“Almost any Vision, if it is sound, will succeed- as long as people are motivated and inspired to make it work.”
This is encouraging news, and yet, though this promise makes it seem easy, we now know by working our way through the principles and values of Vince Lombardi’s legacy, that these words are weighted and fraught with the importance of values and principles, such as character and integrity. We have learned the qualities of a great leader, who “motivates and inspires by creating a climate for success.” We have learned that the greatest leaders “motivate by kindling passion, painting a picture of success (through mission, vision and values), fanning the flame of team spirit, and inspiring confidence. They motivate by demanding accountability, and obtaining results.” Here is where the very last principle and obstacle comes into play. In the final chapters of this book, Vince Lombardi Jr. talks about probably the most important facet of his father’s legacy: results.
One of Vince Lombardi’s best known quotes, and also the one that ended up being the most controversial and detrimental to himself, was “Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.” I’ve touched on the importance of delivery many times – both this blog series as well in my general motivational message to all of you as a team – yet it bears revisiting. You can prepare for something well in advance, whether in sports or business, but if you cannot close the deal then you will never achieve optimum and ultimate success. Vince Lombardi wouldn’t be remembered 40 years later as the successful and inspired coach that he was if it weren’t for the impressive record he created in Green Bay. He would just be known as some football coach who was hot-headed, inconsistent in his advice and approaches in football, and probably a decent guy. The thing that sets him apart was that record. The man could, and did, deliver – and he did it with exceptional consistency. You can have all the motivation in the world, brilliant ideas, tremendous heart, and insurmountable potential; however if you cannot win – close the deal, land the sale, win the clients over, smash your business goals – then you will never reach the level of success to which you aspire. Period.
I have also spent a lot of time talking about motivation, but not much emphasizing mindset, so I wanted to be sure to include it here. Vince Lombardi knew it was important to win, but how was he going to get his team (who had a 1-10-1 record when he arrived) to believe they could actually do it? The answer was obvious to Vince: He had to teach them winning habits. He had to teach them “the attitudes, skills, and practices that increase ones chances for success.” No one starts out on top- we all have to overcome obstacles, whether internal, external, or both, to get there. But how do we take that first step? The answer is by acquiring confidence in oneself and instilling it one’s team. This was a hugely inspiring quality to the Green Bay Packers. “Players with winning habits are more likely to win than players with losing habits.” Plain and simple.
If you are prepared and conditioned for success, not only can you achieve it, but you know what to do with it, and you can acknowledge, recognize and re-prioritize once you are there. Vince Lombardi was inspired to transform the “vicious cycle into a virtuous cycle.” He gave his players a taste of success whenever he could- he went all out, bringing his best players, his best plays, the most heart, the best drive, the most commitment, the best of his team, every single time, no matter who the opponent, no matter what the situation. Every game was the championship game for Vince Lombardi and every loss was not a loss, but a game where the clock ran out too soon. Sometimes the Packers won because they played tremendous football and sometimes they won because of their heart, passion and due diligence, but either way, they won. And in the end, that is all that matters.
So what was Vince Lombardi’s role in the Green Bay Packers organization? Was he “just the coach”? No! He WAS the Green Bay Packers! He was the spine, the foundation, the purpose, the passion, the pursuit, the promise. He was the will, the drive, the intention, and the vision. He was both the person pushing you and the prize you were running towards. A really good question for all of you is whether it is enough to be a player on a successful team or do you want to be the coach? On whom is your success based? There are no wrong answers here, by the way, only variations to the role. This is where that brutal honesty we discussed in the first blog of this series comes into play. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be a player on the Packers team. You still succeed. You still must have the discipline, passion, confidence, team spirit, and the motivation embodied by the whole team – but the coach steers the ship. He is the leader and the teacher. He is all the positions and all the players combined. So why isn’t it enough to just be a player on the winning team? Well, it is enough. But the leader controls the outcome. If you are just a player, you are limited by the capabilities of your leader. You are limited to the expectations of your job description and no one is looking to you to be innovative, dynamic or inspiring. If you are creating your own destiny, then why not go all the way and create the whole thing? Why stop at just what you know you are definitely capable of when you can run the whole show if you push yourself? If you’re going to play the lottery, are you hoping to win $18,000,000 or $380,000,000? If you’re going to play baseball are you happy just playing little league or do you want to play for the majors? If you’re a quarterback, are you just happy to play in the NFL or do you want to go to the Super Bowl? These are the important questions to be honest with yourself about. As I’ve said before, I am not here to talk you into your own destiny. I am here to help you fulfill it, which means you have to set your sights, and your targets, and start getting into the winning mindset to get there. I am here to help you achieve your goals but that means you have to have viable yet ambitious goals in mind. I am willing to be your cheerleader, but that means you may have to step up and be the coach.
Vince Lombardi was a great man, a great leader, a great coach, a great manager, and a great motivator. Not everyone is going to find this approach right for them, but to Vince Lombardi, only one approach mattered: the one that was right for you. I hope this blog series taught you something- I hope it motivated and inspired you to aim and run towards your own best and most successful destiny. I hope it encouraged you to be honest with yourself and made you want to enhance and improve on your own character and integrity. Vince Lombardi knew it was important to win, but he never compromised the game of football to get there. In his mind, there was nothing better than a fair win. He made the commitment. He proved he could deliver. He inspired and motivated. The real question is, can you? I already know the answer, but I hope you find the conviction in yourself and fulfill your destiny.
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