Learn from the changes the 49ers made to put them in the Super Bowl

The last time the San Francisco 49ers were in the Super Bowl was 1994. 26 years ago.

I stopped watching them shortly thereafter.

Last season the team lost 3 of 4 preseason games and then went 4-12 in the 2018-2019 season. Who could believe these guys would be Super Bowl contenders this year?

If you stop and think about your leadership and business, are you a “Super Bowl” contender in your market?

If not, what can you learn from the San Francisco 49ers, who wallowed in mediocrity and failure for much of the past 23 years before thinking outside the box and totally changing the team’s culture?

Trust in Character and Aptitude Over Popularity When Choosing Leaders

In January 2017 the 49ers were looking for a new coach after firing Head Coach Chip Kelly and General Manager Trent Balke.

They decided to hired Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch as the new head coach and general manager, when neither of them had ever been in those senior roles previously. While many fans and pundits would have preferred the 49ers hire a more seasoned head coach, that didn’t happen. Instead, they were impressed with Shanahan and decided to bet on character and aptitude, not ego and doing what would be popular.

Kyle Shanahan, 2016

Then, even though Shanahan’s first season sputtered and ended with a poor record, the team’s ownership stood by Shanahan (and Lynch). It’s important to cut your losses when character and culture are not thriving, but it’s also important to give people a chance when they are making the right choices. The 49ers ownership had the wisdom to see major change was happening, even though the numbers didn’t show it.

Shanahan and Lynch then assembled a killer coaching squad. For example, Robert Saleh is the team’s defensive coordinator. He was raised in the small town of Dearborn, Michigan. According to some friends of mine who have been following the 49ers, Saleh has a combination of creativity, wisdom, and Midwest grit that now can be seen in every single defensive players’ performance on the field, and behavior off the field.

Assemble an Awesome Team

After/while Shanahan and Lynch assembled a great coaching staff, they went to work on building a great team with the right culture.

First, they made the right decisions, often tough decisions, about people. For instance, they only kept 12 players from Chip Kelly’s 2016 squad. Only 26 of their current 90 players have played at least four full NFL seasons. Translation? Most are rookies and newbies.

Another example: Sometimes you have to remove one of the cows in your herd to get the herd’s attention. They fired top player Reuben Foster for off-the-field behavior contrary to their team values.

In contrast, they signed a number of players with huge potential, including Jimmy Garoppolo, a superstar quarterback ready for primetime. Jimmy comes from a tight-knit, blue collar, Italian family, the third of four sons, and seems like a man of character. Yet, although he is an important piece to the 49ers’ turnaround puzzle, one person doesn’t make a team.

Consider flashy, but controlled 26-year-old George Kittle, the leader of the 49ers offense. He consistently gives everything he’s got, week after week, on the field and off, and he is constantly interacting with fans and the media. He’s fun, but more importantly, he applies his people strengths to grow other young players.

One more player example, although there’s lots more: Richard Sherman is a veteran linebacker who came from the Seattle Seahawks. Some people say he plays with a chip on his shoulder, but Sherman uses any animosity inside him to his advantage on the field.  

The second thing the 49ers coaching staff has done well is to focus on culture more than their win-loss record, realizing the only route to long-term success is to get the team to bond.

I’m sure the Kansas City Chiefs have their share of success stories and strong team culture. But whoever wins the Super Bowl will be the one whose players trust each other so much that no matter what the score is, or the last play, they’ll be connected with a purpose that’s beyond any individual personality or skill.

Why did I stop watching the 49ers?

I mentioned at the beginning of this article that I stopped watching the 49ers about 26 years ago. Why did I stop watching?

Well, I think the team’s culture turned me off. It was fun to watch Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott, Roger Craig, and other teammates who loved the game try to beat the odds week after week. Unfortunately, while Steve Young was a great athlete and a great quarterback, I had a hard time relating to him, his team, and the 49er teams that followed.

But now I’m back on the bandwagon, for at least a little bit, mostly because I’m so impressed by the decisions that have been made by the 49ers leadership.

I’m looking forward to this year’s Super Bowl. I feel a personal connection even though I’ve never met them.

In a similar way your market, clients, vendors, and even employees can become more or less passionate about your organization when your company culture is good or bad. Don’t you want everyone to feel a positive, personal connection to your company?

Is it time to mix it up? Perhaps, that’s up to you. If it is time to make some changes I hope you make those tough decisions and focus on the right stuff.

Enjoy the game!