Leadership Needs Inspiration
“Black Sunday” In Denver Is A Sad Reminder
I am a die-hard, life-long fan of the Denver Broncos, and even today, I’m not ashamed to say so. But yesterday was a sad day in Bronco Country. It’ll go down as “Black Sunday,” a day when the Broncos suffered the worst loss in team history to their hated rivals, the Oakland Raiders, at home in Denver.
It was 31-0 when the second quarter had barely begun, and the final score was 59-14. The Broncos had never (ever!) given up so many points to the hated Raiders. To suffer such a humiliating loss, especially at home and especially to Oakland, is a travesty that has the entire state of Colorado upset today; it will likely, eventually, cost more than one person their job (most notably the Broncos’ head coach).
So what?
As I listened to the early half of the game on the radio (like most Broncos fans, I couldn’t bring myself to absorb the entire contest), what struck me were the comments by our local sportscasters. The most memorable comment, made during the second quarter of the game when things were blackest for the home team, was that there was absolutely no discernible emotion – and no leadership – exhibited on the Denver sideline.
And as I leafed through the local paper this morning, the comment was repeated.
No emotion.
No leadership.
So, it turns out, at least according to experts who know the game inside-and-out, these things matter. Even in pro football. Emotion, and leadership.
If you have been a previous visitor to this space, you know that I have written extensively on both topics. I would agree with the football experts, and apply the principle to business or to any other endeavor: victory requires leadership… leadership requires inspiration… inspiration requires passion… passion requires emotion.
Whether you’re shooting for success at your job, or starting a new business, or trying to create wealth in these tough times, or simply undertaking a personal health intitiative… you need inspiration, and that starts with emotion. You simply have no chance to succeed at anything challenging unless you truly care.
A better day will come for fans of the Denver Broncos. Someday (not too long from now, I hope), we’ll even the score with the despised Raiders. But that day won’t come before the team finds their motivation, their passion, their inspiration.
And a better day will come for you, too, for the same reasons. You’ll find your true, deep, underlying emotion. You’ll ignite your passion. And you’ll become inspired to do the great things you are meant to do.
Whatever game you’re playing, play it like there’s a hometown announcer looking down on you from the press box, and judging your motivation. Your passion. Your inspiration. And don’t let that person observe that there’s no inspirational leadership on your personal sideline.
