Bill Belichick is arguably the greatest head coach in NFL history.  But what makes him so successful and does he have any practices which are replicable?  Are there things Coach Belichick does as a leader I could as well?

Michael Lombardi is releasing his long-awaited book Gridiron Genius: A Master Class In Winning Championships And Building Dynasties In The NFL on September 11.  This man would know.  He has worked for legendary coaches Al Davis, Bill Walsh, and Coach Belichick.  This book shares the lessons he learned from these three legends.  I have already ordered my copy.  You should as well.

Lombardi was a guest on this week’s Coaching U Podcast with Coach Brendan Suhr.  For 34 minutes he shared countless leadership lessons while also promoting the book.  As a leader, you could not spend a better 34 minutes this week than listening to their conversation.  Of the many items Lombardi discusses is why Coach Belichick is such a successful coach.

The following are 11 Reasons Why Bill Belichick Is Such A Great Head Coach as provided from Michael Lombardi.  First is the lesson followed by a supporting quote.  And once again, make sure you pre-order his book HERE.

  1. Coach Belichick Has Great Intelligence And A Universal Knowledge Of His Craft – “His universal knowledge of every aspect of the game.”  Coach Belichick could literally coach any position group on the team.  There are very few head coaches who are experts at all aspects of the game.
  2. Coach Belichick Is Insatiably Curious – “He’s got an insatiable appetite to learn.  He’s curious.”
  3. Coach Belichick Has Great Listening Skills – “He’s one of the best listeners I’ve ever been around.”
  4. Coach Belichick Thinks Outside The Box – “He’s not afraid to try different things.”
  5. Coach Belichick Knows How To Build A Healthy Culture – “He’s got a belief and a core principle about culture and about how he wants to do his program.”
  6. Coach Belichick Is Very Disciplined – “He sticks to it.  He’s very disciplined.”
  7. Coach Belichick Is Always Thinking Ahead – “We were talking about the 2019 draft.  He’s already working on it.”
  8. Coach Belichick Constantly Works Hard – “He’s constantly at work.”
  9. Coach Belichick Focuses On The Right Thing – “He doesn’t multi-task when he’s doing a project… He does the one thing really well when he’s working on it.”
  10. Coach Belichick Is Authentic And Can Therefore Be Trusted – “You need to be authentic in who you are.”
  11. Coach Belichick Is Meticulous And Detailed – “He is meticulous.  He is detail-conscious.”

This interview is loaded with countless leadership lessons but I also want to provide an image of his 4 Principles of Leadership coaches must have to be successful:

This is a must-listen to as a podcast interview and I am sure Gridiron Genius: A Master Class In Winning Championships And Building Dynasties In The NFL  will be a must-read.  What is one thing you learned from Lombardi which will make you a better leader?

My new book Timeless: 10 Enduring Practices Of Apex Leaders is now available for purchase.  If you have ever wanted to become the leader God created you to be, this book is for you!  By combining leadership lessons from biblical heroes like Jesus, Daniel and Joseph, along with modern day leaders like Bill Gates, Nick Saban, Kobe Bryant and multiple pastors, Timeless will equip and inspire you.  This book is not to be read alone.  Discussion questions are included in each chapter allowing you to develop those in your circle of influence.  Release date is March 13th.  Click HERE or on the image provided and order your copies TODAY.

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