31 Jan 5 Lessons Pastors Can Learn From The Patriots

I’m not a huge sports guy but I do follow football a little, especially when the Patriots are in the playoffs. The whole “deflate-gate” thing has everyone talking about the Pats. So over the last few weeks I’ve heard a ton about the Pats and I compiled a few leadership lessons.

Training is everything.

Did you know that Tom Brady was drafted in the sixth round!? He was the 199th player picked. Back then, he definitely wasn’t the star quarterback you see today. Coach Belichick is famous for picking no-name players and training them into amazing players. They also pair new players with veteran guys on the team; this capitalizes on the knowledge and leadership of more experienced players.

Success is a Team Sport

The Pats call some pretty crazy plays. Their playbook is one of the most complex in the NFL. Because of this, they rotate players on and off the field so often that the team’s success depends on everyone. After the Pats won their first SuperBowl, Tom Brady wouldn’t do a credit card commercial unless his offensive linemen were in it, that’s how much they value each other.

Tomorrow depends on today

The Pats are known for their legendary preparation and they understand that past success does not mean future success. Each week they start at zero.

No one is irreplaceable

Over the past few years the Pats have let some of their best players go. At the time most people thought those decisions were pretty stupid. But they let those players go because, while they were good individual players, they weren’t good for the team.

Praise the Team not the individual.

“For a team to accomplish their goal, everybody’s got to give up a little bit of their individuality.” – Bill Belichick

Team players are the players that are held up as examples for others to follow, even if they aren’t the best players. The Pats have created a true team culture.