This past year two things occurred simultaneously which took me back, once again, to learn form the legendary coach, Vince Lombardi. Those two things? My first Packer game, opening game for the season, and reading “What It Takes to Be #1: Vince Lombardi on Leadership” by Vince Lombardi Jr. The book was a gift from Vince Lombardi’s son when I had him fly into to Maui to speak at an event we hosted for mortgage company executives.
For Vince Lombardi the trinity of football success was “repetition, confidence and passion,” however the trinity of his own life was “God, family and the Green Bay Packers,” and not necessarily in that order. Lombardi gave everything to his team, and all he asked in return was that the Packer players do the same for him. His players bought into this from the first day he came to the frozen tundra. Why? Because they knew they had somebody worthy of respect. Lombardi was able to encourage the heart of all of his players and because they were always willing to play their hearts out for him. How does our “team” see us? How do they see you… as the leader of your company or department? “Coaches who can outline plays on a black board are a dime a dozen. The ones who win get inside their player and motivate.”
