The first episode of “Hard Knocks” featuring our own Seattle Seahawks was full of highlights. One of the most intriguing things to me was a scene where Mike Macdonald was addressing the team and explaining how the 90’s Chicago Bulls finally turned the corner, becoming a dynasty.
Specifically, at 1:25 in the clip above we
get a glimpse at Macdonald’s entire vision for the Seahawks culture brought together in a single graphic. I went ahead and took a screenshot, so we can focus on it.
Enhance…
This diagram contains the core tenets of Macdonald’s football ethos, and by extension, his version of the Seahawks. We’ve heard him say all of these at some point, and this one graphic pulls them all together. Mike is extremely intentional in how he phrases things. I’m guessing that the layout of this diagram is also intentional. One of my majors in college was Management. I’ve been through multiple versions of leadership training, and I’m also a teacher and coach so these kinds of things really strike my fancy. Please indulge me as we break this down a little more!
Our eyes are immediately drawn to the “12 As One” right in the center. This is at the core of the Seahawks’ philosophy, underscoring the importance of playing as a team and including the fans as part of that. Those words are shown in the largest font size and also circled by 12 (very intentional) of the green feather accents from the jerseys.
The next large print showcases “Chasing Edges”, a very early Mike Macdonald-ism about always being on a constant quest to improve, no matter how small. Those two words surround the “12 As One” within the arrow (which we’ll get to in a bit). The font size is just as large as “12 As One”, and is also centered which highlights the significance of that phrase.
At the end of the arrow, we have the next largest text featuring the three words “Decisive, Relentless, and Shocking.” This is how Macdonald wants his Seahawks teams to play. He also talks about the “tip of the spear,” and having these words at the point of the arrow could symbolize how these three characteristics allow the team to move forward.
Speaking of moving forward, notice which way the arrow is pointing? Yeah, I believe having that arrow in there is absolutely intentional and represents “running it forward,” the newest Mike Macdonald saying for continued evolution of the Seahawks.
Finally, we have the phrases on the outline of the arrow with “Thru, Not Around”, “Stack W.I.N.S”, “Old School Principles, New School Methods”, and “A Style Nobody Wants To Play.” These are all in a slightly smaller font than the rest, but still make up essential parts of Mike’s messaging. They make up the border of the arrow, tying the entire diagram together.
Maybe I’m just nerding out, but I love things like this. Every leadership program has its own version of a graphic like this, summarizing everything in a single, digestible picture. All of these facets of Seahawks culture contributed to last season’s Super Bowl run, and I really enjoy seeing them all in one, cohesive representation. Mike Macdonald is a heck of a leader, and I’m confident in how he’ll use this diagram to continue to evolve the team going forward!
