No Shortcuts to Success

The current form of the NFL was established in 1966 with the merger of the National Football League and the American Football League.

Not a juggernaut at first, but now it is widely regarded as the preeminent professional sports league with a revenue of 18.7 billion in 2023, nearly two times the next closest in the United States.  Oh, yeah, it's also the highest-revenue league in the world.

So when you are the 900-pound gorilla in the space, as they say, all eyes are on you.

From competing leagues to other sports and their leagues, there is no doubt ‘eyes on me’ for the NFL.  

This week, I had the pleasure of speaking with my friend Ashley Smith, the NFL's manager of Player Engagement.

She has a rich history working on the administrative side of sports, serving as a basketball team manager at the University of Tennessee for the iconic Pat Summit, then the NCAA, and finally to the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs and the NFL Front office.

One of her key responsibilities at the NFL is assisting players in their growth and development as players and individuals.

We all start at the bottom.

Ashley pointed to one of the greatest benefits of her career: starting at the bottom. This forced her to learn different skills, which helped her get to where she is now. From interning to leading an initiative, she has seen all the facets.

It taught her to stop trying to be perfect and be willing to grow.

At times, I have gotten into discussions with people, and the topic of imposter syndrome arises.

I postulate that we, as a general society, regard our feelings of uncertainty as imposters.

When we fake it at any point, we act as an imposter.  That is what an imposter is: a fake who acts as someone else to deceive.  But if we own it, own who we are and where we are, then there is no faking.

The uneasiness of our role or current circumstances is usual, and as leaders, the more we help people navigate those feelings, the more we can help them be who they can be.  Because if they fake it now to get ahead, when will they stop being fake?

Identity

Ashley helps players gain skills and knowledge outside of the field by assisting them daily and preparing and supporting them for retirement.

The average NFL career is short.  Just a few years.  While some understand and appreciate it, many don't, leaving them lost and yearning for identity.  It happened to me when my career changed, and your current career or role will eventually end, too.  What are you doing right now to prepare for that?

How do you view yourself?   Do you see yourself in the same light that NFL players see themselves, “Starting Guard for the Kansas City Chiefs,” or do you see yourself as more significant than that?  Instead of being identified and labeled by his position, Trey Smith is a brother, friend, and survivor.  (Ashley mentioned that her brother Trey plays for the Chiefs and was told in college he would never play again due to blood clots in his lungs).

If we fall into the trap of our role, title, or position as our identity, one thing will inevitably happen: it will be taken from us.

What will you do then?  What will you do when it all changes?  Your life will be altered at some point. Plan for it because it will happen.  You will have another title or role in life, which can be very good.

Relationships

One conversation I have with many leaders is about training and leading people to excel in life.  If people can hone their ability to lead a stronger, more fulfilled, and productive life, they will also have more success in their careers.

Many leaders lean toward the incinerator nature rather than incubating people to grow.  That is to say, we push people to squeeze every last drop of ability from them to meet the current business needs rather than helping them grow to where they can best serve the organization.

To best accomplish this, we must be relationship-focused.  Knowing people's dreams, desires, wants, and needs directs how we can guide and help them.

Value

NFL teams have a difficult balance with their players; they are judged and rewarded based on the product on the field, which is heavily weighted toward physical performance.  Yet this, at times, comes in contrast to the personal values of individual players.

General Managers and Coaches constantly weigh measurable skills with personality traits and behaviors.

One of the ways that Ashley helps teams is by assisting players to know and understand their values, personal and professional.  This, in turn, creates a different product in the field.  The person who knows and understands their value outside their ‘role’ is not emboldened to put all their eggs in that basket.

While this may seem counterintuitive, the person who does not see their total value in what they do usually is more valuable in what they do.

NFL players can't fake it; as the saying goes, everything is on tape, so they must live it.

Similarly, we can appreciate and understand that skills developed today can and will be applied tomorrow and in other places.

Impact

I encourage you as you move forward from today to think and assess where you can do work to understand your value.

You are worth more than your title.  Your position. Or your contract's monetary value.

We are making an impact when we accept this notion for ourselves and serve others in a way that appreciates their holistic value.

Did you catch this podcast? If not, listen to it here.