Leadership Capacities
Coach Paterno has demonstrated and has promoted moral purpose throughout his tenure as Penn State’s football coach. He has used his passion for the game of football to promote ethical values to the entire Penn State community. Ironically, winning football games is part of the “small picture” for Coach Paterno. Preparing his players to display honorable character is far more important to his vision. Throughout his career, Coach Paterno has built relationships within the entire Penn State community that will have a lasting effect for many years to come. From Bryce Jordan to incoming freshmen, Coach Paterno has built relationships through his affable personality, commitment to the university, and his overall approach to life. By donating to charities, speaking to the student body at pep rallies, and negotiating successfully for academic and athletic funding, he has created relationships that will have a lasting effect on the on the lives of many.
The process of change is something that Coach Paterno has successfully encompassed during his career. He has adapted his coaching style as the game of football has changed while still maintaining his values. His terminology and schematics have changed as the game of football has progressed. Furthermore, Coach Paterno adapts his team’s vision on yearly basis based on the strengths of his personnel. In a business of continual change, Coach Paterno displays the ability to manage change to create successful environments.
Sharing his knowledge with others is a major strength for Coach Paterno. He has continually demonstrated his ability to share his knowledge of football and leadership with coaches, players, and people outside of the Penn State community. By speaking at banquets and clinics and sponsoring camps, Coach Paterno extends his knowledge to diverse groups. Furthermore, he has shown the ability of making coherence through everyday decision making. Stressing academic achievement before athletics is one example of his strength to rationalize with his players. As quoted by a former player, “There’s an academic standard that Paterno goes by and, if you are not above his standard, you, you’re not going to get the opportunity.”
References
Asbell, B (1989). Paterno By The Book (1st ed.). New York, NY:Random House.Wikipedia (n.d.). Joe Paterno. Retrieved February, 10, 2009 from, Wikipedia Foundation, Inc Web site: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JoePaterno.
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In this day and age of questionable morals pervading our society, it is wonderful to see leaders such as Paterno and Mink who maintained a moral standing and purpose throughout their work. Mink relied upon relationship building in order to accomplish her moral purposes and obviously this held true for Paterno also. So often I see people in positions of power who forget the importance of relationship building. As Collins (2001) research showed, in order to build sustainable greatness, the entire culture must change. Charismatic leaders may bring greatness, but if there is not a culture change, then it will be short-lived. The only way to sustain a widespread culture change is through relationship building. Paterno and Mink obviously had a deep understanding of this fact.
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