sign in sign up
<<
Home , Brandon Mebane, Head coach, Max Unger, Pete Carroll

T he Briefings Interview

To win, learn who you are. head To win, learn who you are. on the sidelines during the first half of XLVIII against the at MetLife Stadium in February 2014. Corbis

INTERVIEW BY Jed Hughes, Michael Distefano and Glenn Rifkin The Briefings Interview

February, after the Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl, perhaps America’s biggest sports prize, Pete Carroll, the team’s coach, let loose his unrestrained delight. Carroll, known for his boyish enthusiasm on the sidelines, had a reason I nto be thrilled. His Seahawks, winning that city’s first sports championship in 35 years, had dominated the Denver Broncos 43–8 and made an emphatic statement that his was the best team in the . Given that Carroll had been twice let go as an N.F.L. (from the Jets and the Patriots), the rise to champion had redemption written all over it. For Carroll, though, victory was sweet but not unexpected. Not long after he was head coach of the Patriots in 2000, Carroll spent a lot of time reconsidering what it meant to be a coach, how to embrace the quest for success and how to make winning a habit rather than an elusive goal.

“This is exactly what we envisioned “I asked Coach Wooden, ‘After When Carroll decided to try from Day One,” Carroll told reporters all these years, do you change your his hand at the pros once again, after the Super Bowl victory. “We were philosophy year to year?’ ” Carroll he landed in Seattle in 2010 with a going to be right here and win this recalled. Wooden was shocked.“He reputation as a coach more suited football game in the fashion we were said, ‘Coach, you don’t change your to the college game. But Carroll had able to. We deserved it and we earned philosophy; the players change.’ other ideas. He believes that his it, because this is exactly what we’ve That’s my feeling now. You either philosophy could work anywhere — been preparing for, and we expected have your philosophy or you don’t. from a gridiron to a boardroom to a it. That may sound cocky. That may You stay with what you believe in; battlefield. It’s all about competing to sound arrogant. But it’s a mentality you bring it to light as creatively as get the most out of every opportunity, that you can’t get in one week.” you can.” whether it’s on the practice field, in Indeed, it is a mentality that Car- In 2001, Carroll landed the the weight room, in team meetings roll has built upon for the past 14 years, head coach job at the University of or in the key moments of a tightly a philosophy he has gone so far as to Southern and instituted his contested game. “To accomplish name — “Win Forever” — and employ new philosophy. The thinking wasn’t the grand, you have to focus on the with remarkable success in the college revolutionary — it was all about small,” Carroll has said. and pro games. A longtime disciple selflessness, about making clear that Given the idiosyncrasies of today’s of U.C.L.A. coach John the team came first and the eyes had professional athletes, the quirky Wooden, Carroll marveled at Wood- to be on the prize. If everyone buys personalities, the selfish off-field en’s ability to win consistently despite in and works relentlessly on and off behavior, the huge amounts of money a constant influx of new players and the field toward that goal, it would be involved, Carroll’s ability to deliver changing competitive landscapes. attainable. In nine years at U.S.C., the his philosophy at this level is remark- When he left the Patriots, Carroll was team went 97–19 under Carroll, won able. As the new N.F.L. season got down but undaunted. He decided that two national championships, turned under way and Seattle began the dif- his philosophy had to become the solid out 34 All-Americans and sent 60 ficult task of repeating as Super Bowl foundation of any job he took on in the players on to the N.F.L. The team won champion, Carroll spoke about his future. In one interview, he recounted seven straight Pac-10 titles, and “Win quest to keep winning forever to Korn a conversation with Wooden. Forever” no longer seemed fanciful. Ferry’s Briefings on Talent & Leadership.

