The State of the NFL - When the Noise Becomes Deafening!

I LOVE Football. Consequently, I enjoy watching NFL Football.

 

The NFL has come under scrutiny of late for two reasons. First, some of it's high profile players have been charged with some possibly serious criminal charges. Second, to many people the NFL has not handled how it's disciplined its players well.

 

For example, Ray Rice (running back for the Ravens), was charged with domestic violence for punching his then fiancée in the face while in an elevator. Limited hotel footage captured some of the incident. Initially, Ray Rice was penalized two games. Soon after the incident the NFL stated that a first time domestic violence charge would receive a mandatory six game suspension. (Luckily for Ray Rice, since the new rule installment was not retroactive, it seemed like he got off the hook with only two games). Unfortunately for the NFL and Ray Rice a video camera inside of the elevator caught the actual incident where Ray Rice punched his fiancée and was later leaked after everything had been 'settled'. Once people actually SAW the incident they were outraged and the NFL has suspended Ray Rice indefinitely.

 

Other NFL super stars such as Adrian Peterson have come under public scrutiny for other criminal issues and the disciplinary process has been lacking in judgment and public satisfaction.

 

Here's the main problem: When the public noise and commotion becomes deafening the NFL is reactive to address the issues.

 

Every time the public does not like what at NFL player does and the outcry becomes so loud than in many cases the NFL will overreact to what the naysayers want. While it may silence the crowd the first time the next time an NFL player does something wrong the public cry will be even LOUDER because the crowd and general public knows that if it creates enough of an outcry the NFL will have to react. The public has been reinforced by the NFL to cause an uproar to get what it wants!

 

For example, take a young child into the store. If your child throws a 'hissy' fit every time you walk past the candy section in order to get a candy bar and you reward him with a candy bar than he will make a scene every time! You are reinforcing bad behavior which is what the NFL has been doing recently. 

 

When the noise become deafening to an organization that organization MUST address the situation BUT stand firm as a unified front and not overreact but come to a reasonable consequence and STICK with it! (While the general public won't like this....they will respect it)

 

As a leadership guru here are a few other lessons to be learned from the NFL:

1. Be proactive instead of reactive! If the NFL had come up with rules and standards before these issues it would have helped their situation. Instead they had to react instead which generally leads organizations to overreact causing people to think the organization can't make up their minds and are weak.

2. The commissioner needed more accountability. The NFL commissioner had too much power and it was only a matter of time until he made a false step. He needs help through committees and other influential people in designing player fines and suspensions.

3. Most importantly, when the noise becomes deafening you must address the situation but don't make a bad situation worse by reversing everything you committed to do (unless you are obviously wrong) just to appease the public eye. People may not like your decisions, but they will respect them. Simply put, leaders have spine and know how to diagnose, evaluate, and come up with a reasonable course of action when turmoil hits.