Urban Meyer, head coach of the Florida Gators football team, personally coaches his special teams. Special teams are the units that are on the field during punts, free kicks, kickoffs, field goals and extra point attempts.
When I heard about this, it seemed silly to me. Can’t the coach hire someone else to do that for him? Isn’t that a little too small to demand the attention of the head coach?
But it’s kind of hard to argue with the kind of results Coach Meyer produces. He led his team to a national championship last year. I personally think he’ll win it again this year. So there must be something to this idea of the head coach personally overseeing the special teams. And not just for football coaches. I think the principle applies to all leaders.
Football games are often won and lost by special teams. The performance of the special teams determines field position. Field position is one of the most critical elements of football. The game is won or lost in transition.
From that standpoint, it makes perfect sense for Meyer to devote his personal attention to special teams. It may seem like a small thing…but it has a tremendous impact on the outcome of the game.
Some of the areas where wise leaders invest their energy may seem small. But their execution is the key to the success of the organization.
I intentionally devote a disproportionate amount of my time and focus to our worship experience. Some of the details I involve myself in may seem like they shouldn’t make the radar of the Senior Pastor of a growing church. But the worship experience is to us what special teams are to Urban Meyer. It’s where the game is won and lost. So it’s worthy of my personal attention. The miniscule details have a monstrous impact.
This concept shows up in my family a lot too. There are some parts of being a dad that I can’t outsource if I want to raise godly kids. There are elements of my marriage that may seem insignificant. But in reality, they’ll determine whether my marriage is won or lost.
What are the special teams in your family, church, or organization? What activities and initiatives are small on the surface but produce gargantuan effects, and mandate your full attention?