Winning in Business: Lessons from the Football Field

Winning in Business: Lessons from the Football Field

Did you know business is a lot like football? I didn’t, at first. But after watching hundreds of games—thanks to my two brothers who played in high school, and my sons (one even played for Ohio State!)—it finally clicked.

The field, the strategy, the teamwork—it all mirrors how a small business operates.

In football, victory isn’t about throwing “Hail Mary” passes all game long. Sure, a quarterback might throw a deep pass a handful of times, but the real action happens in the small, calculated plays. Yard by yard, inch by inch, the team moves closer to their goal. It’s about steady progress, not flashy moves.

Business works the same way. It’s tempting to go for the “long pass” with big, ambitious plays like a high-budget marketing campaign that promises overnight success. But the truth? Success is built on the small, intentional actions you take every day.

  • Delight your customers—consistently.
  • Take care of your team—they’re the engine of your business.
  • Know your numbers—every month.
  • Build a budget—and stick to it.
  • Treat vendors well—they’re your partners.
  • Do what you do—exceptionally.
  • Commit to being just 1% better each day.

Winning in business is a lot like football: it’s one play, one customer, one team member, and one step at a time.


3 Tangible “Small Plays” to Execute This Month

  • Meet a Customer Where They Are: Identify one long-term client or customer and ask for feedback. How can you make their experience even better? A personalized thank-you or small improvement can foster loyalty.
  • Boost Team Morale: Host a 15-minute team huddle to celebrate wins—big or small. Recognizing effort creates a ripple effect of positivity that reflects in customer satisfaction.
  • Check Your Financial Markers: Take an hour to review your P&L statement and identify one area to improve (e.g., reducing a recurring expense or reallocating budget). Make incremental adjustments.


What’s your next “play”? Let’s keep moving the ball forward, one yard at a time. ??

Kathryn Staczek Rudloff

Executive Director at weVENTURE Women's Business Center. Experienced advocate, non-profit leader, and Doctor of Business Administration.

1 个月

Go Bucks!!

Denise W. Grove, CPA, CGMA

Speaker| CFO Consultant | Financial Coach | Financially Growing Sustainable Organizations & Lifestyles

1 个月

I agree- both are groups pulling in the same directions! ??

回复

Football is truly about team, and the idea of all players coming together to make it work. Business mirrors this … but one of the things rarely talked about is the team not on the field. With 11 players on offense or defense, it takes just as many not starting to make practice work. In other words, the team that makes the team on the field better in the unseen days of practice is just as responsible as the players we see on TV. A full roster chasing the purpose is the goal …. It is the win. So yes, business is like football, the team that is often times in the back office is just as responsible as your visible team. Teamwork, above all, team purpose and teamwork.

Go Buckeyes! :-) agree that business is a lot like football. I think there is also a good example of both teams who played last night of overcoming adversity and pivoting when plans didn’t initially work. How they adapted, focused and didn’t let the early failures delay their vision is a good model for leaders on resilience!

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