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He came from a working-class family. They did not have the means nor see the need for him to attend a prestigious college in order to fulfill his lifelong dream of playing football. And, besides, as they often pointed out, he was not physically built for it.

But it was what they could not see that drove him, something deep within.

Many tried to dissuade Rudy from pursuing his dream, but he would not let it go. He persisted in his studies. He worked and saved. And, much to the surprise of many, including himself, he was accepted into Notre Dame.

That was just the beginning. He worked even harder to be accepted onto the team. While at first, other players scoffed at him, in time, they came to respect his tenacity. When the chips were down, the team captain and another player petitioned the coach to give Rudy a chance.

And the coach did.

Without intending to, Rudy had created a culture across the team that drew all the players together, united. Because he demanded so much of himself, they each began to do the same. It made them play better, and it made them better people.

In the end, Rudy had his moment before graduation. With his family in the stands and his team cheering him on, the coach called him in with just 27 seconds left in the game. In his final year, in the final game, and in those final moments, he made his mark on history.

In that instant, the dream of an underdog brought an entire stadium of people to their feet as one.

This is the power of culture.

Humans have an innate and paradoxical desire to both stand out and be a part of something greater than themselves.

When given the chance to do both, it is powerful.

How can you instill this power of culture in your home, your community, and your organization?

Help those you lead fulfill their desire to stand out.

Knowing the strengths of your team is a great first step. This helps identify their uniqueness.

Give them a chance to be part of something greater.

Giving them the opportunity to use those strengths for the good of the team, to serve others, and live their dream creates a powerful bond. It is the kind of bond that creates a winning team.

Who on your team deserves a chance to shine?

How can you help them fulfill their dream while also being a powerful team player?

And what will happen when you do?

For valuable resources on Leadership Strengths and Tools, click here.

Deb Ingino is a highly sought-after executive coach, mentor, consultant, and speaker worldwide. Deb is well versed in business operations and in the importance of asking key questions most business leaders won’t ask themselves. She brings deep experience in leadership development, strategy, high performance team building and effective communication. She has a passion for leading people to discover and maximize their strengths as well as those of fellow team members, while offering advanced strategies to achieve high performance. Deb is the perfect fit if you’re ready to take your leadership and impact to the next level!