Leadership Lessons from the New England Patriots

First, congratulations to the New England Patriots – Super Bowl XLIX Champions. What a win! I’m thrilled for my home team, for Boston and for the state of Massachusetts.   I’ve been following the Patriots and the numerous stories leading up to the Super Bowl, but not for the reasons you may think. I’m not a die-hard football fan. Sorry, please save the hate mail (LOL). My fascination with the Patriots has more to do with leadership. As an entrepreneur and speaker, I routinely look for examples that I can use to inspire clients and audiences. Here are three leadership take-ways from the Patriots and my interpretation:

  • Do Your Job. By now you’ve probably heard Belichick philosophy paraphrased as “do your job.” When Belichick addressed a group of financial advisors in June 2011, he drew parallels to business and coaching: ‘In business things change quickly in your profession and in ours. There are always new people and new environments.’ To stay competitive, Belichick said that everyone must do their part: ‘We need to all do our job,’ he added. He has repeated this philosophy in other forums. It seems so straight forward, yet leaders often are distracted by the crisis of the day, the drama of the hour and other interferences. Mastery of ones job, requires practice, stamina, resilience and laser-like focus. Just recently the Patriots have been bombarded with news inquiries, media coverage and persistent questioning regarding “Deflate Gate.” While everyone else seemed to be distracted by the media circus, the team under Belichick’s leadership remained focused on getting the job done and indeed they did! This brings me to my next observation:

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Easy Does it. Staying on Track with Your Goals!

You’ve made your resolutions and have set your goals.  They are specific, measurable and actionable – for example, “lose ten pounds by March 26, 2012.” It is very important that you stay focused on your top goals and that you have an action plan to ensure movement towards the attainment of your objectives.  In the weight-loss example, your action plan may include:

  • Registering for a gym membership
  • Scheduling a standing time/meeting with yourself to go to the gym
  • Showing up at the gym (very important J)
  • Uploading upbeat music to your iPod to increase your enjoyment
  • Setting up a weekly hair appointment to whip your hair back into shape

Keep Your Goals with You

To stay focused, write down your top five goals on a small brightly colored notecard (cut the card if you must) and keep it in your wallet or a small notebook that you keep with you at all times.

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