Is anyone surprised that this is where I chose to begin my monthly newsletters? The concept of "You win with people" is the basic premise that I have built my entire management and leadership style around. The quote and original concept was presented to me in high school when I read a book of the same name written by the Ohio State Football Coach Woody Hayes. Woody was known as a strict disciplinarian on the football field, but many people did not understand the depth of the man, as he was not only a football coach but a military historian, a philosopher, and a great molder of people (Coach).

The premise of Woody's book was built around the story of a new football coach who recruited a bunch of reasonably talented, but unmotivated, undisciplined football players. The team lost many more games than the won and the coach was known as a lousy coach of a lousy football team. The next year he focused on recruiting players who were more talented, and wanted to achieve, were disciplined, and focused on the success for themselves and for the team. Soon he became known as a great football coach with great football teams. Did the Coach in question change his playbook or coaching strategies? No, not really. Instead he found that the players make the team and having great players made for great teams, and made him a "great Coach" as well.

The premise is exactly the same in business. As a leader you have certain responsibilities to your company and your team. The first of which is recruiting. If there is one area where you can assure yourself of success as a leader it is in the area of recruiting. By surrounding yourself with talented, motivated people their success and your success is virtually assured. The people who work for you have the ability to make you look like a genius or a goat based on their abilities to think, react, and produce. The better your staff looks, the better you look. This concept is where a lot of "would be" leaders fail. They fail because they do not hire the best. They fail because they fail to fully utilize the talent of the people that work for them. And they fail out of fear. What fear, you ask? The fear that by allowing the light to shine on the people that work for them that they themselves will be passed over in favor of their subordinate. In reality, that very seldom happens, but that fear can sabotage even the most talented of leaders.