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LEADERSHIP

BUILDING WINNERS

FOR LIFE

THE

BULLDOG

WAY

“LEADERSHIP IS AN ART FORM THAT CAN BE ACHIEVED ONLY THORUGH STUDY,

ORGANIZATION, PLANNING, AND POSITIVE ATTITUDE TRAINING. BEFORE WE

CAN INFLUENCE THE FACTORS THAT CONTROL OTHERS’ LIVES, WE MUST BE IN

CONTROL OF THOSE SAME FACTORS IN OUR OWN LIVES.”

--EXCERPT FROM IN PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE

by JOSEPH PACELLI

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A CHAMPION’S PLEDGE

1. I strive for perfection.

a. Good is not enough. Only through excellence can I

achieve greatness. Excellence is contagious.

2. I pay attention to details.

a. “Take care of the little things to make big things happen.”

Jimmy Johnson

b. “No detail is too small—everything is important.” Lou Holtz

3. I constantly try to improve.

a. “He who stops being better, stops being good.” Oliver

Cromwell

b. Always search for a way to get better.

c. Success = continuous and never-ending improvement.

4. I give all that I’ve got.

a. Giving 100% every day is the surest road to success.

b. Have the mindset of EXCELLENCE, accept nothing less—it’s

contagious and habit forming.

Signature: ____________________________

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The Six “R’s” of

Respected Team Leaders

By Jeff Janssen, M.S., Peak Performance Coach

Being a leader is a big privilege, challenge, and responsibility. To do your job effectively, you must bring out

the best in your teammates and be able to deal with them when they are at their worst. Your success

depends on your ability to develop and master the Six “R’s” of Respected Team

Leaders. As you read through them below, honestly evaluate yourself on how well you fulfill each of the six

important responsibilities.

1. ROLE MODEL

All leadership begins with self leadership. People will respect you as a leader only if you can

walk your own talk and lead yourself effectively. You must model the commitment and work ethic

you expect from your teammates. You must have confidence that you can achieve your team’s goals. You must

maintain your composure when the inevitable storms of adversity strike. And you must do the right thing even

when it isn’t the popular or convenient choice to make. You must continually model the attitudes and actions you

want to see from your teammates.

2. REMIND

As a team leader, you must frequently remind your teammates about what is important - your

common goal, your game plan, going to class, and making smart choices. Remind your

teammates that all of the commitments and sacrifices they are making now are really investments in your team’s

success and their future. Remind them that the time they spend practicing, studying, getting involved in

internships, and doing community service will pay off immeasurably in the long run.

3. REINFORCE

You’ll also spend a lot of time reinforcing the positive strides your teammates make. Be sure to

compliment them often to build their confidence and fuel a positive momentum and environment on your team. It’s

surprising how fragile confidence can be for some of your teammates. It’s amazing what a simple word of

encouragement can do for them coming from you. As Mother Teresa once said, “Kind words are short

and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” Acknowledge and appreciate your

teammates often as a way to reinforce the positive things they do.

4. REASSURE

Because there are so many obstacles, setbacks, and adversities involved in every season and school year, you will

need to reassure your teammates when they feel nervous, scared, frustrated, helpless, and hopeless. Give them

a sense of hope and optimism even if your team has lost three in a row. Let them know with

the right amount of rehab and rest that they can recover from that frustrating injury. As your mom once told you,

you need to reassure your teammates that the sun will come up tomorrow.

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5. REFOCUS

Your teammates will get distracted often over their careers. With the countless temptations and distractions

available to college student-athletes like alcohol, computer games, parties, television, cell phones, gambling, etc.,

it’s no wonder that some people lose their focus. It is easy for your teammates to get their priorities out of whack.

A leader’s primary job is to establish a vision for the team and then continually refocus the team

back on the vision when they get distracted. Put simply, your job is to keep “the main thing” the main

thing. For their sakes and yours, help your teammates refocus back on to what’s important when they begin to

stray athletically, academically, and socially.

6. REPRIMAND

Last but not least, you must be willing to constructively confront and reprimand your teammates when

necessary. You must hold them accountable to live up to and maintain your team’s and athletic department’s

rules and standards. Confronting your less disciplined teammates is often an uncomfortable and sometimes scary

task for most student-athlete leaders but one that must be done if your team and athletic department are going to

be successful. Part of being a leader is getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. You must have the

courage to constructively confront your teammates who aren’t willing to do the right

thing. You may not be liked all the time when you hold your teammates accountable, but you will be

respected, which is much more important anyway.

