24 Leadership Quotes And Lessons For Successful Young Leaders I Learned From Florida State QB Jameis Winston

In 2012 it was Texas A&M redshirt freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel who took the college football world by storm.  This year’s freshman phenom capturing the attention of fans is Florida State redshirt freshman Jameis Winston.

Tonight, Winston faces his greatest challenge to date as he heads into Clemson Stadium to take on the #3 ranked Tigers in a nationally televised broadcast.  There has been much attention placed on Winston this week heading into the game.

After watching many features and reading several news articles on Winston, I narrowed the list down the three in which I gleaned the most information which  I will now pass on to you.  The following are 24 Leadership Quotes And Lessons For Successful Young I Leaders I Learned From FSU QB Jameis Winston:

ESPN Gameday

1. Successful Young Leaders Trust Their Preparation – FSU head coach Jumbo Fisher said, “In big games you want to make big plays.  Just let the game come to him and be patient.  Trust in how he’s been prepared and trust his eyes.”
2. Successful Young Leaders Are Deeply Appreciated – Tom Rinaldi said, “As much as we admire champions, we adore prodigies.”
3. Successful Young Leaders Are Organized – Quarterback guru George Whitfield said, “Footwork.  His organization is phenomenal.  In a jam, he can organize it.  Set himself and get the ball off.”
4. Successful Young Leaders Are Resilient – Kirk Herbstreit notes, “Teams are getting to him but not bringing him down.”
5. Successful Young Leaders Process Large Amounts Of Information – Speaking of Coach Fisher, Herbstreit adds, “His ability to process information I’m (Coach Fisher) giving him is uncanny.  He’s has never been around a guy at this young a age who can digest this entire package.”

Sports Illustrated article by Andy Staples

1. Successful Young Leaders Maximize Down Time – Winston was already leading during his redshirt season.  Coach Fisher noticed, “He was getting on guys.  It was natural for him to bark out and command, even though he was a pup.”
2. Successful Young Leaders Are Optimistic – Winston has a philosophy, “The worst day is a rainy day with no laughts.”
3. Successful Young Leaders Have Something Which Makes Them Unique – Teammate Cam Erving says, “He has the it factor.  You can’t explain the it factor.  It’s just it.”
4. Successful Young Leaders Have Great Determination – Even as a high schooler Winston showed great leadership skills.  His Hueytown (AL) head coach Matt Scott said, “There are a lot of Division I quarterbacks who can throw as well as he can.  There’s a bunch that run as good.  What makes him who he is right now are the third and fourth things.  Number three is his Football IQ.  And number four is just his mentality.  Every Friday night, he was the meanest son of a gun out there.”
5. Successful Young Leaders Make Adjustments – Winston called his first audible in youth football at age seven.
6. Successful Young Leaders Bring Security To Others – During a difficult flight to Miami, Winston comforted Ana Couture, wife of the school’s athletic director.  She said, “He was going out of his way to see how I was doing.  That’s just the sign of a good person.  He didn’t have to do that.”
7. Successful Young Leaders Must Fight Against Being Over-Emotional – Winston often gets emotional with coaches and has to be calmed down.
8. Successful Young Leaders Think Like An Owner – Coach Fisher does not have to “dumb things down” for Winston.  He says, “You can have a conversation with him like you do a coach.  When you talk, he sees.”

CBS Sports article by Dennis Dodd – You can read the full article by clicking here.

1. Successful Young Leaders Make Mistakes – Winston said during one sideline outburst, “I was trying to motivate my team saying a few words I shouldn’t have said.”
2. Successful Young Leaders Are Humble – Winston went on to add, “There’s a parent who says, ‘There’s kids up here. You shouldn’t use that language.’ I stopped throwing the football, warming up, and said, ‘I apologize.’
3. Successful Young Leaders Respect Their Elders – Referring to Bo Jackson, Winston said, “I met him before at Auburn on a [recruiting] visit.  I was in awe. At some point, his legs are so big you don’t want to mess with that guy.”  Regarding Deion Sanders, Winston said, “I don’t think there will ever be a player like him, except Bo.”
4. Successful Young Leaders Are Also Respected By Their Elders – School legend and former head coach Bobby Bowden told ESPN.com, “This young man is as good as anybody we’ve ever had.”
5. Successful Young Leaders Have Defining Moments – It is now called “The Play.”  This is when Winston escaped the grasp of multiple Maryland defenders to throw a touchdown pass to tight end Nick O’Leary.
6. Successful Young Leaders Are Confident – Winston confidently proclaims, “Nervous is not even in my vocabulary on the field.”
7. Successful Young Leaders Produce Results – In his very first game, Winston completed his first 11 passes against the Pitt Panthers.  He finished the game completing 25 of 27.
8. Successful Young Leaders Promote The Organization – In an unusual move for a star athlete, Winston loves to represent the school by being a recruiting host.
9. Successful Young Leaders Value Options – Winston narrowed his two college choices down to FSU and Alabama.  FSU was chosen partly because he could also play in the school’s baseball program.
10. Successful Young Leaders Have High Energy – Winston says, “When Coach Fisher gets mad at practice, it’s either because I messed up or I’m not controlling the tempo of the offense.  He tells me, ‘You’ve got the players around you. It’s your job to control the tempo. It’s your job to keep the energy level up.”
11. Successful Young Leaders Must Avoid Failure – One thing Winston does not appreciate about baseball is it’s “habit of failure.”  He does not consider making seven outs every 10 at-bats as being a success.

In conclusion, I am picking FSU to prevail 45-42 in an incredible game.  What are your thoughts on Winston’s leadership?

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