32 BRIEFINGS GETTY IMAGES The Briefings Interview “We celebrate the uniqueness of our players and their ability How did your leadership at U.C.L.A., he finally won his first philosophy evolve? national championship. Once he won to perform, A: I really don’t talk about it in terms that first national championship, but also who of leadership. I’m sure it is leadership he won 10 of the next 12 and he was in somebody’s perspective, but to unstoppable. He finally retired after they are.” me, it’s just football coaching. What that last national championship and happened for me is that, after years of quit coaching. What hit me is that coaching and studying and working he had this way about him that was at it and competing, I came back to so unique and unorthodox. But he my fascination with Coach Bill Walsh knew exactly what it took for him to in . I lived in the area, best express himself as the leader of and I’d always been an admirer of that program, and once he got to that his. I had worked my way through my point, nobody could touch him. And career, as an assistant coach, as head it hit me that I had been spending coach of the Jets, and I was just trying all these years coaching and I still to grow as a coach as much as I could. wasn’t sure yet what was really at the I was trying to learn and get as good fundamental core and essence of who as I could get. I was. I needed to figure that out if I After I left the Jets, I got a chance was ever going to have a chance. to be part of the 49ers program in San Francisco and it struck a nerve What did you do? So you got hired by with me that there were some really A: I picked up a notebook, and from U.S.C. and brought that unique aspects to the style, the ap- that point forward I started writing concept to a once-proud proach, the mentality and the vision down my thoughts about what program that had fallen of that program, and things started was important to me in coaching. on some hard times. What to come to me. I thought I was re- I was trying to get at the essence of happened with that? ally ready and when I got the head what I was all about and what was A: To do it right, I knew we had to be coaching job with the New England meaningful to me. And out of that in relentless pursuit of a competitive Patriots; I thought I had it together, came a clear realization that I’m a edge in everything that we did. That’s that I was as ready as I could ever be. competitor and that’s the way I had what we would be thinking when After three years and a 27–21 overall spent my whole life. Wherever I was, I we’d wake up in the morning and record, New England let me go. I just was always competing at everything. go to sleep at night. We would work did not feel good about that whole Playing sports with my brother as a in every way, in every aspect of the experience for a number of reasons. little kid, everything I ever did, that job, to approach it with that thought. And I was sitting home during the was the way I looked at things. I knew That mentality became a language, a year I had off after I was fired, and that if I was ever going to get into a terminology, a concept and approach something just hit me right between leadership position again, I needed that allowed me to really have a the eyes. to make that come to life in my theme in what we were doing. It ap- program. So competition became the plied to the way we worked, the way Explain that. central theme of our program, and I we taught, the way we learned and A: I was reading ’s little realized that everything I was doing, the way we handled our players. It ap- blue book “Wooden: A Lifetime of that I would undertake, would be plied to the way we traveled, the way Observations and Reflections On with a competitor’s mindset. And we we ate and everything, that we would and Off the Court,” and in there it as a team would either be competing be working to do it the best way we mentioned that after so many years or we wouldn’t. could possibly think of.

34 BRIEFINGS and support of the ownership to run the program exactly the way I wanted it to be run, I just carried over the “We celebrate exact same thinking here. That’s what we’ve done, and we’re at the precipice the uniqueness of finding out how that’s going to go of our players over a long period of time. We know how it went at U.S.C., and we’re going and their ability to find out in the next two, three or four years here if we were able to to perform, find something that allows players but also who to perform at a really high level more consistently than other people. That’s they are.” what we’re trying to do. O ur theme is selflessness and sacrifice for the sake of a team. How do you instill that when you have so many different individuals, personalities, idiosyncrasies; for example, a and a Richard Sherman who are very different kinds of people? A: Part of it is dealt with when everybody decides to join in on the common mission. Guys decide to be How did that translate to fit a square peg into a round hole. part of something that is bigger than to the players? We needed to be smart enough as themselves and that they’re willing to A: I realized that the best way to coaches to adapt our process and our give of themselves. The one thing that bring that out in our program was system so that we could bring out the may be different here than in other to look at our players and help them qualities that were so special. programs is that we celebrate the be the best they could possibly be. I uniqueness of our players and their had to figure out how to make that I t seems both logical ability to perform, but also who they happen. And through that came and very ambitious. are. We’ve worked to make space for our relationship-based approach to A: Well, we found that ... once we those guys to be the individuals they coaching. We needed to figure out looked at it that way, we could get are as they go along with the common who the guys were that we were young players to perform when they mission that we’re all on, which is to working with. We needed to under- first got there and develop a mentality be the best we can possibly be. stand them as well as we possibly and competitiveness on our roster. could. We needed to uncover their And each year, as new players came in, O ne would think that is a unique, special qualities that made we continued to live to that standard. difficult thing to achieve. them them, and bring those to light Everybody had a chance to compete A: The standard of what the team in the way we taught them and asked right from the beginning, and it devel- is all about is greater than what the them to perform. We treated our guys oped the mentality I have lived with individual is all about. Yet they still in a manner that we thought would ever since. At U.S.C., it felt like I had can find their freedom in that, to a help them find themselves, find their come to understand it really clearly. certain extent, to be themselves. If highest qualities and find their highest you hear our guys comment, you’ll ability to perform. And then we had to How did that work hear them say things like that. And blend that into our play so that guys with the Seahawks? I’m not preaching that. It is just what could be doing the things they were A: When the chance came to come happens. But that’s all part of the

GETTY IMAGES really good at instead of asking them back to the N.F.L., with the freedom mentality, that we’re trying to draw