LAW OF ACCOUNTABILITY

Accountability – Teammates must be able to count on each other at all times. Character + Competence + Commitment + Consistency + Cohesion = Accountability When all team members embrace each of those five qualities, within themselves and with one another, they can achieve the accountability necessary for a team to succeed. Accountability begins with character because it is based on trust, which is the foundation for all interaction with people. If you want your teammates to have confidence in you, where they know they can count on you day in and day out, then you must be consistent. NO EXCUSES! The strength of a TEAM lies in its trust among teammates. You need to know for certain that you can count on your teammates and they need to know that they can count on you!

LAW OF THE BIG PICTURE Everybody on the team must contribute to winning. Everything starts with a vision – You have to have a goal. Winning teams have players who put the good of the team ahead of themselves. They want to play in their areas of strength, but they’re willing to do what it takes to take care of the team. They are willing to sacrifice their role for the greater goal. If the vision for achieving the big picture is embraced by everyone in the group, then those people have the potential to become an effective team.

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VIOLATIONS TO THE TEAM COVENANT

Any violation of the covenant of the Team could result in dismissal

from the team or other forms of disciplinary action.

1. Any unexcused absence from practice.

2. Any embarrassment to the team by misconduct on campus or in

in the community.

3. Violation of the “Bulldog Way”

1. Do the right thing

2. Do the best you can.

3. Show people that you care.

4. Any involvement with illegal substances.

5. Repeated tardiness.

6. Any behavior not conducive to the overall well being of the

team.

The strength of an organization is based on the strength of the bonds

between members of the organization. The basis of these bonds is TRUST.

The above are violations of trust, and if we can’t trust you—we have to cut

you; and if you can’t trust us—we should quit. TRUST IS A MUST.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF A WINNING ATHLETE

There are certain characteristics which are essential if one is to become a

successful athlete and leader. The following listed characteristics are found not only in

successful athletes but also are prevalent in the lives of people who are at the top of their

chosen profession.

1. DRIVE: One must develop a burning desire to win. One

must set and maintain high goals for himself and

and his team. To attain athletic excellence one

must be willing to endure and overcome difficult

and unpleasant situations if it will improve

himself and his team.

2. AGGRESSIVENESS: An athlete must be aggressive to win! One must

make aggressiveness a habit and be willing to use

force to attain ones goals. An athlete must be

willing to make an unprovoked attack upon his

opponent.

3. DETERMINATION: An athlete must be willing to practice long and

hard on skills and conditioning until exhausted.

One must be willing to work out by himself and

persevere, even in the face of great difficulty and

ridicule from fellow students.

One must be patient and unrelenting in his work

habits, and never give up on the idea of

improving and winning.

4. RESPONSIBILITY: An athlete must accept responsibility for his

performance and actions. This means at times

one must accept blame and criticism even when

not deserved.

One must be able to recognize his own

weaknesses and mistakes and accept them for

what they are (a learning experience). An athlete

accepts the fact that one must endure physical and

mental pain and be willing to play with this pain.

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5. SELF-CONFIDENCE: An athlete must be confident and sure of himself

and his abilities. When armed with self-

confidence, one can handle unexpected situations

well, and be sure of his ability to deal with

anything and anyone.

One must also have confidence in his teammates

and coaches.

6. EMOTIONAL CONTROL: An athlete must be emotionally stable and

realistic about athletics.

An athlete cannot become upset easily or allow

ones performance to be affected by ones feelings.

A winner does not become easily depressed or

frustrated by bad breaks, bad calls, or mistakes.

“A PERSON CAN’T BROOD OVER ONE MISTAKE, OR WASTE TIME FEELING

SORRY FOR HIMSELF, OR TAKE ON ANY SORT OF PERSECUTION COMPLEX.

TODAY I REALIZE THAT ONCE YOU HAVE MADE A MISTAKE, YOU MUST

ACCEPT IT, PROFIT BY IT, AND THEN TOTALLY DISMISS IT FROM YOUR

MIND.”

