10 Traits Of The Level-10 Leader: The Case For James Franklin
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By A.J. Madden
What makes a “Level-10 Leader”?
As a professional leadership coach, over the last twenty years I have studied hundreds of high-level leaders, top Fortune 500 CEOs, four-star military generals, hall of Fame sports coaches, and United States Presidents. Using this knowledge, I have watched Penn State head football coach James Franklin’s words and deeds under the sharp eye of a leadership microscope, from his very first press conference, all the way up to today.
What I have observed in James Franklin is what I call a “Level-10 Leader”. Level-10 leaders do the ONE most important thing a leader can do. All the most effective leaders have done this one thing, since the beginning of time. That one thing is this: Lead by example.
For your kids and employees, they don’t do what you tell them to do. They do what they see you do.-Dan Peña
There are ten key traits that all the greatest leaders in history possess, be it on the battlefield, ball field or in the boardroom. They are ten ways to lead by example. If you embody all ten of these traits, you become the “Level-10 Leader”.
Coach Franklin has a strong grasp of these ten leadership traits. The ten mindsets and habits that lead to high-level success.
Look between the lines and behind the scenes, listen to what Franklin says, and observe the results.
There are many great lessons for coaches, parents, managers, and CEOs to take away.
Follow along and see for yourself how Franklin has demonstrated each of the ten key traits of the Level-10 Leader.
Leading by example isn’t the best way to lead. It’s the only way to lead.-Vince Lombardi
Trait Number One: Be an “Energizer”.
People respond to energy much more than they do words. They respond to what they feel, not what they hear and see (hear and see are low-level influencers). Energy, spirit, transfer of energy is what people respond to. The best leaders come from a place of monster conviction and belief.-Ed Mylett
An Energizer does three things:
- Bring positive energy and enthusiasm every day, even on the days you don’t feel like it (we’re humans, not robots after all).
- Live the values of the organization without compromise, even when it might be easier to take shortcuts or look the other way. Catch people doing things right who are living and practicing the values and standards of the organization.
- Show confidence and optimism in the organization and it’s people.
The difference between a true leader and a pretend leader is they can, even on those days that they don’t feel like it, transcend their personal feelings and still be a cheerleader, coach, and mentor.-Dan Peña
Franklin examples:
- One thing James Franklin will never be accused of is being “low energy”. Simply watch him at press conferences and on the sidelines during games.
- In the Ted Talk, “Why We Need Core Values” (one of the best talks I’ve seen on leadership), Franklin explains the four core values of his football program:
- 1. Positive Attitude
- 2. Great Work Ethic
- 3. Compete In Everything You Do
- 4. Must Be Willing To Sacrifice
- I believe that Franklin and his coaches living these values every day are a key part of why the program was able to win a Big Ten championship only 3 years into his tenure.
- Franklin showed confidence and optimism from day one when he talked about “Dominate The State” in recruiting players. This is a bold, confident, and optimistic statement.
The only way you can light other people on fire is to be lit yourself on the inside.-Tim Grover, strength and conditioning coach of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant
Trait Number Two: Have “Deep Domain Expertise”
I can tell the level of a leader by how insatiable they are about learning.-Joseph Rodriques
Deep Domain Expertise is having strong knowledge and experience in the key fundamentals of success in your field. To achieve Deep Domain expertise, you must have laser-like focus on your craft. And the stamina to put in the long hours of work and study required to achieve mastery.
You must also know EXACTLY what to focus on and what to ignore.
Deep Domain Expertise is being such an expert at your craft that it leads to your organization and it’s people winning again and again.
The best motivational device is success.-Jon Spoelstra
Franklin example:
In his Ted Talk, Franklin talks about how as an assistant coach, he put together a “head coach binder” of all the things he would do when he someday got that role.
He was taking pieces of expertise from other great coaches and organizing it into his own “winning system”.
He has put this system to good use, as he has never had a losing season as a head coach.
Another example is Franklin sleeping at the football offices at the beginning of his tenure as Penn States Head Coach in order to be able to put in the long hours necessary to take the program to the next level.
The only guarantee of success in life is that you really have to be the smartest guy in the room at what is really important to you.-Jon Taffer
Trait Number Three: Have “Leadership Presence”.
If a person isn’t proud of how they look, they’re not going to perform well. Look professional.-Dan Peña
“Leadership Presence” is combination of:
- Confident body language
- Speaking with conviction and optimism
- Looking your best
- Being serious when appropriate
- Being the calmest one in the room when things go wrong and the pressure goes up
- Having a sense of urgency for progress.
