Wow, what an amazing game!

Viewers, social media, the mainstream media, and fans at Super Bowl parties across the nation thought Super Bowl LI was going to the Atlanta Falcons as the game clock ticked away into the third quarter.

After a disastrous, and quite painful-to-watch first half for the Patriots, the pundits said there was no chance the Patriots could recover from their deficit.

The Falcons now have a 91.6% chance of winning Super Bowl LI. Live analysis: https://t.co/mk4bqHgeQr

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) February 6, 2017

Then…

The Patriots kept their focus and worked together as a team to pull off one of the greatest comebacks in sports history…scoring 25 unanswered points, handing them their fifth NFL championship in the first Super Bowl overtime game. They were deep in the hole (28-3) midway through the third quarter before rewriting history with their epic, 34-28 comeback victory over the Falcons. If you remember, the Patriots set the bar with their 10-point comeback two years ago against the Seahawks.

The momentum was against them, the statistics were against them and fans were on the edge of writing them off. Winning was an almost impossible reality for the Patriots, but after Matt Ryan’s fumble on a sack and a spectacular catch by Julian Edelman…they never stopped coming and never gave up.

So what was the game changer for Super Bowl LI?

Leadership!

Leadership that is courageous enough to stay the course, despite unthinkable circumstances changes the game. This kind of leadership not only redefines the game, it redefines the playing field and even the competition. This kind of leadership finds that inner strength to rise above mediocrity, step into the uncharted waters, hammer complacency, and take extreme risk to lead the team through tough times.

Sure the Super Bowl is just a game and can’t compare to the harsh realities we face in life, but the same attitude we saw in the Patriots leadership can be applied to life’s challenges.

Here’s the kind of leadership I saw from the New England Patriots that changed the game:

• The kind of leadership that doesn’t loose focus on things that are outside their control. Instead, it focuses on things you have influence and control over.
• The kind of leadership that faces the fear! When it comes to fear, it chooses to face that fear and not let it defeat them.
• The kind of leadership that understands that the realities of any given circumstance can be daunting and never static. In the midst of life’s difficulties it chooses to courageously embrace the change and keep moving forward.
• The kind of leadership that puts gratitude over grumbling. It understands that gratitude transforms perspectives and changes the whole orientation toward solutions.
• The kind of leadership that chooses their attitude. It’s figured out that attitude will determine the quality of life that can be a contagious inspiration to others.

So when you’re facing what appears to be an impossible situation, pull up your boot straps, embrace this kind of leadership and face the headwinds head on.

Oh and one last comment on the game. Perhaps people should remember that patriots never quit!