Skip to main content

Although I’m an NBA guy (go Jazz), I love the NFL playoffs. Like most people, I enjoyed watching the Detroit Lions’ run to the NFC Championship last season. For the uninitiated, The Lions hadn’t won a playoff game since 1992. 32 years of losing were erased this season as The Lions made a deep run into the playoffs.

Head Coach Dan Campbell is one of the people credited with the turnaround. Like any good leader, Coach Campbell has been quick to pass credit on to the players, staff, and other members of the organization. In Detroit, things don’t always come easily. The Lions have embodied the spirit of the city by grinding out wins through their resiliency. It’s been fun to watch the bond the city and team share. They’ve been easy to root for.

During the playoffs, something else besides grit started to stand out to me. I first noticed it when Coach Campbell gave Quarterback Jared Goff the game ball after beating the Rams in the playoffs (Goff was traded to the Lions from the Rams). The first thing Goff says to his team after telling them to bring it in is that he loves them. He told them he loves and appreciates them more than they know. He told them he loves them so f—— much. He then offered some inspiration for the next game.

The next week, the Lions defeated Tampa Bay to advance to the NFC Championship. During the postgame interview, NBC Sideline Reporter Melissa Stark asked Center Frank Ragnow how he battled through his injury to help his team secure the win. His response was that he just loves his guys. Stark went on to ask him about Coach Campbell. Ragnow says Dan Campbell is the best leader he has ever been around, primarily because he authentically loves his guys.

I didn’t expect an NFL team to spend so much time talking about love. It was clear to me that the culture Dan Campbell instituted in Detroit is led by love. I was reminded of one of my favorite studies about the impact of love in the workplace. A 2014 paper published by Sigal Barsade and Olivia O’Neil called What’s Love Got to Do With It?

In this study, the authors showed, “Employees who felt they worked in a loving, caring culture reported higher levels of satisfaction and teamwork.  They showed up to work more often. Our research also demonstrated that this type of culture related directly to client outcomes, including improved patient mood, quality of life, satisfaction, and fewer trips to the ER.” In a healthcare setting, caregivers who love each other positively impact their patients and their own levels of employee satisfaction.

I’ve also heard business magnate Jack Ma talk about the importance of having the capacity to love in a business setting. He says we are often focused on IQ and, more recently, looking at EQ, but very few people focus on our ability to love—our Love Quotient (LQ). He thinks it is necessary to be a respected leader. Coach Campbell seems to have a very high LQ.

At Mindless, we talk about love being one of the most important convictions or mindsets a person can cultivate within themselves. Most of us understand that love is one of the most powerful forces in the world, but we rarely talk about it in a professional setting. It appears that attitude is starting to change. Perhaps people are beginning to understand that we have had a superpower within us this whole time. It seems unwise not to leverage it in a professional setting.

It seemed to have a big impact in Detroit.

 

Musings

Eucalyptus Leaves

Chris MaglebyChris MaglebyAugust 1, 20244 min
Education

Depression, The Natural Process

Boone ChristiansonBoone ChristiansonJuly 31, 20244 min
Practices

From Chaos to Calm

Madelyn BirchallMadelyn BirchallJuly 31, 20242 min

Leave a Comment