Dallas Cowboys Defensive Coach shares thoughts on Molding a Winning Team
By Nina Borgeson, TRADOC Communication Directorate
JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. – The U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command will host a Leader Professional Development webinar on May 31 at 4 p.m. EDT, discussing what it takes to mold a cohesive, winning team.
This webinar is part of the monthly LPD series featuring influential leaders, both military and civilian, to help inform the Army on various topics related to the Army Profession and encourage an open discussion between the speakers and their audience.
Gen. Paul E. Funk II, commanding general, TRADOC, and guest speaker Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator, Dallas Cowboys, will share their knowledge on what creates a cohesive team and how to stay resilient in the face of adversity.
Whether it be on a football field, a battlefield, or an office setting, cohesiveness and resiliency are essential to any team. Part of creating cohesiveness is learning how to work with people of different backgrounds.
In the next LPD, Funk and Quinn will address the value of diverse talent management, as well as how cultivating a positive culture can benefit both the team and individuals.
“Maintaining a cohesive team with a diverse group of people requires recognizing that diversity is a strength that will only enhance our ability to reach our end goals,” Funk said. “A team is always collectively stronger when everyone can work together with a common goal.”
During the webinar, Funk and Quinn will discuss how fellowship between teammates also strengthens a player’s mental strength as their shared experiences of service and sacrifice motivate each other to be their best.
“A good teammate is one who is a good listener, pushes their teammates to practice harder, and holds them accountable to a higher standard,” Funk stated.
The panel will also talk about how warriors and professional athletes are trained holistically to generate resilient and effective teams through the use of the five domains of readiness defined in the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness Field Manual.
Individuals are the foundation of a successful team, and the H2F initiative supports this idea by encouraging individualized training for Soldiers and athletes to develop physical and mental resiliency, while also providing guidance to leaders to assist them in the process.
As stated in the H2F Field Manual, leaders who learn in the face of adversity grow from it and develop the resilience needed to lead their team through challenging missions. Regardless of the outcome, every mission can provide a lesson for those who are to follow.
“It is important to remember there is always another day and always room for collective improvement. Long-term goals always outweigh sort-term defeat,” Funk said. “Winning is a journey, not a destination.”
You can hear more of the conversation at the next LPD discussion on TRADOC’s Facebook page, DVIDs, or the TRADOC watch page where you can submit questions to be answered throughout the session by LPD panelists.