Great Michigan Minds Think Alike: 4 Things We Can Learn From Jim Harbaugh [Part 2]

As a former athlete himself, Ken Lear has seen first hand that business and sports are two heads of the same competitive dragon.

In Part 1, you read about Jim Harbaugh’s ability to use his extensive knowledge of the game of football to make important decisions as well as his unique strategy for building relationships within his team.

The mindset of Jim Harbaugh is one we can all learn from in a business environment — without having to gear up with pads and helmets. The following 2 lessons round out this list of 4 incredible lessons from the University of Michigan coach:

3. Motivation is Key

The University of Michigan Wolverines were struggling before Harbaugh took the reins as head coach. The team was taking a nosedive in the league standings because they were poorly coached and unmotivated; however, they became a top competitor right after Harbaugh became head coach in 2015. In addition to some intelligent personnel moves and gameplan adjustments, the new head coach created a team who wanted to win. He motivated his team to become a great football team and, although many believed the rebuild would take years to complete, Harbaugh transformed the team almost immediately.

As a leader, Ken Lear believes motivation is irreplaceable. You can build a company with the best intentions, but if your team is unmotivated, they will struggle to break out of complacency. In order to be the best, your team must be desire greatness — which, of course, is inspired by a great leader!

4. Lead by Example

At the University of San Diego, Harbaugh took a laughable team and turned them into two-time Pioneer League Champions. At practice, he was known to run hill sprints with his team, even if it meant holding down his own vomit as he struggled to do so. When he coached the San Francisco 49ers, Harbaugh jumped out into practice one day when he realized the goal posts were organized incorrectly. He went out and fixed them himself, which inspired the rest of the team to go out and help. By showing his team how dedicated he was to greatness, it gave them a reason to work harder.

A leader needs to show his or her team—not tell them. Anybody can bark commands at their staff for not closing enough deals, but a true leader will show them the right way by actually getting into the field and showing them how it’s done!