Leading a mobile initiative is no small task, complicated by factors that may include lack of resources, end user insight, or ambiguity about the mission at hand, among others.
What holds some back, though, is an individual failing. It was recently identified by Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll when he spoke to mobile marketers at TUNE’s Postback conference.
“If you want to be really good at something, and you want to perform at a high level, and you want to affect those people around you to also perform at a really high level, then wouldn’t it help if those who work around you understood what you feel is important, what you believe in, and what makes up your philosophy?” an animated Pete Carroll told audience members.
“And wouldn’t it help if when they represent you, speak for you when you are not in the room, or act upon big decisions, that they knew exactly where you were coming from? Of course it would.”
Carroll implored those in the crowd to look inward before they take their next pass at a product roadmap or piece of code.
“If you took the time to step back and really tried to orchestrate what it is you firmly believe in, it is a great moment for any individual to say: “Wow, I never realized this is really who I am and this is what makes me tick,” he said. “That’s one thing. But when you can share that with the people around you, they will function on a much different level. They will say: “Have you been working out or something? Have you been eating right?” They will see it, and they will feel it in you. That is so powerful.”
Carroll has learned many valuable lessons during his career, but most importantly, he has learned that leaders are often made by getting up and dusting themselves off after being knocked down.
Carroll said, “The point is, I have been fired enough times now. The last time I was fired, by the New England Patriots after the 1999 season, was the most significant in that I just had to figure it out,” he said. I had to come together with my own thoughts, and I kind of stumbled into it going back to (former UCLA) Coach (John) Wooden, who had inspired me in the sense that he was such an unusual enigmatic leader. The best champion winner ever in college basketball. He was unbelievable. But what hit me is that he had this philosophy. He knew what he thought, and it wasn’t like anybody else. And I just stumbled into trying to figuring that out.”
“If you want to be great, if you want to do something really at the top of your game, you must figure out who you are, what you stand for, and what’s important. So you can convey it to the people around you, so they know about it.”
That philosophy, Carroll told us, is as important for mobile marketers and developers as it is for quarterbacks and coaches.
Article first appeared here - https://possiblemobile.com/2017/08/pete-carroll-at-tunes-postback/
