By Chuck Lee, Co-founder of GigX, Inc.

Table of contents:

• Lessons from the Gridiron
• Winning with Age Diversity
• Winning with Veteran Players
• 7 Benefits of Having Veteran Players on Your Team
• A Winning Strategy

 

For me, fall is always a time to reset. The heat of summer gives way to the anticipation of cooler weather and the beauty of an orange-tinted landscape. Kids return to school, and the workforce gets back into full swing after family vacations. And, of course, American football is about to kick off, taking over our televisions and smartphones once again!

My love for professional football is both genuine and varied. I admire the athletic skill required to compete, and the intense rivalries and personal stories of triumph and heartbreak captivate me. One reason I love fall is the sense that anything can happen in those first few games of the season, before expectations set the stage for the final push toward the playoffs.

 

Lessons from the Gridiron

I firmly believe that football - and life - encompasses much more than just a record of “wins and losses.” While we often learn life’s greatest lessons from our setbacks, there’s no denying that winning is far more enjoyable than losing. This brings me to a key question: what can football teach companies about consistently succeeding in the marketplace

An article for the 2019 NFL Preview explores this question, offering compelling case studies on teams like the New England Patriots, who have mastered the art of consistent winning. Although the league seems to be trending toward younger players, it’s notable that the teams winning the Super Bowl are generally older. The Patriots, for instance, are the oldest team in the league, with an average age of 27.9 years compared to the league average of 26.5 years. Despite this, they’ve made the playoffs for ten consecutive seasons and won the Super Bowl in six out of nine appearances.

 

Winning with Age Diversity

At first glance, a 1.4-year difference between the youngest and oldest NFL teams may not seem significant. However, considering that the average NFL career lasts only 3.3 years - equivalent to “retiring” at 24 - adding skilled veteran players in their late 20s and early 30s can have a substantial impact.

To make a comparison to the business world, a veteran athlete at 28 years old can be likened to a 55 year old executive. The level of maturity, the depth of experience and the overall impact to a team can make all the difference between winning and losing – both in the NFL and in the office.

 

Winning with Veteran Players

Love them or hate them, there are numerous reasons why the Patriots have been so successful, not least of which is their star quarterback, Tom Brady. Beyond that, it’s evident that Coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots’ front office excel at building a diverse and talented roster.

What they consistently assemble are teams that gel well, embrace the organization’s culture, and win. A key insight from the NFL Preview article states:

Veteran players on manageable second contracts are underrated assets in an increasingly young era.

 

Like any team or company, the Patriots face budget constraints - in their case, a salary cap. Yet, they manage to create a winning formula each year by including talented veteran players at affordable market rates.

In a business context, just as an Offensive Coordinator seeks proven talent to fill immediate gaps, a Chief Revenue Officer aims to hire experienced “veteran” executives to lead sales and marketing efforts. Adding “veteran players on manageable contracts” can be a strategic solution and a key driver of success for companies that hire fractional leaders.

 

7 Benefits of Having Veteran Players on Your Team

Here’s what veteran players in football and fractional leaders in business can bring to the team:

1. Experience. They have “been there and done that” many times over.
2. Maturity. Veterans bring wisdom and reliability that help inform younger team members and create a culture of success.
3. Leadership. It’s been said that leadership is not about titles, but about having competence on the job, the courage to do the right thing and concern for others on the team. Strategically inserting competent, courageous and caring leaders into a roster can turn a team or a business into a winner.
4. Talent. Veterans, unlike rookies, have a proven skill set with measurable results that can be verified.
5. Stability. Bringing on a seasoned team member typically means less hand-holding is required. They know their role and as with the Patriots’ mature players, experienced fractional executives can be added without an extended learning curve.
6. Value. This is the key factor for the Patriots. They get all the above qualities with their veteran players, but at a reasonable market-rate that benefits both parties. This is also true for businesses that get all the benefits of a mature executive while controlling their “salary cap” by hiring fractionally in the gig economy.
7. Diversity. Last but not least, having seasoned executives on the team rounds out the HR diversity wheel.

 

A Winning Strategy

Whether you love, hate, or are indifferent to football, consider this: adding diversity to your company - specifically by bringing in veteran talent - can be a game-changer. Like the Patriots, finding mature and proven executives for key roles can have an immediate impact. By hiring them fractionally, you pay for a portion of their time but gain 100% of their skills, experience, and network. Integrate them into your team, and they will help lead your company to success

 

Search the GigX Network (it’s free!). Find fractional CxOs and directors who want to leverage their professional experiences and skills to help your company get more wins.

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