On Thursday night, December 5th, the Detroit Lions defeated the Green Bay Packers 34-31 with a last-second field goal.  The win gives the Lions a NFL-best 12-1 record.

Afterwards, the team’s charismatic head coach Dan Campbell delivered the following post-game speech.

14 Traits Of Leaders Who Build Winning Cultures: A Profile of Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell

From his comments we learn the following 14 traits of a leader who builds a winning culture.  First will be the principle followed by Coach Campbell’s supporting quote with additional insights.

1. Leaders Who Build Winning Cultures Create Defining Moments – Winning cultures are fertile soil for memorable events.  Campbell reminded the team, “I told you you’d never forget this game.”  People never forget their time in winning cultures.
2. Leaders Who Build Winning Cultures Are The Embodiment Of The Culture – Dan Campbell is the embodiment of the Lions’ culture.  He is a physically large human being, tough, loud, and a risk-taker.  Like any organization, the Lions have taken on their leader’s persona.  Campbell could have been describing himself when he said, “We don’t have to talk about how tough we are.  We don’t have to talk about how resilient we are.  We live it man!  We’ve been living it!”
3. Leaders Who Build Winning Cultures Celebrate Sacrifice – Some lessons require minimal explanation.  Offensive tackle Dan Skipper played to the point exhaustion and physical illness.  He left it all on the field.  Campbell celebrated his effort and sacrifice exclaiming, “There you go Skip!  Keep throwing up!  Whatever you’re doing over there.  That’s the way to freakin’ lay it on the line.”
4. Leaders Who Build Winning Cultures Love Their Teams – Love is a competitive advantage and Campbell loves the Lions’ players.  His relationships are not transactional.  He declared, “Guys, I’m so freakin’ proud of you!”
5. Leaders Who Build Winning Cultures Thrive Under Pressure – Campbell noted, “You talk about pressure?  We live in pressure.  That’s where we freakin’ thrive.”  Pressure crushes rocks, but also creates diamonds.  The Detroit Lions are diamonds.
6. Leaders Who Build Winning Cultures Are Consistent – Winning cultures are not inconsistent.  They are reliable in the results.  Campbell observed, “You did it again.  You did it again.”
7. Leaders Who Build Winning Cultures Know Culture Eats Everything Else For Breakfast – Peter Drucker once said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”  Drucker was right.  Culture also eats personnel issues and unfavorable circumstances for lunch.  Campbell adds, “It doesn’t matter who’s playing for us.  It doesn’t matter what’s going on.  You always find a way to win.”
8. Leaders Who Build Winning Cultures Create Champions – “That’s what champions do.”  And that’s what winning cultures do as well.
9. Leaders Who Build Winning Cultures Intentionally Do So – In winning cultures, success happens by design.  It is not accidental.  Celebrating the team’s preparation, Campbell said, “This is not happenstance, man.  This just doesn’t happen.  This has been in the making, men.  This has been in the making.”
10. Leaders Who Build Winning Cultures Have A Sense Of Destiny – Leaders of winning cultures constantly remind those on their team they are part of a bigger story.  Campbell emphasized, “We’re all supposed to be here together.  We’re destined for this.  Just stay the course.”
11. Leaders Who Build Winning Cultures Honor Everyone’s Contributions – Because of injuries, wide reciever Tim Patrick missed the last two seasons.  But in this game against the Packers, his contributions were significant… and much needed.  Afterwards, Campbell awarded Patrick a game ball.  He was also specific in his praise declaring, “6 receptions.  2 tugs (touchdowns), his first since 2021 – Tim Patrick.”
12. Leaders Who Build Winning Cultures Count What Counts – On arguably the NFL’s toughest team with its toughest leader, you would think no one would celebrate the kicker.  But Campbell does saying, “All the stats you need is he won the freakin’ game again – Jake Bates”
13. Leaders Who Build Winning Cultures Are Where People Become The Best Versions Of Themselves – We all want to be part of something bigger than ourselves, and we want to be the best versions of ourself when doing so.  This happens in winning cultures like the Detroit Lions.  Campbell proclaimed, “You guys are warriors!
14. ***BONUS*** Leaders Who Build Winning Cultures Are Relentlessly Proactive – In a separate locker room speech, Campbell said, “If you’re hunting us, you don’t have to look far.  We’re going to be on your front porch when you open the door.”   Winning cultures are the hunters, not the hunted.

What is one thing you learned from Lions head coach Dan Campbell about creating a winning culture?

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