#106 Bill Walsh The Score Takes Care of Itself

In the episode featuring insights from Bill Walsh's book "The Score Takes Care of Itself," the host discusses the legendary football coach's philosophy on leadership and organizational excellence. Bill Walsh, known for his innovative West Coast offense, believed in a meticulous standard of performance that extended beyond the football field to every aspect of the San Francisco 49ers organization. He emphasized the importance of mastering fundamentals, the power of a healthy ego, and the dangers of burnout. Walsh's approach was not focused on immediate victories but on building a culture of professionalism and excellence, understanding that success is a byproduct of unwavering dedication to improvement. The host also references Twitter and Square founder Jack Dorsey's admiration for Walsh's methods, highlighting the transformative impact of attention to detail and culture in achieving long-term success.

• Fujian province, China, likened to the Venice of Asia for its stone sculptures.
• Sculptors followed a time-honored, labor-intensive process, culminating in natural water finishing.
• The process of sculpture completion is analogous to achieving excellence in a profession.
• Excellence requires time and incremental improvements, not just short-term efforts.
• Organizations carry a cultural conscience that influences personnel and sets standards of behavior.
• The speaker relates this philosophy to their own experience with San Francisco's football plays.
• Excellence is taught and expected, resulting in high-level execution under pressure.

"Only after this occurred would the sculptor consider it complete. Only when time had done its work was the sculpture perfect."

This quote emphasizes the importance of time and natural processes in achieving perfection, drawing a parallel to the need for time and continuous effort in professional mastery.

"The little improvements that lead to impressive achievements come not from a week's work or a month's practice, but from a series of months and years until your organization knows what you are teaching inside and out."

The speaker illustrates that significant achievements are the result of consistent and prolonged effort, not short-term endeavors.

"I believe that every organization has a cultural conscience that it carries forward year after year."

The quote suggests that an organization's ethos, whether positive or negative, has a lasting impact on its operations and personnel.

"Excellence in every single area of our organization had been taught and expected from the day I arrived as head coach."

The speaker reflects on their own experience where a culture of excellence was instilled from the outset, leading to successful outcomes.

• Bill Walsh's book, "The Score Takes Care of Itself," is highly recommended in entrepreneurial circles.
• Jack Dorsey, founder of Twitter and Square, highlights the book's focus on details and setting a standard of performance.
• Walsh's philosophy includes being oneself, commitment to excellence, positivity, and recognizing mastery as a process.
• Walsh's approach to transforming a football team from the bottom to the top by focusing on culture and performance standards.

"He focused on the details. He didn't say you need to win games. He said you need to tuck in your shirt. You need to clean your lockers."

Jack Dorsey summarizes Walsh's attention to detail and how it contributes to overall success, emphasizing the importance of small actions in building a culture of excellence.

"Recognize that mastery is a process, not a destination."

This quote conveys the idea that achieving mastery is an ongoing journey rather than a final goal, a concept that is central to Walsh's philosophy.

• Bill Walsh's book lacks personal anecdotes, focusing on his professional philosophy.
• Walsh was inspired by his father's work ethic, which was formed during the Great Depression.
• The speaker shares Walsh's belief that leaders must demonstrate a strong work ethic to others.
• Walsh's father's hard work and sacrifice influenced his own approach to leadership and teaching.

"Dad taught me that his work ethic became my work ethic."

This quote highlights the influence of the speaker's father on his own values, particularly the importance of hard work in achieving success.

"The majority of people out there don't know what it is. They need to be shown, and you're the one who must show it."

The speaker emphasizes the leader's responsibility to model a strong work ethic to others, as it's not an inherently understood concept.

• Bill Walsh viewed himself primarily as a teacher and educator.
• He learned from other coaches and applied their good ideas while avoiding their mistakes.
• Walsh's passion for teaching extended to his players, coaches, and staff, aiming to help them achieve greatness.
• His final book serves as a comprehensive lecture on leadership, sharing his accumulated knowledge.

"The ability to help the people around me self actualize their goals underlines the single aspect of my abilities and the label that I value most, teacher."

This quote underscores Walsh's dedication to teaching and helping others reach their potential, which he considered his most important role.

"Bill Walsh loved to teach. This is his final lecture on leadership."

The quote sets up the book as Walsh's ultimate compilation of lessons on leadership, positioning it as his legacy.

