What Georgia Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart Has That's Bad for the Rest of College Football
Real Georgia Fans Don’t Miss the Dawg Post Newsletter - Sign up now!
ATHENS - Going into his eighth season it’s undeniable that Georgia Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart has ascended the college football coaching ladder as quickly as any coach in modern history.
Sporting an 81-15 overall record, Kirby ended the 41-year title drought. He’s not lost more than three games in a season since his inaugural campaign in 2016. Back-to-back titles along with an 8-2 post-season record mark him as one of, if not the best, college coach. Period. His leadership acumen along with a relentless recruiting approach portend great things for years to come.
Limited-Edition *** ACT NOW *** Kelee Ringo-Signed Books
Order Now Before We Run Out - Limited Stock!
The overlooked, if not hidden, component of Kirby’s success is his charisma. Now, before you think I’m crazy, let’s define charisma. Webster’s dictionary says charisma is “a personal magic of leadership arousing special popular loyalty or enthusiasm”.
Nowhere in that definition does it say a charismatic leader is a rah-rah cheerleader, although that may be a characteristic. Further studies condense charisma into a set of behaviors that make leaders admired for competence and for altering the status quo in meaningful and important directions. Combining both Websters’ definition and that of other studies it becomes rather obvious Kirby has charisma. Loads of it. But I think there is more to it than a definition.
John “Doc” Bahnsen writes in Leadership: The Warrior’s Art that what separates charismatic leaders from others isn’t “an authoritative set of behaviors, but their profound understanding of and genuine regard for others. Charismatic leaders have a special insight into the human condition. They know what makes people tick both on a general level and on the level specific to each individual”. Kirby is authoritative….that much we know. But it’s not the beginning and end of his leadership style. His ability to connect, and to drive connection, with each of his players and staff demonstrates his insight into the collective and individual needs of his program.
Charisma is also a quality that gives an individual extraordinary influence over many people. The difference between a charismatic leader and a demagogue is positivity. A demagogue will motivate followers by tapping into fears and prejudices, always focusing on the negative. A charismatic leader creates a sense of belonging and unity for positive reasons.
When positivity is combined with competence, that leader brings out the best of both individuals and organizations and helps each overcome limitations, both real and perceived. Looking back at the last two seasons, I think it’s easy to see how Kirby’s charisma enabled the program to overcome 41 years of futility. Players and staff are connected. Recruits routinely talk about the family feel around the program. Those in the media, and those of us that thirst for anything Georgia football, may not consider Kirby to be positive. But here’s the thing – the only people that matter are those inside the program. And those that are allowed to speak to the media consistently talk about standards, connection, and support. All things a charismatic leader instills in his or her organization.
UGA CHAMPION GEORGIA MOM REVERSE WEAVE SWEATSHIRT
Check out this deal out today!
Finally, charismatic leaders are also great mentors and developers. Kirby wants winners that work for him, both staff and players. Mentoring involves a high degree of personal investment that goes above the job of winning football games. Kirby has obviously invested a great deal of time and energy into developing his coaching staff, as 4 former coaches have all risen to the head coach mantle. His mentoring and development, along with complete trust in his staff, has enabled Kirby to be a better gameday coach. Instead of focusing on where he’s most comfortable on defense, Kirby spends most of his time on the sidelines guiding the staff and players and looking as far into the future of the game as he can in order to position his charges to win.
We’ve seen multiple head coaches spend time with one side of the ball or the other when on the sidelines, leaving the opposite squad to the coordinator or position coaches. Kirby may have done that early, but he rarely leaves the edge of the field to move to the bench area. He has mentored and developed his staff in such a way that he can trust what adjustments they make when on the sidelines, freeing him to run the game.
Further, Kirby’s development of a player-led leadership council has cultivated an environment of example-setting and peer accountability that is found in most ultra-successful organizations. This leadership council also gives Kirby the ability to help develop player leadership qualities that not only help the team now but will help that player when he is drafted into the NFL.
Kirby’s ability to create the environment of success and expectations is only rivaled by his drive to achieve. He doesn’t have to sell it to his players or potential recruits and their families. They see it modeled by the head man himself. Charisma creates an aura that true winners want to be around. Georgia may not get every highly rated recruit or keep every great player from entering the transfer portal. But those that choose to come to Georgia and those that choose to stay will represent Kirby’s vision and drive. Rah-rah coaches eventually fail once the exhortations fall on deaf ears. Kirby’s charisma is undeniable, and that’s truly bad news for the rest of college football.