Important but uncommon lessons from The Score Takes Care of Itself

Like most books on leadership they are basically the same in The Score Takes Care of Itself.  You don't read books on leadership and expect to have this magical shift in your style of leadership most of the time it just validates that you are doing things right.  I have spent a total of eight years working for three of the best football programs in the state of Texas where they did the little things right most of the time which led to on and off the field success.  Their Head Coaches and Assistants exhibited between seventy to ninety percent of what is outlined in this book.  Which is not surprising considering the impact that Bill Walsh had on the coaching profession.  I several ideas worth mentioning from this book:

No Hierarchy 

I have heard this from several people who were around the 49ers organization.  They do not haze rookies My old DC from Southwest Minnesota State went to preseason camp with both the 49ers and the Oilers and he said the 49ers were professional and the rookies and free agents were not made to get hair cuts or buy veterans meals.  

  This also included respecting everybody from the office staff, secretaries, and custodial employees.  Bullying and its behavior is not to be tolerated.  

Veterans Train your Replacements!

Bill Walsh used this idea to increase his coaching staff.  If a veteran was in the twighlight of his career or a even a serious battle for starting position players were expected to help out with rookies and first year players not only on the field stuff but learning the expectations and procedures of the organization.  This would work great for the starting varsity quarterback's interactions with the second stringer, junior varsity and freshman quarterbacks.  

Enemies 

He talks about this in several ways first that you need to go along to get along.  Enemies take up too much precious time and energy you can use for productive activities instead.  You know you don't like that staff he big timed you at a clinic,  The kid he put up for all district beat out yours even though they didn't win a district game.

Then the second way is Bill Walsh does not believe in the continual use of demonizing your opponent as a motivational tool. He thought this tactic was overused and had diminishing returns. His belief was you opponent was nameless and faceless it did not matter who they are just what your players did to prepare for that meeting of the field that mattered.

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