Like many Kiwi sports lovers, I’ve been fascinated by the NFL as long as I can remember.
Not just the athleticism.
The violence.
The speed.
The spectacle.
But the culture.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been my team of choice, mainly for two reasons.
Long-term leadership.
In a league obsessed with quick fixes, coach turnover, and reactionary decisions, the Steelers stand apart. They’ve had only three head coaches since… 1969. Wow!
And the current one?
That level of continuity doesn’t happen by accident.
It’s not sentiment.
It’s not nostalgia.
It’s culture.
And it’s best captured in one line Tomlin is famous for:
“The standard is the standard.”
That line isn’t a slogan.
It’s a filter.
Everything that follows – behaviour, accountability, performance – flows from it.
Context Matters
Tomlin was appointed head coach of the Steelers in 2007.
He was 34 years old.
Since then:
Super Bowl XLIII champion
Multiple AFC Championship appearances
No losing seasons across nearly two decades
The youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl
In a salary-capped league designed for parity and churn, that kind of longevity is rare.
It only happens when culture outlasts circumstance.
And last weekend, his team secured the division crown and another post-season playoff spot.
Success leaves clues.
“The Standard Is the Standard”
This is coach Tomlin’s most quoted line – and most misunderstood.
It doesn’t mean perfection.
It means no situational dilution.
Injuries? The standard remains.
Roster turnover? The standard remains.
Weather conditions? The standard remains.
Noise, doubt, criticism? The standard remains.
Tomlin has explained this repeatedly over the years: expectations don’t flex to suit conditions. Execution might vary. Accountability does not.
High-performance cultures don’t renegotiate standards under pressure.
They defend them.
He Communicates in Pictures
This is where Tomlin separates himself.
Communication-wise, he’s widely recognised for being exceptionally articulate.
Not because he talks more.
Because he talks better.
Tomlin communicates in pictures.
Short.
Sharp.
Visual.
“The standard is the standard.”
“We do not live in our fears.”
“Don’t blink. If you’re a blinker, cut your eyelids off!”
You don’t need those explained.
You can see them.
That’s deliberate.
These “Tomlinisms” are well-documented and intentional-designed to make abstract expectations tangible and memorable. Language becomes a delivery system, not decoration.
Why Language Matters in High Performance Culture
Pictures travel faster than policies.
Metaphor does what manuals can’t:
Compresses complexity
Sticks under pressure
Creates shared language
When pressure hits, people don’t recall paragraphs.
They recall phrases.
In Tomlin’s environment, players don’t ask,
“What does coach want here?”
They already know – because they’ve seen it in the language.
That’s cultural efficiency.
Language as Behaviour Control
This is the hidden advantage.
Picture-based language:
Removes ambiguity
Speeds decision-making
Aligns behaviour without micromanagement
When everyone uses the same language, the culture begins to self-police.
That’s why Tomlin’s standards survive roster changes, injuries, media noise, and time.
The culture doesn’t drift-because the language doesn’t.
“We Do Not Live in Our Fears”
Another verified Tomlin principle:
“We do not live in our fears.”
That’s not motivation.
It’s an operating rule.
Fear makes teams cautious.
Caution creates hesitation.
Hesitation kills momentum.
Tomlin’s teams play fast and physical because fear isn’t allowed to dictate behaviour.
If people are protecting themselves, they are not performing for the mission.
Comfort Is the Enemy
Tomlin has also said:
“We’re not seeking comfort.”
Most cultures don’t fail dramatically.
They soften.
Comfort with shortcuts.
Comfort with average effort.
Comfort with yesterday’s success.
Tomlin treats comfort as a warning light.
High standards are uncomfortable to maintain.
That discomfort is the cost of consistency.
Culture Is Reinforced, Not Announced
One telling detail:
“The standard is the standard” was engraved inside the Steelers’ facility.
Not for visitors.
For players.
Tomlin doesn’t outsource culture to slogans.
He enforces it through:
Relentless language consistency
Clear consequences
Defined roles
Zero ambiguity about what’s acceptable
Clarity is kindness.
Ambiguity is culture erosion.
The Takeaway
High-performance cultures don’t rely on hype or emotion spikes.
They rely on standards that survive pressure – and language that carries those standards when it counts.
That’s the lesson from Mike Tomlin.
Not charisma.
Not fear.
Not comfort.
Standards.
Spoken clearly.
Seen vividly.
Defended daily.
Because in those moments when everything goes sideways –
The standard stays.
Ps. Also, he’s funny as hell. Here’s a word picture for you…
