Leadership Lessons from a Wrestling Legend....

Several months ago Pastor Steven Furtick gave the staff an assignment of seeking out leaders in various lines of work to glean principles that could translate into our ministry. I set my sights on trying to get a phone conference with Iowa’s legendary wrestling coach, Dan Gable. During his 21 years at the helm as coach, the Hawkeyes won an astounding 15 national championships. As an amateur wrestler he compiled a jaw-dropping record of 182-1 through high school and college. There is no other athlete or coach that has done more for the sport of wrestling than Dan Gable.

After a few attempts I was able to reach him on the phone. During the 20 minute phone call, he spoke of leadership principles that would rival any CEO’s best thoughts. Not only was he commanding, but he was as genuine as anyone I’ve ever met. His confident humility was obvious. He knew his accomplishments, yet his talent was only exceeded by his honest humility. Not a self deprecating “I was just lucky I guess”, but “I knew I wanted to be the best and worked as hard as I could to make it happen”.

Over the course of the conversation I was able to download a long list of principles. The one that stands out the most was his response to the question “why did some wrestlers not make it?” He is one of the best evaluators of talent in the world, yet not all of the wrestlers he recruited were able to be successful in the college ranks. His response was profound. “Going to a higher level requires a greater level of commitment at the new level.” As he unpacked the statement, the power behind it became clear. The problem with moving to a new level is in the interpretation of level of commitment it takes to be successful at that new level.

Dan Gable’s interpretation was not just to be good, but to be the absolute best wrestler in the history of the sport. That translated in an insanely driven training regime, an intense focus centered on that goal and a structuring of his entire life around that idea of excellence. The difference for Dan Gable was that “being the best” wasn’t just a talking point, it was a lifestyle. Everything he did centered on being the best and if it did not add to the bottom line it was eliminated. The wrestlers at Iowa who did not make it were not committed to being the best at the collegiate level. What caused them to be successful in high school would not work in college. When faced with the reality of their unwillingness to strive for the new commitment level they fell by the wayside.

Apply that concept to the church for a second. At Iowa it was Dan Gable who set the bar for the commitment level. The best wrestlers that came out of Iowa rose above that level and exceeded the expectation. Who’s setting the bar for commitment in your organization? Is it a nebulous thing that individuals are left to determine on their own? An entity mired in mediocrity is probably diseased with commitment issues. Secondly, every new level of responsibility in the church has to have an increased level of commitment to be the best. Moving from a volunteer to a volunteer leader is a new level of commitment. Going from a volunteer leader to a staff member is another huge jump.

Who is the one sitting down and clearly communicating what it takes to be the best and the level of commitment required? It is a much different conversation than asking someone to help. It’s giving someone an opportunity to be a part of the most amazing thing on earth, the church. As commitment levels are clearly communicated, leaders will rise to the challenge. Look for the people who have an innate drive to be the best, to exceed, to excel. Those are the leaders that are waiting for an opportunity to flourish.