16 | Michael Lombardi on learning from Bill Walsh, the brilliance of Bill Belichick, Winning in the NFL, and Building Championship Teams

NFLTeam BuildingCultureLeadershipBill BelichickBill Walsh
Written By Evan Burk
Webpage Header 1500x500 Twitter Header-2.png

Michael Lombardi is a former NFL Executive, author, and podcast host. His football career spans over 3 decades, where he served as an NFL executive with the San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles, and Oakland Raiders. He is the Author of the book Gridiron Genius, co-founded and writes for the daily newsletter “The Daily Coach”, and hosts his own podcast "The GM Shuffle".

In this conversation, Evan Burk speaks with Michael about learning football from Bill Walsh early in his career, Bill Belichick’s ability to simplify the complex, and how leaders can build winning teams by finding the right players that fit their culture.

Find this episode for free on your favorite podcast player.

Tune into this episode to hear:

  • 2:00 | Learning football from Bill Walsh early in his career

  • 4:30 | What defined Michael's early success

  • 5:45 | Bill Walsh's Standard of Performance

  • 7:45 | How Michael is still growing as a leader

  • 9:00 | The simplicity of the system with Bill Belichick

  • 10:15 | Admitting mistakes creates accountability

  • 13:00 | How Belichick evolved as a leader over the years

  • 14:45 | Belichick getting players aligned to the culture

  • 16:30 | Finding the right players vs. collecting talent

  • 18:15 | Assessing character in player evaluation

  • 21:00 | Finding superb system players vs. star players

  • 24:15 | How teams can build a resilient culture

  • 28:00 | Understanding why you win and why you lose

  • 31:30 | What makes writing so meaningful?

Learn more about Michael:

Learn more about Evan:

 
Evan Burk

Evan Burk is a speaker, former NFL coach, and podcast host who uses the sports world as his backdrop to engage audiences with thought-provoking lessons of leadership, team-building, and creating championship cultures.

Evan Burk is not your typical football coach. Despite not playing football beyond high school and no network in the coaching profession, Evan's unlikely football journey began as a 4th grade coach, where he quickly worked his way to the NFL in just 6 years, and included coaching for teams such as the Miami Dolphins, UCLA, and SMU.

After spending fifteen-plus years working with the highest-performing athletes, coaches, and teams on the planet, Coach Burk uses his unique football coaching background to teach people how to utilize the same strategies in business and life that elite players and teams use to perform at a world-class level.

Evan received his B.S. in business management from the University of Colorado, and his Master of Liberal Studies degree from Southern Methodist University. He also hosts his own weekly sports leadership podcast, The Highest Level, where he reveals how championship team cultures are built and the keys to leadership excellence at the highest level.

Previous

17 | Memphis Grizzlies’ Head Coach Taylor Jenkins on Earning the Trust of NBA Players, Learning from Popovich and Budenholzer, and Making People the Top Priority
Next

15 | Blaine Scully on the Evolution of a Leader