The Meltdown in the Coaching Box

It's no secret that in the world of leadership, the pressure to perform can be immense. But we still must exhibit poise, especially when frustration mounts.

We all get mad. Some more than others.

Then, there was Buffalo Bills Offensive Coordinator Ken Dorsey, who had a complete meltdown in the coaching box after his team lost to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

When the game ended, Dorsey started throwing papers, ripping stuff off the wall, and lost all semblance of poise under pressure. His actions were childlike, and what made his behavior worse, the entire NFL community — owners, players, coaches and fans — witnessed them as the video went viral.

Dorsey had every right to be upset. His team outplayed the Dolphins in almost every category, yet lost the game 21-19. As a former player, Dorsey has a high level of competitiveness. But there is a huge difference between being competitive and being out of control.

In the coaching world, Dorsey must learn to channel that competitive fire and develop a clearer mind to react and repair. He has to become the example of poise under pressure. If not, players will feel they have the right to behave poorly when things don't go their way.

It's no secret that in leadership, the pressure to perform can be immense. The pressure to consistently deliver at a high level can lead to emotional and physical stress. But when we lose our poise, we frequently hold a pity party and allow our ego to create a "victim story," believing the unanticipated event wasn't our fault.

There's a great quote from spiritual leader Sri Chinmoy: “Poise is an unseen power, and this unseen power is always ready to come to the aid of the outer action.”

Dorsey, like all of us, can develop and improve his poise under pressure. Instead of growing angry, Dorsey should have been elated. Yes, elated. Because now he has a teaching tape to show his players of what not to do. Since it was only Week Three of the NFL season, the loss shouldn't hold many future implications.

Had the Bills won the game and Dorsey rejoiced, the game's problems would have been hidden in victory. But by losing, Dorsey can coach/lead on his mistakes and will have his team's full attention moving forward.

If we act without poise, we miss the lessons of the game and are prone to make the same mistakes again.

Dorsey can learn from his behavior and would do well to understand a raging leader is never an effective one.