• Walsh's concept of a standard of performance is the foundation for organizational culture and success.
• He prioritized establishing behavioral norms and attitudes over immediate success or winning.
• The focus was on teaching everyone in the organization what to do and how to think.
• The approach aimed to foster a productive self-image and contribute to long-term success.

"I would teach every person in the organization what to do and how to think."

This quote from Bill Walsh reveals his comprehensive approach to leadership, emphasizing the importance of guiding both actions and mindset within an organization.

• Self-image plays a crucial role in one's ability to run a business.
• Belief in one's capacity to win is foundational before actual success.
• Building a positive self-image contributes to organizational success.
• Setting high standards for oneself and the organization is essential.

"Before you become a winner, you have to believe you have the ability to become a winner."

This quote highlights the significance of self-belief as a precursor to success, emphasizing that confidence in one's abilities is a necessary step towards achieving goals.

"I'm going to systematically convince every single person in my organization that, one, that they have the ability to be a winner, and two, that they're part of a world class, elite organization."

The speaker outlines a strategic approach to instill confidence and a sense of belonging to a high-caliber organization among team members, which is instrumental in fostering a winning culture.

• Values and standards must originate from a genuine source and be actively demonstrated.
• Organizations should be seen as organic entities with a code of conduct beyond a mere mission statement.
• The leader's personal beliefs become characteristics of their team.
• Implementing values requires consistent teaching and reinforcement.

"An organization is not just a tool like a shovel, but it's an organic entity that has a code of conduct, a set of applied principles that go beyond a company mission statement that just tacked on the wall and forgotten."

The speaker contrasts the dynamic nature of an organization with static tools, emphasizing that an organization requires a living set of principles that are actively practiced rather than ignored.

"My mission statement was implanted into the minds of our people through teaching."

This quote underscores the importance of active teaching to internalize organizational values, rather than relying on passive displays like mission statements on a wall.

• The standard of performance applies to all roles within an organization.
• Specific instructions and attention to detail demonstrate organizational competence and pride.
• Even when initial results are poor, maintaining high standards is crucial for long-term success.

"My standard of performance applied to marketing, office personnel, and everyone else with details applicable to their jobs, even to the extent of including specific instructions for receptionists on how to answer our telephones professionally."

The speaker provides an example of how high standards are applied to every aspect of the organization, illustrating the comprehensive approach to excellence.

• Respect for individuals and the organization is paramount.
• Traditional hazing is forbidden to maintain dignity and respect.
• Failure to meet standards results in termination, not humiliation.

"You are part of an elite organization. If you start with that belief, eventually, if you start teaching that, eventually they will believe it."

This quote reflects the philosophy that instilling a belief in the organization's elite status will lead to members internalizing and upholding that belief.

"We respect every member of the organization because they deserve it. If they don't deserve it, they are not part of this organization."

The speaker stresses the importance of mutual respect within the organization and the necessity of upholding standards to maintain organizational integrity.

• The primary goal is the implementation of a standard of performance rather than immediate victory.
• A consistent standard of performance ensures staying near the top and avoiding major setbacks.
• Winners and champions behave according to a high standard before achieving success.

"The prime directive was not victory. The book is called the score will take care of itself."

This quote encapsulates the speaker's belief that focusing on the underlying processes and standards will naturally lead to victory, rather than making victory the sole objective.

"Winners act like winners before they are winners. Champions behave like champions before they're champions."

The speaker asserts that the characteristics of success are adopted before actual success is achieved, indicating that mindset and behavior precede results.

• Every team member, regardless of role, is integral to the organization.
• The organization is likened to an organic entity, with each member contributing to its overall success.
• The leader's teachings should reflect this interconnectedness and foster a sense of ownership.

"Each of us an extension of the other, each of us with ownership in our organization."

This quote highlights the interconnected nature of an organization, where every member's role is essential and contributes to the collective success.

"The culture precedes positive results."

The speaker summarizes the discussion by stating that establishing a strong culture and philosophy is the precursor to achieving positive outcomes, reinforcing the importance of foundational values and standards.

• The individual is experiencing a crisis of confidence after a series of professional setbacks, questioning their capabilities as a leader.
• The narrative illustrates the emotional turmoil and self-doubt that can follow perceived failure.
• The speaker emphasizes the importance of resilience and the ability to refocus on future tasks to overcome grief and regain strength.
• The advice given is to allow oneself to grieve but then to plan the next move, as failure is an integral part of success.

