Core values rise above victory and defeat

In what already has been called one of the greatest football games of all time, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Buffalo Bills January 23, 2022 after both teams combined for 25 points in the final two minutes.

The Chiefs tied the Bills with only 13 seconds left on the game clock, which led to overtime and the Chiefs victory.

See previous post for more about leadership lessons demonstrated by both teams.

They say adversity builds character. Both teams built plenty last Sunday.

I say adversity also reveals character.

Whether you win or lose, you are who you are. The truth of what you value shows no matter the score, or promotion, salary, revenue growth, number of likes, car, house, or other external factor.

It is really no wonder, then, that both teams showed plenty of character after the game.

On the field, players from both teams gathered to pray together (see photo). After a gut-wrenching loss, Bills players could still see the bigger picture and joined the hometown Chiefs in prayer. In victory, Chiefs players saw something more important too. In victory and defeat, core values will always show.

Chiefs fans were so inspired by Bills quarterback Josh Allen, that nearly 18 thousand of them have donated $13 each to a favorite nonprofit of Allen’s, Oishei Children’s Hospital. More than $400k has been donated in less than a week.  (source: Oieshei Children’s Hospital post)

Whether you’re in the NFL, work for a children’s hospital, founded a tech company, advocate for those in need, teach, or take care of kiddos full time, your core values are evident to those around you.

Your behaviors, decisions, and interactions reflect the truth of who you are. Your core values rise above victory and defeat, no matter what you say and no matter what others say about you. Live accordingly.

5 Leadership lessons from the NFL playoffs last weekend

I have written several times about lessons learned while watching NFL games because of their service as a mirror for business leadership. This past weekend provided an unending number of lessons. Here are the top five that can apply to nearly any leadership position.

Know your competition. When the Bills took the ball to start their game against the Chiefs, they took it all the way down the field. They went for it twice on the fourth down. Both times, the highly experienced announcers were surprised, as were most fans. But, the Bills coach knew his competition. He had a vision of the game and had stated that field goals worth three points would not be enough to win against the Chiefs. Does your vision align with the competition’s game plan and ability?

Show up ready. Last week, and a few other times during the season, the Chiefs were out of sync at the start of the game. There would be no time for getting it together during yesterday’s game. They needed to show up ready to play like champions from the start. How do you show up every day? Can your teammates rely on you to have it together every day?

Use patience as a tool. Patience has not always been my favorite skill, but Chiefs quarterback spoke of it last week. He said he focused on patience instead of rushing plays. So many companies and leaders react and overreact when the market or employees change. Like Mahomes, you can’t take all day to assess before moving forward, but you don’t need to panic either. Where would you and your team benefit from patience? How would deeper assessment position you better?

Build character daily. Competition, like adversity, builds character; additionally, it also reveals it. You need character to lead through today’s all-encompassing challenges. Both quarterbacks in the Bills v. Chiefs game demonstrated strong character all week and all day yesterday. After the game ended, Chiefs quarterback left his team’s celebration to find Bills quarterback, Josh Allen. They showed respect for each other, as both did in the media prior to and after the game. You can’t learn that during a game. How do you build and reinforce your character every day? Is your character strong enough to handle adversity? Would your team at home and work say it is?

Never give up. All four games came down to the final seconds last weekend. Obviously, no one on any teams gave up. Cincinnati’s quarterback, Joe Burrow, was sacked nine times, yet lead his team down the field to position their kicker to win their game. During the Bills v. Chiefs game, both teams scored in the final two minutes. Neither team gave up. The Bills scored with 13 seconds left in the game to take the lead. It would have been understandable, expected even, for the Chiefs to assume the game was over—everyone except diehard fans did. The Bills were celebrating on their sideline, and the announcers were giddy in their booth.

Now hoooooold on thar, Baba Looey!

Thirteen seconds was enough for the Chiefs yesterday. They won the hard-fought game. What’s going on for you that would benefit from some fearlessness and tenacity? Have you given up too soon and could power up?

When asked what he told Mahomes prior to the final 13 seconds, Coach Reid said, “When it’s grim, be the grim reaper.” (Press conference here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3TSKmStaZ8)

Go win your game today!