Believe in Culture Video Series – Learning

Now is the time when we must come together to believe in the power of chosen culture.

Last week, I introduced to you these profound principles of the four L’s – Listening, Learning, Language, and Love. Today we’re going talk about the culture of Learning in Indianapolis that I experienced. It was built around the foundation of how important asking questions is. Now that might sound obvious to you. But in reality, as humans, we always face insecurities about asking questions. In the NFL you only have 16 weeks. You only have 16 games. And we can’t afford to ask questions on Sunday. And so the importance of asking great questions throughout the week was profound.

I love this quote by Lou Holtz which says,

“I never learn anything talking. I only learn things when I asked questions.”

So the culture of Learning in Indianapolis, the answer to, “What does it mean to be a Champion Learner?” was built around a learning system grounded in asking great questions. Because the only way you’re going to find the right answers is by asking the right questions.

Every single day, I stepped into a culture, into a process of learning, that was connected by three truths:

1. Asking great questions.
2. The power of execution – executing on the answers you received from asking questions.
3. Evaluation – In the NFL we call it the eye in the sky doesn’t lie. Every minute of every day was filmed in order to put light on the weaknesses that we all have as players so that we can turn them into strengths.

It’s this type of a system, this type of a culture of learning, that allowed us to reach our potential. It gave us sustainability over the long NFL 16 week season. And so it’s one of the things that I want us to think about when we’re talking about different ways to build culture that we can practice.

The way we practiced asking great questions in Indianapolis was grounded by our leader, Tony Dungy, who would always tell us that we have a culture where there is no foolish question and all of you have to ask questions. Because we were brought into that culture, there was no insecurity and we asked as many questions as we could in order to be prepared to take the field to execute and then to be evaluated. And then start that process again to become the best that we can be.

You can choose a culture of learning in your lives and in your business. Friends, now more than ever, it is time for us to come together and choose to believe in the power of chosen culture.

– Ben Utecht
Super Bowl XLI Champion
Culture & Leadership Speaker, Coach, and Corporate Ambassador