What can we learn from successful NFL teams?

Here is the transcript of the video for those of you who prefer to read than watch:

As a German, I am not much of a football fan and I don’t understand every little detail about the game but it is playoff time and because of my husband’s background I am exposed to a few games and constant education about it. And so as an outsider with no preferences of who wins and why here is my perspective on team performance.

In Springtime all teams pull their players from one draft. They all have access to the same performance pool. Now just because a player gets picked in the first draft doesn’t guarantee a great performance. And just because some players are free agents, doesn’t mean that they don’t have what it takes to win games and be good team players. When you compare the player’s performances at the NFL level, my guess is that you don’t really see such a big difference in their athletic abilities. They all have the skills and athletic abilities, otherwise, they wouldn’t have come so far. So what makes certain teams always stand out with their consistent win performance? Having watched football in recent years here are the 3 ingredients that I came up with that apply to football as well as to life and business.

1. Great coaches. The consistent and successful teams are well-coached teams. They have coaches who have worked with these teams for many years. How long has Bill Belichick been with New England? How long has Mike Tomlin coached Pittsburgh? These coaches know how to inspire their team to greater performance, they don’t put up with any bs and they also don’t make excuses for their team’s performance.

2. Leaders. The teams that win have leaders who expect just as much from their team as they expect from themselves. And those teams play for them. You could see this with Ray Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens. You saw it with Peyton Manning and you definitely see it with the teams that are dominating the league right now. There is respect, trust and having each other back – at least that is what I notice from an outside perspective.

3. Mindset. The consistent and successful teams have the mindset and resilience to overcome setbacks. These teams can be 21 or more points behind during halftime but the games are never over until the clock runs out in the 4th quarter. They have what it takes to stay focused on the goal even though they are catching up from behind.

What determines the successful people in life from the people who are struggling more or don’t seem to enjoy their life so much are the same things – they get coached, they are leaders, and they consistently fine-tune their mindsets.

And as a coach who works with people who want more from life and business – I start working with my clients on their mindsets first – because the mindset is the most important component when it comes to change, success, and happiness. When I work with my clients on their thinking, their world will look different and when the world looks different they transform with ease. If you want 2018 to be a great year for you and your team, hire a good coach and I guarantee you, you will get your results quicker and with less effort.