3 reasons why I would fight to work for Tony Romo

Earlier in my career I worked for an organization that asked its employees whether they would "fight to work for their manager again." Wow, how refreshingly human. No boring effectiveness scale, not some outdated multiple choice questionnaire, a simple gut feeling. If a leader is one who serves for something greater than themselves in mobilizing and unifying the abilities and effort of others to accomplish collective goals is there a better question than "would you fight to work for your leader again?" It's arguable but I think you would agree that this one would certainly make the top 3.

As an eager Millennial I've spent hours reading through books on leadership, reveled over captivating Ted talks, and have sought out mentorship from some of the most renowned local business leaders. All time well spent. That said, after seeing Tony Romo's press conference addressing one of the hottest pieces of sports news: the future of the Dallas Cowboys' starting quarterback position, I was compelled to share 3 of the many leadership qualities I see in Tony that explain why I would fight to work for him in a heartbeat. Leaders take note.

Courage. The identifying trait of the lion who leads the pride. In business courage comes in many forms such as negotiating tough deals, defending decisions, saying no, or even giving hard feedback. Courage is a tough nut. Sometimes we take 'wimp lane,' gaining temporary relief from taking the easy road. However, to quote a past leader of mine, more often than not, the easy way turns into the hard way. Effective leaders embody courage each day and through it, inspire each team member to stay the course and persevere against adversity.

So on Tony. Well, you must be pretty courageous to stand in the pocket as all 288 lbs of J.J. Watt stands across the line of scrimmage ready to tear you into two pieces. Checkmark. But, that's the easy type of courage. How about the type of courage that's required for that same man to put his ego aside stand in front of the world and admit that he is not the best fit to take his team to the promise land after working tirelessly for years to get to this point. That's the kinda courage I'm talking about. The hard stuff. This type of leadership is one of the many contributing factors to the magic in the Dallas locker room.

Humility. There's lot written about humility these days and it makes perfect sense. Humility is that disarming human quality that helps a leader motivate her team without command. Growing up watching Michael Douglas in Wallstreet, it seemed that to lead in business meant to be as strong as granite and spit nails. To be clear, strength and confidence are necessary. However, in my personal experience when opportunities to admit you're wrong or need help arise, these are special moments to empower others and build trust. In my last role, I worked with a leader who built his brand on this type of humility. His team was the best quarter over quarter and he was the most well-liked manager in the office receiving 2 promotions in 2 years.

Back to Tony. 4 days ago during the press conference, Tony's courage and humility were displayed simultaneously. He's human, he's getting older, he's been hurt and he's not the guy who will take the team to the Superbowl with his arm. Instead he'll help another way. Class act....confirmed all over the news, sport programing and on Twitter.

Growth Mindset. In her famous book Mindset, Carol Dweck described the importance of a growth-oriented versus a fixed mindset. A "growth mindset" focusses on the journey and the importance of the learnings throughout whereas a fixed mindset deals in absolutes - I can, I cannot. Think for a moment about your favorite wins in business (or in sports).  I'll bet you're thinking of that deal that you found, you grinded through, got creative with and dragged across the finish line. It may have been your smallest deal of the year but you earned it. Perhaps you're thinking of that hockey game you were down 5-1 and came back to win through true grit. The reason this stuff feels good is because it takes work, offers learning and pushes you to grow much more than the "bluebird deal" that gets you paid but takes no effort. Leaders who encourage and celebrate these trying journeys are extremely motivating and push their teams constructively. Hearing the 'wow your hard work paid off keep going' message versus "you're the best" messaging is a lot more motivating and effective.

"You're sad and down and out and you ask yourself 'why did this have to end?' It's in this moment you ask yourself who you really are, and what you're really about. You see football is a meritocracy, you aren't handed anything. You have to prove yourself every day...if I remember anything from back then, it's the people who helped me when I was young, and if I can be that to Dak, I will be going forward...ultimately it's about the team." This is Tony Romo embracing his new role on his Journey. He knows that to help the team his role as a leader has to change in the time being and he's open to growing in that direction. It is not over for him it just has changed for now. Growth mindset.

When Peyton manning caught his second wind to lead the Denver Broncos to consecutive winning seasons he was often compared to a CEO for his capability to engineer a winning machine. I'm not going to debate that. Why this comparison is special to me is because it encouraged me to explore guidance on leaderships from areas other than business. Thank you for being awesome Peyton. However, this is about Tony and leadership. The poise that Tony Romo showed earlier this week was game-changing and representative of the leader I aspire to one day be. I'll definitely have my number 9 on this weekend. "How bout them Cowboys!"