Communications is Everywhere Assignment

One of my true passions in life is college sports, as you could probably tell from the contents of my previous blog posts. I believe that college sports, particularly college football, are inherently magical, mythical, and aspirational. The colorful characters, worn in rivalries, and the stories passed down from generation-to-generation make college football a living entity. For me, the character that made me fall in love with the game and with the Alabama football program was Nick Saban. Saban, much like the coaching greats of yesteryear, is a stoic figure. But, unlike previous legends, there are multiple instances where Saban has confessed his personal principles and motivations. One of the video clips that stands out to me from Saban was an excerpt from his Character Initiative in 2012. What Saban discusses in this seven minuet clip sticks with me to this day, and reminds me of the teachings of this class and other Newhouse classes.

Over my three years at Newhouse, and especially during this class, I’ve learned the importance of working in a collaborative setting, and how important it is to focus each person’s efforts to accomplishing a singular goal. While everyone in my InnoVero group had our own problems, limitations, and other courses, we had to put those differences aside in order to provide InnoVero with a quality strategy to improve their social presence. We had to make time within our personal lives to ensure our clients were satisfied with the work we presented.

hose same tenets connect very closely to what Saban touches upon in his keynote speech. Alabama, especially under Saban’s tenure, recruit at an incredibly high level. These recruits come in with aspirations of going pro and winning individual awards, but Saban emphasizes that one thing should come before that: the team. In Saban’s “pyramid of success”, the top point is the team. The team and the organization comes before everything, and players have to buy-in into what the team wants to accomplish. “You can never have any team success if everyone is not committed to the same standards.” That quote has always stuck out to me when I first watched this clip in high school, but I started to truly understand the quote and Saban’s sentiments when I arrived to Newhouse.

I've always found team settings, particularly in schoolwork, to be difficult to manage. In high school, I was never very fond of group work because I believed that my singular vision was going to bring me success. When I arrived to Newhouse two years ago, though, my mindset changed. I started to learn the vital importance of groupwork, and how important it is. I also took those sentiments from Saban and implemented them into my own mindset. While I may have my own ideas and aspirations, at the end of the day the group’s success comes before anything. Once I leave Newhouse in about a year, that sentiment from Nick Saban will continue to ring true. In a professional environment, each member of the organization has to put their differences aside to meet the common goals they have. Without that “buy-in”, the potential for success is limited. Inspiration and motivation can come from the most unlikely and likely places, and for me, I’m lucky that I better understand how Saban’s mindset can connect to my personal and professional life.