After last Sunday’s stunning performance in the 34-31 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers entered the rarified air of being in the conversation with Joe Montana and Tom Brady as the greatest quarterback in NFL history.
With a Super Bowl appearance on the line this weekend against the Atlanta Falcons, I thought it would be a great time to look at the leadership skills of this incredible athlete. In the September 21, 2016 edition of Sports Illustrated, writer Greg Bishop profiled the future Hall of Famer.
As I read Bishop’s article, I gleaned the following 12 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers:
- Rodgers Still Has Something To Prove – A.W. Tozer once said, “It is doubtful whether God can bless a mangreatly until He has hurt him deeply.” Rodgers remembers every slight. He keeps all his rejection letters from college. The pictures of Rodgers extended wait in the 2005 NFL Draft green room are well-known. Former teammate Greg Jennings said, “He holds on to things longer than you would hope. He definitely has the mind-set of being slighted.”
- Rodgers Is A Continual Learner – The day you stop learning you stop leading. One off-season, Rodgers read the book Earthling just for fun. Just in case you are wondering about its contents, the book “explains how the physical disconnect between human beings and nature (mainly because of things like shoes and beds) contributes to inflammation, pain, fatigue, stress and poor sleep. For fun, I read Sports Illustrated. Teammate Josh Sitton said, “he’s smart to the point where he’s kind of annoying.”
- Rodgers Processes Information Quickly – As a contestant on Celebrity Jeopardy, Rodgers defeated astronaut Mark Kelly and Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary because of his intelligence and reflexes.
- Rodgers Creates Multiples Options – As the quarterback, he ensures all his receivers are viable options.
- Rodgers Senses And Seizes Opportunity – Successful leaders maximize margins in their life. When the NFL players briefly went on strike in 2011, Rodgers took it as an opportunity to begin meeting with Angelo Poli of Whole Body Fitness to improve overall health and performance.
- Rodgers MultiTasks Very Well – Poli said, “Most athletes have good coordination. But Aaron can mange, calculate and strategize multiple things at once.”
- Rodgers Is Committed To Continual Personal Growth – Rodgers said, “It’s all about the challenge. Innovate and evolve and stay on top for a while. It can’t be Groundhog Day. I can’t be Bill Murray. I’d go as crazy as he did in that movie.”
- Rodgers Is Comfortable In His Own Skin – Rodgers wants to be just another one of his teammates and does not crave attention. Packers general manager Ted Thompson said, “I don’t think he’s afraid of the spotlight. But he doesn’t crave it.”
- Rodgers Is Relatable – Each year, Rodgers becomes familiar with the stories of all the rookies including their birthdays.
- Rodgers Is Fiercely Competitive – Teammate Clay Matthews says, “Aaron wants to step on your throat.” As a backup to Brett Favre for three seasons and leader of the practice squad, he consistently dominated the starting defense.
- Rodgers Is Always In Control – Rodgers dictates the terms of interviews with reporters. On the football field, former college head coach Cal’s Jeff Tedford said of the quarterback, “It’s the toughest position in sports to play. He makes it look easy. So effortless. So in control.”
- Leaders Like Aaron Rodgers Are Rare – When an NFL general manager was doing pre-draft research on Rodgers, his high school coach Ron Souza said, “Guys like this don’t fall out of the sky.”
What is one thing you can take from Aaron Rodgers to become a better leader?
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