Mission Over Ego: What the Super Bowl LX Teams Teach Us About Culture
If you looked at the NFL standings a couple of years ago, you never would have predicted this matchup.
This week, the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots meet in Super Bowl LX. This time last year, the Patriots were sitting at a heartbreaking 4-13 for the second season in a row. The Seahawks were in the middle of a massive transition, moving on from the legendary Pete Carroll era.
So, how did they get here? It wasn't just better plays. It was better culture.
Challenges, as frustrating as they can be, often serve as the raw material for growth. Both Coach Mike Macdonald and Coach Mike Vrabel took broken or stagnant situations and fixed them—not by shouting louder, but by connecting deeper.
Here is what these two teams offer us about turning potential into performance.
The Patriots: The Four H’s
First, let’s give credit where it is due. Mike Vrabel pulled off a historic turnaround in New England, taking the team from 4-13 to 14-3. He achieved this by rooting his leadership in emotional vulnerability and an obsession with situational mastery.
Vrabel realized that to get a group of individuals to play like a family, they had to know each other. He introduced "The Four H’s."
In team meetings, players had to stand up and share:
History: Where do you come from?
Heroes: Who inspired you?
Heartbreak: What struggles shaped you?
Hopes: What are you fighting for?
The key was that Vrabel went first. He shared his own history, his struggles as a backup early in his career, and his hopes as a father. By showing vulnerability from the top, he gave permission for the team to do the same.
This exercise did more than just break the ice; it acted as a North Star for the team's identity. When we clearly articulate our values and our history, we shape not just what we expect of ourselves, but how we connect with others. Players noted that when you know a teammate's "heartbreak," you play "harder for your brother."
This connection fueled their identity as “Road Warriors.” The Patriots became the first team in NFL history to go 9-0 on the road, proving that when the bond is tight, you can thrive in any environment.
The Seahawks: The Art of Inevitability
Meanwhile, in Seattle, Mike Macdonald built the Seahawks by pulling them into the future.
In his very first team meeting on April 8, 2024—months before a single game was played—Macdonald stood in front of the room and painted a vivid picture of exactly where they would be right now:
"I want us to just take a minute here and fast forward to January, NFC Championship. It's 30-something degrees; all right, it's wet, it's windy. All right, it's tough for them, okay, but it's just right for us...
I got one question: do y'all feel it? This is what we send to the team across from us in the other locker room... They know they're facing a bunch of men that won't give up. They know they'll face a team that won't die and won't quit. They know it's inevitable."
To make that vision "inevitable," Macdonald focused on stacking plays, downs, and opportunities—reminding the team daily that success isn't an accident, but a result of consistent momentum. He didn't just need good players; he needed a motto that could cut through the noise.
M.O.B. – "Mission Over BS."
M.O.B. represented a shift away from the "individualism" that teams often tend towards and toward the philosophy Macdonald learned at Michigan: "The Team, The Team, The Team.” It was the product of the team's 10-player Leadership Council of a mix of veteran and younger players. It meant that the "Mission" (winning) was always more important than the "BS" (ego, stats, or rank).
This focus on the mission builds an identity that isn't fragile, because it is rooted in something bigger than what the scoreboard says.
The "Burn the B Gap" Moment
The perfect example of M.O.B. in action happened between rookie offensive lineman Grey Zabel and veteran defensive star Leonard Williams.
Zabel, a first-round pick from South Dakota, noticed something from the sidelines during the divisional playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers. The opposing center was sliding a specific way, baiting Williams into an inside move. In many organizations, a rookie keeps his mouth shut and lets the All-Pro veteran work.
But because of the culture—because the Mission mattered more than the Hierarchy—Zabel felt safe enough to approach Williams during a quiet moment on the bench and offer technical feedback. He told the veteran to stop taking the bait and "burn the B gap" instead.
And Williams? He didn't get defensive. He didn't pull rank. He trusted his teammate. He made the adjustment and recorded a critical fourth-down sack on that very move.
The Lesson
That moment on the sideline is exactly the type of collaborative mindset my colleagues and I experience on a daily basis in the Band.
Even though we have a very well-defined organizational structure, the music demands that we view each other as peers—a true "chamber music" approach. If anyone hears something that will help the music (intonation, rhythm, ensemble), the "Mission" dictates they speak up, and the "Mission" dictates others listen, no matter their rank or title.
When you remove the ego, you unlock the feedback loop.
Both coaches proved something powerful this season: You don't wait for success to build a culture. You build the culture to create the success. You have to "believe it before you see it."
Macdonald saw it in April 2024. The rest of the world finally saw it on the podium after the NFC Championship game.
When Michael Strahan asked him how it felt to surpass the Rams and 49ers after being considered an "afterthought" all season, Macdonald didn't talk about X's and O's. He leaned into the microphone and delivered the ultimate validation of their culture:
"We did not care. It is about us. It has always been about us and what we do, and now we are going to the Super Bowl!"
Enjoy the game. Go Hawks!
Questions for You: Please share your answers in the comments
Your "Four H's": What’s one "Heartbreak" or "Hope" that you might share with your team today? How might that positively change how they see you and how you interact?
Mission Over BS: What is the "BS" (distractions, ego, busy work) in a current project that is getting in the way of the Mission?
The Rookie Voice: Do you have a culture where the "rookie" (or the newest member of the team) feels safe enough to give feedback to the "veteran"? If not, what can be done to help open that door?
