February 9, 2010 – Globe and Mail – Toronto, Canada
When New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton rallied his team in the locker room during half-time at the Super Bowl, he presented them with a gutsy proposal: Open the second half of the game with an onside kick.
The Saints were trailing the Indianapolis Colts by four points, and an onside kick had never been attempted before the fourth quarter in the history of the Super Bowl.
As it turned out, the play was the beginning of a comeback that would win the team its first-ever championship.
The way Mr. Payton prepared his players for taking such a big risk could be a good lesson for executives, managers and anybody who has to lead a team when the stakes are high.
The coach had made the team practise the onside kick, naturally. He’d spent the season winning the players’ trust with other successful high-stakes moves, and had shown them that although bold, the plays he crafted were well thought out. At half-time, he already had the players sold.
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