"Most debilitating of all, devastating was a gnawing fear that I didn't have what it takes to be an NFL head coach."

This quote reveals the depth of the individual's self-doubt and fear of inadequacy in their professional role.

"I must stand and fight again. I need to stand and fight, or it's all over in my mind, our gut."

The individual resolves to confront their challenges rather than succumb to defeat, highlighting the necessity of resilience.

"It takes strength to shift your attention off pain. When you feel as though your soul has been stripped bare, when the inevitable setback, loss, failure, or defeat comes crashing down on you."

The quote underscores the difficulty of redirecting focus from pain to recovery, which is essential for overcoming setbacks.

• Each recovery from doubt or despair contributes to one's inner strength and self-assurance.
• Overcoming setbacks results in a "sober, steely toughness" and a belief in one's ability to handle future challenges.
• The speaker suggests that enduring and conquering defeat is a way to earn confidence and resilience.

"When you stand and overcome a significant setback, you'll find an increasing inner confidence and self-assurance that has been created by conquering defeat."

This quote connects the act of overcoming challenges with the development of confidence and self-assurance.

"Absorbing and overcoming this kind of punishment engenders a sober, steely toughness that results in a hardened sense of independence and a personal belief that you can take on anything, survive and win."

The quote expresses the transformative effect of facing and defeating adversity on an individual's character and self-belief.

• The speaker stresses the importance of setting and communicating high expectations for performance.
• Many individuals may not naturally set high standards for themselves and may require inspiration and demand from leaders.
• The narrative implies that leadership involves guiding people to strive for excellence rather than settling for comfort and ease.

"Be clear in communicating your expectation of high effort and execution of your standard of performance."

The quote emphasizes the leader's role in articulating expectations clearly to inspire high performance.

"In most cases, you are the one who inspires and demands they go upward rather than settle for the comfort of doing what comes easily."

This quote speaks to the leader's responsibility in pushing individuals to exceed their own inclinations and achieve greater things.

• The speaker recounts the innovation of the West Coast offense in football, born out of necessity and limited resources.
• The narrative describes the process of learning from others, combining ideas, and creating something new.
• The speaker highlights the resistance and misunderstanding often faced by innovators from traditionalists within their field.

"I received the disparagement of many in the NFL. Their condensation stemmed from the fact that my approach didn't rely on the traditional brute force grinding ground game or spectacular long bomb pass of old time NFL football."

The quote illustrates the criticism the innovator faced due to deviating from traditional methods in favor of a new strategy.

"The complexities of the offense I created as compared to his real way were as dissimilar as a Rolex to a sundial."

By comparing his innovation to a Rolex and the traditional methods to a sundial, the speaker underscores the advanced nature and sophistication of his approach.

"Few inventions are created out of nothing. What I was doing had its roots in the theories of others who had modernized the passing game, most notably the brilliant Sid Gilman."

This quote acknowledges that innovation often builds upon the work of predecessors, in this case, drawing from Sid Gilman's modernization of the passing game.

• The speaker discusses the concept of being resourceful and making the most of available assets.
• The narrative encourages self-reflection on underutilized resources and the potential for creative solutions.
• The story of Virgil Carter's limited passing ability illustrates how constraints can lead to innovative strategies.

"What assets do we have right now that we're not taking advantage of?"

This quote prompts leaders to consider how they might be overlooking valuable resources or opportunities that are already within their grasp.

• The speaker highlights the importance of an unwavering commitment to one's goals.
• The narrative advocates for a strong will and determination as essential qualities for success and survival.
• The speaker admires these traits in others and has developed them personally.

"We are unswerving in moving towards our goal. We will not quit."

This quote conveys a relentless pursuit of objectives and the refusal to be deterred by obstacles or setbacks.

• The speaker differentiates between sweating the right and wrong small details.
• The narrative provides examples of meticulous attention to beneficial details versus trivial ones.
• The story of George Allen illustrates the impact of focusing on the right details (sun movement during the game) versus the wrong ones (soup and crackers line for players).

"Coach George Allen was a demon on details."

This quote introduces the concept of meticulous attention to detail as a characteristic of certain successful individuals.

"George wanted to know exactly where the sun would be so he could calculate the advantage if his team won the coin toss."

