Kirby Smart’s ‘Clear, Concise, Repeat’ Formula

Clear, Concise, Repeat

Julie reflects on a message from the University of Georgia’s head football coach. It was a masterclass in leadership communication, and Julie breaks it down.

In this episode, Julie shares a leadership communication tip from college football. After watching the Georgia Bulldogs beat TCU a few weeks ago in the national championship, Julie reflected on the winning head coach’s message before the game. It was a one-word mission – and they delivered. It was a masterclass in leadership communication, and Julie breaks that down in this episode.

Hey there, this is Julie Bee, and you’re listening to They Don’t Teach THIS in Business School. I’m so glad to have you with me. 

Today I want to talk about the importance of clarity and conciseness in our words when we talk to our teams. I’m going to share a story to illustrate. 

A few weeks ago, I watched the college football national championship between The Georgia Bulldogs and the TCU Horned Frogs. Georgia delivered an epic beatdown to TCU, winning the game 65-7. I watched most of the game because I love college football and now have to wait about nine months to see it again. 

I knew, though, that Georgia was going to win (and win big). It wasn’t because of the pundits, the polls, or the clear talent advantage Georgia held over TCU. I’ve seen TCU play, and they were a great team. They surprised a lot of people this year – especially when they beat Michigan in the semifinals. 

So how did I know Georgia was going to win, and win big? 

It was the comment their head coach, Kirby Smart, made right before the game kicked off. When asked what he needed to see from his team, he said one word. 

https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/georgia-football/kirby-smart-delivers-intense-pregame-comments-prior-to-national-title-bout/

Aggression. 

His team delivered. 

I share that example to illustrate how important our words are to our teams and those we lead. I’m sure he said that word repeatedly to the team leading up to the game. It was probably ingrained in their minds. Kirby Smart was probably tired of saying it. 

Here’s the lesson – When you are tired of saying it, it’s probably just sinking in for the rest of the team. 

And Repetitive, simple, and concise words win when we’re talking to our teams about the big picture goal. In Georgia’s example, the goal was to win the championship. How? Aggression. 

Now I am NOT a shining example of this. I have tendency to ramble and go on tangents. I’m a podcast host, after all. Part of my job is to dig into answers to questions and get to the really good stuff. And there is always a place for back and forth conversations and discussions, brainstorming ideas, getting to know people, and learning about them. 

But I’ve learned over the years when you’re delivering a vision, mission, or a very important statement – keeping it short and simple is the best way to go.

As business owners, we are the leaders of our teams; they look to us to for direction. Simplifying, then repeating, your message in those leadership moments is a very valuable skill. Practice it, rehearse it, and know what you’re going to say when they look to you. 

Trying to summarize the Georgia Bulldogs team in one word is hard to do, but I’ll go for it. 

Relentless.

Huh, maybe I can do it after all.

As business owners, when we deliver leadership messages – those are some of the most important conversations we’ll have with your team. It may be a massive concept, but if you want your team to remember it, use as few words as possible.

I’m Julie Bee, and They Don’t Teach THIS in Business School