Bart Starr—Quarterback—Green Bay Packers

7. SELFLESSNESS: An athlete must be willing to sublimate ones

individuality for that of the team!

One must be totally committed to the team and

the team’s victory. The newspaper will read

“BULLDOGS WIN” or “BULLDOGS LOSE.”

An athlete wins or loses with his team. IF WE

PLAN ON WINNING, WE HAD BETTER

PLAN ON WINNING TOGETHER. Remember,

“WHAT IS GOOD FOR THE TEAM HAS TO

BE GOOD FOR ME, AND WHAT IS GOOD

FOR ME HAS TO BE GOOD FOR THE

TEAM!”

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8. MENTAL TOUGHNESS: An athlete must accept strong criticism without

feeling hurt. One must not become easily upset

when losing or losing playing badly.

A winner must be able to bounce back quickly

after facing adversity.

9. COACHABILITY: A winning athlete must respect coaches and the

coaching process. One must be receptive to

coaches criticism, advice, and instruction.

An athlete only improves when he responds and

makes an honest effort to correct mistakes

pointed out by the coach.

10.TRUST: An athlete must accept people at face value. A

winner believes what the coach and teammates

say, and he does not look for ulterior motives

behind their words or actions.

An athlete must be free of jealous tendencies,

and attempt to get along with teammates.

LAW OF THE CHAIN Winning Attitude – you have total control of your attitude. Be positive and be enthusiastic. Team Matters More Than The Individual – No one player is more important than the team. As much as any team likes to measure itself by its best people, the truth is that the strength of the team is impacted by its weakest link. Allow for differences in lifestyles. Everyone on the team must take the journey – put aside all personal agendas and attitudes – everyone must be on the same mission.

LAW OF THE BAD APPLE Attitude – To win at a consistent level it takes talented people with the right attitude. Good attitudes among players do not guarantee a team’s success, but bad attitudes guarantee its failure. The winner’s edge is in the attitude. Attitudes have the power to lift up or tear down a team; there are plenty of talented teams out there who never amount to anything because of the attitudes of their players. This is always true – bad attitudes are the result of selfishness. Get out of yourself and into the TEAM!

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YOU CAN TRUST YOUR COACHES

1. To be loyal to you in all areas.

2. To be totally honest.

3. To provide the leadership and training necessary to achieve our goals.

4. To work you harder than you have ever been worked before.

5. To assist you in anyway possible, now and after you graduate.

6. To treat you as a man.

7. To love and respect you.

8. To make all decisions based on what is best for the team, and then what is best for

the individual.

9. To do everything possible to make this the best place to go to school and play sports.

10. To help you mature and grow as a man.

11. To help you reach your goals.

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WE COACHES TRUST ATHLETES TO DO THE RIGHT THINGS

ACADEMICALLY

ATHLETICALLY

SOCIALLY

1. We expect you to do something worthwhile with your life.

2. We expect you to have great expectations:

ANTICIPATE HAVING: A GREAT DAY!

A GREAT PRACTICE!

A GREAT SEASON!

A GREAT LIFE!

3. We expect you to:

a. Get an education

b. Give your total effort

c. Make the most of what you have

d. Love your teammates unselfishly

e. Respect your teammates

f. Practice to the best of your ability

g. Be totally honest in all your dealings

h. Be extremely loyal to your school, teaches, coaches, teammates, families, and

friends

i. Be prompt

j. Be courteous

k. Always encourage

l. Be emotional and enthusiastic

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TYPES OF ATHLETIC LEADERSHIP

1. ACTION: Is you attitude toward work and the manner in

which you work.

Good or bad, someone will copy you. Right now

you have a chance to display this by working on

your own.

2. DEMONSTRATION: Is using your skills to show other players how to

execute certain techniques.

Coaches will call on you from time to time to

demonstrate drills.

You should also do this on your own to help

individuals improve themselves.

3. LISTENING: Is paying close attention to all times a coach who

is talking or demonstrating.

This is an area where most athletes fall down.

It takes courage to pay close attention when you

are tired.

There are also players who are not interested and

talk to others while an explanation is being made.

You could be one of the most important leaders

on our squad by being a good listener and making

it clear that you will not condone inattentive

actions by other players.

