The new way to win Super Bowls: Leadership lessons of the NFL’s cutting edge coaches

February 04, 2013 at 05:32 AM
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This year's Super Bowl drew a lot of attention to the rival Harbaugh brothers, who were coaching either of the teams on the field, and who were bound for an awkward Thanksgiving dinner this year when one shows up with a Super Bowl ring on his hand and the other does not. But more importantly, the Harbaughs are part of a new generation of NFL coaches who excel not because they bark orders as their predecessors did, but because they listen to their players, treat work as inseparable from life, work to transform the culture of the team as much as refine its plays, and always have two-way conversations with every stakeholder in the franchise. It's not just a winning formula for professional sports, but for all kinds of business leadership today.