The quote exemplifies the type of detail that can provide a competitive edge in sports.

"He took time out of his schedule to personally draw up a schematic for those players wanting soup with their meals."

By contrast, this quote illustrates an instance of misdirected attention to detail that is unlikely to contribute significantly to success.

• Concentrate on enhancing personal and organizational skills instead of fixating on competitors.
• By improving oneself, one creates a more challenging competitive environment for others.
• Bill Walsh preferred to view other teams as "nameless, faceless objects" to maintain focus on internal efficiency and professionalism.

"Instead, I'm going to spend that time making myself and my organization better, and therefore I'm going to make it harder for them to compete against me."

This quote emphasizes the importance of self-improvement over concerning oneself with competitors, suggesting that personal and organizational growth naturally increases competitive advantage.

• Resist being labeled as a "genius" or any form of hyperbole to avoid internal and external complications.
• Bill Walsh warns against buying into one's own hype, which can lead to complacency and a false sense of security in one's abilities.
• Maintaining a "standard of performance" as a habitual practice ensures consistent effort regardless of past successes.

"Buying into what people say about you can create both external and internal problems. This makes your life and your job a lot tougher than they already are."

This quote cautions against the dangers of accepting flattering labels and how they can negatively impact one's work ethic and perception of self.

• "Success disease" refers to the complacency that follows accolades and the belief that future success will come automatically.
• Bill Walsh emphasizes the need for a consistent standard of performance to combat this complacency.
• Maintaining a disciplined approach to work, regardless of outcomes, is crucial for long-term success.

"The real damage occurs when you start to believe that future success will come your way automatically because of the great ability of this caricature that you have suddenly become."

This quote explains that believing in an exaggerated version of oneself can lead to laziness and a diminished work ethic, undermining future success.

• A healthy ego, characterized by pride and self-confidence, is essential for success.
• Egotism, on the other hand, is an inflated ego that leads to arrogance and self-importance.
• Bill Walsh values ego in individuals as it often translates to a strong desire to excel and resilience in challenging times.

"Egotism is something else entirely, and they're next door neighbors. You got to be very careful about this."

This quote distinguishes between the positive aspects of ego and the negative consequences of egotism, highlighting the fine line between the two.

• Focus is essential for improvement and should be protected from distractions.
• Bill Walsh knew how to achieve excellence in every role within his organization and allowed individuals to excel in their positions.
• Mastery is an ongoing process that requires continuous learning and refinement of skills.

"Bill knew exactly how to do it, the specifics, not just for his quarterback, but for a receptionist answering the phones, not just for a backup left tackle, but for groundskeepers."

This quote illustrates Walsh's comprehensive understanding of what constitutes greatness in every role, emphasizing the importance of focus and specificity in achieving mastery.

• Mastery is not mysterious; it is the result of continuous learning and dedication to fundamentals.
• Great performers like Jerry Rice and Joe Montana exemplified the connection between hard work and achieving one's potential.
• There is no endpoint to mastery; it is a lifelong commitment to excellence.

"You never stop learning, perfecting, refining, molding your skills."

This quote underscores the ongoing nature of mastery, indicating that the journey towards excellence is never complete.

• Observing failures or "bad football" provides valuable lessons on what not to do.
• Bill Walsh had a deep respect for the potential of football played at its highest level, which drove his pursuit of excellence.
• Founders often learn effectively from witnessing incorrect approaches.

"Bad football makes me ill in the same way a symphony conductor hates to hear an orchestra mangle, Bach or Beethoven."

This quote reflects Walsh's passion for excellence and his aversion to subpar performance, highlighting the importance of learning from negative examples.

• Effective marketing cannot compensate for a substandard product.
• Walsh learned that the best promotional tool is a winning team, leading to a focus on creating a quality product.
• Success in his profession was directly tied to the team's performance on the field.

"A pretty package can't sell a poor product."

This quote conveys the lesson that no amount of marketing can substitute for the intrinsic value of a high-quality product or service.

• Bill Walsh experienced burnout after achieving great success, leading to his retirement.
• He emphasizes the importance of avoiding burnout to preserve one's passion and ability to continue in their profession.
• Managing workload and maintaining balance is crucial for long-term success and fulfillment.

"Avoid burnout."

This succinct advice from Walsh captures the essence of his message: to be mindful of one's limits and to prevent the exhaustion that can lead to a loss of passion for one's work.