A Game-Changing Hire
On March 20, 2020, free agent quarterback Tom Brady signed a two-year $50 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The six-time Super Bowl champion immediately changed the culture of not just the locker room, but the entire franchise.
On page 91 of Tom Moore’s excellent book The Players’ Coach: From Bradshaw to Manning, Brady, and Beyond, he writes about what the addition of Brady meant to the Buccaneers organization.
Moore observed, “I knew what he brought to an organization: ownership. Somewhere along the line, you’ve got to have a player who takes ownership the way Brady did. He held everybody accountable. He took every practice rep seriously. He had high expectations for coaches and his teammates. Players had to match his energy and his effort. Immediately, you knew he was only about winning.”
Moore concludes, “He came in and he made everybody better. He made coaches, the front office, the PR department … he made everybody better.”
7 Improvements New Leaders Should Bring To Your Organization
As I read Moore’s words, I gleaned the following seven improvements new leaders should bring to your organization:
You want Increased Ownership when hiring a new leader.
My definition of passion is owning the result. This is what Brady brought – passion. The minimal requirement of a new leader is that they own the result.
You want Increased Accountability when hiring a new leader.
You want someone who is responsible not only for their own actions, but those of the entire team.
You want Increased Intensity when hiring a new leader.
There are thermometer leaders (those who reflect the organization’s temperature) and thermostat leaders (those who raise the organization’s temperature). Tom Brady was clearly a thermostat leader. He took everything seriously, including each rep in practice.
You want Increased Expectations when hiring a new leader.
Brady raised the expectations of not only his fellow teammates, but also the coaches. For Brady, championship-level performance in the classroom, weight room, training room, practice, and games was the only acceptable standard.
You want Increased Effort when hiring a new leader.
One of the most important things a leader brings to an organization is energy. An increase in overall effort is a sign you have hired a quality new leader.
You want Increased Performance from Everyone in Your Organization when hiring a new leader.
A rising tide does lift all ships. Brady made everyone in the Buccaneers organization better – players, coaches, office staff, the PR department, etc….
You want Increased Results when hiring a new leader.
So what was Brady’s’ ultimate impact? On February 7, 2021, the Buccaneers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 to win Super Bowl LV.
When you hire a new leader, may they have the same impact.
FREE Helpful Resources
In conjunction with one of my content partners, I created a new checklist to help you identify ways you can improve your leadership:
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