Leadership Lessons from the Super Bowl

The bottom line is that I had no skin in this game. The team I thought would win is an arch nemesis to my Dallas Cowboys, whom I hope to get their act together next season.

 I told my wife I felt the eagles would pull it out. What a game, though. That is precisely how a Super Bowl should be. It was a back-and-forth competition, a brutal fight to the finish. You can’t hope for more than that.

HOWEVER, I did take away some great leadership lessons from the Eagles.

1. They Played to win; they didn’t play to lose.

            You might say, Of course,e they played to win!” However, it is not uncommon for talented teams in every facet of life to get to a place of success and then try to maintain it. In other words, merely play “not to lose.”  It’s a defensive or passive posture that attempts to keep the status quo. This is a sure way to lose. It creates a digression and almost always results in defeat. The Eagles, however, from start to finish came to win. They were aggressive, focused, and poised, never letting off the gas. It was a total blast all the way; they came to play. This is how we should approach business, career, ministry, and every kind of leadership. We should know what we want and, with passion, go for it.

2. They understand the principle of the Power of “WE”. 

      They have exchanged the “me” mindset for the “we” mindset. They all played like one unit. They played together in every aspect and for every minute—even their conversation before and after the game. I know every team talks like that, but this is different. Why? Because they proved it. Nick Foles is incredible and deserves every accolade, especially the MVP. However, you don’t lose your franchise quarterback and several other great players to injury and still barrel through the playoffs into the Super Bowl and walk away as champs unless you are unified, connected, and playing for the more significant cause of the team. It wasn’t about any one individual or a superstar. It was about “Fly Eagles Fly.”  This is such a powerful force that all teams can benefit from in every aspect. We play for each other. We submit our role to the overall goal. We realize we are better, faster, wiser, more effective, and focused. That is the power of “We,” and they had it in spades.

3. They Rose to the Occasion:

      There is a leadership concept called seizing the moment. Life is filled with opportunities, and one of the saddest things in life is when the opportunity comes and a person is unprepared. There are a lot of reasons for this. Fear, laziness, lack of action, etc. And all of these options were available to the eagles in this situation, especially for Nick Foles. He had every reason to feel like he was in over his head. He was the second-string quarterback and, honestly, was not expected to do as well as he did. He seized that opportunity with as much vigor and passion as I had ever seen. He never acted like he didn’t belong; he even said, “We play all our lives for an opportunity like this; I just gave it my all.” He rose to the Occasion and even exceeded expectations. Not only him but the entire team.

4. They embraced the Big Picture:

      Everyone on that team, offense, defense, special teams, and coaching staff, seemed to understand that they were playing for something bigger. To prove a point, maybe, to show the world what can be done if you give it everything you have. Whatever it was, it was more than just playing defense; it was more than just playing offense; it was more than just special teams or coaching. It was even more than playing for the team or the city. They seemed to have a sense of destiny about them. That is what every organization needs. That WHY. That reason to exist, that reason to excel. It causes us to unite, go shoulder to shoulder, and carry the weight together to achieve something greater than us all.  

5. They Took Timely Risks.

      To go along with playing to win, they took timely risks. They never were on their heels. They were always moving forward. They took chances, like the trick play with Foles catching the touchdown pass and turning the game’s momentum toward the Eagles. What a play, what a risk, but it paid off. What about going for it on fourth down when they had plenty of time and would have made more sense later in the game? It was worth the risk and kept them moving forward. Good leaders know that risks must be taken, and they seem to have an uncanny ability to learn when. They are not reckless or careless. They are calculated and perfectly timed. Could they fail? Sure, but a good leader can live with that because they know it’s worth it if they don’t. Most people think, “What if this doesn’t work?”  Great leaders think, “What if this works.”  It is impressive to believe that the head coach of the Eagles was coaching high school football nine years ago.

So those were the leadership lessons I took away from the game last night. Each of these will help each of us as leaders grow our teams and organizations for the better. It is so fun to have a team that works like this.

Please comment if there were other things you took away or if you have any questions about Gadberry leadership coaching and how we can help your organization.