Exceptionalism Defined

I’ve long admired the prowess of former New England Patriot Head Coach Bill Belichick. I know he’s a polarizing figure, and the point of this post isn’t to promote Belichick or discuss football. Rather, I want to share an important lesson I’ve learned from him.

When Coach Belichick extols the virtues of one of his players (which he rarely does), he often describes the player as “consistent and dependable.” When we think of superstar athletes who compete to win championships, we might think of their extraordinary athleticism, their otherworldly speed and acceleration, their tremendous balance, their sheer strength, their absurd leaping abilities, or their unbounded adroitness. Although consistency and dependability are solid virtues, they sound more like attributes you’d expect of role players than superstar champions.

Upon further reflection, though, I’ve become increasingly convinced that consistency and dependability play an outsized role in long-term success. In sports and in life, it’s not enough to flash your talents on occasion to try to win a game here and there. You need to show up day in and day out, in practice and in games, and be able to deliver what’s required to help your team win. The people around you need to trust you and know that you’ll “do your job.” When execution is critical, you want to be the one person that everyone can count on.

Whether it’s sports or business, most tasks don't require spectacular feats of extraordinary athleticism or genius. Many people have the capability to get the job done, but fewer have the wherewithal to execute it properly day in and day out. This is the person Coach Belichick wanted on his team. This is the person we should all want on our team. And this is the person we should strive to become.

The best teammates in my organization fully embody this characteristic. When they take responsibility for a certain task, I can cross it off my list. I know they’ll find a way to bring the assignment to fulfillment. It might not be the most efficient approach or the most beautiful solution, but substance often trumps form. More often than not, we just need to get the ball over the goal line.

Think of your most valued friends, most esteemed colleagues, and most cherished family members. Even if they don’t have all the answers, they can be relied on. They show up on time, they focus on what matters, they’re available when needed—they get the job done.

We can’t always be the smartest, most talented, fastest, or most adept person in any field. But we can take solace in the fact that we don’t need to be. The reality is consistency and dependability—what psychologists call contentiousness—triumphs in the end.

Take a lesson from Coach Belichick and prioritize surrounding yourself with people who you can rely on and who consistently deliver. They’ll enable you and your team to take that next critical step forward. And reciprocally, be that person for others. Rather than feel the constant pressure to be exceptional, simply show up. Be prepared. Be personable. Do your best. Over and over again. Like clockwork.

If you can do this, you'll find yourself getting fed the ball and being elevated in your game, whether football or finance.

In a flashy world where TikTok and Instagram perpetuate the prowess of random people at random things, strive to be boring in your exceptionalism. It’s okay to kick the ball through the goal posts in an unremarkable fashion, if you can do it reliably. Exceptionalism isn’t about being exceptional after all: it’s about being dependably good. It’s about always showing up and consistently delivering. Like him or not, Bill Belichick would know. Just count the championship rings on his fingers.