Few figures in American football carry the same sort of reverence as Vince Lombardi. Lombardi famously served as the coach of the Green Bay Packers, winning 5 championships, and an incredible record for the team for both the regular and post-season. The man certainly had a way with words as well.
Success
©"Vince Lombardi" by jimbowen0306 is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
“The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.”
Vince Lombardi was no stranger to success, so I would certainly trust his take on the matter.
Team Work
©"Front Side of Six Vince Lombardi Trophies" by daveynin is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
“Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.”
Few people understand what it means to have a collective whole succeed like Vince Lombardi. If there is anyone that understands the need for teamwork, it is him.
Will Power
©"Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin" by Ken Lund is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.”
Having the grit to push through when the going gets tough makes for a successful person.
Winning and Losing
©"Green Bay Packers huddle" by Mike Morbeck is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
“If it doesn’t matter who wins or loses, why do they keep score?”
I don’t necessarily agree with this sentiment from Vince Lombardi, but I understand the concept behind it.
Football
©"Green Bay Packers Cheerleaders" by Mike Morbeck is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
“Football is like life – it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority.”
Someone only out for themselves isn’t going to succeed in a team environment. You have to be willing to put yourself aside for the whole.
Glory
©"Green Bay Packers Cheerleader" by Mike Morbeck is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
“The real glory is being knocked to your knees and then coming back. That’s real glory. That’s the essence of it.”
Glory isn’t about your accomplishments, but how you go about getting said results in the first place.
Confidence
©"Fence Across Street from Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin" by Ken Lund is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
“Confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence.”
If anyone understood the need for confidence and resolve, Vince Lombardi is a top contender.
Doing Your Job
“Some of us will do our jobs well and some will not, but we will be judged by only one thing – the result.”
This applies to sports, business, and anything else you might think of that requires a group to cooperate.
Leadership
©"Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin" by Ken Lund is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
“Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.”
No one is a born leader, as Vince Lombardi says. It takes work and determination to become a leader in the first place.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Governor Tom Wolf / CC BY 2.0.
