Thursday; January 27

Spending time in Texas during the 1970s I was never a fan of Chuck Noll. As a Dallas Cowboys fan back in the day, I saw the Pittsburg Steelers as almost as big an enemy as the Washington Redskins – the biggest difference was that my team didn’t have to play them twice each year. Unfortunately, a couple of those occasions were in Super Bowls and my team lost both times. While there are some quotes by Chuck Noll that I didn’t appreciate (such as, “Mamas, don’t let your sons grow up to be Cowboys … or Oilers.”), I recently came across one that I appreciated. In reflecting on a couple of teams Coach Noll observed, “We were really lucky and fortunate in the ‘70s because we got a group of not only good football players but good people … a group that wanted to be together and wanted to be the best.”. As I read that quote, I got to thinking about how that could be applied to more than just football teams. When people cultivate the ability to be good and the desire to work together, great things can happen. Whether it is on a ball field, in a church, in a classroom or at a workplace; this type of mentality can be the difference between an environment that is functional and one that is exceptional.

What does it mean to be a leader? Maybe a good definition is someone who can elevate people’s abilities while cementing their relationships. Do you have someone like that in your agency? If not, maybe you have been called to be that person. Let’s make the effort to be the best we can be and help others find their place beside us.

Think About It!

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