Empowering College Heads: Lessons from NFL Mentor Dan Campbell
Last weekend, I attended an annual conference with around 300 fellow college presidents, hosted by the Council of Independent Colleges. I find this event to be a highlight of my year, as the job of a college president can often feel isolating and peculiar. However, the overall tone of our gatherings has taken a negative turn lately, and this year was no exception.
The three main topics of discussion were higher education's financial challenges, deteriorating campus discourse, and the impact of artificial intelligence. These issues pose significant existential threats to higher education. The financial challenges refer to the strained business model that affects almost every college and university, including prestigious Ivy League schools like Brown. The state of free speech on campuses is rapidly deteriorating, resulting in heated and violent discourses on seemingly any topic. Lastly, the emergence of artificial intelligence is causing uncertainty about the relevance of traditional education models.
Our conversations revolved around the challenges, and the atmosphere was filled with despair and gloom. There was a sense of mourning, with many expressing concerns about potential job losses. Despite some well-intentioned potential solutions, the overall sentiment was one of resignation.
However, during our discussions, there was one shining example of hope and resilience - the Detroit Lions. On Sunday night, I gathered with a few Michigan-based peers to watch the game, and it was the first time all weekend that I felt a glimmer of hope.
Many may not be aware, but in the history of the NFL, the terms "Detroit Lions" and "hope" have rarely been used in the same sentence. Known for their lackluster performance, the Lions have struggled to make it to the Super Bowl, with failed seasons and seemingly insurmountable odds against them.
But the team embodies the spirit of Detroit, just like it did in the 1950s. During that time, the Lions were dominant, leading the NFL in titles before the introduction of the Super Bowl. Detroit was also a thriving city, producing 80% of the world's cars and nurturing cultural giants like Motown.
However, as the city's fortunes shifted due to external factors, so did the Lions'. In the 1960s, the team started to lose, mirroring the city's decline. They both hit rock bottom simultaneously, but then, signs of change began to emerge.
The Detroit Lions and Detroit's automotive industry started their resurgence at the same time, with innovative leaders like Sheila Ford Hamp and Henry Ford III leading the charge. Hamp, in particular, showed unwavering support for her head coach, Dan Campbell, even amid backlash. Campbell's defiant hope and unshakeable drive helped turn the team around, leading them to record-breaking success.
Sitting there with my fellow college presidents, watching the Lions dominate, I couldn't help but compare their transformative journey to our own challenges in higher education. Maybe the answers we seek lie not in despairing about the challenges but in embracing hope and defiance. After all, everyone gets knocked down; the only question is whether you're going to get back up.
- Dan Campbell, the head coach of the Detroit Lions, faced significant backlash but remained hopeful and determined, which helped the team achieve success.
- In the NFL playoffs, the Detroit Lions, often associated with lackluster performance and 'hope' being a rare coupling, defied expectations under Coach Campbell's leadership.
- As college presidents, we could learn from Detroit Lions' transformation, embodying hope and defiance to overcome the challenges facing higher education and colleges, including financial strains, free speech issues, and the impact of artificial intelligence.
- Sheila Ford Hamp, the Detroit Lions' executive vice president and chief business officer, demonstrated exemplary leadership by supporting Coach Campbell amidst criticism, echoing the resilience needed in the higher education sector today.
- While many college presidents were expressing despair about the financial and free speech challenges in higher education, the Detroit Lions' story served as a source of 'hope' that change is possible with unwavering leadership and 'defiance' against adversity.