One of our greatest tests is to see if we are able to bless someone while we are going through our own storm.-Unknown
Franklin examples:
James Franklin speaks with the conviction and displays the confident body language of a head football coach.
He has a serious side that comes out in press conferences, practices, and on the sidelines at games.
He is known for his sense of urgency within the program, of pushing coaches and players to keep improving on the “little things” that eventually add up to the “big things”.
Demonstrate, don’t explain.-Robert Greene
Your attitude is one of the best indicators of the person you really are inside. The only way you can tell what kind of attitude you really have is observing how you react when things go wrong.-Brian Tracy
Trait Number Four: Be an “Over-Communicator”.
Repetition is vital. For example, let’s say that you’ve told your employees that customer focus is vital to the company’s continued success. Scott Adams (persuasion expert) would have you repeat it in every conversation with employees, every speech, and every written statement. Bright people often think that if they’ve said it once, the point has been made. No, the point needs to be repeated.-Bill Conerly
An example of “Over-Communication” is having simple, impactful messages and mantras that you repeat over and over again to your people that drive positive progress.
Simplicity and repetition are persuasive.
An “Over-Communicator” knows exactly to focus on with their simple messages, and also exactly what NOT to focus on.
Franklin example:
There are many simple mantras that the coach repeats, not only within the organization, but also at press conferences and on his Twitter page.Three that stand out:
- “Going 1-0 this week” and repeating that week’s opponent’s name over and over. This is a great example of keeping a “narrow focus” and having a “micro goal”. Both are incredibly effective tactics for any organization. Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Warren Buffet all said that the most vital key to their success was the ability to “focus”.
- “6 seconds, nothing else exists, play your best ball one play at a time”. Another great example of “micro goal” and “narrow focus”, along with having a present moment focus, not worrying about the past or future.
- “It starts with I love you and ends with I love you”. This is great mantra for any organization.
In business, if you love your people and you love your customers more than your competitors, you will have happy people, happy customers, and everybody wins. Plain and simple.
Wisdom is knowing what not to do. Wisdom is knowing what you don’t have to do. Experience will tell you the twenty things you need to do to make you successful. Wisdom is knowing that nineteen of these are not important, just do this one thing.-Dan Lok
Trait Number Five: Be an “Expert Coach”.
Your success will be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations you are willing to have.-Tim Ferriss
Being an “Expert Coach” requires having a multi-dimensional, dual-sided personality:
- The ability to know, care about, and believe in your people, AND
- The ability to challenge your people directly to be their best and/or do better.
The definitions of each side:
1. “Know, Care, and Believe In” your people.
KNOW these four things about each and every one of your people:
- Where they’ve been
- Where they want to go
- What makes them happy
- What makes them sad
CARE about and support the success and happiness of your people inside and outside of work
And BELIEVE that your people are capable of great things. Tell them they are capable, they are not mind-readers. Have high expectations, no one rises to low expectations.
Catch people doing things right.
Reinforce the positives and the rest will take care of itself.
There are no rules without relationships.-Mack Brown
2. The ability to “Challenge Directly”.
- You must have an “edge” to your personality.
- You must practice honesty and “Courageous Communication” without fear of hurt feelings.
- You must let your people know exactly where they stand, good and the bad.
- You must be radically honest.
- Honesty will liberate you and your organization.
- You must challenge your people to be their best.
- And when they are not at their best, critique the behavior or attitude, not the person.
- You must praise in public and criticize in private.
- You must always strive to let your people keep their dignity.
Have enough courage to not tolerate mediocrity. Every day you don’t address it, is a day that you are telling everyone else in your company that we were “just kidding” about excellence.-John Spence
Franklin example:
Franklin said at a post-game press conference that, “I am going to make that everyone in our program is extremely uncomfortable, including myself. Because you only grow in life when you are uncomfortable”. He talked about being “comfortable being uncomfortable, and break out of great to get to the next phase (elite)”.
Franklin describes the “Expert Coach” trait best himself during his Ted Talk: “You can be unbelievably demanding and challenging on people if they know how much you care.”
Love and accountability are the two main ingredients of leadership.-Jon Gordon
Be merciless with your kindness. Just ruthless.-Vishen Lakhiani
Trait Number Six: Be an “Expert Listener”.
