Tonight, the New England Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady take on the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta. As part of their preview show, ESPN’s NFL Countdown profiled the Patriots’s incomparable quarterback.
At 41 years old, Brady, aka The G.O.A.T., has a serenity and unique perspective which can only come from a 19-year career. His comments were quite insightful. So much so, I want to share them with you.
The following are 24 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From Tom Brady unless otherwise noted:
- Apex Leaders Are Calm Under Pressure – Kobe Bryant, referring to Tom Brady, said “It has nothing to do with the crowd. It has nothing to do with the environment. You can’t tell if it’s 1st-and-10 or 3rd-and-10.”
- Apex Leaders Are Precise – Bryant added, “Very surgical. Very precise. Cold-blooded execution.”
- Apex Leaders Are Serious – Bryant continued, “A certain seriousness.”
- Apex Leaders Are Focused – Bryant said, “A certain focus.”
- Apex Leaders Are Consistent – Bryant concluded, “It’s very hard to replicate and he does it time and time again.”
- Apex Leaders Make Right Choices On What To Focus On – “We always have a choice of what we want to focus on.”
- Apex Leaders Are Optimists – “We can focus on the thing that didn’t work or didn’t go right. Or you can focus on all the positive things in your life and be optimistic.”
- Apex Leaders Choose To Be Positive – “I choose the enjoyment. I choose the positive.”
- Apex Leaders Fill Up Their Families’s Cups First – “I had a lot of time with my kids this off-season so I filled up the tank with them.”
- Being An Apex Leaders Is Like Being In A Marathon – “A football season is like running a marathon.”
- Apex Leaders Enjoy The Successes – “You win the game and you’re enjoying that. You’re at practice and you’re enjoying that.”
- Apex Leaders Experience Great Emotional Bandwidth. There Are Unbelievable Highs And Unbelievable Lows – “There’s anger. There’s disappointment. There’s sadness but there is the joy emotion. There’s the love emotion with your teammates.”
- Apex Leaders Have Mental Toughness – “You’ve got to have enough mental toughness to push through whatever you need to to play your best.”
- Apex Leaders Have Earned It – “The reason (we are in the Super Bowl) is because our team earned it.”
- Apex Leaders Prioritize Their Family – “I needed to prioritize my moments with the family when they have their moments. My kids aren’t getting any younger. We’re not getting these moments back in life.”
- Apex Leaders Are About Other People – “I can’t just forget I have other people and important responsibilities in life.”
- Smart Organizations Value And Take Care Of Apex Leaders – “I’m happy the team was able to allow me to do that (miss OTAs).”
- Apex Leaders Put A Lot In – “We all put a lot in. That’s what football players do.”
- Apex Leaders Receive Their Just Rewards – “You’re rewarded when you get a chance to go to the SuperBowl.”
- Apex Leaders Are All About The Team – “It’s about the team. This is the ultimate team sport.”
- Apex Leaders Are Lasting – “I’ve set a goal for myself (to play) at 45.”
- Apex Leaders Love What They Do – “I love playing football.”
- Apex Leaders Love Preparation – “I go out to practice. I love preparing to play football.”
- Apex Leaders Work Hard, Very Hard – “Football was my first love. And for me to love it like that has allowed me to work hard at it.”
****Update***
The following are 6 Additional Post Game Comments from Brady after the 13-3 victory:
- “We fought through it.”
- “We kept fighting.”
- “We’ve been this far and lost which is really tough.”
- “I can’t wait to just spend some with my family, my kids, and my wife. I couldn’t do it without their support.”
- “It’s just been a great year. I’m so happy for my teammates.”
- “I think we’re going to have a parade on Tuesday.”
- “Nobody prepares harder than Tom. He has great anticipation and awareness.” – Bill Belichick
- “He’s got to get the ball quicker into somebody else’s hands and he does that quickly and efficiently.” – Belichick
- “We played our best when it mattered most.”
It is easy for people to not like or appreciate Tom Brady. That simply comes from sustained excellence. But you should respect and appreciate what you are seeing. We may never see it again. As Countdown host Charles Woodson said, “I have so much appreciation. I have so much respect. I am in awe of what the Patriots have done that last 19 or so years. It’s unbelievable.”
My book Timeless: 10 Enduring Practices Of Apex Leaders is available for purchase. If you have ever wanted to become the leader God created you to be, this book is for you! By combining leadership lessons from biblical heroes like Jesus, Daniel and Joseph, along with modern day leaders like Bill Gates, Nick Saban, Kobe Bryant, Tom Brady and multiple pastors, Timeless will equip and inspire you. This book is not to be read alone. Discussion questions are included in each chapter allowing you to develop those in your circle of influence. Click HERE or on the image provided and order your copies TODAY.