Decisive

Happy New Year to all. I'm sure all of you are off to a better start than Mike Haywood. For those who don't know, he was named head coach at the University of Pittsburgh on December 16th following a great turnaround at Miami University (OH). On New Year's Eve, Haywood was arrested for domestic battery in the presence of a child in South Bend, IN. On New Year's Day, the University of Pittsburgh fired Haywood saying "head coaches are among the University's most visible representatives and are expected to maintain high standards of personal conduct and to avoid situations that might reflect negatively on the University."

To be sure, being arrested for anything, much less domestic violence, is not an example any organization would want their leadership to display. In making their decision quickly, Pitt has shown decisiveness even though the program is in shambles. There was even some question as to who was going to coach the team in their upcoming bowl game. It will take several weeks to get a replacement which will delay recruiting. This could impact the team for many years. Given all the issues, they have made the right decision.

Organizations define themselves through their actions. Pitt has told the world that they expect a higher standard of their leaders. How does your organization define themselves? Once again, allow your core values to set the tone and dictate the appropriate actions. Would your organization have been as decisive as Pitt? You may want to ask yourselves that question before it's forced on you.