I’m writing this blog on a red-eye flight home after participating in a leadership forum in Phoenix, Arizona, then visiting dear friends there on Superbowl Sunday. What a super party! This year’s match-up between defending champions the Kansas City Chiefs and challengers the Philadelphia Eagles was both exhausting and exhilarating to watch—and I wasn’t even passionate about who won! I swung from being thrilled to see the Eagles—the underdogs—bringing home touchdown after touchdown to feeling sorry for the Chiefs when the score was 34 to 0 in the third quarter. I wondered what in the world happened that the Chiefs fell so quickly after dominating the scene for so long.
Success Depends on the Team, not the Individual
I watched the game with curiosity, intent on discerning what went right for the Eagles and wrong for the Chiefs in the context of leadership—I could feel the makings of a blog! During a commercial break my friend, Christine, asked members of the group to share their observations on leadership. I got some good input, including a remark from an experienced leader, Ciro, that football teams are like military units. The game is all about the team, not the individual.
Exploring that theme, I envisioned players drafted into the NFL from college teams where they’d likely starred in every game. They might presume what worked for them in college would also work in the professional league. But they’d probably be wrong. When signed to a team, they start at the bottom. It’s the coach’s job to transform the individual members into a cohesive team. Players learn they can’t succeed on talent like they may have done in college. In the professional league, whether they’re making $30M or $3M per year, they’ve each got a role to play, and they’re only going to succeed if the team succeeds. The players must demonstrate the discipline to set aside their presumptions and subordinate themselves to the interdependency required of a winning team.
Applying that logic to this superbowl, although the Chiefs had the inimitable Patrick Mahomes leading the plays, the Eagles demonstrated superior teamwork. Their quarterback, Jalen Hurts, set up some fantastic plays. I noticed the synergy of the massive offensive line. Sure, they’re the largest offensive line in the history of the sport, and that’s an advantage, but a bigger advantage than the men’s size was the power of their effective coordination. The same applied to the entire Eagles lineup—recall those incredible interceptions. The Eagles played like an expertly conducted concert band, denying Mahomes the opportunities to perform his magic.
A Winning Strategy
To succeed against the Chiefs, the Eagles needed to build a team capable of denying Patrick Mahomes that vital connection with Travis Kelce. By pressuring the Chiefs quarterback with their bulldozer-like defensive line, close-covering Kelse and much more, the Eagles successfully executed a winning strategy. For most of the game the Chiefs appeared to be adrift, with their star quarterback uncharacteristically at a loss. With minutes still left in the game, the mood on the Chiefs side had turned irrevocably somber, while the Eagles had already begun celebrating. So, what the heck happened out there, and what lessons can be learned?
Secrets to Success
An overarching lesson from this game is that the underdog can come out on top. That should be powerful motivation for individuals and teams facing adversity. The Eagles demonstrated several ways that leaders can coach their teams to success. Here are a few takeaways from the game. If you watched, I invite you to think of a few of your own.
- Looking beyond oneself: The instant the game was over, Eagles Head Coach Nick Sirianni looked skyward. It’s not because he expected to see an eagle soaring overhead, although his team was flying high. During the post-game press conference, when asked why he looked up, he said simply, “All glory to God.” That seems to show humility and an understanding that the win was not all about him and his coaching skill. I believe humility is one of the most important qualities in a leader of character.
- Preparing to win: Coach Sirianni prepared the team to work together; again, creating a culture that required looking beyond themselves or any individual to the power of the team. Only then would they be able to defeat the competition. During that post-game press conference Coach Sirianni expostulated, “This is the ultimate team game. You cannot be great without the greatness of others.” He repeated that powerful phrase several times. And I like that he included staff that supported the team. Again, recognizing it was more than his coaching that got the Eagles their win.
- Working smarter, not harder: The Eagles denied the opponent opportunities in addition to working intensely hard to become stronger and better. It takes imagination to find innovative ways to solve a problem.
- Building the confidence necessary to motivate the team: The Eagles took the field with a powerful start and an early score, giving them a step up in shaping the atmosphere on the field and in the stadium. It’s important to achieve early wins.
- Embracing Adversity: Coach Sirianni explained there’s a lot of adversity throughout the season, but that his players focused and pushed through the adversity to keep learning and improving.
Look in the mirror: What else can you do as a leader to coach your team through any adversity you may be currently facing to achieve success?
Please join me again next time for more on Leading with Character.
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