Super Bowl Preview: Critical Doer Lessons From Russell WIlson

A Critical Doer Is Willing To Lead

 

Let’s have a little fun combining the great American celebration of sports…The Super Bowl…with a look at a critical doer.

I’m a big Russell Wilson fan.  As an NC State grad (GO PACK!), it was a treat watching Russell grace the gridiron for 3 years (should have been 4, don’t get me started).  The experts were never short of reasons why Russell couldn’t excel in college…he proved them wrong and just kept winning.  The experts doubled down that he was too short, lacked arm strength, you name it for the NFL…he proved them wrong again and won a Super Bowl in his second season.  He may have a second Super Bowl win this weekend.  The consistent skill the so called experts overlook in Russell Wilson is leadership…but the business community hasn’t overlooked it.

Craig Cincotta of Entrepreneur.Com recently wrote a blog post about the 3 things every leader can learn from Russell Wilson; the ones he cited are leading by example, composure, and preparation.  Cincotta does a great job linking the attributes he sees in Wilson’s on the field performance to their application in any business situation.

Another attribute I’ll add, and it’s a critical doer attribute, is the willingness to lead.  Here’s the perfect illustration.  When Wilson left NC State to transfer to the University of Wisconsin, the deal was finalized on the 4th of July weekend.  He jumped in his car and drove 17 hours nonstop to Madison to get a playbook and return home as waiting for one to get to him in the mail would cost several days of preparation.  As the quarterback, he is expected to lead and he understands that the price of credibility is demanding…but it must be paid to earn respect and build the bonds of trust that inspire people to choose excellence.

Wilson took the Badgers to the Rose Bowl that year…two years later, he led the Seahawks to the Super Bowl. Leadership is the key to building organizations that consistently choose excellence over average and maintain a competitive advantage.  Many have leadership skills…but not all are willing to use them and that’s the lesson we can learn from Russell Wilson.

Critical Doers, no matter where your sports allegiance lies there will be powerful leadership lessons from the Super Bowl.  Keep your eye on Russell Wilson…no matter the outcome you’ll see a lesson in leadership.  Enjoy the game and take the opportunity to learn from the instructive moments.  It’s what a critical doer would…do!

 

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Updated: January 31, 2015 — 2:51 am