There’s a saying: “A dream without a team is just a wish.”

That’s the essence of leadership and culture—because it’s not simply teamwork that makes the dream work, it’s the right team with the right leadership.

As I shared in a previous post, I grew up playing a myriad of sports in my adolescence. But one particular sport gave me a holistic perspective on how teams should be structured and how to balance one’s strengths: American Football.

American football can seem perplexing for those who haven’t studied the positions, their functions, and the rules of the game. But through it, I learned the weight of responsibility as a player in a specific position. Yet the truth I saw most clearly was this: coaching determines destiny. You may not always have the most talented players, but a great coach will take you farther than a team of all-stars with poor leadership.

I’ve been on excellent winning teams with exceptional coaches—and I’ve been on losing teams with poor coaching. That experience taught me how leadership sets the tone for success, whether in sports, business, or life.

LEADERSHIP AS COACHING

As I’ve grown, I’ve come to see coaching as a parallel to leadership in guiding teams and shaping the success of a brand or organization.

Everyone has their unique gifts, talents, and skill sets. It’s up to the leader to place the right people in the right positions while also identifying and nurturing the all-stars who elevate the entire team. Great leaders ensure these all-stars don’t shine in isolation but harmonize with the rest of the team, creating balance.

This begins at the management level. If the management team is dysfunctional—even with talented individuals—the outcomes will almost always be abysmal. Effective management means alignment with the organization’s vision and values. It’s about caring for the work, seeing beyond compensation to impact, and ensuring people are recognized and appreciated for their contributions.

LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM BUSINESS

One of my favorite business thought leaders is David Novak, Co-Founder & former CEO of Yum! Brands (Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut, and Pepsi). What I admire about him is his people-first leadership style. He emphasizes leadership through learning and builds organizations around appreciation, recognition, and intentional culture.

He distilled leadership into a few non-negotiable principles:

• Believe in all people
• Customer focus
• Accountability
• Positive energy
• The power of teamwork
• And most importantly: the power of recognition

Recognition is the glue that propels excellence. Talent needs to shine, but leaders must also create environments where talent is nurtured, developed, and given opportunities to lead.

CULTURE IS THE SYSTEM

Winning teams around the world share a common thread: a living, breathing culture that governs how they work together. It’s not just about values on paper—it’s about embedding those values in the systems of daily work and interaction.

When values like recognition, accountability, and teamwork are woven into the DNA of an organization, excellence becomes a culture rather than a campaign.

As the world shifts in its values—or lack thereof—I believe it’s vital to anchor our organizations in unshakable principles. These should not just exist in mission statements, but in training, systems, and daily practices: how we treat ourselves, our coworkers, and the communities we serve.

LOOKING AHEAD: TEAMS IN THE AGE OF AI

Now, with the age of AI upon us, I find myself in a unique position. The principles I’ve learned in sports and business are not fading—they’re being amplified. We are implementing these tenets in our systems so we can repurpose highly skilled individuals at scale, creating organizations where human excellence and AI efficiency complement one another.

Leadership still casts a shadow. And as leaders, it’s up to us to ensure that shadow inspires growth, excellence, and recognition.

FINAL THOUGHT

At the end of the day, building winning teams is about more than strategy—it’s about people. When leaders recognize, guide, and align individuals with purpose, the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: if either of them falls down, one can help the other up.” — Ecclesiastes 4:9–10

— Early Boykins III