Three Little Words

Having just watched a pretty exciting Super Bowl between two of the games great teams - thoughts turn to what exactly makes a great team, and more importantly - what turns a great Club (one season wonders) into a CLub for the ages....

Pittsburgh and the Pack have a huge number of Championships between them, whilst some (presumably) equally funded teams have yet to get off the mark (championship rings wise).  The word dynasty is used for teams that transcend time, and that leave a mark on history - and the Steelers and Packers are about as close as you can get to dynasties in the current game.  (British viewpoint!!).

As a sports administrator - being involved in, and leading a club towards being a dynasty is what it should all be about.  The ‘3 little words’ that mean so much to me are - Impact, Legacy and Dynasty....

Everything we do needs to have an impact.  Of course this impact needs to be positive for true success - but when you plan your workload, when you carry out your actions - they need to be impactful (even if sometimes, negative results do occur).  You need to be focused on delivering an impact with everything you do.  The greater impact you can have on all those around you (again, focus is on the positive here) - from sponsors and corporate partners, to your local (and wider) community and to your staff - the greater the return will be to enable your Club to grow.  And the greater chance you will have to be able to leave....

A legacy (positive for those not paying attention) has to be a prime target for anyone going into any new role or new organization.  What you do has to matter but it has has to have a lasting impact (or at least the capacity to do that).  The short term is very much on people's minds all the time (that’s the nature of the beat) - but you need to keep your eye on the long game - and not be side lined by the short win.  Leaving a legacy will fill up your good karma cupboard - and put you in the best place to deliver and deliver again at all future roles.

The dream of course (certainly for myself - I long for the opportunity to build a club for the ages) is to maintain ongoing impact, to build the legacy you are growing, to make it stronger and on bigger foundations - and to create a Dynasty.

People who were upset with Lebron for his move to warmer climbs were unhappy that he had given up on his first club, given up on the chance of really creating something (along lines of the House that Mike built).  The real reasons behind his decisions (and all the other issues surrounding that move) are for someone else to discuss - but the point was that he had a chance to leave a huge legacy, and to build a dynasty (it sure was not going to be easy - but he had A chance).

Put me in his shoes - and I would have grabbed that shot straight away - there can be no better sensation you can get from three little words.