Preparation for the 2014 college football season is about to begin and the college football coaches are making the media rounds. You can see an array of football coaches every day on ESPN expressing optimism for the coming season and how confident they are in the team. I’m a devoted fan and a sucker for such interviews.

Charlie Strong, the new coach at Texas, impressed me.

He said that his team had to put the “T” back in Texas. T stands for “toughness”, “trust”, “teamwork” and “togetherness.”

“Toughness ” works in football and it works in business. Toughness in football has a physical aggressiveness to it. In business, it is a mental toughness. To work safely 100% of the time for a whole shift takes a mental resolve to concentrate. To maintain excellent quality calls for a discipline to inspect every piece and to make choices for the good of our customer. Every time.

To make those good choices and to do it consistently takes character created by dedication to doing things the right way.

Strong said toughness creates trust. “Before you can trust others, you have to trust yourself,” said Strong. I took it to mean to understand trust you have to first be trustworthy. Once you become trustworthy, you recognize the characteristics of trustworthiness in others.

You develop a fondness for people you can trust. It builds respect. It creates high regard. Thus, teamwork and togetherness follow.

Don’t know if Charlie Strong will succeed at Texas. But, I think being able to describe the culture he desires is a good and necessary start.