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In the game of football and life itself, there’s always a tendency and desire to blame a defeat on a specific individual or event.
We human beings love accountability especially when we lose.
Plus, we sure don’t want to be the fall guy.
Which is when the flour hits the fan, everyone starts running for the hills leaving the patsy holding the bag.
Take the Chicago Bears loss to the Philadelphia Eagles yesterday.
I am sure that many Chicago fans are blaming the field-goal kicker, Cody Parkey, for missing that field goal at the end of the game.
But it wasn’t Cody Parkey‘s fault as football really is a team sport whether you win or lose.
It is the team’s responsibility to overcome all forces external and internal that are threatening the success of the team.
External forces would include the other team, the referees, the weather, bad luck.
Internal forces would include your own lack of will, stupid mistakes, illness, injuries and poor play.
Great teams understand this.
Great teams do not cry and point fingers at other people.
Great teams do not blame the refs for gypping them out of a victory.
Great teams do not hang people out to dry.
Great teams do not scapegoat.
Great teams do not lament how unlucky they are.
Great teams do not whine about the weather.
Great teams do not blame their losses on injuries.
All successful teams learn to rise above their problems, but they do it not just because they do it, but because they choose to do it.
Is the choice to do so that comes first. And this choice exists in every successful team effort.
And it matters not whether we are talking about football, a small company, a large corporation or the nation itself.
Teams win as a team, and teams lose as a team, unless, of course, they are not a team.
Then they really lose.
And badly.
Then they begin to play as a collection of individuals accidentally finding themselves together on a playing field.
The poor teammate thinks about himself as an individual and what is in it for him.
The superior teammate thinks less about himself and more about overcoming the obstacles placed before the team.
John Kennedy said this in so many words: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”
Copyright 2019 Archer Crosley All Rights Reserved.
Cowboy Archer 