This Single Idea Has Lead One Coach To Unprecedented Success
This same idea could help us all rise to the top of our profession.
Every year, this time of the year, there is a tradition that goes on in the NFL, referred to as the “ NFL Coaching Carousel”. In any given year, there are usually 5–8 NFL teams that decide to go in another direction and thus fire their current coach. It seems, oftentimes, like it is a similar list of teams from the previous years, with new exceptions thrown into the mix. As of the time of this post, only 5 of 32 teams have employed their head coach for 10 years.
During this process, each team does their interviewing and evaluation process for the candidates that they determine as potential possibilities to be their next head coach. Somewhere in their process, they must determine whether or not this individual is the best fit to move their franchise forward. The goal: to hire someone who will lead their team to a Superbowl Championship. Many teams make a hire with this goal in mind, few succeed.
On January 27, 2000, the New England Patriots hired Bill Belichick to be their next head coach. It was seen at the time as a good hire, but not necessarily anything too extraordinary. Belichick had enjoyed some success, but mostly as a longtime defensive coordinator.
Twenty years later, Bill is still roaming the sidelines with his cut off hoodie and distinct scowl. During this twenty-year window, no other team has had their coach for any longer than 14 seasons, and less than a handful have lasted 10 years in one job. His successes as a coach is a long list, which includes: 16 Divison titles, 13 AFC Championship appearances, 9 Superbowl appearances, and 6 Superbowl wins. Not bad.
During his tenure, all the other 31 teams have changed coaches, at least once, many more have changed multiple, if not, several times. For instance, the Cleveland Browns have had 7 coaches in the last 10 years. In fact, none of the teams employed their current coaches when Belichick won the first 3 of those 6 total NFL Superbowl victories.
Belichick isn’t just winning, he’s winning at a level rarely ever seen, and certainly unprecedented in this era of professional football.
What is Belichick doing that is placing himself in a league of his own? While most of the coaches are working to keep their job for more than 3 years, Belichick is working with one thing on his mind. Winning. Winning at the highest level. Not just winning, but winning in as close to perfection as possible.
Besides the X’s and O’s of professional football — which Belichick is undoubtedly as good as anyone in this department — it’s his deep drive and commitment to do his job at an elite level.
One of the mantra’s Bill is known for using around the Patriots facility with anyone who will listen: “Do your job”. That’s it.
Do. Your. Job.
The ‘Do your job’ mantra applies to everything. In the film room, in preparation for the opponent, in the weight room, on the field, and during the course of each play. Do your job.
Simple. Right?
There must be more to his success than just a simple mantra. He must have something more complex that he says to his players in order to motivate and inspire them. Do your job? Really? Isn’t that implied? Isn’t that what everyone in any job is supposed to do?
I suppose that this should be implied by each one of us who has a job, and I’m sure that Coach Belichick has shared some deeper philosophical words for his players over the years, than just this little statement.
Nevertheless, let’s start here. Let’s start with this simple statement that we could all take into our days with the same attitude.
Whether you are an entrepreneur grinding away to build something, a writer working towards your first book deal, or an employee at a large corporation working in a cubicle — this advice is priceless. In each job, each task within your job, no matter your title — do your job!
Don’t think about the results. Don’t think about the possibilities if you do it right or wrong. Don’t think about the credit you could or should get. Don’t think about what the person next to you is doing.
Just. Do. Your. Job.
Nick Saban, head coach of the University of Alabama, has some very similar beliefs. He is also a close friend of Bill Belichick. Not only do they share similar beliefs, but they also share similar success, and have both spent many years at the top of their profession. Listen to the simple advice Nick Saban gives his players:
“Don’t think about winning the SEC Championship. Don’t think about the national championship. Think about what you needed to do in this drill, on this play, in this moment. That’s the process: Let’s think about what we can do today, the task at hand.”
Two Head Coaches with almost unprecedented success in a profession that eats Head Coaches up and spits them out. Similar philosophies.
So what can we learn from this?
No matter what you are looking to do in your job or career, focus on the task at hand, that’s it.
It doesn’t mean results don’t matter. It doesn’t mean don’t set the bar high. It doesn’t mean don’t set goals or have big ambitions. We need all of that too. And most of us, just like all head coaches, will be judged ultimately by results. However, that shouldn’t be our focus. It shouldn’t change the most important part of what we are doing. Which is: Do our job. Right now. On this task.
What happens to the entrepreneur that spends most of his time thinking about what he will do with his first million dollars? What about the writer that spends more time thinking about his first book deal — that may not ever come — rather than actually writing?
It’s easy to get caught up thinking about all the things that could happen, in the future, if you get this right, right now. But does it help? When you’re in the biggest presentation of your career, does what the success of that presentation could lead to really matter, at that moment? Or, is it just a distraction? Another obstacle that is preventing you from the most important thing, at that moment.
Do your job.
Simplistic. Obvious. Cliche. Not easily done to a high level.
Allowing ourselves to get caught up in the hype is very easy. Especially in the social media-driven society that we all live in today. Every social media app we have has somewhere that we can post what we are thinking, feeling, or just want to say. It’s easy to get caught up in what our results are and forget about the menial task at hand.
It’s in the menial that we get better. It’s the ordinary task we do daily as part of the process that we get just a little bit better today. Then we do it again tomorrow. Then the next day and the day after that. It adds up. After a while, if we are doing our job — truly doing our job — we see results.
Do your job. Follow the process. Focus on the task at hand.
It may seem easy, but few can replicate it over and over again. It’s the ones who do — without getting caught up in results — that dominate their profession over time.
Do. Your. Job.
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