Personal thoughts on leadership
Penn State: A Be an 11 Perspective Personal thoughts on leadership BY DR. GREG SHEPARD, CEO/FOUNDER BFS ’ve started many successful businesses in my life, one business plans. Business plans are a great idea – in fact, they are critical to success – but there is a big problem if the prospective entrepreneur regards their plan more as a proposal to help generate money from investors than as a working tool to help guide their business so it can grow. Likewise, the Be an 11 program should be thought of as a working tool that coaches can use to help them and their athletes achieve goals. Penn State has always been considered a model football program, a program without compromise.
And its leader, Joe Paterno, has established a legacy in football that will be difficult for anyone to replicate. But the recent scandal at Penn State will leave Coach Paterno’s legacy with an asterisk tacked alongside his name. In the Be an 11 program, the definition of a leader is a person who “does the right thing at the right time” and who is “unafraid of risk.” Coaches are leaders, and it is their responsibility to make leaders out of their athletes. Most of the time coaches do the right thing at the right time and are not afraid to do so. But let’s look at some of the actions taken by Coach Paterno.
When Coach Paterno first heard of the possibility of a Isexual assault occurring, he did the right thing by reporting it to his superiors. Paterno did what he was legally obligated to do – and which was probably dictated by policy – and he is not being accused of any crime. Even so, I think he should have gone a step further by reporting the incident to the police, as well as following up to ensure that an appropriate investigation was conducted. The serious nature of these charges demanded it. When the riots occurred after the announcement that Coach Paterno was fired, I can only assume that Paterno’s legal advisers told him not to take any action.
From a legal standpoint this was probably wise. Myself, I would not have been afraid to take action. I would have grabbed a bullhorn, gone down to the scene of the riots and done what I could to stop the damage to school and personal property. To learn the I would have qualities taken the risk. of being a leader, I also pick up a believe that copy of Dr. Paterno should Shepard’s Be an 11 have made a Guidebook public statement for Success. that his first concern was to the alleged victims and their families. And he also should have said, even if it was just a written statement released to the media, that he would do everything he could to get to the truth.
He should have taken the risk to express to the victims and their families that justice would be done. It’s what an 11 would do. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012 Sets & Reps DVD $29 :LLOV^[VYLJVYK SPM[ZJVYYLJ[S`HUK[YHJR WYVNYLZZ >H[JOOV^[VIYLHR VYTVYLYLJVYKZL]LY` ^LLR TPU\[LZVM PUZ[Y\J[PVU Record Cards WHJR WHJR ;YHJR^LLRZ )SHJR)S\L.YLLU VY9LK(ZRHIV\[ *\Z[VT*VSVYZ Readiness Book $225 Readiness Cards 50¢ Min.
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From BFS Magazine — January/February 2012. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).
