In his book The Packer Way, former executive vice president and general manager of the Green Bay Packers Ron Wolf tells the story of two significant hirings which took place in the winter of 1992.
The first step was trading the team’s upcoming first round draft pick to the Atlanta Falcons for 3rd-string backup quarterback Brett Favre. At the time, many felt Wolf overpaid for Favre because the young signal caller was mired on the bench and had the justified reputation of enjoying the night life too much. This did not matter to Wolf. He saw in Favre his future on-field leader and was willing to do whatever was necessary to secure his services.
The second step was hiring the defending Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Holmgrem as the team’s next head coach.
With the acquisition of these two leaders, the foundation was set for the team’s return to glory.
Wolf wrote, “With Holmgrem, and then Favre, the Packers had the foundation in place to improve quickly. I might have been the only one in the early months of 1992 convinced that was true, but that didn’t matter to me. I had brought fresh, intelligent, gifted leadership to the organization, and I had hired men who just easily could have wound up somewhere else in the league. It was the kind of aggressiveness that I knew I had to display to be successful.”
So how successful was the team during Wolf, Holmgrem, and Favre’s seven years together?
- A 75-37 record – .670 winning percentage
- 6 Play-Off appearances
- 3 Division championships
- 2 Conference championships
- Winners of Super Bowl XXXI
So what is the first thing a church, business, athletic team, or non-profit must do to get better? If you want to get better, get better leaders.
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 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.