All sports fans are familiar with Tom Brady’s rise-to-glory sports stories as part of the 2000 NFL draft’s 199th pick. But how does a backup quarterback become one of the greatest players of all time? There are three principles good quarterbacks own, and they’re the same principles you need to be a top-ranking CEO.
Keep Your Eye on the Ball. Like Brady keeping his eye on the prize, Figma was valued at a mere $440 million in 2019. Figma CEO Dylan Field didn’t let comparison drive the organization’s narrative. Instead, he led his organization to become one of the most talked-about acquisitions to date.
Huddle Up. In business, 10 percent of success is due to the product—90 percent is due to the people. CEOs that understand their employees’ skills and can pull the best from their employees will succeed. This is why smaller companies can compete with larger companies. It’s also the reason why less-talented teams beat better teams: Their culture is better.
Run the Play. Like Brady negotiating a $50-million contract with the Buccaneers after the Patriots refused to sign a new contract with him, Apple nearly went under in the late 1990s. Fortunately, Steve Jobs returned to the organization, restructuring Apple and innovating many of the products within the organization.
Just like the best quarterbacks of all time, CEOs can lead their teams to a variety of champion “wins” for their organizations. It requires dedication, a strong base of great employees, and knowing how to run the business in a successful way. We can learn a lot from the sports and business world about the qualities needed in a leader.