Leaders of Character: Don’t Need The Spotlight
Leadership and sports analogies go together like peanut butter and jelly. There are so many bad examples of leadership on display in politics and business, that sports is often the best place to go.
However, when you read the title of this entry, you may now be thinking of sports stars who seem to crave the spotlight. They are the ones who enjoy speaking about themselves and their accomplishments. This entry is not about one of those stars.
Who Deserves The Spotlight?
I like Peyton Manning. He deserves the spotlight, but spends a great deal of time moving that spotlight away from him and onto his teammates. He is a Leader of Character that exudes Humility.
He is the leader of his team and acts like a leader of character in an interview after a major win back in the 2010 NFL season. Here is the link to that interview: Peyton Manning on NFL Network.
The interesting thing is the interview you just watched, is almost identical to the other post-game interviews you will find on You Tube when you search Peyton Manning. No matter how hard the interviewer tries to focus on Peyton, he makes sure he is not in the spotlight.
Peyton Manning just retired from the NFL after winning his second Super Bowl. He is the all-time leader in multiple quarterback categories and was named NFL MVP a record 5 times. But, he never makes it about himself. He wants everyone else to get the attention.
Where Did Peyton Shine The Spotlight?
- Peyton used words like Team, We, and Us when describing what went well during the game.
- Peyton named his teammates by name and praised their efforts.
- Peyton accepted the blame and even joked about his slump where he threw 8 interceptions in 2 games.
- Peyton thanked his teammates for sticking with him in the slump.
- Peyton deflected the spotlight from his records of the past to what the team needed to do moving forward in the future.
The Bottom Line:
Leaders of Character place the spotlight on others when things go well, but stand tall in front of the spotlight when things go poorly.
Leaders of Character give credit to others, but never share the blame. They shoulder the blame alone.
Leaders of Character do not need a spotlight to stand out in the crowd. These leaders already standout because they are Leaders of Character. Like anything rare, Leaders of Character are valuable and standout by their very nature.
We need more people in our world who do not crave the spotlight but accept the responsibility of leadership. Peyton Manning is just one good example of what we should all strive to emulate.
Question:
How can you shine the spotlight on others in the coming week?
PS. My father and I use Peyton Manning as an example of confidence and Humility existing in the same person in our upcoming book Becoming a Leader of Character: Six Habits that Make or Break a Leader at Work and at Home. Morgan James Publishing will have the book available later in 2016. Stay tuned for updates.
Dave,
I enjoyed your article on Leaders of Character. Peyton for all his accomplishments appears to have a great deal of personal humility and great respect for his team. For those leaders that serve and have served I think it is important to remember our oaths and vows – to remember what we say and do it. The President and others including family and friends place special trust in our patriotism, valor, fidelity, and abilities. If leaders are unfaithful to their spouses or other promises made how can they be trusted in other areas? Actions do speak louder than words but our promises and especially our vows and how we fulfill them say a great deal about our character.
Excellent point! We can’t claim to have integrity and then choose to use it as we see fit. If we say one thing and act in a different way that makes us a…hypocrite and/or a liar.
Dave,
Especially poignant is that Peyton Manning doesn’t deflect Blame, he accepts it. Much easier to do, granted, when you have the track record he has, but still the hallmark of a true leader. Screwing up is part of growing as a human being; owning it, correcting the deficient behavior, and emerging better for the experience is how we grow as leaders.
Miss you brother!
Shaps
With all the mistakes I have made, I have had massive opportunity for growth! I look forward to seeing you at the USMA 88 reunion!