Becoming a leader in football, business and life is all very simple, according to former Auburn University Head Coach and multiple championship winner Terry Bowden.
“Ya gotta make the coffee.”
He made that point at an invitation-only breakfast meeting of Baltimore business executives sponsored by Accelerent on Wednesday, June 9 at the American Visionary Art Museum. Punctuated by seemingly dozens of stories that conveyed how Bowden led his teams to multiple victories, Bowden’s presentation also displayed why he’s been such a hit on ABC Sports, ESPN, Sirius Satellite Radio, Westwood One Radio and as the featured sports columnist for Yahoo! Sports.com.
“Just about everywhere I’ve worked, whoever gets in first has the responsibility to make the coffee. I always made sure that was me, so I've made a point of being the first one in every morning. It was my way of showing that I was ready to take responsibility for the success of the team. When I was ready to move on (as Head Coach at Auburn) I had a young football player ask me how he could show that he would do anything to become a coach like me. I told him, ‘Son, you should’ve made the coffee.’”
Bowden’s point wasn’t that it was all about “making the coffee,” of course. It was to illustrate to the young player what it takes to become a champion. He recommends that those who want to prove themselves as leaders ask themselves three questions that can help them gauge whether they’re ready to win.
“Do you want to be the best? Are you willing to pay the price? And will you take responsibility?”
“If it’s going to be, it’s up to me,” added Bowden.
It’s a message that resonated with the gathering of Baltimore CEOs. With the latest figures from the U.S. Department of Labor showing an “economic recovery” that includes 15 million Americans out of work and a 9.7 percent unemployment rate, many in the audience appeared eager to get into the office to “make the coffee” for their own teams.
After they rewarded Bowden with a standing ovation, that is.
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