Leadership lessons from a coach to a quarterback

I'm sure this will be making the internet rounds this morning, but since I don't see it posted anywhere else right now, I'll post it here.

Last night on ESPN's Monday Night Football, moments before kickoff of the Cowboys-Bills thriller, Hall of Fame head coach-turned-ESPN analyst Bill Parcells revealed 11 leadership lessons that he's passed along to Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. Romo says he hangs these 11 pearls of wisdom in his locker.

"Leadership Lessons From a Coach to a QB" -- by Bill Parcells (courtesy ESPN)

1. Ignore other opinions. Outsiders (spouses, friends, media) don't know what's happening here.
   
2. Clowns can't run a huddle.
   
3. Fat quarterbacks can't avoid the rush. Train.
   
4. Know the job cold. Study.
   
5. Know your own players.
   
6. Be the same guy every day.
   
7. Throwing the ball away is a good play. (Avoid disastrous turnovers and other mistakes.)
   
8. Learn the manage the game. Never take your eye off the clock.
   
9. Get your team in the end zone. (Individual statistics don't matter.)
   
10. Don't panic. Our ship can't have a panic button.
    
11. Don't be a celebrity quarterback. We need battlefield commanders.
    

I was never a great athlete, but I spent most of my teens and 20's working in or around athletes and coaches. I'm always inspired by leaders who not only know how to lead but can demonstrate and articulate what good leadership is.

Like most coaches, Bill Parcells doesn't have an MBA. But he does have a track record of success in his business, and he's made an NFL star out of an undrafted, unheralded small-college quarterback (Romo) who's gone from holding a clipboard week after week on the sideline to becoming one of football's biggest stars in just 12 months.