As I head into the weekend, the main item I will be interested in seeing is the Pittsburgh Steelers vs Minnesota Vikings. I think the game will be won in the secondary so I am picking the Steelers primarily because of one man, Troy Polamalu. I think in this Golden Age of Safeties, he is the greatest who has ever put on a uniform. The following are some leadership principles we can extract from his performance:
- Knowledge of the Game. It is well documented that shortly after the 2004 season ended, he watched every defensive play of that season of seven of the top safeties in the league to feed his thirst to learn. Troy stated “In a game with a lot of great athletes, the mental edge is what you (have to) have.”
- Flexible Options. At 5-10, 200+ lbs with 4.4 speed, he has the physical capacity to line up at all three levels of the defensive side of the ball and free-lance on each play making him difficult to prepare for.
- System Fit. When you combine his instincts, versatility, physical capacity, and the Steelers multitude of schemes and blitz packages, Polamalu is given the trust to constantly be in position to make plays. He says “This is the perfect system for me, without a doubt. They’re always putting me in the middle of the action.”
Whether it will be helping to hold Adrian Peterson to under 100 yards, or intercepting at least one of Brett Favre’s passes, I think Polamalu and fellow Safety Ryan Clark will be the difference in the game.
Key thoughts – As a member of your ministry or organizational team, do you have a thirst to be a continual learner? Are you multi-skilled and can help in any number of areas? And finally, are you in an environment that maximizes your effectiveness? Watch the video below and see what happens when you operate in your strengths zone.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kqj9j4jne8Y&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0]