Leadership lessons from the Jim Harbaugh era at the University of Michigan

Jim Harbaugh's reign at the University of Michigan recently ended, as he returned to the NFL after winning the national championship at Michigan. Over the past nine years, Harpa has provided several valuable lessons for entrepreneurs on how to approach leadership. In this article, we will summarize the best of these leadership lessons in order to apply them in your business.

Quick date

After head coach Lloyd Carr retired following the 2007 season, no one expected poor coaching stints from Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke to follow from 2008 to 2014. It only had Michigan fans itching to recapture their winning ways. Who better to call to set the record straight than Jim Harbaugh, who has had great success everywhere he has coached. Jim Harbaugh agreed to take over as Michigan coach in the 2015 season to save his beloved university and restore its greatness.

Leadership lessons resulting from this experience:

Your strategy really matters

Once he started running, he talked about trying to adopt a wing-spread type attack, which was what the better teams of the era were using. However, with the constant change in the team, they were not winning the battle in different places on the offensive and defensive lines. It was only when he returned to his previous way of playing football that Harpa really began to excel. So, do what you know and believe is best, regardless of any “hype” to the contrary.

Your management team is really important

Harba had several assistant coaches during his tenure. But, things didn't start to pick up for Michigan until he was drafted into the defensive schemes used in the National Football League program, by his brother John Harbaugh with the Baltimore Ravens. So, he surrounded himself with the best people possible.

Your recruits (players) really matter – win the recruiting battle

When he started out on the run, he was doing everything he could to outmaneuver competitors and enforce the rules within the NCAA. So he organizes satellite football camps in other states that were hot spots for recruiting. He was offering more than the Michigan football experience. A documentary about the Michigan football team was being released on Amazon Prime, to give the program more national media exposure. So, find out what you need to do to attract the best talent, and stand out from your competitors.

Your employees (players) are really important – recruit the right people

It was crucial to recruit the right type of player. Harba was focused on character more than anything else. He made sure that his man was successful, no matter what challenges he faced. So, make sure that new hires fit the desired culture in the team.

Your team culture is really important

This year, the Michigan team experienced a “team first” culture that we had never seen before. They had the sole goal of winning the national championship, they truly loved each other, and they were all “selfless.”

Patience is a virtue

It would have been very easy for the athletic director, Warde Manuel, to end his relationship with the Harbaughs after their dismal season in 2020. However, Manuel believed in Harbaugh, was willing to give him another chance, and helped Harbaugh to the end achieve the goal of restoring Michigan's greatness.

Sometimes you need to eat humble pie.

You have to know that Harpa was disappointed about his performance in 2020. However, he was ready to make the difficult sacrifices. He cut his large salary in half, and made it more of a pay-for-performance structure, where the best got the highest salary.

Do not reveal your movements publicly unless you have to

The biggest criticism of Harpa has been constant media reports of his interest in joining Major League Soccer permanently. On top of that, it weakened the sense of comfort and stability of current and prospective players and coaches, making them look for the door, especially with other search engines that used this information in their recruitment attempts.

Timing is everything

Had Harpa left Michigan after his disastrous 2020 season, his reputation would have been permanently damaged. But, by making things right and coming out having won the national championship, all was well. As Harpa accomplished his goals, the fans were excited and he will be remembered as a lover who saved Michigan football. Time is a critical component to your success and reputation, so use it wisely in your efforts.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it

On the heels of Michigan's first national championship since 1997, losing a head football coach is not something an athletic director wants. But, Manuel's movements were fast, and rightly so. I'm giving my assistant coach, Sherrone Moore, a promotion to head coach. Why? First, because Harba said he was the next person to carry the torch, and Manuel trusted Harba's opinion. But, more importantly, the players loved him, and he will maintain Michigan's distinctive culture well into the future.