Featured image for “Good, Better, Best: A Mantra for Leadership, Culture, and Growth”

When Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson first stood in front of his players and led them in the “Good, Better, Best” chant, it was more than a motivational cheer. It was a cultural signal.

“Good, better, best! Never let it rest! Until your good gets better, and your better is best!”

After a win against the Cowboys — his first as head coach — quarterback Caleb Williams handed Johnson the game ball, and the coach answered with this chant. The team roared it back. Since then, it’s become a fixture after victories, from Dallas to Las Vegas, where the Bears sealed another win by blocking a last-second field goal.

What started as a moment has become a ritual — a mantra woven into the fabric of the team’s identity. And fans and media have embraced it, too. Outlets like Windy City Gridiron now break down each game through the lens of “good, better, best.” The words are no longer just a chant; they’ve become part of the Bears’ brand DNA.

Why the Chant Matters

At its core, “Good, Better, Best” represents a philosophy of continuous improvement:

  • Good, Better, Best → a progression of quality and achievement.
  • Never let it rest → a warning against complacency.
  • Until your good is better and your better is best → a relentless push toward the highest standard.

The origins go back to the 4th or 5th century with St. Jerome. But Johnson’s adoption and repetition has transformed it into something alive, practical, and current — a cultural marker of accountability and mental toughness.

This is more than football. It’s a leadership lesson for every business.

From Locker Room to Brand Identity

The mantra has spilled beyond the locker room into the public narrative. That’s what makes it powerful. When words are consistently lived, they stop being slogans and start being symbols.

Nike’s Just Do It followed the same path. Internally, it drives innovation and risk-taking. Externally, customers wear it as a badge of identity, aligning themselves with the mindset of determination.

The Bears’ chant is following that arc. Players embody it on the field. Fans echo it off the field. Media amplifies it. Over time, it becomes shorthand for who the team is.

For businesses, this is the essence of the People element in the 5Ps Brand DNA framework. Employees are the first ambassadors of culture. When they live the message authentically, it flows into customer experiences, brand perception, and ultimately, growth.

Lessons for Business Leaders

The “Good, Better, Best” chant reinforces three critical lessons for leaders:

  1. Mantras create culture. Words repeated with purpose shape behavior and expectations.
  2. Culture drives identity. When lived consistently, culture becomes the brand in action.
  3. Identity fuels growth. Employees aligned around a shared mantra don’t just perform tasks; they carry and communicate the DNA of the business.

This is why, at Mountain Stream Group, we tell clients that a tagline is not just marketing. It’s a compass. A tagline — like “Bold Ideas. Clear Strategies. Elevating Your Business.” — should anchor decisions, strategies, and actions for years, even decades.

The Balance That Elevates

Leadership isn’t about being popular — it’s about elevating people and organizations. Johnson’s chant captures the balance: encouragement and accountability, optimism and discipline, present achievement and future vision.

Like a mountain stream carving its path, effective leaders flow around obstacles, cut through resistance, and shape their culture with clarity and persistence.

At Mountain Stream Group, we help businesses define and live their own “Good, Better, Best” — aligning people, processes, products, place, and promotion into a coherent stream that elevates everything it touches.

What’s your company’s “Good, Better, Best”? Is your tagline just words — or is it a compass shaping culture, strategy, and growth? Let’s connect. Together, we’ll craft a mantra that lives inside your business and flows out to your customers.

Let’s Get Started
Jeff Klingberg
Latest posts by Jeff Klingberg (see all)