The Ravens-49ers 2013 Super Bowl was replete with lessons on the difficulties of managing success. We never mention the underlying powerful emotion of guilt when it comes to getting to the top, but coach John Harbaugh of the champion Ravens provided a vivid example.
In a vivid story Coach Gene Chizik reveals his secret intention to make a mess of things. He points to the powerful emotions behind his success sabotage: fear, guilt, and self-idealization.
Before continuing with Chizik’s story we look at the recent achievement of his former chief rival. On the heels of winning three national titles in four years, Nick Saban faces the incredible challenge of going where no college coach has gone — winning three championships in a row. Going to the NFL would have been a retreat, but instead he has chosen to face a bigger challenge.
Chizik reveals additional pressures leading to his retreat from success. These included replacing his former boss as head coach, more guilt over firing his friends on the Auburn staff upon arrival, the burden of early success, the murder of two Auburn players prior to the 2012 season. All of these contributed to his becoming more self-sabotaging with discipline problems continuing. Chizik had difficulty setting boundaries in relationships.
Crucial stories in his book “All In” continue to reveal the real story.
Two games into the 2012 season Gene Chizik saw the total collapse of his Auburn team coming. He described between the lines how the season would unfold with eerie precision. Unconsciously he recognizes his blind spots which will soon become more apparent to everyone.
He knew he had violated the laws of success last season but now he had really picked up the pace. His team had opened 0-2.
Riding a phenomenal wave of success after leading Auburn to a 2010 national championship, Coach Gene Chizik started to show chinks in his armor. A shocking armed robbery by four players, writing a self-centered book, and loosening the reins of discipline all reflected Chizik’s difficulty handling sudden unexpected success beyond his wildest dreams. A key story in a Chizik speech at the beginning of the 2011 season revealed the huge burden of success which would prove too heavy for him to carry. Former Auburn Coach Pat Dye and the great Bear Bryant revealed the powerful danger associated with success in the back of our minds.
@2023 Andrew G. Hodges
