Making Good on Good Intentions

Standing Up

It’s rare to find someone in the media spotlight who openly speaks about his personal values, but Tony does it. “I really wanted to show people you can win all kinds of ways…for your faith to be more important than your job, for your family to be more important than that job…we all know that’s the way it should be… I’m not afraid to say it,” he writes.

Regardless of religious beliefs, everyone can learn from Tony’s teachings about quiet strength, fierce determination, and a humble heart. For anyone who has suffered setbacks, coped with personal tragedy, or just thought their career or business would never be successful, Tony’s value-driven precepts will have meaning.

Some readers may be wondering if I’m getting some sort of kickback for recommending Quiet Strength so highly. Well, I’m not! It’s just that there is a lot of junk about leadership out there that doesn’t get to the core of individual leaders and their beliefs or value systems. Many people talk about “walking the talk,” but Tony is one of the few who actually does it. He does the opposite of most NFL coaches: no yelling, no losing his temper, no tearing players down. Instead, he gives second chances, is loyal to his players and coaching staff, and builds them up. These are life lessons that all business leaders should learn.

And off the football field, life isn’t easy, even for successful people like Tony. He lost his son, James, a few years ago when James took his own life. Tony writes openly about how his belief system helped him and his family survive this tragedy. In fact, his comments at his son’s funeral were strong enough to get through to even the most jaded, testosterone-driven reader.

My Mission

As I read this book, I found myself reflecting back to my experiences as a college football player, a young manager, a coach for my son’s football teams, a young executive, and as president of a large financial institution. I would like to think that I applied the principles and values in my leadership roles in the way that Tony shows. But the truth is, I didn’t.

Unfortunately, I’m not alone. Recently, 75 distinguished members of Stanford Graduate School of Business’s advisory council were asked to recommend the most important capability for leaders to develop. Their answer? Self-awareness.