Tom Brady, a seasoned NFL veteran, speaks with authority when it comes to team culture in football. This time, he delivered a powerful message about what true leadership should look like in a franchise. For Brady, a winning culture matters more than a reputation or star status.
He makes his position clear: rules are essential within a football team, and everyone must follow them equally. Without this, a group cannot truly function as a team.
Strong culture leads to lasting success
According to The Sports Rush, Brady explained that team culture is “the product of people and their values.” He emphasized that when a leader sets the standard but then fails to follow it, the team notices.
“If you break the rules because you think they don’t apply to you, everyone will believe they can do the same. That’s the fastest way for a culture to collapse,” Brady wrote.
Reminder, Tom Brady’s statue gets unveiled tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/q5u6RO9zmm
— TB EGO (@TomBradyEgo) August 7, 2025
The seven-time Super Bowl champion criticized franchises that apply different rules to stars and regular players. In his view, this damages the franchise.
“You might get away with it when you’re winning, but it’s fatal when you face sustained adversity—especially when your failure stems from ignoring the very values you claim to believe in,” he said.
“That’s when the cracks in your culture show. The locker room splits, performance drops, and blame starts spreading,” Brady warned.
However, he also acknowledged that turning words into action is the real challenge. That’s why he believes everyone must adopt a winning mindset and embrace team values.
Culture over ego: the path to greatness
Brady argues that building strong team culture takes time. He believes it requires removing ego and building responsibility and commitment. Only then can everyone move forward together toward success.
Saying “it’s not my fault” is never the answer, he stated. “We have to say, ‘it’s our fault, and we need to fix it.’ Then we must ask, ‘how do we find solutions?’ That’s what great culture is about.”
In Brady’s view, that’s the most effective way to build lasting, meaningful values in a football team. Over time, franchises become self-sustaining—and ultimately unstoppable.
