Leadership Lessons From The Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals have a tortured history marked with many failures. If you’re a Bengals fan, you’re conditioned to live in a constant state of hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. This season, all of the fruitless years of unabashed loyalty finally seem worth it. Bengals fans – and football fans across the country – have witnessed one of the greatest turnarounds in NFL history. Just two years after having the NFL’s worst record, the Bengals are heading to Super Bowl LVI to face off against the Los Angeles Rams. There’s a lot to be learned from the Bengals’ incredible comeback year.
1. Lead With Quiet Confidence
“Arouse in the other person an eager want. He who can do this has the whole world with him”. - Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati’s 25-year-old quarterback, exemplifies Carnegie’s quote on influencing human behavior. He is a masterclass in quiet confidence. He’s not boastful. He’s not in your face. Both on and off the field, he is simply steady and unwavering. Burrow’s confidence is all-permeating and so contagious that his teammates also feel confident in his company. Good leaders can instill confidence in others by establishing trust through carefully listening rather than forcefully commanding. Calm and confident leaders are resilient. Head Coach Zac Taylor said of Burrow, “Joe’s ability to put a hit behind him and move on to the next play and find a, one of his freak shows as he likes to call them you know, it makes our job a lot easier to play-callers.” The best leaders keep their composure in the face of adversity. They aren’t paralyzed by fear and they confront challenges head-on. Burrow does just that.
2. Use Fun as a Catalyst for Cultural Change
From the front office to the players, the Bengals are having fun this year! The organization is creating momentum and reenergizing the fan base. We’ve all been clambering our way through two years of a pandemic and stress is at an all time high. We could use some positivity in our lives, especially in the workplace. Countless studies show that the stronger and more engaged your organization’s teams are, the better your bottom line. The Bengals are proving that having fun and getting your job done don’t have to be mutually exclusive. They’re cultivating employee/player engagement and encouraging a playful mindset.
From locker room dances ….
To the social media quips poking fun at themselves….
To C.J. Uzomah arriving to Week 16 dressed as Buddy the Elf
To introducing a new pre-game ‘Ruler of the Jungle’ ritual
The Bengals are proving time and time again that it’s ok to loosen up a little.
And, as a leader, don’t forget to take time out to celebrate wins. Take a page from Zac Taylor’s book like when he and Bengals team members drove around Cincinnati handing out game balls.
3. Invest In Your Talent
The Bengals have long been seen as a “stuffy” organization that doesn’t invest the time or money into the appropriate resources. The Bengals often drafted stand-out players but couldn’t get the team dynamic quite right. You can have great people on your team but sometimes they’re not in the right seats on the bus or they’re really not even meant to be on your bus at all, so to speak. This year, the Bengals spent more than $120 million in free agency and north of $40 million on defensive players. They invested the money to get the right people in the right seats. They now have a great mix of strong veteran talent while developing young talent alongside them.
And, at times, don’t be afraid to be a talent visionary and invest in someone or something unexpected. Much to the chagrin of many Bengals fans, the Bengals selected kicker Evan McPherson in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL draft. It’s not often that an NFL team drafts a kicker and McPherson was the only kicker selected in the entire 2021 draft. Many fans were bewildered at the decision, knowing there were many other vital positions the Bengals needed to fill/supplement. Now, looking back on the season, McPherson has five game-winning field goals, two of which have been in the postseason, including the winning field goal to catapult the Bengals into this year’s Super Bowl. Despite a skeptical pre-season attitude towards a “wasted” draft pick, McPherson is now a fan favorite and has earned himself the nickname “Money Mac.”
Investing in your talent is imperative – whether it be time, training, or financially. The talent investments made by the Bengals have swiftly taken them from the worst team in the NFL to AFC Championships and potential Super Bowl Champions.