During this past weekend’s Sunday Night Football game between the Indianapolis Colts and the San Diego Chargers, the announcers pointed out that Jim Caldwell was serving in his first season as the Colt’s Associate Head Coach under Head Coach Tony Dungy.

I’ve seen that title before……..Associate Head Coach…….and always wondered what that really meant.

The announcers asked Jim Caldwell what the title means and he said…Apprentice…Understudy.

The Colts organization and Tony Dungy wanted to leave the team in good hands once Dungy decided to move on so they put a plan in place for Caldwell to develop, grow, learn, and study under Dungy.

Tony Dungy is a great leader and great leaders always leave a legacy.

John Maxwell says this about leaving a legacy in his book, The 21 Most Powerful Minutes In A Leader’s Day:

It specifically includes the passing of the leadership baton.  It means succession from the leader to his replacement.  That makes a leader’s legacy a tremendous gift.

Jim Caldwell said this about his apprentice situation with Tony Dungy in a January 2008 USA Today article……..

I have a unique opportunity to learn from men that know this business inside and out. As a head coach, there’s probably no better example in this country than the man I work for and support.

A perfect example of these 2 leadership princples…….

1 // Great leaders leave a legacy by properly passing the leadership baton.

2 // Good leaders become great leaders by learning from great leaders.

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