An Inside Look at Successful Leaders

One of the best parts of my job is being exposed to and learning from some of the most successful organizations in the world. It doesn’t matter if it’s Rugby teams in New Zealand, the most regarded military forces in the world, or start-ups in the Silicon Valley –> all ELITE ‘teams’ have great leaders that lead in different ways. This article dives into the leadership values of 3 leaders with very different backgrounds but all extremely successful - Vince Lombardi, Steve Jobs and Secretary (Gen.) James Mattis.

United States Secretary of Defense Gen. Mattis

General James Mattis is a military leader who took command of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade in 2000 and climbed all the way up the military ladder to his current role as US SECDEF.  Mattis was known for:

Attitude: The attitude you take with your team will really affect the type of output you get from them. Mattis knew that his subordinates would be the ones out on the field fighting and that their loyalty was an important part in getting them motivated. Therefore, he made it a priority to win their hearts and show them that he had their best interests in mind.

See Everyone as an Equal: Gen. Mattis was always known for saying “Everyone fills sandbags in this unit”. Sometimes rank can get in the way of achieving your goals. However, you if you are short handed, everyone needs to roll up their sleeves and get to work. Mattis knew that when help was needed, no one was exempt. Officers who help those in subordinate positions when necessary will lead by example.

Be the Hunter Not the Hunted: On the battlefield, you can either be the hunter or the hunted, and there was no doubt as to which Mattis wanted the members of his team to be. He felt that mindset was the most important part of establishing yourself as a hunter and encouraged his team to reinforce their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. He knew this was a necessary part of survival.

Vince Lombardi

Lombardi was one of the most famous football coaches in history. He led the Packers to five championships during his nine years of coaching the team (1959-1967).

When it came to leadership, Lombardi’s theory was based on three philosophies.

Winning as a Habit: Lombardi felt his players should see winning as a habit and a mindset. He believed that small changes made in the words they chose, the actions they took and the habits they adapted would take them closer to their goals. He also believed if his athletes stepped away from mediocrity to believe in their own success, it would promote a winning attitude.

Hard Work: A leader should never overlook the fact that hard work will help them to achieve their goals. In the case of his team, Lombardi planned his training sessions carefully and put his players through a difficult regimen to keep them in top shape. He believed that if his players did more than the other teams did, it would give them a competitive advantage.

Take Responsibility for Your Team’s Failures/Success: Lombardi saw winning as a joint effort to be made by himself and his team. While he made his players work for their success, he also assumed responsibility in teaching them to push themselves to their maximum potential. This is a strategy that woks to build trust and will take some pressure off your team, allowing them to focus on doing their best.

Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs is well known as the co-founder of Apple. With Jobs in charge of the company, the world of technology became completely transformed with the introduction of innovative products like the iPhone, iPod and MacBook. With such a disruptive product and brand, Jobs had a unique way of going about leadership:

Persistence Pays Off: Every entrepreneur will experience failure at some point in his or her career. Jobs faced a major setback when he exited Apple. He took advantage of that opportunity to start NeXT which was eventually acquired by Apple, bringing him back to Apple’s door.

Be Innovative: Jobs sense of innovation can not be denied. A leader who is constantly coming up with new ideas to keep their company moving forward is sure to have a motivated team that is focused on reaching their goals.

It’s All in the Presentation: Anyone can have a great product or service, but the ability to present it well will really affect the way it goes over with the public. Jobs was known for being a great salesman, storyteller and speaker making his presentation skills exceptional. These are also skills that will ensure the dedication and respect of your team.

A football coach, a CEO of a technology company and a military General are all very different leadership positions. Yet, they can all offer valuable information that can be adapted to any leadership role. In reality, all successful leaders have similar roots.