelopes.
 Gagliardi's discipline in preparing to win ... More >>
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