Sports in general are just more than the scorecards, win-shares, trophy-cabinets and record-books. Player Personalities and Team Spirits are often reflected in an average fan’s life and some of our subconscious minds pick up these traits with decades of dedicated fandom. Broadly Speaking, Sports can be categorised into Individual and Team Sports, each having its own share of legends- characters and tales. Taking nothing away from tough accolades such as winning a Tennis Grand Slam, Team Sports have an additional gambit to tackle- “The Whole is greater than Sum of its Parts.” And this challenge was what that made AB De Villiers pivot from Lawn Tennis to Cricket, despite a lot of early success in the former Individual Sports.
The fundamentals of Team Sports serve as excellent multi-dimensional case-studies for Leadership when it comes to bringing the best of varied skill set and diversity on offer in workplaces, be it an established MNC’s or an upcoming Start-up. And when it comes to Team Sports, the debate who is better in terms of their craft is a never ending one. It is near impossible to compare playing Field Hockey vs American Football, delusional parameters to evaluate being rules, opposition, ease of play etc. However, one debate in terms of who the better leader on field was- very few Top 3 list will drop out Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. Last week, when he hung up his boots at the age of 44, it created a vacuum on the playing field, hence a small attempt reflecting on his career and the leadership lessons as a learning tool.
Brady was drafted 199th overall by the New England Patriots in 2000 and this was the expert scouts’ take before he even played his first NFL Game.
Self Discipline
Even at age of 44, he will finish second in the league MVP rankings. One key attribute of Brady’s overall preparation for a season is the amount of routine and hard-work he brings both on and off the field. And he ensures the consistent routine is contagious by setting an example for his team-mates. So, when he switched teams from Patriots to Buccaneers, the system of self-discipline catapulted an average team to its first Super Bowl in two decades. Also, a key complement to the path of self-discipline is sacrifice- an attribute which separates All Time Greats from the rest of the field.
Ownership and Accountability
No sporting player is perfect and the same goes with Quarterbacks in the NFL too. They too have their share of Interceptions, Pick 6, Sacks and Fumbles. However, the ability to own those mistakes and drive the team to continuous success in pressure situations is a rare ability. Brady has numerous tales of fourth quarter comebacks and none more than the epic 25 point comeback against the Falcons in Super Bowl LI. Another feather in Brady’s leadership is never putting a team-mate under the bus for their mistakes in media interviews or public spaces. The ability to absorb all the pressure and deliver in the crunch moments is a replicable model for any team (Sports vs Non-Sports).
Getting the Best out of Everyone
When it comes to pure quarterback skill of throwing the ball, Brady during his career has been second to either Aaron Rodgers or Patrick Mahomes, however, when it comes to leading in crunch playoff games, he is in a league of his own. So, how does he make up for lack of talent- Ability to read the game/team/defences and getting the best out of every receiver. Brady’s playbook to gauge a game situation and change plays to uniformly distribute the ball from everyone rather than his star receiver increases the overall success pie. “And larger the success pie, larger the share for everyone”- this mantra makes everyone on his team deliver the best when playing with this legend. And two of his team-mates Julian Edelman and Robert Gronkowski will surely add to this lesson post their future Hall of Fame Speeches.
Brady is a case study of how an Underdog Story whom the experts count it out at the first instance can be converted into a Life-Long Success Mantra with an undying zeal to improve daily for oneself as well as others around, a leadership attribute which is shared across varied domains of human life.
