Leadership lesson from the GOAT: Tom Brady

Brady is “trying to turn me into a living legend as well.

Mike Evans, WIDE RECEIVED FOR THE TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

It is nearly halfway through the 2020 NFL season and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on a tear. Already projected by many to be Super Bowl champions, spirits are high, smiles are wide, and high fives are flying. How is Tampa Bay – a team with the embarrassing achievement of having the league’s worst historical win percentage – a Super Bowl contender this year? Simple: the new addition of 43-year-old Tom Brady, the greatest football player of all time. However, it is not just Tommy’s arm, but also his leadership that has turned the Buccaneers’ pirate ship around.

All great coaches will tell you that talent is important, but talent alone doesn’t win championships. Look no further than the NBA’s LA Clippers’ implosion this year despite being the overwhelming pre-season favorite. Instead, talent combined with chemistry wins championships. And how do you build great chemistry? Great leadership.

As good as Tom Brady’s quarterback skills are, it is arguably his leadership skills that have turned him into a 6x Super Bowl champion, the most ever. Only 7 games into the season, Brady has all members of the team bought in, believing, and following his lead. How does he do it?

A lot can be explained by his historical relationships with supposed “culture killers” – players perceived to be so problematic that they risk a team’s entire chemistry.

Instead, talent combined with chemistry wins championships.

Exhibit A is Randy Moss. In 2007, Brady’s New England Patriots traded for Moss. Today, Moss is considered one of the greatest wide receivers ever, but, at the time, he was considered damaged goods. Moss had been traded to three different teams within 4 seasons and his career appeared to be spinning out of control. He was labeled a locker room risk with a seemingly never-ending string of on-field and off-field incidents. Criticism was widespread and New England fans everywhere were worried Moss would single-handedly bring the almighty Patriots down.

That wasn’t so – far from it. Brady and Moss developed a legendary chemistry that led to a lethal on-the-field combination. In his first year, Moss experienced a renaissance in New England and caught the most touchdowns of his career – about 7x more than his previous season – and went on to the Super Bowl. Suddenly, his off the field issues seemed to have never existed. When reflecting on his relationship with Brady, Moss said, “I love the man.”

What is Brady’s secret? Players report his intense work ethic, his everyday professionalism, and his iron clad mindset. But that doesn’t lead to the results Brady experienced with Moss. Instead, it appears to be Brady’s genuine relationships with players that gets the most out of them. Brady wants his teammates to win and succeed just as much as he wants to – and they know it. In an interview with ESPN, Bucs’ star player Mike Evans said, he is “trying to turn me into a living legend as well. I’m appreciative of that. He’s already up there as one of my favorite teammates, and we’ve only had a few practices together.”

Last year Brady explained in an interview his philosophy and approach to leadership. In his comments, he sounds more like a family member than a teammate.

There are a lot of human elements. As a player, as a person, I care deeply about my teammates. I want everyone to be the best they can possibly be. From the day I started with this team, even back in college, you try to provide leadership, and you try to care for people. You try to provide whatever you think you can to help them reach their highest potential.

In essence, Brady doesn’t want to just win. He wants you to win. And he cares, a lot. Sound a little corny? Maybe. Yet, imagine getting feedback or criticism from someone you think does not care about you or have your best interests in mind. Then imagine getting that same feedback from someone who you feel wants you to win and cares just as much about your interests as they do their own. Which one are you to respond positively to? Which are you going to follow and go to battle with?

Back in Tampa Bay, it’s déjà vu all over again this year for Brady. The Bucs recently added the troubled Antonio Brown to their roster. Considered to be one of the greatest receivers in NFL history, Brown has experienced a career tailspin similar to Moss’. A player with personal and professional issues that make Moss seem like a saint in comparison, Brown was given a shot last year with the Patriots but was let go within two weeks due to existing legal troubles. Yet, within those two weeks, Brady had offered Brown to stay at his home while he was getting settled in New England, communicating his belief in Brown and his desire to help him turn things around (and, of course, help the Pats win some games).

Brady reflected on that time and his efforts with Brown. Above all else, it is clear that he cared.

Everyone needs something a little bit different. Everybody’s upbringing was a little bit different. Everybody’s emotional states are different. How do you contribute – whether someone is hurting physically, mentally, emotionally – how do you provide to them what they may need in order to support them to help us all grow and evolve. Not only as individuals. Not only as members of the team. Not only as members of the family. Not only as members of a community. Everybody has different challenges. I think you recognize those challenges, try to provide (for) them as best as possible, and go to bed at night trying to do the best you can do.

Although Brown was let go and later suspended by the league, Brady never lost touch and never stopped believing in Brown, even though Brown’s life and behaviors spun further out of control. In turn, Brown never burned bridges with Brady even though he seemed to do so with everyone else.

Now Brady and Brown are reunited in Tampa. Time will tell if Brady and Brown will build a chemistry reminiscent of Brady and Moss. And time will tell if Brown can remake himself and resuscitate his career and image. But if anyone has a chance to help Brown turn it around, and win a Super Bowl while they’re at it, it’s Brady. And that’s part of his greatness and winning formula – his ability to care and want others to win as much as he wants to.

Remember this the next time you’re in the office and you’re trying to motivate your team. Show them that you care, genuinely. It may seem corny, but if it’s good enough for the GOAT, it should be good enough for you.