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Think Like a Leader

Former NFL Quarterback Archie Manning explains his thoughts on leadership.

by Kasey Brown, associate editor

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Feb. 6, 2014) — There is one constant to prevail over any challenge, Archie Manning, former NFL quarterback and father to three sons, including two NFL quarterbacks, told attendees of the second general session at the 2014 Cattle Industry Convention and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Trade Show in Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 3-7. That constant is leadership.

Leadership is a word that is much discussed, but hard to enact, said Manning, offering three main thoughts to success in leadership.

1) Think like a leader.

The former quarterback of the New Orleans Saints explained that even though his team had many rough games, his coaches always taught him to think as a winner. To think like a winner means to be better prepared, better conditioned and more determined.

2) Set goals like a leader.

He recommended writing down your goals, because if you don’t manage your goals, you will never accomplish them. In a survey in Texas, he said, there was a strong correlation between success and goals. The most successful of the surveyed group were those in the 3% who had written goals. Those in the 27% with unwritten goals were moderately successful, but those without any goals at all had very little success.

“Sometimes in life, success is the journey, not the destination. Set your goals, because they are part of the journey,” he added.

3) Act like a leader.

Leadership is an action verb, he said. It is not a title, it is something you do. Managers do things right, but leaders do the right thing. They think of the big picture, and they encourage and promote the team instead of an “I” mentality. He shared a story of when his son Eli, quarterback of the New York Giants, was in his first Super Bowl game against the New England Patriots. The Giants were down by four points near the end of the game. He said Eli remembered something his brother, Peyton, quarterback of the Denver Broncos, told him.

Peyton had said it is better to be down by four points near the end of the game rather than three, because it makes the team more aggressive. They must go for the touchdown and a win, rather than playing conservatively to tie the game with a three-point field goal and go into overtime. In Eli’s case, the Giants did achieve that touchdown, and won the Super Bowl. The bigger the challenge, the bigger opportunity for success, Manning said.

There is no question you will face adversity, but what will you do when you face adversity, Manning said, urging the audience to always keep priorities in line.

“Every time you do what’s right, you’re a leader. Every time you do what’s hard, you’re a leader. Every time you have built for the future, you’re a leader,” he concluded.