What is Your Philosophy?

Posted on by Malcolm Munro in Motivate You, Professional Development

This past week I finished reading Pete Carroll’s book Win Forever. Now if you don’t know who Pete Carroll is, he is the new head coach of the Seattle Seahawks football team.  Before that, he spent nearly 10 years as head coach of the University of Southern California Trojan football team.  His teams there were national champions and Rose Bowl winners and produced several Heisman Trophy winners and current NFL stars.

Ironically, before that, his tenure as a head coach in the NFL was one of mediocrity (in terms of results) and his reputation wasn’t that great.

So what turned it around?

According to Carroll, it was taking his thoughts, concepts, tools, techniques, and ideas that he’d developed over time and condensing it into a formal philosophy.  He then took his philosophy and hammered into a standard process that he used with great success at USC.  His name for the philosophy is simply, Win Forever.

After reading it, it made me think about taking what I know and believe about management development and turning that into a philosophy.  I’m working on that now.  Maybe more importantly, it also made me think about doing one that reflects my personal philosophy, encompassing my values and priorities.  I’ll work on that one as well.

Most of us know stuff and claim to have expertise.  The question is:  if asked, could you recite your formula and give evidence that you both espouse it and have gained success with it?

I’m wrestling with that challenge now and will unveil it in the coming week or so.  I’d encourage you to join me in this exercise.  Why not put it together and share it?  I’d love to see it!

I’ll be interested to see if Coach Carroll has success in Seattle with his philosophy.  I hope he does.

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