May 22, 2008 4:28 PM

Of sports coaches and CEOs
Posted by Jesse Nunesat 4:28 PM

What's the difference between a really good CEO and a top-notch professional coach? Well, aside the fact that one group shares locker rooms with sweaty athletes, not much.

An article at HRWorld.com looks at the traits of successful CEOs and argues that many of the top pro coaches share those attributes, which generally involve getting a diverse group of people on the same page and making the whole greater than the sum of the parts. A list is presented of the top 10 coaches who would make "exceptional CEOs." One prominent local coach made the list:

2. Bill Belichick: Head coach, New England Patriots

Coaching Record: 127 - 81 with the Cleveland Browns and the New England Patriots through the 2007 season; three Super Bowl victories

Top CEO Trait: Be Willing to Admit Mistakes, Yet Be Unapologetic

Trait Example: In conjunction with the "Spygate" scandal, Belichick admitted that a misinterpretation of the NFL Constitution and Bylaws led him to authorize the taping of opponent practices, which he apologized for in a CBS Interview with Armen Keteyian. However, it was quite clear that Belichick's belief that the regulation in question (which forbids the videotaping of opponents during games) meant that he could tape opponents at any time besides during games. Clearly, Belichick believed that his mistake was a technical violation of NFL rules, but he did not apologize for act itself.

Yeah, yeah, I know. Enough "Spygate." But you'd have to admit Bill would make a good CEO. The Laker's Phil Jackson and his world of Zen take the No. 1 spot in the list. Check out the rest of the Top 10 here. And no, Doc Rivers or Terry Francona didn't make the cut.