How To Build A Champion Part 3

The following is the final list of ten leadership excerpts from Christopher Price’s book The Blueprint that chronicles the construction of the New England Patriots.  Regardless of your profession, these leadership lessons apply across all disciplines.  

1. Old guys had started the process of “regulating” the locker room.
2. Brady recognized the importance of team building, of the bonding that slowly becomes the fabric that holds a locker room together.
3. “My job is to make the decisions for the football team, and that is what I am going to do.” – Belichick
4. “My intention…is to do whatever I can to help this team.  In this particular case, that means continuing as I have to help Tom on the field, and help him during the week.  One thing that falls into that category is to conduct myself in a manner that allows the players on this team to support both Tom and I.” – Former starting QB Drew Bledsoe
5. For the first time in Belichick’s career as a head coach, a controversial decision had received the full endorsement of the ownership.
6. Belichick admitted he finally learned to let go of the little things and trust the people around him.
7. “You just watch the films, correct your mistakes, and go on to the next day, and hopefully the next week, you can redeem yourself.” – K Adam Vinatieri
8. “The game is won in the head, not the body…Do your homework.  Figure out how to cover your weaknesses, maximize your strengths, do what you’re supposed to do…Preparation is everything.” – Boston Globe columnist Leigh Montville
9. Brady won 20 of the 25 games he started in college…His teammates liked and respected Brady and wanted to succeed for him…no predraft scouting report questioned his intelligence or his leadership qualities.  He had a high football IQ.
10. “The criteria is to find people that’ll help our football team, and if they can do it for the value, we’re interested.” – Belichick

Leaders, I hope you have enjoyed this series as much as I have bringing it to you.  What are additional things you are doing as you build your teams?

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