Leaders do not always get to choose the issues they will face. Sometimes they need to put out the fire before they can move forward.
Case in point is David Brandon, newly appointed athletic director for the University of Michigan. In February prior to his taking office, Michigan’s vaunted football program was hit with an NCAA investigation into major violations about excessive practice time that occurred under the watch of head coach, Rich Rodriguez. Michigan held a press conference to address how it would respond to the investigation and Brandon announced his support for the controversial coach. He reiterated that support in late May when the school announced its self-imposed sanctions.
Brandon himself is no stranger to managing tough issues. He served as CEO of Domino’s Pizza from 1999 until March 2010. His management philosophy combines operational discipline with stakeholder collaboration. Domino’s prospered under Brandon’s tenure and he was well-liked by employees. Brandon's roots at Michigan run deep; he played football for legendary coach, Bo Schembechler, and in recent years served as a regent for the university.
The biggest problem facing the football program is really not the NCAA violations; it is the rift over Rodriguez. Since Rodriguez has won only eight games in two years, losing twice to arch-rival Ohio State and missing the bowl season for the past two years, many fans dislike him. Yet Rodriguez’s players, and many students, support him. How Brandon has dealt with the controversy is a lesson in leadership.
Own the problem. Brandon did not become the athletic director to become proctor for the football team, but he is realistic. As he told the media after announcing self-imposed sanctions, there is nothing good about the words investigation and probation. Regarding Michigan’s brand, Brandon says, “I don’t think it’s a black-eye, it’s a bruise.” He also said blame for the excessive practice time was a departmental responsibility, not simply a coaching issue. By addressing the problem head on – and with total transparency -- Brandon will ensure that whatever went on prior to his watch has been stopped, new measures to ensure compliance have been implemented, and the program will survive.
Make decision best for the situation. Rodriguez is a polarizing figure: love him or hate him. Brandon as the athletic director has not allowed himself to become embroiled in partisanship. He leads the entire department, not a fan base. How he treats Rodriguez sets the tone for how he will treat other coaches now and in the future. To date he is taking a measured approach, waiting for NCAA investigations into Rodriguez at Michigan as well as his previous coaching job, West Virginia, to be completed. Since neither academic fraud nor paying players to play at Michigan is suspected, Brandon can take the wait and see approach.
Evaluate later. Accountability is essential to leadership. Brandon will hold Rodriguez more responsible than ever before. If Rodriguez’s on field performance does not improve significantly (and Brandon has wisely not assigned the number of games the team must win), he will be gone. Wins and losses at Michigan are not everything as they are at other schools; integrity is paramount. So Rodriguez must demonstrate that not only can he win, he must do so within the rules.
No athletic director wants to deal with problems from the previous administration, but in the case of Brandon failure to address the problem would only have worsened it. In months and years to come, Brandon will have plenty of time to address key priorities such as maintaining academic and fiscal integrity as well as shepherding in a new era of intercollegiate competition, should the Big Ten conference expand into a mega conference with some fourteen or sixteen teams. How Brandon handles the Rodriguez issue may well set the tone for addressing future challenges.
Posted FastCompany.com 6.01.10
[ add comment ] permalink Case in point is David Brandon, newly appointed athletic director for the University of Michigan. In February prior to his taking office, Michigan’s vaunted football program was hit with an NCAA investigation into major violations about excessive practice time that occurred under the watch of head coach, Rich Rodriguez. Michigan held a press conference to address how it would respond to the investigation and Brandon announced his support for the controversial coach. He reiterated that support in late May when the school announced its self-imposed sanctions.
Brandon himself is no stranger to managing tough issues. He served as CEO of Domino’s Pizza from 1999 until March 2010. His management philosophy combines operational discipline with stakeholder collaboration. Domino’s prospered under Brandon’s tenure and he was well-liked by employees. Brandon's roots at Michigan run deep; he played football for legendary coach, Bo Schembechler, and in recent years served as a regent for the university.
The biggest problem facing the football program is really not the NCAA violations; it is the rift over Rodriguez. Since Rodriguez has won only eight games in two years, losing twice to arch-rival Ohio State and missing the bowl season for the past two years, many fans dislike him. Yet Rodriguez’s players, and many students, support him. How Brandon has dealt with the controversy is a lesson in leadership.
Own the problem. Brandon did not become the athletic director to become proctor for the football team, but he is realistic. As he told the media after announcing self-imposed sanctions, there is nothing good about the words investigation and probation. Regarding Michigan’s brand, Brandon says, “I don’t think it’s a black-eye, it’s a bruise.” He also said blame for the excessive practice time was a departmental responsibility, not simply a coaching issue. By addressing the problem head on – and with total transparency -- Brandon will ensure that whatever went on prior to his watch has been stopped, new measures to ensure compliance have been implemented, and the program will survive.
Make decision best for the situation. Rodriguez is a polarizing figure: love him or hate him. Brandon as the athletic director has not allowed himself to become embroiled in partisanship. He leads the entire department, not a fan base. How he treats Rodriguez sets the tone for how he will treat other coaches now and in the future. To date he is taking a measured approach, waiting for NCAA investigations into Rodriguez at Michigan as well as his previous coaching job, West Virginia, to be completed. Since neither academic fraud nor paying players to play at Michigan is suspected, Brandon can take the wait and see approach.
Evaluate later. Accountability is essential to leadership. Brandon will hold Rodriguez more responsible than ever before. If Rodriguez’s on field performance does not improve significantly (and Brandon has wisely not assigned the number of games the team must win), he will be gone. Wins and losses at Michigan are not everything as they are at other schools; integrity is paramount. So Rodriguez must demonstrate that not only can he win, he must do so within the rules.
No athletic director wants to deal with problems from the previous administration, but in the case of Brandon failure to address the problem would only have worsened it. In months and years to come, Brandon will have plenty of time to address key priorities such as maintaining academic and fiscal integrity as well as shepherding in a new era of intercollegiate competition, should the Big Ten conference expand into a mega conference with some fourteen or sixteen teams. How Brandon handles the Rodriguez issue may well set the tone for addressing future challenges.
Posted FastCompany.com 6.01.10
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