Like a new age guru, Nick Saban sure talks a lot about positive energy. He says it is critical to establishing a championship team. And if you think about it—it isn’t new age nonsense, but a critical tool of leadership.
Saban is attempting to appeal to the “better angels†of our character. By creating an environment that reminds the hearer what it takes to achieve excellence. It is something the great political leaders have always done. Ronald Reagan’s “It’s Morning Again in America†was a political tool to create positive energy. It was a campaign tool, which not only helped him get reelected, but underscored the restoration of confidence and enthusiasm in the nation.
Reagan’s commercial, his campaign, like that of J.F. Kennedy were all about reminding us how great we can be as a people. How America is something special, and while our achievements were great in the past, they can be great again in the future. All we have to do to be successful is stay true to our core principles.
If you change the message a little bit, it works for the football team: If we simply abide by our team principles we can win the conference championship.
When you think about it, Saban’s leadership style isn’t really new at all. It’s the same type of message successful leaders have used for generations.
