"Spectacular results come from a lot of unspectacular preparation."
— Roger Staubach

Before you diehard Bears fans jump down my throat, let me set the record straight. There is no team I would rather see than our beloved hometown boys get back to the big dance. But with the "McCheapsky" family still at the helm, let's turn our attention to a truly successful organization.

The New England Patriots are the class of the NFL and not just because they have won the Super Bowl three of the last four years. The entire system they have set up reflects what success and teamwork is about, and their principles apply to organizations of all kinds.

First, there is the belief that everyone contributes to bottom-line success. If you recall the first crown they captured against the heavily favored St. Louis Rams in 2002, the entire team went out to the field as one captain, not just their two or three studs.

Within the Patriot organization is the mantra "don't ever think you are better than the team." Any player who approaches crossing that line knows immediately to step back and realize the sum of the parts is greater than the individual.

Humility and teamwork have become an oxymoron in today's professional sports world. Yet, from the top on down this team knows that bragging, talking trash and berating the competition insults no one but their own character.

The week prior to the Super Bowl, who received the most attention? T.O. baby! That's right, Terrell Owens. And bless the man, he played a fantastic game. No one denies his boundless talent, nor does anyone question the boundless words of self-praise that come screaming out his yapper every week.

For those of you who remember old-school football, one of the fiercest hitters was a former Philadelphia Eagle, Chuck Bednarik. A couple of weeks back, Bednarik said, "That Owens guy? I'd like to wrap my jock strap around his face."

Yuck and ha ha at the same time, Chuck. But his point is taken. The promotion of self before team doesn't win a lot of championships.

Exceptional teamwork seldom occurs unless there is an exceptional leader. The man who sets this precedent is head coach Bill Belichick. He fires his players up to maximum performance on game day by instilling a belief in all team members and by getting each individual to believe in the team.

He ensures that the principles of a great work ethic and tough practices are valued, and that is what has made his team the elite of a talent-laden league of exceptional athletes.

And yet, what may be most impressive about the New England Patriots is that even with their third championship, they still don't really have one true "super player." They have a whole team of men who play together and win Super Bowls.

Joe Takash is the president of Victory Consulting, speaking to and training organizations on success, performance and increasing profits. He also serves as director of corporate relations for Robert Morris College. Questions or comments should be addressed to .