Hire People For The Right Reasons

Today, the San Francisco 49ers season (5 wins and 11 losses) mercifully came to a close.

At the end of last season, the 49ers fired the head coach, Jim Harbaugh. Known for great talent, intensity and passion, he may have not been the easiest man to work with. He is a brilliant coach–a coach any team should want.

The new head coach for this storied National Football League franchise, Jim Tomsula, was a coach who worked for Harbaugh. He had no NFL head coaching experience. This promotion was destined for failure. And, tonight, Tomsula has been fired from the organization. I wish Jim Tomsula well.

How was he selected? The 2 top guys in the organization wanted someone they could control–a “yes” man. They got a “yes” man but didn’t get the leader the team needed. So, while senior leadership got what they wanted, the team and fans lost out. It’s more than disappointing. It’s appalling.

Do I blame Tomsula? No. He did the best he could. And, while he could have said, “Thanks, I appreciate the opportunity, but, I don’t think I’m ready to take on this position,” he didn’t. He was talked into it. He looked like a “deer in the headlights” ever since the announcement was made.

What’s the lesson?

Hire people for the right reasons. Don’t hire a weak person. Hire someone because you believe can produce the outcome you need now, not grow into the job over a number of years. And, if something isn’t quite right with the chemistry of the current leadership team, get help to see if you can make it right.

Thought for the week:

“No one will believe in you until you believe in you. So in 2016, start believing in you.” – Robin Sharma