Chapter 8
Lead through Influence
All leadership is influence.
—John C. Maxwell American author, speaker, and pastor
Relentlessly Chase Perfection
Vince Lombardi came to the Green Bay Packers in 1959 for his first head coaching opportunity. Though he had been an assistant in college and pro football, he had no experience as a head coach. In fact, Lombardi was known by so few people that a prominent member of the Packers' board, when told who had become the head coach, responded by asking, “Vince who?”
And make no mistake, this National Football League (NFL) franchise was indeed in a position where it could have used a well-known, highly regarded leader. Coach Lombardi was taking over a team that, after 12 straight losing seasons, had just had its worst season ever—one during which it won only one game out of the 12 played. The Packers were in fact so bad that they almost lost their franchise completely.
Though largely unheard of, Coach Lombardi was a leader who recognized the importance of influence. He knew he needed to establish influence early on and make his determination for winning known. At the time, this game-losing team had no respect; it had become known as the laughingstock of the entire NFL. From the very beginning of his tenure as coach, however, Lombardi set the right tone. He said, “I have never been on a losing team, gentlemen, and I do not intend to start now.”
One of the first points Lombardi ever made to the entire Green Bay team was: “Gentlemen, we are going ...
