The System Is the Star: Lessons From the NFL and AI

Why the same AI tool — or the same quarterback — performs differently depending on the context

Chris Dunlop

Aug 31, 2025

One of the fun parts of being a consultant is that you get to be a fly on the wall and observe different companies.

Some days I will have two or three calls with different companies and the thing that usually stands out the most?

It’s not the project that we are working on
It’s not the deadlines/budget/milestones
It’s not the number of people that are working on a job

It’s the system and culture of the company and what the company believes is possible.

There is a quote in sales

‘Sales is the transfer of enthusiasm from the seller to the buyer’.

AI selling is quite different to that. You can be as enthusiastic as you want but ultimately it depends on whether the company and leaders believe that things are possible.

If there was one thing I would wish upon a client, it would be belief in what is possible and also a growth mindset.

I’m going to use the NFL to paint an example

In 2014, Geno Smith (a quarterback) looked finished.

He was drafted in the second round by the New York Jets, Smith was labelled a bust after two rough years.

He was benched, mocked, and eventually discarded.

For years he drifted as a backup, the kind of career that slowly fades into trivia-night answers.

But then something happened

Fast-forward to 2022.

Geno Smith was different. He moved teams. Then all of a sudden.

He threw for over 4,000 yards
He made the Pro Bowl
He became a $100 million quarterback
He was voted the NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

What a difference a new system makes - Seattle Times

My question to you is what happened? Did Geno change? Or did his context change? Remember this was the exact same player. But now he was playing in a new team and he is all of a sudden one of the best players in the league.

Why this matters to you

I think understanding the context that you are in is massive. So much of the world focuses on the outliers, the Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady players, but I find the players that change more interesting.

The organisation that you are in is a context
The job role you are in is a context
The way your company approaches technology is context

All of these forces make up who you are and yet a lot of them are outside of your control.

Some businesses don’t allow AI recording for example in meetings and they heavily restrict ChatGPT usage. This has a MASSIVE impact on any employees and their context and understanding of AI.

That simple decision from your leader means

You aren’t practicing how the tools work
You don’t even know what is possible
You aren’t playing and learning
You will be lapped by the upcoming generation

This is the equivalent of being Geno Smith playing for the New York Jets in 2014.

Let’s look at other areas

What’s happening here is a wider problem than just sports:

Business: Google’s Project Aristotle studied hundreds of teams and found that the number-one predictor of success wasn’t IQ, résumés, or even leadership. It was psychological safety: how comfortable people felt speaking up and collaborating. In other words, the system mattered more than the star players.
AI: A model like GPT-5 can ace benchmarks in a lab, but in the real world it’s useless without the right workflow, fine-tuning, or data context. Just like a running back behind a weak offensive line. In some organisations, ChatGPT has been the unlock, in others it is hard to find a use case.
Other sports: In Formula 1, the same driver can look like a champion in a Mercedes and an also-ran in a Williams. In the NBA, a superstar’s efficiency can swing dramatically depending on who shares the floor with them.

The pattern is clear: Talent × Context = Performance.

Too often we forget about the context part and I think in the AI world, that context is something that you should pay attention too.

So how can we make all of this tangible.

Three Ways to Apply This as an Individual

Audit Your Context
Ask yourself: is my environment helping me succeed, or holding me back? If you’re in a “Jets” context — one that limits tools like AI or discourages experimentation — recognise how much that shapes your performance. Awareness is step one.
Borrow From Other Playbooks
Don’t just look sideways at your peers in the same industry. Look across industries. How is AI being used in marketing, finance, or sports, and what could you adapt to your own role? Cross-pollination is often where the biggest breakthroughs happen.
Create Micro-Systems for Yourself
Even if your company doesn’t give you a “Seahawks” culture, you can still build your own systems. When I was a civil engineer I taught myself Python and built all sorts of tools that helped the business. I didn’t let the context that there was no software engineers around stop me.

Three ways to Apply this as a leader

Belief Before Evidence
Geno Smith didn’t walk into Seattle with a Pro Bowl résumé. The organisation chose to believe in him first, and the results followed.

As a leader, the belief you extend to your people is often the spark that creates their performance. People usually rise (or fall) to the level of expectation you set. I also believe the same is true of projects.
Systems Over Superstars
The Jets hoped raw talent would carry the day. The Seahawks built a system that allowed talent to shine.
Don’t just rely on “star players.” Create processes and guardrails where the average performer can consistently deliver exceptional results. The system should make excellence inevitable, not optional.
Context Creates Confidence
Geno’s confidence wasn’t an internal switch; it was nurtured by a culture that expected him to succeed.
Build an environment where curiosity, risk-taking, and growth are rewarded. Confidence is rarely innate, it’s a product of the context you create.

Some Audiobooks to listen to

Amazon

Amazon is the best here. Just think, Jeff Bezos started a book company and then ended up also building the best data company in AWS as well.

So many of the things Amazon does are super important for today’s world.

Working Backwards - get in on Amazon here

Pixar

This is the story of Pixar and they have so many great mechanisms in their company like the brain trust.

Creativity Inc - get in on Amazon here

Conclusion: Viewing Talent Differently

My goal from this essay is to get you to broaden your horizons in some way.

Before your critique an AI tool I would stop and reflect on your system and context that you are in. The fact is, these tools can bring about rapid change today and you can probably do 50 times more than you think you can.

Then make a plan for how you can better your own circumstance by exposing yourself to different ideas and also believing that things are possible.

Chris Dunlop's Substack

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