“Never out of the game!” It’s the mantra of any team, organization or leader who pulled off a win in the last moments of the game of business, life or, in this example, football. But this isn’t about hope. It’s about identity discipline.
The NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars hosting the Philadelphia Eagles in London, England, was the most talked-about highlight from Week 5.
I realize the NFL’s global fanbase has been growing since these games were introduced to Europe nearly 20 years ago. Bloody brilliant. My body clock has never adjusted to watching an NFL game at 8:30 a.m. (or 6:30 a.m., when I lived in the Pacific Time Zone) on a Sunday. So I missed yesterday’s dramatic ending in real time.
However, I caught up with the storyline at halftime during the old-school afternoon games and through social media recaps. Here’s my one-paragraph recap.
The Whole Game In One Paragraph
The Eagles kick a 48-yard field goal to go up by one point with eight seconds remaining in the game. Philadelphia kicks off, and Jacksonville returns the kickoff with an impressive, unexpected 53-yard run. Now there’s one second remaining in the game; the whole game. The Jaguars’ kicker ran out onto the field to execute a play he practiced 30-50 times per week (I researched that number). This was no “chip-shot,” but Cam Little nailed a 57-yard field goal attempt to win the game 19-17 on the final play. The Jaguars and the non-NFL franchise crowd went nuts.
Creation or Reaction?
Lucky? Sure. Right place at the right time? You bet. Will it ever happen like this again? Probably not. Was Jacksonville ready for this scene? Yes.They.Were. Strategy creates the opportunity. Discipline reacts to it.
Brands, leaders and teams who win late in the game don’t suddenly become heroic. They simply execute the storyline the way it was envisioned, practiced and executed in all those one-second remaining scenarios. Was the final field goal more dramatic than the one Cam Little kicked in the third quarter? Of course it was. But it was the same disciplined execution of the earlier field goal that set them up to create the blockbuster ending.
Eight Second Takeaways for Brands, Leaders and Talent
Brands: Aside from finding your voice or story, the hardest part of branding is staying in the voice and not panicking when circumstances or conditions change. How often do we lose a fight and suddenly change our plan?
Leaders: I’m certain the Jacksonville head coach’s blood pressure was running hot in those last two plays. He didn’t want this scenario, but I’m sure he was confident the training and desire to win would give the Jaguars one more chance to win. Okay, he likely didn’t think this was going to happen, but he carried himself like this was just another play. Great leaders model clarity, belief and steady messaging in all circumstances.
Talent: These professional athletes in any sport inspire me every weekend and during every playoff series. Sure, they have physical and athletic gifts. But the discipline to improve and maintain their athletic identity gets overlooked. We think they’re rising to the moment, but really they’re relying on their repetitive training to take advantage of the moment. It’s no different with teachers, broadcasters, content creators or baristas.
“Never out of the game” isn’t a motivational slogan; it’s a developmental strategy.
English