You never have to recover from a good start.

Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton, the 1st pick in this past year’s NFL Draft, has set a record by throwing for over 400 yards in each of his first two starts as a professional.  In the September 26th edition of Sports Illustrated, Tim Layden takes a look at Newton’s off-season preparation and how it positioned him for a fast start.

These practices and quotes are applicable to anyone preparing themself or others for successful leadership.

  • Create Simulated Situations – “We tried to create the environment he would have had [at training camp] without the lockout.” – IMG’s Chris Weinke
  • Leaders Are Readers – The training included as much classroom work as it did physical training.
  • Leaders Are Learners – “I wanted to see what he was capable of learning.  And there was no question he had studied his playbook.” – Weinke
  • Doing Not Just Extra, But Extra That Benefits Others – On Newton’s day off, he came to the practice site and played wide receiver for the other rookie QBs in training.
  • Give Young Leaders A Safe Place To Fail – “(He) struggled early on, figuring everything out.” – Center Ryan Kalil
  • Have The Healthy Self-Image Needed To Bounce Back – “Get over it and move ahead…He came back on Tuesday and studied more Green Bay, and by the time everybody else came back on Wednesday, he was himself again.” – head coach Ron Rivera after Newton’s first loss in over a year.
  • New Leaders Will Be Surprised Early And Often – “With a rookie quarterback you try to show him some things he hasn’t seen.” – Green Bay defensive coordinator Dom Capers.
  • Position Young Leaders For Success – “They scripted the start, and it was obvious they were ready.” – B.J. Raji after Newton completed six of his first seven passes.
  • Know You Will Get Better – “I thought for the most part [Newton] played pretty well.  He’ll get better with experience.” – Charles Woodson
  • Don’t Manage Activity, Manage Results – “I don’t like that word, competing.  You don’t go into the game to compete.  You go into each game to win.” – Newton

Based upon his personal growth strategy and subsequent fast start, Newton is poised for a great career.  If you utilize the 10 principles listed above, you too may have a great career in your chosen profession.

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