28Leadership Drive

Team Core Values=Success

A successful team seat atop a foundation of core values. These accomplished teams rely upon their core values to ignite purpose-driven vision. When these collective principles are faithfully adopted and manipulated real team success occurs.

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“If there are no common values, there can be no image of the future.”

Robert Bundy

When you see a successful team you are witnessing this poetry of core values in motion. I am fortunate enough to have spent 30 years involved in football in some capacity. As a former college and professional player, youth, high school coach and athletic director, I can say without doubt, a successful team has unshakable core values.

Without cemented core values teams lack cohesive function and execution. We all have witnessed dysfunctional teams, they flounder about, are disorganized and lack direction. Unfortunately, some of us worked these teams which lacked core values, it was not pretty.

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Learning How to Winning

My football career at Eastern Illinois University produced the best training implementation of team core values I ever received. Our ability to adopted and accept the core value principles of our team produced unprecedented team athletic success.

We practiced a way of life. As a two-time 1^st Team All-American, it was one of my responsibilities to keep core values in the team’s focus. The Eastern Illinois football teams of 1980-83 produced the highest win percentage in school history. I am grateful to have played an intricate role in our team success.

However, it was not enough to talk core values, I also had to live it. No action resonate more than a leader whom walks the talk. Values like honesty, team unity, and practice ethics were vital to my success. There are many more values that shaped our success, however the five core values below etched an eternal mark in me. 30 years after arriving at Eastern as an unheralded walk-on these five values continue to shape my core value training.

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5 All-American Team Core Values

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1. A Commitment to “The Purpose.”

The most important question to ask a team is “Why are we here?” Whatever your team’s purpose the team must comprehend their existence in the organization. The purpose of our football teams “Win a National Championship.” Our opponents, fans, and everyone involved in the program understood that purpose, if you did not you learned quickly.

2. Work Hard

Nothing replaces hard work. Coach Knolls would say, “Potential aren’t worth a damn,” Coach Knoll was right. However before I played at Pittsburgh I understood this in college. Many employees are selected for their potential, yet they lack the willingness to work hard. Team members who lack a work ethic will be flushed out by a core value driven team.

3. Stay the Course

If we believe what we do is right, than our work will provide our success. Strong winds do not rattle harden philosophy which surrounds successful teams. As a matter fact, agitation is welcome and desired, winner do avoid problems they run toward them. Rather internal or external, problems are to be solved quickly and timely, they cannot linger. Stay the course, even if we lose some alone the way.

4. Perseverance Through Adversity

Nothing worth anything comes easy, put your team to the test frequently. Compliance erect softness and lack of effort, however difficulty builds resolve.  A great fight is better than an easy win.  Show me a team who wants it easy, I’ll show you a team with no core values.

5. Accountability

“Do your job.” Sometimes we forget our role and this result in poor individual performance but more important, poor team performance. Each person team member has a responsibility to carry out their duties with precision. Practice hard, study hard and perform hard. We need over-achievers, game-breakers, and playmakers. Be your best and the team wins.

In sum, I love how well-organized teams function, I enjoyed the team cohesive as they drive to success. If you are building a team in business, athletic or social groups the 5 All-American core values can help secure team success.