TALENT+LEADERSHIP 35 The Briefings it makes sense to them too, because When I started writing down what we’re all working to find our very best. I believed in, what was important to Interview me, out of that came some central This seems like it ought themes that I didn’t even know to be obvious but so existed. From that came an under- from these guys the best that maybe often is not. standing and an opportunity to be they don’t even know they have. And A: If you talk to a group of people more connected to my authentic self. they have to give themselves to us. If who are in leadership positions, it’s all about them, then they won’t fit, leading corporations or government For leaders, that could and they won’t be able to stay here. agencies or teams, and you ask them be pretty amazing. “Do you have a philosophy?” … about A: If you are a leader or you are Y ou have a a quarter of them will raise their hand in charge of people, it’s way more in Russell Wilson who and say, “Yeah, I’ve got a philosophy.” powerful when you know what is is undersized but has And I will ask, “O.K., how many of important to you and you can help become a superstar. you with your hands raised can tell them understand that. Once they get What was your me in 25 words or less what that the message down, it’s not just a mis- conversation with him to philosophy is?” And invariably, only sion statement. It’s deeper than that, get him to where he is? one or two percent of the people will and when you get it, you can share A: Russell is an extraordinary still have their hand up. So the core what is really the essence of what you individual, and he resonates with ev- of what we do is try to help people are … with the people around you. erything we’re talking about. It makes find their beliefs, find out who they And they can act more in accordance sense to him because he is driven in are and what they’re all about. We with you. In so doing, you can elevate a similar fashion. There’s nothing he try to help organizations find their the value and the effectiveness and won’t do to get himself prepared to philosophy. They might be operating the performance of the people around be at his best. So our language is just all along and have a philosophy and you, which is really at the heart of music to his ears. not even know what it is. what we’re talking about.

When you went from college to the pros, did you encounter “There’s nothing [Russell] won’t differences that you do to get himself prepared to had to address in terms of working with be at his best. So our language multimillionaires instead of college kids? is just music to his ears.” A: I get that question a lot and the answer is no, there was no difference. If I am talking to Microsoft or Boeing or leaders in the military, it’s the same How does all this translate What is the response to language and the same approach. Be- into the business world? your approach? cause I am just trying to help people A: To me, what we’re talking about A: Once a person figures out what be the best they can be and to per- is working to be your best. And it their mainline philosophy really is, form at their highest levels. And when doesn’t matter whether you are a what distinguishes their uniqueness, people you work with realize that is football player, a business person, they will see things completely dif- truly what you are after and you really a dad or a mom or somebody’s big ferently. You end up seeing things in mean it and you demonstrate that by brother. You can be great at doing a way that will empower you to be your consistency, they will turn and that if you work at it and if you apply much more consistently the best you give you everything they’ve got. So yourself and compete to be that. I’ve can be, and it may bring out parts of there is no age factor or money factor found that the mentality translates you that you didn’t even realize were here. If people don’t want to listen, anywhere I go and to whomever I’m there working for you. It’s exactly they won’t listen. But if they are open talking to. I’ve visited with military what happened to me when I went to improving and trying to reach their officers, Special Forces groups, and back to Coach Wooden’s influence. highest heights, the messaging is the

36 BRIEFINGS same. I’m trying to help them create a vision for what the team could be and make that vision as precise and clear as it can be. So once a vision for, say, a Russell Wilson is designed and he agrees to it, it’s our job as coaches to keep him consistently in connection with that vision until it comes to life.

How long did it take for that philosophy to get buy-in? A: It takes a little bit of time. Transi- tions always take some time because of a lack of willingness to leave the old and what was comfortable for them. It’s a process, and there’s Pete Carroll and resistance because they are unsure quarterback Russell of what you are all about and what Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks you mean. Some will resist more than react to a point others, and you just need to identify after touchdown those people and learn the learners. against the Learning the learners is listening, at CenturyLink observing, watching and doing an Field on November impeccable job of analyzing who 17, 2013 in Seattle, you’re dealing with so that you can Washington. deal with them effectively. It worked much quicker here in Seattle than at U.S.C. because I’ve gotten better at the language and more consistent in how I frame everything. You just have to demonstrate uncommon consistency to the message. You can talk about commitment all you want, but it doesn’t mean anything until you prove it, until you live it. At the end of the day, it’s tremendous bonding, where they say, about the competition. “I owe it to him to give him my best, Unlike some coaches, A: People everywhere, including our to make him the best he can be.” It you have so much guys, love to compete. They love to might sound idyllic, but it’s the truth. enthusiasm and fun have fun doing it. But people gener- on the field. Is that ally define competing as working D oes all this add up a byproduct of your against something. I use an older to “Win Forever”? philosophy? definition of the word, which is to A: Well, it’s been really hard for A: That’s part of the style. I love strive for something you want, like teams to come back after a champi- setting standards as high as we can excellence and to be your best. We’re onship and play at that level again. set them for our performances. Every competing to be the best we can I don’t use the phrase ‘Win Forever’ single day is a performance day be. When , our center, around here very much; it’s just in for us. That’s one of the pillars we practices against , the back of my mind and drives me. believe in. But that doesn’t mean you our nose tackle, a guy he’s been prac- Winning forever is striving to be your can’t enjoy it. The harder we work, ticing against for five years, they have best. You can’t do any better than the more fun it is. The better we come to understand that it’s Max that. That’s what winning is all about. perform, the more joy that comes out who makes Brandon perform at his We’ll look back in 10 years and see of it, if we do it right. highest levels. And in that, there’s a how it worked out here. 

TALENT+LEADERSHIP 37