The New England Patriots have had a winning season for the past 18 years, and although they have produced household names on their team Like Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, most of the team is a bunch of “no-names”. So how do they continue to be at the top of their division and win 6 Super Bowls in 15 years? The answer...developing a winning system! Their genius head coach, Bill Belichick, has created systems in their organization that are proven to work. He can literally plug and play an average NFL player into his system and make them look like a superstar. 

The Cowboys have had the largest fan base in the country from the 1970’s through today!!! They haven’t won a Divisional Playoff game in 21 years, 1996, which was also the year they won their last Super Bowl. So how in God’s name are they “America’s Team” and how can they sustain the largest fan base today compared to the Patriots and Steelers who won 5 and 6 Super Bowls respectively? Drum roll......MARKETING!!! 

The Dallas Cowboy organization and their owner, Jerry Jones, knows how to market their brand better than any NFL football team, hands-down. They are the NFL’s most valuable franchise for the 11th straight year and what’s more, the most valuable sports franchise in the world!!! America’s Team is worth $4.8 billion, up 14% from last year, with profits of $350 million thanks to a booming merchandise business and the revenue opportunities at their new practice facility, The Star. They set the standard for NFL marketing and there are articles on the internet that discuss how implementing the marketing strategies of the Cowboys can help us in our businesses. For example, his marketing strategy of inclusivity with the Latin/Hispanic community has dramatically increased the Dallas Cowboy fan base. However, Jerry Jones has been criticized for focusing more on branding and marketing than on his own team, and focusing on the team can lead to championships. Just ask the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

There may not be a more family-centric sports organization than the Pittsburgh Steelers. Arthur Rooney Sr., often known as ”The Chief " was the founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise in 1933. He instilled in his family’s organization what, in today's day, would be called organizational health. Back then it was called loyalty, trust, mutual respect, and having each other’s back. The Rooney family created a culture in which players would give 110% of themselves for the greater good of the team. This culture propelled the Steelers to an NFL record 6 Super Bowl wins. One of the Chief’s sons was quoted as saying “My father always used to tell us boys, "Treat everybody the way you'd like to be treated. Give them the benefit of the doubt. But never let anyone mistake kindness for weakness.” 

The Rooney's took the complexity out of running an NFL franchise. Family came first, period. It was a family organization and the coaches and players on the team were part of that family. Every single individual on that team knew that the Rooneys genuinely cared for them as a PERSON, not just a player or coach. This philosophy may outshine all others when it comes to running an elite organization. Simple, yet so powerful. The infamous Howard Cosell was quoted as saying, “The Rooneys are the finest people, the people I most respect in American sports ownership. I've always felt that way. And there is no reason to change. They are people of integrity and character. The way they put the Steelers together and emphasize the team concept. I have a whole transcendental feeling for the Steelers and the Rooneys and Pittsburgh.” How would you feel if people spoke like that about you as the leader in your organization? 

These three teams are the experts in proven systems, marketing, and culture in the NFL. I have learned from all of them and implemented analogous concepts in my practice which have served me extremely well over the years. Take time to reflect on the organizations that you respect and see if their business philosophies can help you lead your team to a championship.