There’s something about fall that makes my Southern heart happy — the smell of tailgates, the sound of fight songs, and the thrill of seeing your team charge the field. College football isn’t just a game down here; it’s a season of life lessons wrapped in helmets and huddles. And if you pay attention, it’s also a masterclass in leadership. These lessons that work just as well in the office as they do under the lights on Saturday.

Here are five of my favorite plays every leader can call, no matter your field of work.

1. Every Team Needs a Playbook

No coach walks into a game without one. It outlines strategy, defines roles, and gives everyone a common goal.
In business, that’s your vision. Leaders who don’t communicate where the team is headed leave employees guessing … and guessing rarely wins championships.

Your playbook might look like a well-defined mission statement, clear performance goals, or even a shared set of team values. The best leaders don’t just hand out the playbook; they live it. They make sure every person understands how their role moves the ball down the field.

2. Halftime Adjustments Matter

Even the best game plans can fall apart by halftime. The weather changes, an injury happens, or the other team figures out your strategy. Great coaches, and great leaders, adapt.

In the office, that means you stay flexible. You listen when things aren’t working. You ask your team what they’re seeing from the front lines. You adjust priorities without losing sight of the end zone.

Change isn’t failure; it’s feedback. The teams that learn to pivot with purpose are the ones that stay in the game long after others have packed up their helmets.

3. Culture Wins Championships

Ask any winning coach, and they’ll tell you talent is great, but culture wins. The same holds true at work. Culture is how your team treats each other when no one’s watching. It’s the unspoken energy that fuels performance, loyalty, and creativity.

When you create a culture built on trust, accountability, and shared purpose, your people don’t just play for a paycheck, they play for each other.

And here’s where women shine. We’re often the culture carriers … the connectors, the communicators, the ones who can sense when morale’s dipping or when someone needs encouragement. Embrace that strength. It’s leadership in its most powerful form.

4. You Can’t Coach Heart

You can teach skills, but you can’t teach passion. The best teams, and workplaces, have people who care. Leaders can’t fake that.

When you show up with genuine enthusiasm for your work and your people, it’s contagious. Your team sees it, feels it, and mirrors it. Whether you’re the quarterback or the water girl, your attitude sets the tone for everyone else.

So go ahead — celebrate small wins. High-five your teammates. Make Mondays feel like kickoff day. When your people know their effort matters, they’ll give you everything they’ve got.

5. Everyone Plays for the Name on the Front of the Jersey

College football players know their names are on the back of the jersey,  but it’s the name on the front that counts most. That’s team pride.

In the office, it’s company pride. It’s believing in what you’re building together and showing up as ambassadors for your organization.

When your team understands why their work matters, whether it’s keeping the lights on, serving members, or innovating for the future,  they’ll play harder, smarter, and stronger.

Final Whistle

Whether you’re leading a huddle of linemen or a conference room full of professionals, leadership is still about the same fundamentals: vision, adaptability, culture, passion, and purpose.

You don’t need shoulder pads or a whistle to build a winning team, just a willingness to lead with clarity, heart, and the courage to make halftime adjustments when things don’t go as planned.

So this season, as you cheer for your favorite team, take a moment to watch how they lead, how they adapt, and how they pull together when the game gets tough. You might just find your next great leadership strategy is waiting on the fifty-yard line.

If you want more secrets to a thriving workplace, you can:

See why The Hollywood Magazine says Culture Secrets is on it’s must read list for 2025.

Listen to the Culture Secrets Podcast on your favorite platform.

Grab your copy of the book Culture Secrets.

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Check out my audio books: Get Noticed, Get Hired or When In Doubt, Delete It!