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Remember
The
Titans
Copyright © All rights reserved
By Ken Chapman, Ph.D.
Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc.
A few years ago, screen writer, Gregory Alan Howard, moved from Los Angeles to
Alexandria, Virginia. He was no stranger to the state having spent some of
his growing up years in Norfolk. But he found he especially liked
Alexandria. It had the historical interest of having been George Washington’s
home town. But the thing that really impressed Howard, an African American,
was that black and white people lived and worked closely together, unlike many
other parts of the nation.
One day after he had settled in, Howard was at a barber shop and
heard men talking about a local high school football team and how great it
was. They went on and on about the players and their accomplishments.
Finally, Howard asked where the team would be playing their next game so that
he could watch them. That is when he discovered that the team the men loved
was from 1971. Howard could not believe it. After nearly three decades, that
particular team was just as important to the people of the town as the team
that was still playing.
Howard got to thinking and then he started researching. The more
he found out, the more intrigued he became. He decided to write a screen play
about the events surrounding that team and the script was made into a movie
called, Remember the Titans. If you have seen the movie, you probably
remember that it was set at a time when many communities in the United States
were in the process of dismantling segregation. In 1971, the town of
Alexandria took tangible steps toward racial equality when it combined the
populations of three high schools, two white and one black, into a new
integrated school called T. C. Williams High School. It was a difficult time
and people from both racial communities were tense over the forced
interaction. The first groups to come together were the black and white high
school football players who were on a team together for the first time.
Adding to the tension was the fact that Herman Boone, a black coach, was
selected to be the head coach of the Williams’ football team rather than Bill
Yoast, a local white coach who was very popular in the community.
Boone did everything in his power to bring the players of the
combined teams together. He forced black and white players to ride on the
buses together up to training camp. He also made them room together. But he
was having a hard time getting them to come together as a team. The players
kept separating themselves by race. That is, all but one white player. In a
pivotal moment in the movie, Coach Boone asked that white team member for some
facts about some of his African-American teammates. The player easily
answered the questions. That is when the coach tells these young men that
until they all learn about every other player on the team, they can expect to
endure grueling practices three times a day. It did not occur easily, nor did
it happen overnight, but the team started to come together.
Years later when asked in an interview what the keys were to
getting the team to bond, Coach Herman Boone said, “Winning did it. Winning
solves everything. It’s also about communication, talking to each other. We
forced the kids to spend time with each other, to find out things about each
other. Every player was required to spend time with teammates who were of a
different race.”
That action turned the Titans around and the team did win. They
won every game of their regular season, the playoffs, and the state
championship. By the time they had finished, the Titans of 1971 were ranked
the best high school team in the nation. But more important than wins on the
field was their impact off the field. In response to the Titans, the
President of the United States, who lived less than ten miles away across the
Potomac River, stated simply, “The team saved the city of Alexandria.”
Boone agreed. He remarked, “The town decided to follow the team
rather than those who wanted to tear the team and the town down. I believe
the team did play a great role in keeping the city calm and focused positively
toward these young men who had shown the city that you can get along if you
just talk to each other.” And that is why, to this day, the people of
Alexandria still remember and talk about the Titans.
Stated bluntly, you and I cannot have teamwork unless we are
willing to talk with each other. Without the willingness to listen to each
other, we cannot understand each other. Without communication, we do not have
a team, instead we have a collection of individuals. If we evaluate a good
team, we will find that its players have some common characteristics. One of
these is that they communicate with each other.
(1) They do not isolate themselves from each other. The key
problem Herman Boone had to overcome on his newly formed team was isolation.
The players of one race isolated themselves from the players of the other
race. Any time a player becomes isolated, it is a problem for the team. If
entire sections of the team become isolated, that problem only grows. The
more teammates know about each other and about the team’s goals and methods,
the more they will understand. The more they understand, the more they will
care. A player with passion as well as connection is an asset to the team.
(2) Make it easy for teammates to communicate with each other.
Most communication problems can be solved with proximity. That is why Herman
Boone used it to get his team to gel. Putting players of different races on
the same buses and forcing them to room with one another made communication
more likely to happen. If you and I look at good leaders and the impact of
players on a team, you and I will find that they not only stay connected with
their teammates, they also make sure their teammates are able to make contact
with them easily.
(3) Follow the twenty-four hour rule. When some people are faced
with conflict or interpersonal difficulties, they avoid the person with whom
they are having the problem. But time alone does not usually fix such
situations. Without knowing both sides of the story, people tend to give the
benefit of the doubt to themselves and to assign negative motives to others.
Without communication, the situation just festers. That is why team members
need to follow the twenty-four hour rule. If we have any kind of difficult or
conflict with a teammate, we should not let more than twenty-four hours go by
without addressing it. In fact, the sooner we communicate the better.
(4) Give attention to potentially difficult relationships.
Relationships need attention to thrive. That is especially true of
relationships between people who are potential for conflict. One of the most
volatile relationships on the Titans team was between white linebacker, Gerry
Bertier, and black defensive end, Julius Campbell. The two started out hating
each other and they butted heads constantly. But through the course of the
season, they became fast friends. When Bertier was paralyzed in an auto
accident and lying in his hospital bed, the first person he asked for was
Julius. Their relationship may have developed slowly, but it grew strong.
(5) Follow-up important communication in writing. The more
difficult communication becomes, the more important it is to work to keep it
clear and simple. That often means putting communication in writing. It is
not accidental that most marriages have vows, football teams have play books,
and partnerships have contracts. And communication with your teammates is
important. You will find it is easier to keep everyone on the same page if
you have written it down for everyone’s benefit.
We should ask ourselves how we have been when it comes to
communication. Are we well connected to all our teammates? Have we neglected
some people and excluded them from our circle of communication? Or have we
isolated ourselves from others for the sake of being more productive? The
fact is that we may accomplish more individual goals that way, but we may be
hurting the team’s productivity. Can members of our team approach us or are
we unapproachable? Any time we are on a team, but not communicating with team
members, the team suffers. So when you think about the importance of team
communication, remember the Titans.
For more information about Ken
Chapman and Associates’ Leadership Development Programs, contact Ken Chapman
at 205.366.0265 or email Ken at
kchapman@leaderscode.com.
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