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Coaches

The Power of Teamwork

If I learned anything during a very fulfilling 13-year career in the National Football League it was simply this: focus, teamwork, and commitment are the most necessary components to individual and team success. I am confident that the very same formula is essential for Olympic success. I am even more confident that they are the success components in the real world of business and personal growth.

When I first became a part of a professional team, learning teamwork was a big obstacle, particularly since the team had experienced a dismal season the previous year. In fact, we were to have just as miserable a season in my first full season as a Steeler in 1971.

We struggled for several more seasons and lost a lot more games than we won. But we were going to make our mark in the NFL. We had a couple of advantages. What were they? Here they are:

An owner committed to being successful (Art Rooney);

A head coach committed to excellence (Chuck Noll);

A solid success system (our offensive and defensive schemes);

Marvelously skilled position coaches (line, backs, etc);

Players who were hungry to win (47 of us who were tired of losing).

It sounds like a successful business, doesn't it? Some call it synergy. Others call it organizational effectiveness. I have a simpler term for it: teamwork.

Teamwork occurs when all people work together and none of them really cares about who gets the credit, or who gets the blame. Everyone is working together to achieve the same thing. For us, it was the Superbowl. For Olympians it is a gold medal. For sales organizations it may be market share or market dominance. For manufacturing organizations it could be a certain level of quality, a better yield, or reduced expenses.

The point is that a clearly focused effort coupled with the power of teamwork is an unstoppable combination.

In our case, the team became the single most dominant force in many of our lives. We were totally committed to the "black and gold," absolutely, 100 percent Pittsburgh Steelers. Everyone, from the owner to the ball boy, from the coaches to the ticket takers, was completely dedicated.

Most important, we knew we had total commitment from the top. Our owner, Art Rooney was absolutely devoted to one thing: having the best team he could put together. He selected and supported the coaching staff. Our training and equipment staffs were committed to the team. The players were committed to the team.

Today, as I work with organizations around the world I do my best to communicate to them that teamwork is not just a "player thing." Rather, it is the amalgamation of the efforts of everyone who is part of that organization.

As Olympians march into the stadium on opening day of the Olympics, there is much more to the teams than just the athletes. Also on the team are parents, sponsors, boosters, coaches, trainers, administrators, nutritionists, maintenance people, and a lot more. The players merely represent the team.

--Jim Clack

Jim Clack, a veteran lineman for the NFL and former football captain, now works as a corporate officer, speaker, and consultant.

Excerpted from The Winning Spirit, edited by Robert B. Sommer.
© 1996 by Griffin Publishing Group
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