Running head: IMPACTS OF CHANGE WITHIN HCC FOOTBALL

Impacts of Change within HCC Football

Dion Meneley
LEAD 570/Southwestern College
Kristy Smith
February 26, 2016

Running head: IMPACTS OF CHANGE WITHIN HCC FOOTBALL

Impacts of Change within HCC Football

Leadership isnt what it used to be, because the challenges facing every individual and
organization today are new and coming at us with increasing speed and complexity (Genovese,
2015). The concept of what constitutes a good leader of a football program has changed from
being an inflexible dictator, to being someone who understands the youth of today and adjusting
to their needs. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of: levels of
perspective as they pertain to leading the Hutchinson Community College football program, the
concept of leading meaning we are going somewhere, lack of foresight being considered
unethical, and how authentic the leader of a collegiate football program can realistically be.
Levels of Perspective
Kim (2002) suggests that leaders must see the world from higher levels of perspective
and have the skills and abilities to act in a creative, reflective, and generative mode. Many
coaches tend to live at the events level and simply react to whatever may come their way on a
daily basis. Constant turnover of coaches and players dictates that the leader of a program be
able to react and adapt to the daily changes to the environment surrounding them; however, if
one gets stuck leading in this manner, the program will be in never ending crisis management
mode. Working at the lower levels of perspective allows a program to manage the program very
efficiently on a daily basis. The problem with remaining at these levels is that the members of
the program are not allowed to be able to grow and be creative. When the head coach leads from
higher levels of leverage, they are able to take actions that connect them to their sense of purpose
and what they deeply care about (Kim 2002). Change at the individual and group level is a part
of college football. A good leader develops new ways of working within the organization to
define the goals and objectives, and learn new ways of addressing conflict (Anderson, 2015).

Running head: IMPACTS OF CHANGE WITHIN HCC FOOTBALL

Coaches that feel empowered and are allowed to implement new ideas tend to be the innovative
minds that help change the game in a positive way.
Leading Means We are Going Somewhere
Dr. McConkey (2012) stated that we should decide what the future should look like and
devise a plan to get there. Great head coaches understand that they must have a vision for their
program and continuously work towards achieving the goals they have set. Setting goals and
establishing a detailed plan for a team and program gives the entire organization direction, and
allows them to work in creative ways to accomplish the goals that have been set. This concept;
however, is much easier to implement at a four year university than it is to implement at
Hutchinson Community College. Over half of the football team and staff roll over each and
every year; and as a result, the team begins at the same starting point year in and year out. This
continuous change reflects the idea that our organization is never truly out of a state of change
and that even in minute ways, change is always occurring (Anderson, 2015). This fact makes the
idea of leading meaning we are going somewhere a four month process that begins new each
semester. The short time period and constant change of personnel makes it essential that time is
not lost communicating the message and days are not wasted working towards those goals.
Lack of Foresight is Unethical
The failure of a leader to foresee may be viewed as an ethical failure; because a serious
ethical compromise today is sometimes the result of a failure to make the effort at an earlier date
to foresee todays events (Kim, 2012). Although change is a constant within the Hutchinson
Community College football program, there is a predictable event that occurs each spring. On
national signing day, the HCC coaching staff signs more than half of the players that will
constitute the following years roster; however, every single year too many players are allowed

Running head: IMPACTS OF CHANGE WITHIN HCC FOOTBALL

to join the team. The result is that roughly 20 kids must be cut each spring to make room for the
incoming players. This process forces the program to part ways with players that have been
developing within our system, and allow them to join another program; which then enjoys the
fruits of our labor. On the other hand, it also offers an opportunity to replace those that have not
developed into what had been expected and make room for new talent. Knowing what the future
holds each spring, it is unethical for the leader of a program to allow players on the team with the
knowledge that they will not make it; and as a result, be let go within a years time.
Authentic Leaders
Being authentic means being straightforward, genuine, honest, and truthful about ones
plan, opinions, and motivations (Anderson, 2015). Based on this definition, there are not many
authentic leaders in the coaching profession. Contracts are not honored by colleges or coaches,
the motivations of coaches and universities are often dependent on the here and now, and plans
change on a year to year basis. The weaknesses of authentic leaders are very easy to point out
because people are imperfect creatures; however, the goal to be authentic is admirable. At their
core; good leaders strive to have a people-first attitude, a humble spirit, consistent values, a clear
mission and purpose, and an insatiable curiosity (Garnett, 2015). The constant changes within
the Hutchinson Community College football program have brought to light the authenticity of
the people in leadership positions. It is very difficult to remain true to ones core values when
the foundation they are standing on is constantly shifting; however, it is possible to stay to true
ones values if they are truly an authentic leader.

Conclusion

Running head: IMPACTS OF CHANGE WITHIN HCC FOOTBALL

The purpose of this paper was to address the strengths and weaknesses of: levels of
perspective as they pertain to leading the HCC football program, the concept of leading meaning
we are going somewhere, lack of foresight being considered unethical, and how authentic the
leader of a collegiate football program can realistically be. As the leader of the HCC Football
program, an effective leader must work at every level of perspective and take the appropriate
action, based on situations as the present themselves. The concept of leading meaning we are
going somewhere is a difficult concept to put into practice at HCC because of the constant
change that occurs; however, it can be accomplished by focusing on shorter time frames instead
of long term goals. The concept of lack of foresight being unethical is something that is noticed
on a yearly basis within the HCC football program; and it works as a double-edged sword.
Although signing a large number of players allows us to trim the fat for the upcoming season, it
also forces us to part ways with players we have invested in; and as a result, not get to see them
reach their potential and become a valuable asset for our program. Authentic leadership is a
necessity for the HCC football program to reach its full potential. Regardless of what our
profession is like in reality, it is absolutely possible for the leaders of our organization to stay
true to the traits described in this paper.

Running head: IMPACTS OF CHANGE WITHIN HCC FOOTBALL

References
Anderson, D. (2015). Organization development: The process of leading organizational change.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Garnett, L. (2015). If you are these 5 things, you are destined to be a leader of the future.
Retrieved from www.inc.com/laura-garnett/if-you-are-these-5-things-you-are-destined-to-bea-leader-of-the-future.html
Genovese, M. (2015, August 12). The future of leadership. [Web log comment]. Retrieved from
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-author-speaks/201508/the-future-leadership
Kim, D. (2002). Foresight as the central ethic of leadership. Voices of servant-leadership series;
booklet 8. Westfield, IN: Robert K. Greenleaf Center.
McConkey, B. (2012). Studying the future for doing well and doing good. Leadership and
organizational studies course 2. Lecture 10. Retrieved from: https://youtube.com/watch?
v=O9ua4IWz808