A few years ago I was on the same speaking agenda with Lou Holtz, the veteran football coach at the University of Notre Dame…. The coach said something that day that struck me. He said that the team changes every year, but each team member’s three implicit questions for him remain the same:Do you care about me?
Can I trust you?
Are you committed to the success of our team?
The best leaders answer those questions with actions instead of words, and the best teammates leave no doubt about where they stand.
Source: Tom Kelley, The Art of Innovation: Lessons and Creativity from IDEO, America’s Leading Design Firm (London: Profile Books, 2001), 84.
A review of this fine book can be seen at Reviewing Books and Movies.
Dr. Geoff Pound
Image: Lou Holtz.