4. VERBAL EXPRESSION: Is expressing your feelings to others verbally.

This is good. However, you must speak frankly

and be sincere about what you say. You must

never be embarrassed by being “gung ho”.

Lip service not backed by action on your part is

very harmful.

You must practice what you say or it becomes

obvious you don’t really believe what you say.

(Practice What You Preach)

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LEADERSHIP GUIDE

There are many people who are capable of offering leadership but don’t because

they aren’t sure what to do or how to do it. We should remember that there are many

different ways of exerting leadership. Regardless of what type of personality you have

you can be a leader on our team if you really want to.

To become a team leader one must be committed to the team. Commitment

means to “BIND TOGETHER FOR STRENGTH”. It is the glue that allows new

seniors to take on important leadership roles and all other ask. “WHAT CAN I DO

FOR THIS TEAM”?

COMMITMENT

1. Will cost you.

2. Only counts in tough times.

3. You will know if you are really committed on

decisions you make while all alone.

4. The rewards for total commitment do not come

instantaneously, but the rewards come after a lot

of sacrifice, effort, disappointment, and heartache,

and the real rewards for total commitment will

last a lifetime.

HOW TO BE A LEADER

The only real requirement you must have is a sincere DESIRE TO BE OF HELP

TO YOUR TEAMMATES. A false effort will immediately be recognized as such.

This type effort will have a more harmful effect than helpful. Sincerity and enthusiasm

are contagious.

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AREAS OF LEADERSHIP

The following information is given in order for you to be familiar with the many

places your actions and attitude will have a bearing on our team.

OFF THE FIELD

1. CLASSROOM: Your intelligence is not a factor in the type leadership

you may show in the classroom. The things that

determine teachers’ and students’ attitudes toward

athletes are not based on intelligence. You are

expected to be on time, be courteous, be attentive, and

make an honest effort in class work. Also, don’t our

athletes in your class to have a negative effect on the

classroom environment.

2. COMMUNITY: Because you are an athlete, you will be watched more

closely by the public than an ordinary student. Your

actions will be the guideline for what people think of

athletes, not just you. We will hear much more about

our worst than our best. Therefore, our worst athlete’s

behavior must be good. Points to watch are:

DRIVING—abide by all laws, do not “hot rod”.

COURTESY—be polite to all you come in

contact with.

LANGUATE—do not use profanity.

3. FAMILY: Your parents will be pleased for you to be an athlete if

you do not use practice or athletic activities as an

excuse for not doing your share of work at home. Invite

them to attend booster club meetings, games, and

practice sessions. Don’t use athletics as an excuse for

not making good grades. Make your parents a part of

the thrill of athletics.

4. CHURCH: You can truly influence the lives of young people if you

become active in church work. Take advantage of the

opportunity to join the “Fellowship of Christian

Athletes”. Remember your reputation is the same as

those you socialize with.

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DRESSING ROOM BEHAVIOR

1. PRIDE IN FACILITIES: You must visibly and verbally show that you are proud

of our facilities and expect all people using them to take

proper care. The equipment you wear is the best money

can buy. Proper use and care of the equipment will

insure the same by our younger players.

2. CONDUCT: The dressing room is a place to change clothes, shower,

store equipment, and receive treatment for injuries. It is

not a place for “horseplay”. Make our dressing room a

relaxed and pleasant environment.

PRACTICE TIME

1. PUNCTUALITY: Always be on time for the start of practice and drills. A

senior should be the first all of the time.

2. COACHABILITY: Attempt to do exactly as your coach tells you.

Unnecessary questions or a poor attitude toward a

coach’s corrections or criticisms will cost valuable time

as well as create dissension on the squad.

3. HELPFULNESS: Be ready to help other players with techniques they do

not do well. Do this before practice, after practice, or at

times when you may do so without distracting from a

drill.

4. EXTRA EFFORT: Ask for help on weak points before and after practice.

No matter how good you are, you will never stop

improving. Extra effort also means never complaining,

learning more than one position, or generally doing a bit

more than the minimum.

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TRAINING HABITS

1. ABSTINENCE: You must never smoke or drink alcoholic

beverages. You may fool the coaches

temporarily, but you cannot fool yourself or your

teammates at all.

FAILURE ON THIS POINT OF LEADERSHIP

WILL RESULT IN POOR TEAM MORALE

FASTER THAN ANY OTHER THING.

