Employer branding
Julian Edelman’s Super Bowl LI Win, and How His Style Applies to Your Team
Glassdoor Team
Glassdoor Team | Author & Career Expert at Glassdoor | Feb 8, 2017
What an unbelievable win by the New England Patriots. Down by 25 points with two minutes remaining in the third quarter – then down by 19 points with just under 10 minutes in the game. And they came away Super Bowl Champions. The win can be attributed to several clutch players, including Dont’a Hightower, Julian Edelman and Tom Brady. An immense amount of the Pat’s success can also be attributed to Bill Belichick; Ben Shpigel said it best: “...the ethos cultivated by Belichick demands uncommon fortitude.”
It’s because of this – and the way that ethos draws the right talent – that Belichick has been able to build a Super Bowl–winning powerhouse. To the untrained eye, it might seem like it’s just about attracting the very best players and making a team out of them. But it’s really about bringing together the right players – ones with complementary skills, who can also get in sync both on and off the field. But that’s still not enough. Your team has to be nimble, determined and industrious, and you have to have good leadership. All these elements have come together brilliantly for the New England Patriots.
Julian Edelman’s epic fourth-quarter catch was one for the ages. Some are saying it was a lucky catch. And in the post-game interview, Tom Brady said “It was one of the greatest catches I’ve ever seen. I don’t know how the hell he caught it. I mean, I don’t think anybody – I don’t think he does.”
And perhaps Edelman doesn’t know exactly how he did it. But we know from following Julian Edelman over the years that he does not believe in luck. He believes in working his tail off, being a team player, and constantly building his skills so he can add value to his team. For Edelman, it all pays off on the field.
It paid off bigtime in 2015, and it certainly paid off at Super Bowl LI. But the lessons Edelman has learned during his illustrious career in the NFL apply beyond the gridiron. Just as he learned from his dad: he knows it’s key to always get back to the fundamentals. Here are what we’ve observed to be Julian’s fundamentals – the touchpoints he always goes back to for achieving success:
Be versatile. Be industrious.
Edelman has been listed by the NFL as 6-feet tall, but he says he’s 5’10”. As a high school quarterback, he was 5’3” on a good day. It might be one of the reasons he’s had to learn to be such a versatile, industrious player. Playing as both a cornerback and a wide receiver for the Patriots, Edelman had to pivot from defense to offense, which required an enormous mental shift – and a massive effort in the form of studying – when he made the switch. Early in the season Head Coach Bill Belichick considered playing Edelman as QB when Tom Brady was suspended and the 2nd and 3rd string QBs were out with injuries. Charlotte Wilder put it best: “the beauty of the Patriots’ offense is that it’s built to be insanely multi-faceted. It’s like the Ikea furniture of football; they have certain parts that they can use, whether they’re building a coffee table or a bed frame.” It’s the same in the workplace. To be selected for a team – or hired – in the first place, it’s critical to have fundamental strengths. But to grow in your position, it’s key to develop as a contributor and to constantly be expanding your intellectual understanding of your unique strengths. And to build great teams, you have to be a little like Belichick – choose the players who can shapeshift, who can together be greater than the sum of their parts.Be a team player, and invest in a great culture.
For Belichick, it’s all about team building. Greg Bedard of Sports Illustrated, nailed it when he said: “Can’t tell you how many times over the years I’ve heard some general manager say something to the effect of ‘We’re in the talent acquisition business.’ No, you are in the team-building business. Every prospect, whether in the draft or free agency, is evaluated only in the context of the Patriots’ system. It doesn’t matter how a player would be evaluated by the other 31 teams; it only matters how and where that player would perform in New England. Belichick also doesn’t want to hear all about what a player can’t do – tell him what the player can do well for the Patriots.” The same goes for any great program or organization. Don’t talk or think about what a team member can or can’t do elsewhere. Ask instead about what the player can do for your unique lineup. It’s clear from listening to any interview ever done with Julian Edelman that he lives and breathes his commitment to the team, spending considerable time outside the season “getting on the same page” with his teammates. For him, it’s a matter of getting in the zone together. Many sports columnists have written about how Edelman has spent a good deal of time with Tom Brady and other players over the years to get into sync – and it shows. When the pressure is on and plays are unfolding at the speed of light, being in lockstep pays off. That kind of symbiotic relationship among teammates itself builds a positive culture – and that kind of culture in turn feeds the collective connection on the field or in the office. For the Patriots, there’s a name for it: The Patriot Way.Be prepared. Then win.
It’s all about getting back to the basics – mastering the fundamentals. For Edelman, it was his father’s influence that drove home the idea that in times of stress, you get back to the fundamentals of life. Never being above putting in the time to do the work. Never taking for granted the ability to execute on foundational skills. There’s no need to be stressed or anxious when you’ve put all your effort behind your preparation. Whether you’re running complex plays or running a department, it’s critical to constantly push yourself to be better – never resting on laurels, or Super Bowl rings, as the case may be. The team has a collective vision, and it’s that winning is everything. But every player on the team is willing to do the work it takes to get there. These three areas comprise the key components of a championship culture. If you can put each of these components in place – like Julian Edelman and his teammates do on a daily basis – you will build an environment where people grow, thrive and win. Here’s how to take that winning approach to team culture and apply it to your organization. Want more winning stories? Check out our Best Places to Work Roadshow, and head into the week ahead with some actionable strategies for putting a championship culture in place at your organization.Glassdoor Team
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Blog HomeEmployer brandingJulian Edelman’s Super Bowl LI Win, and How His Style Applies to Your Team
