How do you build a championship team?
One of the most straightforward “arguments” in sports is that Tom Brady is the Greatest of All-Time, or “The GOAT.” With his recent retirement announcement, I wanted to think about what we learned from his career. How did he become such a great champion? What did he do consistently that allowed him to be so successful? In the #CJJblog this week, I give you some of my takeaways form TB12 and how he can help us become champions as well. Enjoy.
- CANEI. Constant and Never-Ending Improvement. Brady embraced this mindset and was never satisfied with his accomplishments and made improvements each day.
- We > Me. TB12 always put the team first. Never have I heard a teammate speak poorly about him. There were also numerous instances where he took a lower salary to put the team in a better salary cap position to sign better players around him.
- Lead by example. Tom Brady was a fantastic practice player and always showed up to get better. His work wasn’t done just on Sundays. He always stayed in great physical condition, religiously taking care of his body.
- Create an edge. Do you create an edge? Before Super Bowl LV last year, it was well-publicized that Brady was hyping up the team all week leading up to the game, and texted the entire roster “We will win this game” the night before. Of course, there was also the Deflate-gate issue a number of years ago, but he was always trying to create an edge.
- Desire. TB12 did not want to be the best, he needed to be the best. He used his football path (not a starter in college, 6th round draft pick, etc.) as fuel to his motivation.
- Respect. He always respected his teammates. Increased expectations for himself lead to raising the standards in the locker room as well.
- Relationships. Brady built tremendous relationships with those around him. He even somehow found a way to develop a positive relationship with Antonio Brown.
- Detail-oriented. Whether it was in training, in the quarterback film room, or taking care of his body, Brady focused heavily on the details. This allowed him to have a 22-year NFL career.
- Listen. Are you a great listener? Do you hear what others are telling you, or do you march to the beat of your own drum? Brady was always willing to learn from his coaches, especially in Tampa Bay.
- Confidence. TB12 had the perfect blend of confidence and humility. Something that is hard to find.
Did You Know? Coach will be speaking next week at the Soft as Steel Summit (FREE virtual event), hosted by Dennis Duran. You can check it out and register HERE.
Life Tip #8: Treat people better than you want to be treated
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