Leadership lessons from Nick Saban

One of my favorite tasks to engage in over the holidays is to catch up on my never ending list of articles, newsletters, and magazines that I fall behind on throughout the months.  For those long time readers, you know that I am a die hard Notre Dame fan.  I have been going to South Bend since the age of 7/8 and have had season football tickets for the past 10 years.

Although I have been patiently waiting for the past 25 years to reach the national championship game, I am most excited about playing Notre Dame's opponent Alabama. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the University of Alabama and more specifically their head football coach Nick Saban.  His coaching role could match up easily with that of CEO from a Fortune 500 company.

What I especially like about Saban is his attention to detail and his ability to plan.  Growing up I was instilled with this phrase from one of my early mentors, "plan the work, and work the plan."  This is precisely Saban motto as well from what I have read about him.

So while I will be cheering hard for Notre Dame first football national championship in 25 years, I will still have respect for Alabama's head football coach Nick Saban.

Saban gave Fortune magazine full access to his lifestyle and approach earlier this year document in this article.

• If Saban were running a company instead of a football program, he'd be hailed as an elite manager. Alabama football is big business, and it has gotten only bigger under Saban. In 2006, the year before he arrived in Tuscaloosa, the athletic department brought in $67.7 million in revenue, mostly from football, and spent $60.6 million. Last year revenue was $124.5 million and expenditures were $105.1 million -- leaving a $19.4 million profit, according to figures compiled by USA Today. During Saban's tenure, Alabama has expanded the capacity of Bryant-Denny Stadium from 92,000 to 101,000, including the addition of new luxury (i.e., more expensive) seating. It was a no-brainer for the school to give him a two-year contract extension and healthy raise earlier this year. With a compensation package that averages $5.6 million a year over the next eight years, Saban is among the highest paid coaches in college football.
• What really separates Saban from the crowd is his organizational modus operandi. In Tuscaloosa they call it the Process. It's an approach he implemented first in turnarounds at Michigan State and LSU and seems to have perfected at Alabama. He has a plan for everything. He has a detailed program for his players to follow, and he's highly regimented. Above all, Saban keeps his players and coaches focused on execution -- yes, another word for process -- rather than results.
• Plenty of coaches are intense, and a lot of them work hard. In fact, most do. Where Saban stands apart is the execution at all levels of his operation. That means defining expectations for his players athletically, academically, and personally, and -- and this is critical -- always following through.