How to Overcome Adversity – The Patriots Way
There I was watching the Super Bowl with friends at a bar in Boston. The bartender said to us “There will be a riot at the end of this game regardless of the outcome; it'll be big if the Pats lose.”
As the game unfolded, the Patriots were losing big time. At half-time, Atlanta was leading by 18 points.
No team ever won a Super Bowl after trailing more than 10 points, so we left the bar. But then, the unbelievable happened: the Patriots won the Super Bowl for the 5th time. How did they do it?
Do Your Job
Bill Belichick has coached 306 games with the New England Patriots, including the playoffs, and won 226 of them.
Coach Belichick preaches the importance of his “Do Your Job” mantra, that is everyone must be disciplined enough to do their job.
Pro football is a cutthroat game. You will be cut in a heartbeat if you do not perform. And for this reason, it bears little resemblance to a typical workplace, where employees have time to develop their skills. At the same time, the Patriot way has relevance to the workplace in two ways.
Give second chances. Not everyone succeeds at first. Many times, failure results from poor preparation, that is, not having the skills to do the job. Management is all too often at fault for putting the employee into a position where he/she cannot succeed. Therefore, failure in a first job should not be a disqualifier; especially when the individual acknowledges what went wrong and made a commitment to improve.
Believe in people. Once you bring someone onto your team, support him/her. Provide the person with training and tools needed to do the job. Even better, assign a shadow teammate who can show the new teammate the ropes.
So much of doing a job is unscripted, navigating these uncharted waters is the job behind the job.
Resilience, Toughness, and Execution
Naturally, a team as successful as the Patriots would draw detractors, especially from fans of rival teams. There is likely no team more reviled – outside of their home market – than the Patriots.
This season, the Patriots were dealt with suspension, loss of draft picks and a fine but have come back just as strong and even more resilient.
At one point in the game, the Patriots were down 25 points but they kept fighting. They fought all the way through until the game winning touchdown in the overtime. The Pats executed 93 offensive plays, had possession for over 40 minutes, and scored 31 unanswered points.
Focus, Dedication, and Belief
They say wonderful things come to those who work hard with focus, tireless dedication and who never stop believing. The Patriots went into the half down, 21-3. But the players remained positive and put the past and the deficit behind them.
They focused on the next play and the play after. They believed that they could win. And they did win!
After the game, a reporter asked: “Is this revenge?” Jonathan Kraft, president of the Patriots, smiled and responded: “No, it feels like victory and victory feels damn good.”
Parting Thoughts
It was over, and then it wasn’t. The Patriots were down but they believed and they stayed together! In the end, they made more plays than the opponent and then sealed the deal.
It's not how you say hello, it's how you say goodbye!
What's your take on overcoming adversity? Tell me...
I'd love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts in the commentary section below as I learn just as much from you as you do from me.
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International Partnerships at Aircash
7 年Well written Jay! I specialize in organizing airports around the world and there really is a huge difference in leading by example and hand picking every single staff and working With them instead of simply delegating your staff. Do your job the best way you can every time, flip every burger like you are making it for a king and you will find happiness in your job as well! Battles are won through preparation, so most difficult job is to create a blueprint that works in certain situations. Tweak the details as soon as possible and encourage your staff to also tweak the details in the blueprint of a successful organization. No matter which country it is, I feel that the people that I've worked with would stand like lions in my pride against countless sheep. And that is achieved through the most important thing there is - human interaction.
Principal at United Health Group
7 年Jay, thanks for sharing this article. Very well written, synthesized and presented in powerful manner. Though "adversity" is a state experienced in any business or anyone's life, it does not just go away with hard, smart work or dedication. It needs more than that. Successful companies and individual know the tricks, tactical approach and hone it completely. That’s what makes the difference! Pro football is a not just cutthroat game, it’s a war. A war is approached and dealt with very differently. All the elements of the Patriots’ game that you narrated could be summarized in the approach as below – “If your enemy is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. If sovereign and subject are in accord, put division between them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.” ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War Yes, they knew exactly what to do. Attack adversity and eliminate it completely.
Entrepreneur | Disruptor | Strategy & Innovation
7 年I agree with this statement! "They say wonderful things come to those who work hard with focus, tireless dedication and who never stop believing. "
Senior Business Manager | Powerhouse Trusted Advisor | Operational Excellence Champion | Business Operations Enthusiast |I help executives in high-tech environments to optimize business operations performance & velocity.
7 年A bend in the road is not the end of the road, unless you fail to make the turn. I like your perfective, great read!
Communications and marketing professional with nine years experience in complex, regulated industries in Australia, France and South Korea. Startmate Fellow.
7 年Great article! very interesting take on adversity, the power of second chances and of trusting people until the end no matter the odds. I believe that Adversity is an adjuvant of the Japanese Kaizen philosophy which is about improving yourself a little more everyday. Without adversity, would people give their all? Very insightful thoughts, thank you for raising it.