12 Things You Need To Know About Finding A Great Leader

A great leader is hard to find.  This is why they are so valuable.  It is simply supply and demand.  Great leaders are in high demand but there is a lack of leadership inventory.  So how do you find one?
This was the subject of a Tuesday, April 26th conversation between the brilliant former Baltimore Colts and New York Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi and Colin Cowherd on his FS1 telecast.
Accorsi was involved in one of the most famous NFL Draft day trades.  Recognizing a leader who could transform the fortunes of the Giants, Accorsi did what was necessary to move up to the draft’s top position to select two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Eli Manning.
Whether you lead a church, business, non-profit or sports organization, the following are 12 Things You Need To Know About Finding A Great Leader.  All quotes are from Accorsi.

1. A Great Leader Is Worth A High Price.  So Pay It. – “There are no sure things but if you feel a conviction this is a quarterback who will win championships for you, then I don’t worry about the price.”
2. A Great Leader Is Rare.  So Do Everything To Get And Keep One. – “They’re (great quarterbacks) rare and they’re hard to find and when you’re that high, like we were at #4 (in the draft), you hope you’re never up there again.  And if you’re not in striking distance you’re not going to be able to move up.”  He later said, “If you can win championships with this guy, you better do it because they’re hard to find.”
3. You Hire A Leader Slowly.  So Evaluate Everything. – “Unless you study them you don’t know.  You have to see them close up and evaluate everything about them.”
4. Great Leaders Are Not Always Available.  So Do Not Try To Create One. – “If you want to trade up and get a quarterback, it doesn’t happen every year.  It has to be a quarterback year.  There are many years that prospect’s not there.  You can’t create that prospect.  You can’t draft by the curve.  You have to be there at the lucky time.”
5. You Will Never Be Successful Without Great Leaders.  So Do Not Be Confused. – “I did a study, in the 66 years since the T-formation was in global the league, after the war everyone went to the T-formation, 55 of those quarterbacks (who won a championship) are Hall of Famers or almost Hall of Famers like Phil Sims.”
6. A Great Leader Practically Ensures Predictable Success.  So Support Them. – “If you want to be good every year and be competitive every year you better get the quarterback.”
7. A Great Leaders Owns The Result.  So Reward Them. – “Accuracy is vital.  The ability to handle the rush is vital.  The ability to read the defense is vital.  But the one thing a scout name Milt Davis told me, ‘Never forget this, that you evaluate ultimately a quarterback on his ability to take the team down the field on his back in the final minutes of a championship game and into the end zone.”‘
8. A Great Leader Is Always Prepared.  So Trust Them. – “Bill Belichick’s always prepared.”
9. A Great Leader Cannot Be Replaced.  So Do Not Be Foolish. – “You don’t replace Tom Brady.”  ***Note*** Graveyards are filled with leaders who felt they were unreplacable.  You can fill their role.  But your future will not look the same.  Maybe it will be better but most likely it will be worse.
10. One Great Leader Is Better Than Multiple Average Leaders.  So Get The One. – “I wasn’t into giving up a draft position to accumulate more picks in the back because my feeling was this I want star players.  I don’t numbers.  And I didn’t want to give up a possible Pro Bowl player picking around 6, 7, or 8th in a (first) round to get out of there and pick 25th to pick up two 5ths.”
11. Great Organizations Have A Nucleus Of Great Leaders.  So Hire A Leadership Culture. – “I never cared that much about numbers.  I cared about my nucleus having top players.”
12. If You Have A Chance To Acquire A Great Leader There Should Not Even Be A Debate.  So Go Get Them!!! – “We never had debates in the draft room unless it was later in the draft.”

Are you ready to do what is necessary to get a great leader?

Click HERE or on the image to the left and as a free gift for subscribing to this site, you can receive my new Ebook 1869 Leadership Quotes: Timeless Truths From 2015 Global Leadership Summit, That Church, REACT and Catalyst Conferences.  If applied, these insights will make you an exponentially better leader.  Enjoy!!!