2. CORRECT VIOLATERS: It is your responsibility to inform any player

violating rules, regardless of who he is, that he

must discontinue what he is doing.

3. REPORT TO COACH: You should report any violator who is guilty of

his second violation to the head coach. We

cannot have anyone on our squad who will not

pay the price of training.

4. TRAINING RULES: All rules.

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GAME PREPARATION

1. TEAM MEETINGS: Be on time for all meetings. Study your

scouting report carefully and discuss it

with other players. Be critical of your

play in films and look of ways to improve

yourself. NEVER miss a meeting.

2. MENTAL PREPARATION: Football is a contact sport that relies

heavily on morale. Although each person

prepares himself slightly differently,

general team preparation will be as

follows:

Monday through Wednesday—Mental

preparation during this time entails only

good practice work and learning your

opponents thoroughly.

Thursday through Friday—The practice

work is over. You should know what to

expect from the opponent and how to play

against him. These two days we must

prepare our team for physical contact.

Each player must prepare himself, but the

following are factors that must be present

for this preparation to take place:

a. Be serious when talking about the game.

b. Be sure all social activities are off the

night before a game.

c. From the pre-game meal until game

time, cut all conversation to a minimum

and let each player have those four

hours to himself. Silence allows you to

to think.

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TEAM MORALE

This is the area where senior leaders make or break us. Your actions in this area

must be right. Morale is a constantly changing thing. It will either get better or worse.

It will not remain the same.

You will either be a player who plays in every game or you will be a back-up.

There are few great players who do not have good back-ups behind them to push them

for their position. This means that we will probably have only as good a team as our

back-ups. As head coach, I can assure you that no first team player will keep his

position on the basis of ability to play. Players will be picked by effort and playing to

their full capabilities. A loafer will never play, regardless of how great his ability or

potential may be.

Our Junior Varsity team will be composed of mostly freshmen and sophomores

with a few juniors. They have the job of running the opponents plays against the varsity

each week on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday when they don’t have a game on those

days. This is a tough job and they must do it well if we are to be well prepared. An

occasional pat on the back and a word of thanks will go a long way in making them

realize their value to the team. If they are loafing, some of our seniors should talk to

them before or after practice as a team, and encourage them to do their part.

This outline should give you an insight into the many factors involved in having a

great team. How well you use this information will determine what type of team we

will have this year. Actually, good leadership by the seniors this year will pave the way

for following years. Poor leadership will leave us in the process of starting from scratch

again next year.

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LEADERSHIP QUALITIES Leaders must possess the following essential qualities:

LOYALTY

COURAGE

DESIRE

EMOTIONAL STAMINA

PHYSICAL STAMINA

EMPATHY

DECISIVENESS

ANTICIPATION

TIMING

COMPETITIVENESS

SELF-CONFIDENCE

ACCOUNTABILITY

RESPONSIBILITY

CREDIBILITY

TENACITY

DEPENDABILITY

STEWARDSHIP

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RESPONSIBILITIES OF A LEADER

Leaders are responsible for establishing the atmosphere in which they lead.

Leaders can and must influence and control the spirit of their peers.

By their own actions, not their words, do leaders establish the morale, integrity,

and sense of justice of the subordinates. They can not say one thing and do

another.

Leaders must establish a high spirit of mutual trust among subordinates.

Leaders must attach value to high standards of performance and have no tolerance

for the uncommitted.

Leaders must expect continual improvement in subordinates based on new

knowledge and experiences.

Leaders must encourage creativity, freedom of action, and innovation among their

subordinates as long as these efforts are consistent with the goals of the team.

Leaders must provide direction to their subordinates.

Leaders must teach their subordinates that which is expected of them.

Leaders should never misuse power.

Leaders make great personal sacrifice for the good of the team.

Leaders must encourage healthy competition among their people.

Leaders must understand that the spirit of the law is greater than its letter.

Leaders must never shed honor, morality, and dignity.

Leaders must hold a strong conviction of duty above all other ambitions.

