Not only did the University of Indiana (Bloomington) win the Big 10 Championship on Saturday for the first time in more than 55 years, but the team is now ranked number one in the nation for the first time in school history.
In just two years under the leadership of Coach Curt Cignetti, the program went from accumulating the most losses in Division I football history to a team that has a solid chance to win the national championship.
Many factors stand out about Cignetti’s coaching philosophy. His unflappable confidence both in himself and in his players pushes the team to reject self-imposed limitations on what can be achieved.
He believes in a process that follows Structure, Commitment, and Discipline, using those elements to drive his practices, game plans, and coaching.
His secret sauce boils down to what many successful coaches do—insisting that his team commits daily to the principles and actions that lead to success.
But Cignetti bucks a popular trend in all sports teams, one that has a long and storied tradition.
Indiana Football has traditionally named team captains on every team since 1952 and in all but five seasons since 1885. Teams across the football landscape share that same tradition.
Experienced players who exhibit the qualities of leadership are named as Captains before the start of the season. They wear the letter “C” on their uniforms and show up at midfield during the coin toss, at leadership functions, and on media days to represent the team.
But since Coach Cignetti has arrived, team captain recognition has been discarded. There are no team captains on Indiana’s football team. In fact, Cignetti has bucked this tradition at every school where he has coached.
The reason is simple.
In Cignetti’s view, everyone on the team must step up and act like a leader.
Leadership must take place all over the field, at every position, and on every play. Every player must play, stand out, and represent the team as a leader and captain. This mentality now pervades the Indiana team.
Cignetti randomly selects players to represent the team in different situations, asking each team member to project the behaviors of a leader.
The effect of this philosophy and choice can be heard in the player interviews that followed the Big 10 Championship game. Players across the team, starters and non-starters alike, all acted and sounded like Team Captains.
Belief and expectation are powerful motivators in the hands of a skillful leader.
The best teams in sports and in business are player-led. The coach or team leader sets strategy, selects talent, and measures progress, but they expect everyone on the team to enact the everyday functions of leadership.
When a colleague needs to be held accountable, they don’t wait for the coach or team leader to do it. They step up and act because they are expected to.
The same applies to comforting, encouraging, communicating, teaching, and the many other activities that display leadership.
Is everyone on your team a leader? It starts with expectation.
