The difference between successful and unsuccessful people is how they think. Therefore, a proper mental approach and mindset is absolutely necessary for leaders, and subsequently organizations, to have success. So what are the psychological traits you should be looking for that make up a great leader?
Bill Polian is the Hall of Fame former general manager of the Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, and Indianapolis Colts. He is a six-time NFL Executive of the Year and took 5 teams to the Super Bowl.
One of the things Polian is best remembered for is his selection of Peyton Manning over Ryan Leaf with the first pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. While this decision appears easy in hind site, at the time there was much debate about who was the better quarterback prospect.
During the April 28, 2020 Inside Football Podcast with Bill Polian, he discussed the psychological profiling his teams conducted when selecting quarterbacks. A thorough examination in every area of a prospect’s life is necessary because these young men will become the face of your organization.
The following are 4 Psychological Traits All Great Leaders Have I captured from Polian’s comments. These apply to any organization looking to recruit potential leaders to your team.
- The ability to process large amounts of information while under pressure. – Polian says, “Football is a combination of two things. Physical hand-to-hand combat with the ability to diagnose what’s going on and react to it tactically in front of you… Having the ability to learn and retain… Processing – Taking that retention and processing it quickly in the hand-to-hand combat.”
- Drive – Polian adds, “The player has an incredible desire to move forward, to succeed… The greatest players have the greatest drive. This will correlate exactly.”
- Self-Discipline – Polian continues, “You have to be able to live your life in a way, that while not monastic, is very different than virtually any other profession. During the season, you have to live football 24 hours a day at least six days a week, sometimes seven.”
- Work Ethic – Polian notes, “If you have the drive and have the self-discipline you will develop the work ethic.”
Polian concludes his remarks by simply saying, “You can’t succeed without these four things.” What is one thing from the list above you can improve on to become a better leader?
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