“We trust in him. We believe in him. And we’ll follow him to the end of the earth.” – Richard Shermon on teammate Russell Wilson July 29, 2013
I have the privilege of interacting with many great pastors and leaders under the age of 30. Their passion and desire for excellence challenges a seasoned leader like me to get better. Too often, many of my fellow experienced leaders marginalize or discount the value young leaders can bring. This is a mistake.
One place young leadership is not only valued but celebrated is the National Football League. Russell Wilson, quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks, is one such leader. He is widely regarded as one of the game’s top stars and a primary reason why the Seahawks are considered Super Bowl favorites.
Recently, Sports Illustrated’s Peter King interviewed Wilson on leadership and the direction the game is headed. Wilson’s comments provided a wonderful template for the 15 Practices Of Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30. You can read the full interview by clicking here.
Now onto the leadership lessons gleaned from Wilson’s interview that all leaders can learn from:
- Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Respect Older Adults – When you watch the interview, you will notice the first thing Wilson did was shake Peter King’s hand and give him a hug. There is obvious respect there.
- Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Have High Expectations For Themselves – Young leaders do not view their age as a limitation. Wilson said, “I have high expectations for myself and I’ve always believed in myself.”
- Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Recognize Obstacles To Their Success – Wilson is not naive. He is aware the coaches and defensive coordinators in the NFL are developing strategies on how to neutralize his unique skill set.
- Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Know Their Limitations – Speaking of the game’s 300 lb. defensive players, Wilson noted, “I don’t want to run against these guys.”
- Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Focus On Team Success – Wilson realizes his job is “just protect the football team.”
- Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Are Self-Aware – Drafted in the 3rd round of the 2012 NFL Draft, not much was expected from Wilson.
- Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Recognize Opportunity – Upon entering training camp as a rookie, Wilson said, “All I ever asked for was a chance.”
- Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Do Their Job – The fastest way for young leaders to gain respect is to do a great job. Wilson said, “I was going to work every single day whether I was a starting quarterback or not.”
- Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Earn The Right To Lead – Wilson realizes, “The question of how I became a leader on this football team was a guy who worked hard every single day. Was here early. Left late.”
- Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Respect The Industry They Are In – Young leaders can lose credibility if others perceive they view their job as a stepping stone. Not Wilson who “Was dedicated to his craft. Was a guy who took tons of notes. I believe in what I did. This was my job.”
- Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Love Their Work – “This was something I loved to do. I got the best job in the world to be the quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks”, said Wilson.
- Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Are Not Limited By The Opinions Of Others – Young leaders respect others but do not let others define them. He says, “As long as you can lead there is no certain variable. The only variable it takes is to be a great leader.”
- Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Have Attention To Detail – Many young leaders are very passionate. Within this passion young leaders cannot get sloppy. Wilson states, “(I) Have a great attention to detail.”
- Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Are Competitors – Experienced leaders want young leaders to bring their best and own the results together. Wilson gains respect by being “a relentless competitor.”
- Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Inspire Others – Wilson proclaims, “A quarterback has to lift the other 10 guys in the huddle up and make them believe that’s the play that’s going to the end zone.”
Wilson is not just a great young leader. He is a GREAT leader. As he stated on his Twitter account earlier this week, “But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” (2 Chronicles 15:7 NIV). Something tells me Wilson will be rewarded greatly this year.
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