– Vince Lombardi
Just as football stresses the fundamentals of teamwork, persistence, and a positive attitude, so does business. As a Texas A&M University alum, I am proud to support the Aggies and show how the principles of the team can be put into practice on and off the field.
Texas A&M University head football coach Kevin Sumlin knows that success can be a leader’s worst enemy. For prosperous organizations and winning teams, nothing halts progress like taking for granted that one’s past victories will continue into the future. Sustained organizational success means creating a culture in which individuals can be intensely focused on the task at hand without being distracted by what occurs around them.
When observing the Aggies both on and off the field, it becomes exceedingly clear that each player gives his blood, sweat and tears for his fellow teammates. A&M has an intense recruiting process to find the right players and it’s the same in the workplace. Sumlin and his staff look for players who, for lack of a better word, “Want To,” and that’s what we’re looking for too.
To summarize ECS in a single word, grit. At ECS, GRIT is made up of four characteristics: guts, resilience, initiative and tenacity. We are looking for our draft picks to deliver this each and every day to our clients. From trekking knee deep through swamplands to rappelling off of buildings, we do whatever it takes to safely get the job done!
“Many people think that winning the game of football is simply a matter of having the eleven most talented players on the field, but that’s rarely the case,” explains Sumlin. “At Texas A&M we know that it’s as much about a player’s intangibles as it is what you can see from direct observation. Most leaders fail to realize that it takes absolutely no talent to give effort; effort is the great equalizer.”
The work we do doesn’t always have an easy solution. It takes drive, determination and the ability to connect people and ideas to achieve remarkable results. This past year, one of ECS’s Senior Technicians, Alfred Kollie, was recognized for having GRIT during the three years he led our field staff on the newly opened National Museum of African American History, the deepest museum on the National Mall. The Smithsonian Institution even threw a party to honor is work ethic and expertise.
Our people are responsible for our success. As you cheer on your favorite team this fall, remember that you can exemplify the drive and determination the players show in the game we call life.
Content supplied by Steve Gosselin, PG.