If you want to get better as an organization, get a better leader.  Great leaders are like bacon.  They just make everything better.  But what should you be looking for in a leader?  What skills and competencies are important?

For those of you who are not long-time readers of this site, I am a HUGE fan of the NFL Draft.  As I watched two recent ESPN specials previewing next week’s event, I captured numerous insights into what qualities teams are looking for and what makes certain players in high-demand.

As you read the list below, you will notice the lessons provide a good template into what to look for in a leader in your organization.

ESPN PreDraft Special – April 13th

  • You Must Have The Basic Core Competencies To Be Considered For A Leadership Position – “You never go wrong taking heigh, weight and speed.” – Phil Savage

ESPN You Got Mel (Kiper) And You Got Todd (McShay) PreDraft Special – April 18th

  1. Great Leaders Have Great Production – “Derek Barnett’s production has been ridiculous…Some guys have a great instinct at getting home and finishing.” – Todd McShay
  2. Leaders Must Say “Yes” To What They Are Good At And “No” To What They are Less Effective At – “His versatility is what hurt him.” – Mel Kiper on Jabrill Peppers
  3. The Best Leaders Are Both Proactive And Reactive – “He is a great proactive athlete.  He is not a great reactive athlete.  He needs the ball in his hands.” – McShay on Peppers
  4. Great Leaders Must Deal With Great Expectations – “All of them have talent..but I think a pick in the Top 10 there’s expectations there that are unreasonable.” – McShay on quarterbacks Mitchell Trubisky and DeShaun Watson
  5. The Best Indicator Of Future Performance Is Past Performance – “You are rolling the dice that with one year of experience, one year of production, Trubisky is your franchise quarterback.” – Kiper
  6. Great Leaders Know How To Properly Evaluate And Not Over-Reach For Talent – “You don’t want the 11th best player when you’re picking at 9.” – Kiper
  7. Great Leaders Need A Great Team Around Them To Have Great Success – “You’ve got to put guys around (quarterback) Blake Bortles to give him a chance to succeed.” – McShay
  8. A Leader’s Greatest Ability Is Their Availability – “Durability, what are you getting is a little concerning.” – McShay on Corey Davis
  9. Good Character Does Not Make You A Leader But Poor Character Disqualifies You As A Leader – “What point do you want to take a chance on a guy with baggage?” – McShay
  10. Great Leaders Are Great Decision-Makers – “The two most important attributes to being a quarterback is decision making and accuracy.” – McShay
  11. Great Leaders Have Great Intelligence – “(Houston Texans head coach) Bill O’Brien puts a lot of emphasis on picking up things quickly.” – McShay
  12. Great Leaders Create Great Cultures – “It’s not where you go in the draft, it’s the team and surroundings and the time you need to develop.” – McShay
  13. Smart Leaders Trust Their Eyes More Than Their Ears – “I thought his tape was as good as any running back I saw.” – McShay on Dalvin Cook

What did you learn from these quotes which helps you in selecting a leader?

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Click HERE or on the image to the left and as a free gift for subscribing to this site, you can receive my new Ebook 1269 Leadership Quotes: Timeless Truths From 2016’s Top Christian Leadership Conferences.  Featured are the Johnny Hunt Mens Conference, ReThink Leadership, Orange and Leadercast Conferences among others.  If applied, these insights will make you an exponentially better leader.  Enjoy!!!