By: Steve Freed, Induron Regional Manager
The Super Bowl is upon us, and I couldn’t be happier. The Eagles are back, and I’m here to tell you more than just “Go Birds” and “Fly Eagles Fly.” I’m here to reflect on what we can all learn whether you are an Eagles fan, or you are inexplicably cheering for Taylor Swift’s boyfriend’s team.
Team Goals > Individual Goals
Hard Work + Shared Values = Great Outcomes
There has been a lot written recently about the team-first mentality seen throughout the Eagles organization, which got me thinking about how this relates to other aspects of life and how, in particular, it mirrors my experiences at Induron. And yes, I am an engineer, and yes, I sometimes think in equations.
The Eagles have shown all year long that winning is more important than any other statistic, and the shared vision of winning the Super Bowl is the ultimate team goal. Here is just a sampling of how that guides every action:
- Jalen Hurts, when challenged by reporters about his stats being down in their run-first offense, challenged them back by saying, “When did winning not become the main thing?”
- AJ Brown and Devonta Smith took similar questions about stats being down and responded by talking about how much pride the WR group takes in run blocking.
- The beneficiary of the run-first offense, Saquon Barkley, happily sat out the last regular season game to stay healthy for the playoffs instead of going for the single season rushing record. And then he slides after getting a first down to ice their first playoff game instead of running for a 76-yard TD. Why? “It wasn’t tempting, situational football. No mas. It’s first down, you win the game.”
And I could go on and on, about the o-line, about the defensive, about how everyone compliments everyone else when interviewed, but I’ll stop with one more gem: Coach Nick Sirianni’s quote that has become a team mantra “You can’t be great without the greatness of others.”
Similarly, I could go on and on about the team-first culture, the hard work, and the shared values seen at Induron every day. We collaborate, we share ideas, and we all work together to make the best products and provide the best service in the industry. It happens because of the hard work of everyone in our Birmingham, Alabama plant making and shipping the paint, our collaborative chemists that keep pushing R&D boundaries with new product innovations, our technical service and business development groups that answer all my questions so that I can provide great service. What my customers experience doesn’t happen without the greatness of everyone else at Induron. It is the Induron TEAM that sells the best paint and provides the best service!
In a couple of days, the Super Bowl will be played, and this post will have aged well or poorly in some people’s eyes based on the result of the game. But, regardless of the outcome, I believe this post will stand the test of time. The journey I’ve seen the Eagles take this season, and the journey I’ve had the privilege to be a part of in my first three years at Induron have both been extraordinary. Hard work and shared values yield great outcomes. Go Birds!