Treat em’ like dogs
Henry Jordan who played for the legendary coach Vince Lombardi once said, he treated us all the same. Like dogs.”Jordan fully intended this phrase to have a negative context and apparently did not enjoy his coaches constant “barking”. While there is no denying that Lombardi’s personality and coaching methods did not resonate with everyone, perhaps he became one of the most successful coaches in the history of the game because he DID treat his players like dogs.
Think about it, how do you treat your dog? If you’re anything like me, it’s kind of embarrassing to admit but it may better than I treat most people. Each and every day I make sure my dog is provided for, show him physical affection, speak kind words to him and even spoil him with things he doesn’t need just to show I care. I love my dog and he knows it.
Lombardi’s players may not have agreed with all of their coaches antics, however an overwhelming majority of his players have reported that they knew Lombardi loved them and promoted a culture of love within the Packers organization.
Love is the most powerful word in the dictionary and is the driving force behind the most effective LEADERs. Love is shown to enhance performance and increase motivation in others. So maybe it’s time we start treating more people like dogs…
Coach Nelson serves as a high school football coach who is pursuing his doctorate in Sport and Performance Psychology. He has worked for division 1 athletic departments, professional sport franchises, a Fortune 100 Company and has won numerous awards for his LEADership abilities. Most recently coach Nelson was hired as a trainer for the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) and as a mental performance coach for Mindurance.
His mission is to positively influence the world through Love, Effort, Attitude and Discipline (#LEAD). To learn more about the LEAD philosophy follow him on Twitter Levi Nelson or reach out via email at rln10@zips.uakron.edu He’d love to learn about or help you in your journey!
PCA: https://www.positivecoach.org/team/nelson-levi/
Mindurance: https://mindurance.com/viewAdvisor.asp?ic=51819&catID=
