Leadership At Its Finest
Mark Zides ??
CEO and Board Member @ Luminoso Technologies | Entrepreneur, Investor, Growth Leader | Best Selling Author & TEDx Speaker | Ai Innovator & Thought Leader | Leadership Consultant & Human Capital Expert
I'm not here to talk politics - I'm here to talk #leadership.
Many of you know that I am a die hard #Patriots fan, long time season ticket holder (25+ years), and I was born, raised, and continue to grow family roots in #NewEngland.
#BillBelichick, the Patriots' head coach since 2000, was honored, then declined the #PresidentialMedalOfFreedom, an award decided and given by the standing President.
In regard to last week's riots at the Capitol, Belichick stated,
"...the decision has been made not to move forward with the award. Above all, I am an American citizen with great reverence for our nation's values, freedom and democracy."
To me, this is true leadership. Belichick coaches players of all political, social, and economic backgrounds, and he is #leadingbyexample. The Patriots organization weighs in heavily on conversations in the #NFL on social justice, equality, and human rights. Belichick is a man who leads his team, represents his family, and #takesaction on what he believes is right.
During these times, we all need to stick together. This isn't about politics; it's about seeing the full picture of our country's state and providing strong leadership.
"Continuing those efforts [conversations about social justice, equality and human rights...becoming actions] while remaining true to people, team, and country I love outweigh the benefits of any individual award." #LeadershipAtItsFinest
Training Strategist | Learning Technologist | Digital Adoption Leader | AI Evangelist
3 年I have to take exception just a bit to this. The statement was very carefully worded to read in the third person. “The decision has been made not to move forward with the award.” That’s PR-speak A true leader would have taken full responsibility and said “I have decided not to accept the award.” But he hedged it with intricate wordsmithing in hopes of separating himself from the responsibility of the decision. The way it’s written it sounds more like there was a room full of people who collectively decided to not move forward as opposed to a man who was appalled by what he witnessed and had made the decision on his own. I’m happy with the outcome but certainly doesn’t stand him up as a strong and independent leader.
Owner of Kirkpatrick Partners & Anchored Training | Creating solutions you can measure
3 年So great to meet another Patriots fan! We are Pats fans down here in New Jersey. Yes, it can be tough but it was certainly gratifying during their last Super Bowl win to have a house full of Giants fans as they won their 6th ring! I have to agree with your article about the leadership. I have always been impressed by the leadership and how they hold their players accountable for their off field actions that do not represent the organization’s values. They are a values driven organization and ensure that is ingrained on and off the field even if it’s not the easiest thing to do.