Athletes as Leaders: Why they represent the missing link in today’s leadership crisis | Chris Valletta | TEDxWaterStreet
I was 16 years old when my High-School Football Coach gave me the “unlock” to become a leader of consequence.
This philosophy would not only take me all the way to the NFL, but it became the foundational operating system, upon which I built my personal life and career in business. The concept is easy to understand, but, like growing a muscle, requires a focused attention and daily effort to maximize the impact…something we practiced every minute of every day on the gridiron.
Does anyone want to learn it?
It requires a bit of imagination, but go there with me…
I’d like you to imagine yourself hanging off the side of a cliff by a rope. A rocky bluff waits a thousand feet beneath you, and above you, at the other end of your rope, stands one person — your Ropeholder.
Who is that person in your life?
Aside from the physical strength necessary to pull you up, what mental and emotional leadership qualities does your Ropeholder possess? Think about it; Strong arms without a strong mind are useless once fatigue sets in. Who is the person in your life that would rather go down to the bottom with you — before ever letting you go? Picture them in your mind.
My coach was giving me the ultimate measure of a leader…and the success formula for becoming someone who makes an impact, more than just an impression.
At an early age, through the game of football, I learned that while physical talent is important, it’s not sufficient. I learned the specific mental and emotional leadership qualities that could lead to championships not only on the athletic field, but in life, business and beyond.
What qualities makes up a Ropeholder?
What separates a winner from a champion?
What is the difference between those who love to win; and those who refuse to lose?
Aside from physical talent, what skills make up the most impactful leaders?
Dedication. Discipline. The Desire to be the best. Perseverance. Character. Handling adversity. Performing under pressure. Grit. Responding to a loss. Facing competition. Teamwork. Communication. Ability to be coached. Active listening. Mental toughness. Playing hurt. Time management. Adapting to a game plan. Working within a multicultural team dynamic.
These are the leadership qualities of athletes.
Athletes are Ropeholders.
But we have a problem. We have a massive shortage of Ropeholders in business and beyond.
In fact, PWC’s Annual CEO survey revealed that 77% of CEO’s in this country have identified that a lack of these leadership skills, called “soft skills,” as the #1 threat facing businesses today.
The term “soft skills” came to light in 1972 when the US Army was issuing training manuals that focused on Leadership…not what you know about your job, but HOW you go about actually doing your job. The Mindset. The Discipline.
They recognized that these leadership qualities could often times mean the difference between life and death.
Yet, today, we pay little to no attention to developing them in our future generations.
WHY? What happened? How have we lost our way? More importantly, what do we do about it and where do we find the talent to fix it?
There are a few trends contributing to the cause:
1. Baby Boomers are retiring at an exponential pace — nearly 10,000 per day. Millennials and Gen Z’s are entering the leadership roles at an even faster pace. In fact, they will make up 61% of the workforce in the United States in the next 4 years.
2. The majority of Millennials and Gen Z’s prefer to communicate digitally rather than in person, having a significant impact on interpersonal communication and empathy, a critical skill in leadership
3. Millennials and Gen Z’s are in a job-hopping mindset, moving positions every 3–4 years, making it very difficult to build a foundation of leadership in any business.
All of this comes at a time when we’re living in a culture that focuses on producing excellent sheep — and telling them through our actions that credentials on a wall are the more important than emotional intelligence in their soul. Admissions requirements are telling us that if you don’t have a certain GPA, speak two languages, play a musical instrument and have a certain number of community service hours, you don’t qualify.
WHY!?!?!
I’ll tell you this — I don’t care if you’re a bi-lingual, piano-playing mensa, with a double-major from Harvard… If you can’t make eye-contact and hold a conversation, you have no place in my company.
In 1964, there was a political speech on the topic of communism and how the United States would choose to stand against it. He called it a time for choosing. We are at a time for choosing. Leadership in our country is eroding at an exponential pace and if we choose to do nothing, then history will record with the greatest of astonishment that those who had the most to lose did the least to prevent it’s happening.
In a time where leadership is in most demand, why not choose to invest in a group of talent that has been practicing the skills in most demand from an early age — athletes?
I believe athletes, by virtue of the skills they instinctively possess, represent one of the most qualified, yet untapped sources of leadership talent today.
Athletes know how to focus on the Little Things — the details
The Little Things / Texas A&M — practicing skills that you learn in pee-wee because the fundamentals need to become automatic.
A millimeter shift in the golf club could mean the difference between being 10 inches from the cup or, 100 yards.
The chasm between success and failure — or winning vs. winning a championship is infinitely deep, but only inches wide. The details are what separate Winners from Champions.
Athletes know how to perform under pressure
A unique understanding of the feeling associated with high-pressure environments. You cannot learn that in a book. All eyes are on YOU to come through — you either win or you lose.
Athletes know how to lose
My 5-year-old son playing basketball — missing shots and crying
There have been games I wanted to win so badly that I cried when we lost.
The feeling of defeat and the mental capacity required to process the emptions associated with it are arguably one of the most important skills you can have in business today…and athletes have been practicing it since they were 5 years old.
Not every company is going to win the contract, so why in the world are we giving every kid in little league a trophy?
Jeff Weiner, Executive Chairman of LinkedIn, said that “The biggest skill gap in the U.S. is not coding but communication, team building and leadership.”
MESSAGE TO:
Universities — Connect the Athletic departments with the Business School. Get athletes in business and get them running our companies. If leadership in business erodes, the strength of our competitive advantage as a nation will erode and we cannot allow that to happen.
CEO’s — Don’t just admire them. Hire them! Fill your organization with Ropeholders. Adopt programs. Engagement rates will increase. Output will increase. Comradery will increase.
Parents — get in front of your principals and school boards. Don’t just push for a change in policy, but rather a change in perspective. Get your kids involved in organizations like the YMCA, who just unveiled a wide-scale sports-based youth development program. They’ve recognized that Leadership matters and our young athletes need to further understand how their skills will extend beyond whatever game they choose to play.
Athletes — You are some of the greatest Ropeholders I’ve ever seen. Do not let anyone put you in a box. Stand up and Stand OUT!
More about TEDxWaterStreet
TEDxWaterStreet brings together like-minded individuals who are intentional about resetting as thinkers, leaders, friends and community members to bring about a new perspective on how we press forward. The event aims to challenge human discomfort with obstacles and instead celebrate the strength that accompanies curiosity and the ability to dream. TEDxWaterStreet leaders will speak the language of possibility and foster a rediscovery of what the future holds for our shared humanity. Speakers are chosen through a highly-curated process by a select team that takes into consideration the best ideas. Founded in 2019, TEDxWaterStreet aims to put the NYC community onto a new type of global activity map that is being watched, shared, and talked about by the world’s top thought leaders.
This talk was given at a TEDxWaterStreet event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.
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