Dave Kaiser, a kicker for the Michigan State Spartans, had a moment in football history that will forever be remembered. During the 1956 Rose Bowl game, Michigan State and UCLA were tied at 14 with just a few seconds left. The Spartans had the ball with one 41 yard field goal attempt left. Coach Duffy Daugherty sent Dave Kaiser in to make the hopeful winning kick. Kaiser was the backup kicker for Gerald Planitus. Planitus had missed two field goals previously in the game. If Kaiser made the kick, it would be his first successful field goal attempt in his career up to that point. The ball was snapped and Kaiser kicked toward the end zone, but instead of watching the ball sail through the uprights, the kicker immediately looked to the referee. The kick was good and Michigan State won the game. Coach Daugherty hugged him and shouted, “Nice going, Dave, but why didn’t you watch the ball after you kicked it?” “I couldn’t see it,” Kaiser said. “I forgot my contact lenses at the hotel, so I had to watch the officials to know if the kick was good or not. Coach, I couldn’t even see the goalposts!”
Confidence allows people to take bigger risks, which can result in bigger rewards. Kaiser kicked the ball perfectly because he was a confident kicker. He knew the distance and the angle. Hours and hours in practice and careful discipline allowed him to kick the winning field goal, even if he couldn’t see the ball.
Confidence is contagious. When a leader displays confidence, it allows his or her team to be confident as well. However, when a leader lacks confidence, it makes it very difficult for the team to trust the leader’s ability. Coach Vince Lombardi said, “Confidence is contagious. So is the lack of confidence.” The attitude you display as the leader will be the attitude the team reflects. You cannot expect your team to be full of confidence if you, as the leader, are questioning yourself and your cause. Whatever decision you make, you must make it with the confidence that it is the right thing to do. Whatever project you are working on, work on it with confidence. Whatever goal you set, set it with confidence. The more confidence you exude, the more action your team will take. Confidence inspires action.
