5 leadership lessons from Coach Prime that can be applied at work

They won one game last year with a total record of 1-11. This year, they've got a rookie coach, with no experience at the highest level of college football.

Recipe for disaster, right?

But the coach kept it about them.

That coach is Deion Sanders (also known as Coach Prime), the Colorado University head football coach who has taken the sports world (and motivational speech circuit) by fire, and with an unexpected 3-0 record against some of the best teams in the land.

In the season-opening pre-game locker room speech against TCU (last year's runner-up in the BCS National Championship game) Sanders kept churning and believing (even if all the data says he shouldn’t):

“Usually God gives me a word long before this, but he’s been holding it,” Sanders began. “It’s not about them. This is about us. This has nothing to do with the team that’s opposing us. This is about us. This ain’t got nothing to do with the naysayers, the non-believers, the haters, the doubters. This is about us.”

With a 45-42 upset over TCU on college football's first week (a shocking upset is an understatement) the win was also about them.

So what can we learn as business leaders from his unique and obviously successful coaching style? Welp. A couple of things are universal:

1) Be clear about your expectations.

Coach is clear about what he expects from his players, his coaches and his staff. From experience, he knows what it takes to win, and he communicates that to his players in a clear and concise way. You, as a business leader, should also be clear about expectations from your team.

This helps to ensure everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals.

“Whenever you make a promise, you have a responsibility to that promise.” ~ Coach Prime

2) Be demanding but supportive.

Coach Sanders is demanding of his players (on his first team meeting with players, he encouraged those who couldn’t hack it to transfer).

But he’s also supportive.

This past weekend in the Colorado State game, after a viscous hit on a teammate, he hugged player Jimmy Horn after a much-needed pep talk. Sanders knows it takes hard work and dedication to be successful, and he's willing to put in the time, and his emotions, to help his players reach their full potential.

As a business leader, be demanding of your employees (the best want to be tested), but also be supportive and provide them with resources and training so they can be set up to succeed (and don't be afraid to get your hands dirty from time-to-time).

“If your dream ain’t bigger than you, there’s a problem with your dream.” ~Deion Sanders

3) Use positive reinforcement, and love your people.

Prime is quick to praise his players for their hard work and accomplishments, and he knows that positive reinforcement is a powerful motivator. Sanders has a history of doing just that, as a coach, and as a Major League Baseball and NFL player.

From Fox News:

Former Cincinnati pitcher Rick Reed recalled a time when Sanders stood up for him after he had been shunned for breaking ranks during the mid-90s players' strike.

"You know what? You have no idea what that man went through, what he’s going through. So, how can you sit here and judge him?" Sanders said in a team meeting in the version of the story that got back to Reed. Jim Bowden, the Reds' general manager at the time, called a team meeting and later corroborated that version of events."

I never had a player in any clubhouse that cared more about winning and his teammates than Deion," according to The Athletic's Bowden. "He did more to help other players both on and off the field more than anyone else I’d ever had."

As business leaders you should also use positive reinforcement to motivate your employees. This helps create a positive and supportive work environment, and builds trust and loyalty.

4) Be passionate and authentic.

It's an understatement to say that Coach Prime is a very passionate and authentic. Full stop.

“Coaches, you've got to Love your players and mean it. Not just when it's convenient but when life is kicking their butts.” ~ Prime

His players can tell he truly cares about them and their success, and his authenticity makes him a believable and trustworthy motivator.

It's critical, as business leaders, to also be passionate and authentic (this helps you to build trust and rapport with your employees).

On an interview on 60 Minutes last week, CBS’s Jon Werthiem pressed Sanders on the accusations of other coaches underestimating him. Sanders said the other coaches’ remarks against him was “fear," and his response really made clear his passion for coaching, for the game, and yeah, for himself.

Authenticity means being yourself...and he definitely is. Which means he encourages his team to do the same. That motivates.

“We don’t want to let that little engine that could get going, because if that engine that could get going, it’s going to start saying, ‘I think I can, I think I can.’ And sooner or later he’s going to start saying, ‘I know I can, I know I can,’ then sooner or later he’s going to start saying, ‘I did that,'” Sanders said.

That passion. That authenticity. Man, it's inspiring me!

5) Build muscle memory to adapt and change.

But motivation isn’t the only thing.

We can also learn from his ability to adapt and change, and to not be afraid to make changes to the game plan when needed.

This is vital for us as business leaders, as conditions can change quickly too. We need to be able to adapt and change our strategies, our team, our entire perspective, in order to stay ahead of the curve.

And we need to build those muscles in our team members.

The fact is, love him or hate him, Coach Prime is a great motivator and leader. By following his example and matching it to our individual style, we can create a positive and productive work environment where employees are motivated to succeed.

What do you think? Do you like his coaching style? Would you want to work/play for him? What other things do you think are important to motivate and inspire your team to do its best work?