One of the most important moments in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ dynasty didn’t happen on a football field. It happened at an airport.
In 1972, the Steelers started the season 2-2. For most teams or players, that wouldn’t have been a crisis. But for Joe Greene, it felt like more of the same. (The story is recounted in The Mentor Leader.)
Pittsburgh had been a perennial loser, and had won only twelve games during his first three seasons. Although Coach Chuck Noll kept insisting the team was improving, Greene was tired of waiting for the results to show up.
He cleaned out his locker and headed to the airport.
When Noll learned what had happened, he sent assistant coach Lionel Taylor to find Greene. Taylor found him at the airport, waiting on a flight home, and persuaded him to come back and reconsider before making a final decision.
Greene returned to practice the next day.
The Steelers won nine of their final ten regular-season games, made the playoffs for the first time in decades, and began a run that would eventually include four Super Bowl championships.
In hindsight, the progress was easy to see. In the moment, Greene could only see another disappointing start.
That’s often how progress works. It develops quietly before it becomes visible. The pieces may be coming together even while the results still look discouraging.
Don’t let tough times convince you that no progress is being made. After all, the frozen lake doesn’t melt until the temperature climbs above freezing, but every degree along the way helps make it ultimately possible.
Sometimes we need the patience to keep going. Sometimes we need a leader who continues to hold the vision in front of us. And sometimes we need someone willing to come find us when we are ready to walk away.
Maybe you are not at the end of the road. Maybe you are simply at the airport!
Keep going! (Or turn around and go back to the practice field – whichever one applies!)
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