The NFL playoffs have begun! Everyone is excited about their favorite team and hoping they will go on to win the Super Bowl. Many people assume that those winning teams are just lucky, or they drafted the most talented players, or their owners are wealthy and can buy the best equipment and marketing. These may be helpful, but they miss the important truth that success is built on years of training and preparation.
No one succeeds just on luck or raw talent or wealth. There is no silver bullet or shortcut that gets you to your goal. It was fascinating to hear the Detroit Lions Coach share how they have made it to the playoffs after three years of hard work. In fact, when he began to work for the Lions, he didn’t worry about winning right away. He worked on instilling a sense of hard work, listened to the players, and earned their trust. It has taken three years of instilling a vision, philosophy and discipline as well as recruiting players who responded to that model to win their first playoff game.
There were many questions and obstacles they had to overcome in order to build a successful team. The key was having a vision and plan, and staying true to who they were and how they played over time. Likewise, leaders need to identify what they want their team to represent, how they will create momentum and overcome obstacles, what resources they will need, and stay committed to achieving those things.
It is easy to get distracted by other opportunities and move away from a leader’s original vision. In a moment of difficulty, some will choose the easiest answer or give up altogether and miss out on experiencing success. Knowing that success is built over time with hard work, determination and teamwork is critical to building a lasting impact on those we serve.
Leaders should begin by identifying what their purpose and values are, what type of culture they want to create, and how they will build their team to accomplish that purpose. All of these are too important to leave to chance or hope that you are lucky, and success will just happen. Begin today with creating a great purpose, culture, and team. Then go win your Super Bowl!
