Staying on offense is a winning strategy in both football and leadership. In football, the team with more time of possession has a greater opportunity to win the game. In leadership, staying on offense is a winning game plan as well.
Staying On Offense
I spent twenty-one years of my adult life coaching youth football. I was the head coach, but was also responsible for Calling Plays. As a coaching staff, we understood that the more we were on offense, the less the other team was. It was a pretty simple strategy, especially when the other team had a high-powered offense.
In the spirit of the football season, here are the some of the strategies behind staying on offense.
Make Incremental Gains
Every coach dreams of an offense that puts up points. How you put up points matters.
A lot of coaches today try to run high tempo, no huddle offenses that put up quick points. It’s great when it works, but it also gets the other team’s offense back on the field just as quick.
I loved making incremental gains. Old-school football, three yards and a cloud of dust. Grinding out first downs, chewing up the clock, leaving less time for their offense to produce points. As a coach, I would have much rather dominated a team 19 to 0 than to win a shootout 52 to 51.
In leadership, we can easily desire quick scores as well. We want the big play all at once. Sometimes though, it’s the incremental gains that get us the “W.” Inch by inch leads to a mile eventually. Executing the little things can make a big difference over time.
Wear the Defense Down
Another benefit of staying on offense for us was that it wore the defense down. Making incremental gains tired out and frustrated the defenses we faced.
There was never a better feeling than watching the other team’s defense wearing down. When we started seeing heads down and hands on hips, we knew the defense was about to crack.
Not only did it wear the players down, but it wore the coaches out as well! They became frustrated and allowed panic to set in when they didn’t have the ball. Especially when they were behind on the scoreboard.
As a leader, our defense can show up in the form of our critics. You Can Count on Critics to be present whenever we are on offense. They will grab a hold of our Jerseys any chance they get to hold us back from making forward progress. Haters envy our offensive accomplishments. They root for us to fumble the ball and fail.
In the face of criticism, we need to remain laser focused on running our offense. Most critics don’t have the stamina to keep up with winners. They eventually wear down just like a frustrated defense without the football. When they can’t stop us, they simply give up.
Control the Pace of the Game
As a coach, the best part about staying on offense is that we controlled the pace of the game. If we had the lead…we could slow the pace. When we needed to run the clock out… we could slow the pace. We could be thorough, methodical, and consistent in our execution.
While my preference as a coach may have been to slow the pace and make incremental gains, there were times we needed to pick up the pace. Two-minute drills before the half…pick up the pace. Game is on the line and we are behind on the scoreboard…pick up the pace. The defense isn’t ready…pick up the pace.
From a leadership perspective, pace is everything. It’s something we have to constantly have the pulse of. We move too slow, we may run out of time on a big opportunity. We move too fast, we may overextend our people.
But, if we stay on the offense, it increases our ability to control the pace. In the face of chaos and confusion, being able to control the pace means everything. Staying on offense helps control the pace of the leadership game and not let it control us.
Conclusion
I haven’t coached football in four years. At times, I miss being on the sideline. That feeling of orchestrating an offensive game plan. The chess match with the other team’s defensive coordinator. It’s a beautiful thing.
As I write this post, it’s Saturday night. I had the privilege of watching several kids we coached play division one college football on television today. Those are the fruits of investments made years ago. Kids that will make a big impact on this world as young men and adults.
While I miss coaching those boys, I knew that God had some other coaching for me to do post football. In this current season of life, it is about coaching people for me.
Leadership is simply the art of coaching people. It is one of the greatest responsibilities bestowed upon an individual. We make investments in others by staying on offense. No great leader ever made an impact in this world by staying on defense. Staying on offense allows us to better others and the worlds we live in. Make incremental gains, wear the defense down, and control the pace. Set…hut!