But we search for common threads shared among the best. And David Fleming's lengthy article about Bill Belichick deserves close attention, as it reveals part of his success. Inevitably, people envy and will belittle the giants, the "yeah, but" naysayers.
I think it's worth reading the whole article. But here are the key points.
1. He's smart. Steve began teaching him how to apply his considerable intellect to football.
2. He understood his limitations. He always saw video and film and the mental side of the game as the great equalizer for him.
3. He literally has a lifetime of experience. Growing up with football in your life, that experience as a young man at the dinner table, is invaluable. He was educated to the nuances of the sport at a very young age.
4. He carried the excellence mindset. He was well-prepared, very focused and intense.
5. He had an unwavering commitment to a core concept. Take away an opponent's best players and not let them beat us...That's Belichick's absolute genius: pragmatism.
6. He earned players' "buy-in." They were in awe of his football knowledge. You could tell by the way they were communicating it, so passionately, they felt he gave them such an advantage.
7. He radiates competence. Belichick had that kind of factor to him, that quiet storm -- quiet but powerful, almost like demanding your respect without saying too much.
8. He outworked everyone. Bill could outwork all of us.
9. He was relentless. "His philosophy from the beginning was 'No stone left unturned' and 'No envelope unpushed in order to win.'
10.He has a private side that he keeps secluded. There's a generosity to Bill most people don't get to see.
11.He builds the entire program. He did a great job of coaching coaches.
12.He masters the details. Anything that touches the team is important. That philosophy of 'Don't sweat the small stuff'? Yeah, that was never his philosophy. But he's one of the few out there who have a global perspective of the entire game and all 22 positions. He's a true coach of all 22 positions plus every specialist.
13.He is versatile...to a fault. To be great on the field, you have to be emotional. To be great upstairs in the front office, you have to be robotic.
14.He understands what is important. the best coaches do, the best business people do and the best leaders do: They put their people in the best possible position to succeed.
15.He's tireless. He's football 22/7. He gets maybe two hours of sleep, and the rest of his life is football. He's paid the ultimate sacrifice for this game.
16.He doesn't waste time. He gets to the point very quickly in conversations.
17.He is direct...and not sentimental (mostly). He will say something to you in a sarcastic tone that, wow, is just so right to the core. It hits home twice as hard and makes you feel about an inch tall.
18.He preaches a consistent message, "do your job." He told us not to try to do too much by thinking we had to cover up for others.
19.He values competitive advantage. The Patriots are more like a private school. They don't like business getting outside.
20.He doesn't tolerate mistakes. He could be on another field, I'm not kidding now, he could be on another field and come running over because he saw that the key guy on a kickoff return missed his block.
21.He doesn't play favorites. Everybody is treated the same, and you better get your s--- together.
22.He is always prepared. We prepared for everything. Not saying we perfected it, but we prepared for everything. There's no second-guessing or hesitation when you play for Bill.
23.He is a life-long learner. He's a big reader, things like The Art of War, and he would tie the books into day-to-day life.
24.He values team. He wants you to know your teammates and have a certain respect for them.
25.He gets feedback. He never let anyone get away with maybe knowing or not knowing.
26.He demands that you know 'why'. 'Brady's right. I don't want to have to send your mother another note that says, 'Dear Mrs. Cassel, we regret to inform you that your son got killed being a dumbass.'"
27.He demands "one band, one sound." Same page. Same message. Same culture.
28.He constantly searches for 'the edge'. He just tried to be on the edge, the cutting edge, of what can and cannot be. It's like this with Bill: Is this the limit? OK, then let's go to the limit."