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RESPECT

1. Respect is an extension of a positive, optimistic attitude.

2. Respect begins with a person having respect for himself.

3. Respect for team members breeds togetherness.

4. Respect has no ethnic, racial, or social barriers.

5. A team with respect for one another, win together.

6. Respect is a two-way street between players and coaches.

7. Make no mistake—football is a team game.

8. Signs of disrespect have negative influences on a team.

9. Successful teams are a family of ONE.

10. Rule of Thumb: No one embarrasses anybody in front of

their peers or public ally.

11. One formula for building respect is developed through an

an attitude of:

PLP = Players Love Players

CLP = Coaches Love Players

PLC = Players Love Coaches

CLC = Coaches Love Coaches

12. RESPECT must be EARNED, not assumed OR DEMANDED.

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TEAMWORK

TEAMWORK divides the work and doubles the success.

It is the fuel that enables common people to attain uncommon results!

Being part of a team, we accomplish more, faster.

Support, compassion, and caring will inspire everyone to keep pace, and

then, lead—in spite of pressures, hardships, or fatigue.

It is a reward, a challenge, and a privilege to be a contributing member

of a team.

3 Steps to Building Your Best Team

1. Learn to care about, like, and love each other

and build personal involvement.

2. Learn to believe in each other and build

personal commitment.

3. Feel secure in the group and build a common

ground/reference ensuring a successful

“Mission Accomplished.”

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Coming Together is a

BEGINNING

Keeping Together is

PROGRESS

Working Together is

SUCCESS

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THE REWARD

Personal Satisfaction

The reward is to become part of a dynamic, continuously improving

team where you, as a player, is accepted, challenged, recognized,

respected, and appreciated.

You belong to a team where you are the difference.

It is the glue that allows new seniors to take an important leadership role

and all others to ask, “What can I do for this team?”

COMMITMENT 1. Will cost you.

2. Counts the most in the toughest of times.

3. You will know—if you’re really committed—on

decisions you make while all alone.

4. The rewards for Total Commitment do not

come instantaneously, but the rewards come

after a lot of sacrifice, effort, disappointment,

and heartache. However, the real rewards for

Total Commitment will last a lifetime.

Great Involvement = Great Commitment

Great Commitment = Great Success

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THE FOUR ACES

To perform at our peak level of efficiency it is imperative

that we focus on only what we can control. To focus on anything

other than our own personal sphere of influence is a dangerous

distraction. Superstars are always focused and never distracted.

The following four areas of focus are completely under our

control:

AWARENESS: To achieve peak levels of performance you

must have awareness of every aspect of your

time. Never go through the motions—know

your assignments.

CONCENTRATION: The ability to focus on the task and technique

at hand, and be apathetic to any distraction is

the sign of a star. Play each play one at a

time.

EFFORT: Any man of success in any field knows that

HARD WORK WORKS. The greater the

effort the greater the reward.

SYNERGY: The team effort is greater than the sum of the

individual effort. Synergy occurs when

everyone on the team performs like an ACE.

The attitude of “We not me” and enhancing

your teammates’ performance are the keys to

synergy.

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SYNERGY

1 + 1 = 3

WE NOT ME

AND

EVERYBODY

IS THE KEY

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ATTITUDE

1. More athletes fail through faulty mental attitude than in any other

way.

2. Attitudes are habits of thinking. You have it within your power to

develop the habit of thinking the thoughts that go to make up a

winning attitude.

3. The foundation for the proper attitude consists of developing the

habit of thinking positive thoughts.

4. Tell yourself constantly that you can do something and you will.

Tell yourself you can’t and your subconscious mind will find a way

for you not to do it.

5. A desire to win and a desire to prepare to win are important

ingredients of a winning attitude.

6. Before you can scale the heights of athletic greatness, you must first

learn to control yourself from within. Be your own master.

Control your emotions.

7. An athlete with a good attitude is coachable. He welcomes

criticism, constantly seeks to learn, and avoids criticizing his coach

or teammates.

8. True success depends on teamwork, and the winning attitude puts

the good of the team ahead of anything else.

9. Whether you create a winning attitude is entirely up to you.

10.What is your attitude TODAY?

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PERFORMANCE LEVELS

ACES: The top level performance. True

Winner.

CHOKER: Wants to win but doesn’t believe he can.

MAD MAX: Wants to win but blames everyone else if

he doesn’t.

JOKER: Wants to win only if it’s easy. Avoids

challenges to protect ego. When it gets

tough, he quits.