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Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll Uses Mindset to Get Team Back to Super Bowl

The Bailey Group | January 19, 2015 | Blog | Leadership Team Development | 3 minute read

superbowlchampsYes, it took talent for the Seattle Seahawks to come from behind to beat the Green Bay Packers in overtime for a chance to repeat as Super Bowl Champions. But the Packers have talent, too, and arguably played better most of the game. Except when it counted most. When it came down to either calling it a season or going to the big show, the Seahawks continued to tap into their secret weapon and pulled out the victory. They quieted their minds of the chaos around them, stayed focused on what was right in front of them, and individually committed to doing their absolute best for the good of the team. They practiced mindfulness – stayed in the moment – and pulled out a win few could see possible.

The Seahawks didn’t just “tap into mindfulness.” Head Coach Pete Carroll has built an institution around it, all very purposefully. And it is clearly paying off as the Seahawks prepare to defend their Super Bowl title.

In an article in the December issue of Mindful magazine (How Coach Pete Carroll is Changing NFL Culture), Carroll talks about the need earlier in his coaching career to really identify his coaching philosophy. His shift in philosophy made all the difference. He incorporates psychology, neuroscience, physiology and Native American tradition all to focus on the full potential of every person on the team.

Pete Carroll is the CEO of the Seahawks on the field, so how can CEOs take Carroll’s approach to the leading their organizations?

  1. Clear philosophy – After he got fired from the Patriots (oh, what a great Super Bowl this could be), Carroll realized he needed a clarity around his coaching philosophy. Imagine how getting clear on your leadership philosophy could align your executive team around the shared vision.
  1. Individualization – Carroll lets players be themselves and provides an environment for them to do what they do best. It’s their personal excellence that makes the team better. What level of engagement would you have from your leaders if you incorporated this?
  1. Focus – Two things on focus: First, Carroll trains the team to be able to drown out distractions and stay focused in the moment. Think about limiting the number of priorities you drive throughout the year. Second, the focus is on players performing to their absolute best ability, not on results. Wrap your head around that one.
  1. Coaching – Carroll believes everyone needs to be coached, including himself. Being coached well includes being “guided” to find they best way for each person to reach their highest potential. Coaching provides outside perspective that can increase effectiveness. If a great coach says he needs coaching, how could you benefit as a leader from having a coach? And how would your team benefit from you committing to being their coach?
  1. Commitment to excellence – When he started with the Seahawks, Carroll created a support staff dedicated to the personal excellence of each athlete and the team. The culture is now built on tapping into the confidence of past performance and success to create and elevate future performance. They build on past successes to create future excellence. They truly believed they could win and they did. Where is your level of commitment to excellence today?

Is your team equipped to mindfully lead through change? Does your team truly believe they have it in themselves to do what it takes to achieve the goal? Are they focused on what matters, committed to personal excellence for themselves and everyone on their team? We can help you find out – contact us for a free consultation.