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.
For additional post on Cam Newton, see the following:
- 10 Leadership Quotes From Auburn QB Cam Newton
- 28 Heisman Quotes From Cam Newton & Andrew Luck On Leadership
- What Leaders Need To Learn From The Recruitment Of Cam Newton
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