Professional football coaches come and go, but few become household names. Vince Lomabardi is legend for his success coaching the Green Bay Packers and Washington Redskins. Although he died in 1970 at the young age of 57, his legacy lives on as an inspiration for coaches, players and millions of others who take his inspirational quotes to heart. During practice, Lombardi did more than just run drills. He used the time to mold his players into a collective force to be reckoned with.
"The Object is to Win"
One hallmark of great leadership is defining a clear objective. In Lombardi's case, there was no mistaking his objective: To win. To build a winning mindset. Lombardi cultivated mental toughness in his players. In the May, 2002 issue of the "Journal of Applied Psychology," Dr. Shelton Hansen defined mental toughness as the ability to cope better and be more determined, focused, confident and in control than your opponents. Lombardi accomplished this during practice by refusing to accept less than the best he knew each player was capable of.
"Winning is a Habit"
A famous Lombardi quote is "Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect." Lombardi used practice time to instill qualities of commitment and preparedness, insisting players show up dressed out and ready to go at least 10 to 15 minutes before the scheduled practice time, on what came to be known as "Lombardi Time." During practice, Lombardi looked for strengths and weaknesses in each player, giving constant feedback. He knew that the habit of winning comes from good habits instilled on the practice field.
"People Who Work Together Will Win"
Lombardi knew that his team was only as strong as its weakest link. His philosophy on team-building was, "Individual commitment to a group effort -- that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work." Lombardi did not brook disrespect or intolerance among his players, and he stood behind each of them. In 1965, when Lionel Aldridge, a black defensive end, wanted to marry his Caucasian wife, Vickie, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle came to Green Bay to try to stop the marriage. In defense of Aldridge, Lombardi told him, "My team is who my team is, and nobody can tell me what I can and cannot do."
"You've Got to Play Wth Your Heart"
Long before academics linked psychology with sports, Lombardi understood it. He knew how to get the most out of each player by treating them as human individuals first and football players second. Lombardi took the time to figure out what made each player tick, then used that knowledge to motivate and get the most out of him. Knowing their coach cared about them on a personal level inspired each player to play with all his heart.
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