His bigger failing was over-emphasizing 'fun' and leaning too far into positive reinforcement at the expense of accountability and occasional, direct tough love and disciplinarian leadership.
There are a lot of folks here who keep thinking the culture that John references and Pete built is synonymous with poor tackling this, or missed assignment that... lack of preparation. If you want to read up on how it all applies in the corporate world, browse this:
Companies who shift from the familiar top-down corporate structure to a learning organization model create an environment of continual growth and continual learning.
elmlearning.com
Pete and John have both referenced Seattle being a Learning Organization. This isn't an accident... not a slip of the tongue. It's a very specific way of building a culture around a series of foundational beliefs. I understood early on what Pete was doing because when he spoke about it, I recognized it through work my firm was doing in resetting the company's culture.
The entire philosophy is built on a few simple cornerstones:
Developing a Learning Culture
Building a Learning Organization
By ELM Learning
September 14, 2022
To practice a discipline is to be a lifelong learner. You never “arrive.” The more you learn, the more acutely aware you become of your ignorance.
– Peter Senge
Companies who shift from the familiar top-down corporate structure to a learning organization model have a better chance of creating an environment of continual growth, risk-taking, continual learning, collaboration—and a better chance of surviving in a very competitive environment.
What is a learning organization?
A learning organization can be defined as any organization that prioritizes personal and professional growth through knowledge transfer. These organizations encourage learning as part of their fundamental culture and overall vision for long-term success.
Peter Senge, author of
The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization, popularized the term “learning organization” in the early 90s.
Senge is an advocate for decentralized leadership, a model in which all people in an organization can work toward a common goal. His Five Disciplines of a learning organization outline how that can happen:
- Personal Mastery: In an interview, Senge called personal mastery the “cornerstone” of a learning organization. Personal mastery is the development of the capacity to accomplish personal goals; learning organizations make this possible by creating an environment where employees can, through reflection, develop their own sense of vision—how they look at the world, what matters to them, and what they are passionate about contributing to. Said Senge: “Personal vision is the soil in which shared vision can be grown.”
- Shared Vision: A shared vision is only possible in an environment of trust and collaboration instead of compliance to directives from on high. Corporate leadership works together with employees toward a common vision—creating an environment where employees feel heard and are encouraged to take risks.
- Mental Models: With a mental model, we understand how our deeply ingrained assumptions and generalizations affect our interactions and decisions. To paraphrase Senge: Understanding the difference between hearing what someone said, and truly understanding what they said, and understanding the gap between what actually happened and what we perceived happening requires reflection. “In a nonreflective environment, we take what we see as truth,” said Senge.
- Team learning: Senge says that team learning can only happen when team members are “humble,” when they are willing to reflect and take into account other people’s views, suspending personal biases in order to work as a whole in a collaborative environment.
- Systems Thinking: Systems thinking is the idea that we’re part of an interrelated system—not a disjointed set of personal silos; systems thinking addresses the whole and creates an understanding of how parts are interconnected. Senge said, “Systems thinking is a sensibility—for the subtle interconnectedness that gives living systems their unique character” (The Fifth Discipline, p. 69).
None of it has to do with tackling, xs and os, or football specifically. It all has to do with HOW you create the environment for a TEAM to come together and GROW together in a way that elevates both the TEAM and INDIVUDUAL, at the same time.
So all the references to 'Pete let's us be who we are'. That's learning organization fundamentals.
The uncanny bond of the team and LOB thats the hallmark of hawks ball? Learning Organization basics.
Using outside, non traditional sources to inspire and educate? Pete did it all the time during the offseason in particular. Basic Learning Org.
Being based in complimentary football? That's rooted in systems thinking... point 5 above.
Another HUGE one that factored in to the fall of Pete was the concept of decentralized leadership. Ie empowering a collective to lead. It's smart leadership, but only works if you enforce accountability and choose the right leaders. Pete did neither.
That's the culture that needs to be kept. Few organizations are skilled enough to employ it, but the ones that do and do it well are almost universally successful. Why, because it's rooted in what makes human beings go.
Pete just lost his was in enforcing the philosophy of accountability. Plug in a leader who can maintain that and is smart enough and balanced enough to lead the culture and we have a winner
