16 Qualities Of Great Leaders. 16 Qualities Of Other Leaders.

Every church, business, non-profit, government or athletic organization wants great leaders.  But how do you find them?  If you came across a great leader, do you know what to be looking for?

Quarterback is the most leadership intensive position in pro sports.  Modern NFL quarterbacks must possess high intelligence, handle complex information, make quick and accurate decisions, be leaders of high-capacity leaders and handle significant conflict and disappointment with excellence.

Recently, The Monday Morning Quarterback‘s Andy Benoit ranked all 32 of the NFL’s starting quarterbacks from best to worst.  While reading his list I began to notice the qualities of the top quarterbacks were the same as top leaders in any field.  Conversely, the lower-tier quarterbacks displayed the same behaviors and characteristics of other less successful leaders.

The following are the rankings of pro football’s 32 starting quarterbacks as compiled by Benoit broken into two groups – Great Leaders and Other Leaders.  See where the leaders in your organization rank based upon their skill sets.

You can click the names of the highlighted quarterbacks to read previous articles on their leadership.

16 Qualities Of Great Leaders

1. Institutional Control – Tom Brady has control over the entire New England Patriots offense.
2. High Intelligence – Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers beats teams with his mind just as much as his considerable athletic ability.
3. Creates Opportunities For Others – No one extends plays like Indianapolis Colts signal caller Andrew Luck.
4. Preparation – Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos may be the most prepared athlete in pro football history.
5. Continual Learners – In addition to being a great athlete, Pittsburgh Steelers’s Ben Roethlisberger has continually improved in the mental side of the game.
6. Fundamentals – Few quarterbacks do the little things better than San Diego Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers.
7. Decision-Making – New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees goes through his progressions better than most.
8. Production – Great leaders produce big results.  The 2012 playoff run by Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco may be the best in league history.
9. Flexibility – Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has developed an amazing ability to play on the move.
10. Consistency – With an improved offensive line, Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys has become a consistent performer.
11. Risk-Taking – New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning frequently makes tough throws into tight spaces.
12. Competitiveness – Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks is incredibly difficult for opposing defensive coordinators to plan for.
13. Discipline – Matthew Stafford of the Detroit Lions is becoming more and more disciplined each year.
14. Experience – Entering his third season in head coach Bruce Arians’s system, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer is expecting a big season.
15. Continual Improvement – Ryan Tannehill of the Miami Dolphins has simply improved each year in the league.
16. The WOW Factor – Do those in leadership ever make you say, “WOW!!!”?  Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers does.

16 Qualities Of Other Leaders

1. Poor Leadership Skills – Is anyone following your leadership?  This is a question Jay Cutler of the Chicago Bears must ask.
2. Limitations – They are a niche leader.  There is only so much they can do.  Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith’s limited skills prevent the team from giving him additional responsibilities.
3. Unproven – The Oakland Raiders Derek Carr will probably be in the top 16 by the end of the upcoming season.
4. Unreliable – Andy Dalton of the Cincinnati Bengals is great before the snap.  Once the play begins, who knows what will happen.
5. Poor Decision-Making – Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers is arguably the best athlete playing quarterback in the NFL.  And arguably its worst decision-maker.
6. Availability Issues – Can you count on them to simply show up?  The Philadelphia Eagles new quarterback Sam Bradford has a history of major injuries.
7. Untrustworthy – Similar to Derek Carr, Teddy Bridgewater of the Minnesota Vikings shows signs of stardom during the second half of the 2014 season.  The leash gets loosened this year.  Will he gain our trust and move up the list?
8. Lack Of A Distinguishable Skill – There is just nothing this leader does exceptionally well.  This describes Nick Foles of the St. Louis Rams.
9. Lack Of Experience – Blake Bortles of the Jacksonville Jaguars could make a big jump this year.  Or it could be another year of on-the-job training.
10. Character Concerns – Until proven otherwise, this will haunt the first pick in the draft, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Jameis Winston.
11. Lack Of Intuition – Similar to Kaepernick, New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith is consistently defined by his bad decision making.
12. Lack Of Creativity – Teams can easily figure out Houston Texans quarterback Brian Hoyer when studying him on tape.
13. Lack Of Talent –  Cleveland Browns quarterback Josh McCown has only shown the ability to be consistently be a quality back-up.
14. Lack Of Information – New Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota is surrounded by mystery because players with his size and skill set have yet to have sustained success.  Let’s see how he does.
15. Lack Of Skills – This one hurts because I just have such a high opinion of him.  But Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III must improve his on-filed mechanics.
16. Completely Non-Descript – Nothing is worse than a take-him or leave-him leader.  Whether it is Matt Cassel, EJ Manuel or Tyrod Taylor, the Buffalo Bills need a quarterback.

As you look at the leaders in your organization, what percentage have the qualities of the great leaders mentioned?