The less you talk, the more people listen. Listen and plot. When you do decide to say something, it will have impact. Being assertive means talking less and at the appropriate times.-Jocko Willink, retired Navy SEAL commander
This is listening so people feel heard. It is listening for the sake of learning. And it is listening to the right people about the right things.
Franklin example:
When Franklin first came to campus, he spoke with P.J. Mullen, who at the time was a popular local morning radio host. P.J. was well connected in the local community. He was also a Penn State graduate who knew the school culture. He was a DJ and music expert who could select the right songs for a solid Beaver stadium game experience. And P.J. is a business expert who helped many local businesses grow through social media and traditional marketing.
Franklin immediately hired P.J. for multiple roles in the football organization, and ultimately picked the exact right person to listen in multiple diverse and important areas. This was efficient and effective leadership at it’s best.
Be the last to speak at the meeting. It allows everyone to feel listened to, and it also allows you to hear all opinions before formulating your own.-Simon Sinek
Trait Number Seven: Be a “Vivid Visionary”
80% of the growth (or the chokehold) on a business is the leader. And 80% of that chokehold (or growth) is the psychology of the leader, 20% the mechanics.-Tony Robbins
Being a “Vivid Visionary” is having a clear picture of where the organization and it’s people are going (big goals and dreams).
A great vision tells everyone WHERE we are going and WHY we are going there.
One of the MOST important things a leader can do is choose the RIGHT vision that PULLS people towards it.
The leader must LIVE and SELL that vision every single day.
The right vision will attract and keep the best, most passionate people.
The secret to scaling your business is to hire passionate people.-Dave Long, co-founder and CEO of Orangetheory Fitness
Franklin example:
Franklin gave an excellent post-game press conference speech about going from a “great team to an elite team”, and what it will take to get there. Becoming an elite team and winning a national championship is clearly the vision, a big goal and dream, of the head coach and the Penn State football program.
People follow those who know where they are going. Create an air of certainty and boldness.-Robert Greene
Trait Number Eight: Have Humility
There are no bad units, only bad officers.-Jocko Willink, retired Navy SEAL commander
Having humility is being humble in success and being free of pride or arrogance. Having humility is taking 100% responsibility for negative outcomes and results, and the ability to admit when you are wrong or don’t know something.
Franklin example:
After a particularly tough loss, Franklin took responsibility for a highly criticized play call at the end of the game. He has also said on multiple occasions that improvements must “start with me”.
A quote from a Franklin press conference: “I surround myself with players and coaches who a very comfortable in their own skin, and own who they are. And I don’t want to surround myself with the same personalities and same opinions and a bunch of “yes men”. I want different perspectives, backgrounds, and ideas.“
To share your weakness is to make yourself vulnerable; to make yourself vulnerable is to show your strength.-Criss Jami
Trait Number Nine: Have Integrity.
No explanation needed.
A great culture is pretty simple. Don’t just have good players. Have good people.-Steve Kerr, Head Coach of the Golden State Warriors
Franklin example:
After a particularly tough loss Vs. rival Michigan State, Coach Franklin ran after some of his players who were walking back to the locker room to make sure they shook their opponent’s hands before they left the field.
Coach Franklin has had no scandals or accusations of moral lapses as head coach.
Trait Number Ten: Kaizen Mindset
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.-Ernest Hemingway
Kaizen is a Japanese word that means “small, continuous improvements.
A “Kaizen Mindset” is a philosophy of continuous learning and improvement, and a relentless solution focus.
Franklin example:
Coach Franklin has talked about being an avid reader and also studying successful people. He has spoken many times about focusing on “growing and getting better every single day, challenging ourselves every single day”.
One hour per day of study will put you at the top of your field within three years. Within five years you’ll be a national authority. In seven years, you can be one of the best people in the world at what you do.-Earl Nightingale
At the end of the day, it comes down to this: Lead by example.
To lead by example, live these ten traits:
- Energizer
- Deep Domain Expertise
- Leadership Presence
- Over-Communicator
- Expert Coach
- Expert Listener
- Vivid Visionary
- Have Humility
- Live Integrity
- Kaizen Mindset
No leader is perfect. Franklin has made leadership mistakes.
Every successful military general, Fortune 500 CEO, or hall of fame sports coach made mistakes and bad decisions along the way.
They had their wins.
And also their losses.
But if you follow the Level-10 leadership principles like James Franklin does, you will have more wins than losses.
You will attract the best people.
And you will run your business or organization with integrity.
And everyone wins.
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