Reinvention Moment

When I scan the news, I’m always looking for leadership lessons and metaphors. I want to challenge myself and I am also ever intrigued by the conversations our society is having—particularly if they touch the heart and inspire in our challenging times.

One of the recent, prominent stories has been the death of John Madden. Now, not all of you are football fans, but hang with me for a moment. There’s a valuable lesson in this man’s life.

Among the qualities I most admire in people is their ability to reinvent themselves when circumstances or opportunities require. John Madden did this repeatedly. We wouldn’t know of him if he hadn’t.

He loved football, played in college, and was recruited to play pro in 1958. Before he even played his first game, he experienced a career-ending injury. Think about this moment. He might have slunk back to his hometown, depressed and rejected, and spent his life in some role far beneath his gifts. Instead, he thought of himself in a fresh light, summoned dormant forces from his soul, and became a football coach. He worked his way up the ladder, ever growing and acquiring skills. You likely know what happened. He won a Super Bowl at the helm of the Oakland Raiders in 1977.

Then came a crisis. The stress of football was harming his health. He was distant from his two sons. He wanted a deeper marriage. This led to reinvention number two. He went into sports broadcasting, even though he knew he was nothing like the typical on-air personality of the time. He adapted. He reinvented. He drew new disciplines from within. He became the most famous sportscaster of his time, winning dozens of awards, earning millions, and staying near the sport he loved.

In time, he retired. Then, a third reinvention. He got interested in video games and gave his name to a football video game that became one of the biggest sellers in history. Again, he made millions and became as famous for this game as he was for broadcasting and coaching.

When someone like Madden dies, the obituaries make his life seem inevitable, as though every phase built easily upon the other. It wasn’t true. There were turning points, roads not taken, and tough decisions. There were seasons of being the new kid and making mistakes, but the skill of reinvention defined the whole.

Now, I take all this time to talk about Madden for your sake. In your life, if you are anywhere near the norm, you will likely make five or six major changes of direction in your leadership life. In each of these, you’ll have to ponder what you have been but not be bound by it. You’ll have to consider your skills but be able to project what they might make possible if applied to new challenges. You will also have to have the courage to let go of the familiar in order to grasp a different version of you and your leadership. Your success and satisfaction will ride on how well you do this.

Reinvention is an art. I imagine schools will one day teach courses on it. It is what makes for leadership ascent and impact. It is what allows us to transcend what we have been and even to overcome debilitating disappointments, like Madden’s early injury.

So play your current role well, but always keep an eye open for the “reinvention moment,” that turn made possible by seeing yourself differently and stretching your skill set to accomplish greater ends. The opportunities of our time surround you, but you’ll have to know the right time and direction for making your move.