Why the Essential Key to Success is Playing the Long Game

Here’s a metaphoric epiphany on real growth and success I had recently that deals with football.

To succeed in business and in life, you have to master the long game!

In football, there’s a key reason that successful teams in pro football are always looking for a great quarterback. It’s more than just leadership. It’s more than play-making ability. Success lies in an effective long game approach and execution.

The key reason teams who win Super Bowls focus on both a strong player and an effective long game is simple.

A leader with play-making abilities who can see the whole field wins more games than those who don’t.

In football, a great game plan involves mixing up the play calling.

Sometimes a team will excel by choosing a running play. Maybe it’s a pass. Then they try play-action.

Defense wins championships but an effective QB is essential.

Just ask the 2006 Chicago Bears. Brian Urlacher was a hoss. Rex Grossman? Not so much.

Either way, a successful long game is how champions are made.

This principle is true in business (regardless of the industry and whether you work for yourself or someone else). It’s also true in life. Relationship building is a long game practice.

Can you see the field in front of you and set yourself up to create openings that lead to new opportunities?

Or are you going for the big scoring play right out of the gate?

Hey, let’s be honest. It’s human nature to try for the big touchdown play on the opening drive from your own 20-yard line. When a QB throws a hail mary pass right off the bat, it’s likely to fail. And fail miserably. Then if they repeat with hail mary passes every time they run a play, it’s likely they’ll lose their spot on the team. Because it rarely works, which leads to losing ground and losing games.

This is a struggle a lot of people have.

Here are some things my coaching clients tell me that they’ve struggled with in building relationships:

“I’m not great at making relationships with others.”

“I have an inner-struggle in my head about thinking that I’m a mooch if I reach out to people, like I’m using them for whatever they can do for me.”

Have any of those been thoughts you’ve had?

Try this out: Take a long-game approach to how you cultivate connections with people.

The process is simple. Spend some time just getting to know the person you want to build a relationship with. What do they like? What are their go-to picks or absolute favorites (can be music, movies, food, etc)? Why?

When you get someone talking about the stuff they like and be interested in them, it impacts the way they see you. You can follow up later to see if they’ve seen or done anything new that fits with the interests and passions they shared with you. Follow up is where the magic of connection-building happens.

It shows you are actually interested in them, which shows that you’re a person worth reciprocating that interest and care back to.

It’s similar to what Dale Carnegie said, “You can make more friends in 2 months showing an interest in other people than you can in 2 years trying to get other people interested in you.” (How To Win Friends And Influence People)

This method of Growth Farming works in building connections with anyone from business prospects, networking opportunities, acquaintances, business professionals, and even influencers in your industry.

I use this every day in my business and with my private clients to help them grow. It just frickin’ works!

Be someone who genuinely cares and you’ll be surprised how much care is returned to you.