Leadership Lessons from the NFL Playoff Weekend

What leadership lessons did you notice during the weekend's #NFLplayoffs? Here are a few I noticed, most during the Chiefs v. Texans game last Sunday.

One: The team who remains mentally strong in adversity can triumph. We saw one team turn a 24-point deficit into a 20-point victory but another lost its edge when it got behind. The faces on the Chiefs and Ravens revealed a lot early in the game. One team kept their emotions together, while the other team look dejected early and didn’t get out of that.

Two: Focus on the big team goal. The player shooting off his mouth about how his opponent can't stop him missed the point of teamwork. The other team's goal was not to stop one player but to beat his team. And they did...by 20. When individuals call attention to themselves and want credit, they portray a lack of teamwork and insufficient focus on the bigger goal. That’s true on a football field or a corporate budget meeting.

Three: Recognition matters. We saw two NFL head coaches get news of their #NFLHallofFame selection on live television last weekend. Both shed tears--on live TV! People around them celebrated emotionally too. Imagine what a little recognition from you would do for people around you. While your recognition may not be shown on live TV, your words might be shared when your colleague gets home that night.

From Yahoo Sports

Four: Build your leadership capacity before adversity. You've heard people say, "Adversity builds character." More often, however, it reveals character. If you haven't built trust in your leadership before the chips are down, or you're behind by 24, do not expect to rally the team. The Chiefs rallied behind their leader, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, when he said, "Let's do something special!" because they trust him. He has earned it. And, they did do something special alright, so, now their trust in Mahomes is deeper than it was a week ago.

Five: Competition can breed respect. While there were many outstanding plays by all teams last weekend, one keeps playing over in my mind. When the Texans quarterback was back to throw the ball, a Chiefs defender sped toward him, which is the defender’s job. As the quarterback released the ball, the defender stopped short of knocking the quarterback to the ground. The defender respected the quarterback enough to not hurt him, and he was self-aware enough to control his behavior. There’s a good leadership lesson there about self-awareness and self-control. (Unable to find video after a quick search.)

What lessons did you notice?