13 Reasons The New England Patriots Have Such A Great Culture

The six-time Super Bowl champion New England Patriots have one of the best cultures of any organization in the world, sports or otherwise.  I am always attempting to learn from them why and then incorporate those learnings into my organization.  A November 4th Sports Illustrated article written by Jenny Vrentas on superstar cornerback Stephon Gilmore provided a peak into why the Patriots are so successful.

The following are 13 Reasons The New England Patriots Have Such A Great Culture I gleaned from her article:

1. The New England Patriots Have Such A Great Culture Because Of Head Coach Bill Belichick – The leader is the embodiment of the culture.  Gilmore feels head coach Bill Belichick is the smartest coach he has ever played for.
2. The New England Patriots Have Such A Great Culture Because Their Best Player Is Their Most Demanding Player – Tom Brady doesn’t even like his passes tipped during practice.
3. The New England Patriots Have Such A Great Culture Because They Demand Continual Improvement – Gilmore said, “Even when you do a good, they still find something that you didn’t do well.”
4. The New England Patriots Have Such A Great Culture Because They Avoid Complacency – Gilmore added, “They never really say good job, so you can’t be complacent.”
5. The New England Patriots Have Such A Great Culture Because They Proactively Remove People Who Don’t Fit Their Culture – Gilmore noted, “It’s hard sometimes.  Only certain people can handle it.”
6. The New England Patriots Have Such A Great Culture Because Of Their High Work Ethic – Shortly after coming to the team, Gilmore began after-hours stretching and soft tissue work.  This was because of the team’s practice and lifting regimen.
7. The New England Patriots Have Such A Great Culture Because Of Their Competitiveness – The team’s offensive and defensive units face-off deep into the season during practice.
8. The New England Patriots Have Such A Great Culture Because They Have A Great Leadership Culture – The most form of leadership is self-leadership.  Even though he is blessed with superlative athletic gifts, Gilmore got even better by making significant dietary improvements and lowered his body-fat to 5%.
9. The New England Patriots Have Such A Great Culture Because Of Their Preparation And Intelligence – The Patriots watch an exhaustive amount of film on their competition.  Gilmore said, “You are not going to forget it in the game.”
10. The New England Patriots Have Such A Great Culture Because Of Excellent Coaching – Since joining the Patriots, the teams coaches continually worked with Gilmore on the nuances of his position and the individual receivers he covered.  Gilmore admitted, “Last year is when I really trusted it.  I just wish I would have known that earlier.”
11. If They Put In The Work And Trust The Coaching, It Can Be Easier For Talented Players To Succeed Because The New England Patriots’ Great Culture – Gilmore observed, “It (playing the position) became easier for me.  I am more patient, not panicking.  The more you cover people, the more you can tell what they are going to do.  Trusting it (the coaching), and trusting your speed, and knowing who you are going against, because you can’t play everybody the same.”
12. The New England Patriots Have Such A Great Culture Because They Value Excellence – Coach Belichick uncharacteristically said, “I love Steph.”
13. It Is Worth It To Be Part Of The New England Patriots’ Great Culture – Gilmore concluded, “It makes you physically, mentally, emotionally tough.  It’s worth it, in the end.”

What is one thing you learned from the list above which will help you create a great culture at your organization?