Like many of you, I have long been an admirer of legendary football coach, the late-Vince Lombardi and his no-nonsense, inspiring, committed, and yes, deeply caring leadership style. One of the great leaders and motivators of his generation, Lombardi was about winning, hard work, and team-success. His wisdom is immortalized in a myriad of famous quotations made prior to his death in September 1970, including such gems as “individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work”, “it's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up, and “confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence…”

However, an outstanding example not only of motivation, but of career advice and organizational success, also came from Lombardi, and I would contend applies whether you’re from the private or public sector, whether military or civilian, and whether you're new to an organization or an experienced veteran. Attributed to Professional Football Hall of Fame Quarterback Sonny Jurgensen, “Vince Lombardi once told us: ‘Gentlemen, the game will be decided by two or three plays. Unfortunately I can’t tell you which two or three plays they will be – therefore you’re going to have to play them all.’”

Short, sweet, and as was generally the case, goes directly to the heart of the matter. Every decision, every action, every deliverable, every project, and every program has the likelihood of being pivotal to a successful organizational outcome. So make every play count!