Last night I had the privilege of watching Drew Brees break Dan Marino’s 27-year-old record for most passing yards in a season.  Brees is a master of his craft and a true artist.  But it wasn’t always like this and he had many doubters along the way. 

As I watched the celebration of his accomplishments last evening, I remembered the following:

  • Despite being a college All-American, he fell to the 2nd round in the 2001 NFL draft where he was drafted by the San Diego Chargers.
  • Despite playing well, head coach Marty Schottenheimer drafted Phillip Rivers with the 5th pick in the 2004 NFL draft.
  • After getting injured in the final game of the 2005 season, the Chargers allow Brees to leave as a free agent choosing to go with Rivers.
  • Then head coach Nick Saban of the Miami Dolphins chooses Daunte Culpepper over Brees to lead his team.
  • Brees goes to the only place that would take him, the one place no one wanted to go, the Katrina-ravaged city of New Orleans  and the 3-13 New Orleans Saints.  The rest, as they say, is history!

There are 10 leadership lessons I take from journey of Drew Brees:

  • Remember Your Talent – As a leader you have talent.  Don’t ever let anyone, even people as successful as Schottenheimer and Saban, tell you that you have nothing to contribute.
  • Identify Your Skills – Though under-sized, Brees has an amazing set of skills such as pocket awareness, vision, and passion.  No one is great in everything.  Play to your skills.
  • Recognize Opportunity – Look for organizations in trouble!  Seriously.  Where there is great calamity, there is always great opportunity.  Because when you turn it around…..
  • Loyalty – People remember who led them out of dark times.  They remember those who loved them when no one else would.  They remember the helping hand that reached out to them and often times, when they grab that hand they will never let go.
  • Build A Team – In addition to getting obtaining Brees, the Saints also drafted Marquis Colston and Reggie Bush that same year.  Go to an organization where they will surround you with talented people who compliment your leadership.
  • Preparation And Intelligence – No athlete in sports is more prepared mentally than Brees.  Become an expert at your craft.
  • Find A Leader Who Recognizes Your Talent – I have worked for several people who have marginalized me, ridiculed me, bullied me, and told me I had no intelligence.  Believe it or not, that is true.  But I have had others who believed in me more than I believed in myself.  These people resourced me, encouraged me, and expanded my worldview.  Guess who I performed better under?  Brees and head coach Sean Payton are a match made in football heaven.  Payton is an offensive architectural genius has the most mentally prepared athlete running his team.
  • Character – Brees is a strong Christian who counts it a privilege to serve at a place no one else wanted to go.  Because of Brees, New Orleans is now a place everyone would love to go.  And as much as he loves football and that city, his faith and family come first.
  • Passion – Brees owns the result and anything less than perfection is unacceptable.

Talent, Skills, Opportunity, Loyalty, Team, Preparation and Intelligence, Find The Right Leader, Character, and Passion.  Integrate these 10 leadership traits and watch your 2012 be more successful than you ever dreamed.

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