As I’m sure you know by now, the greatest quarterback the Saints organization has ever had is retiring after 20 years in the NFL, and from this day forward, things will be different. It doesn't mean it won't be better, but it also doesn't mean it's going to be worse.
The challenge for the Saints organization is simply going to be to try and find his successor. How they exploit the talent and characteristics of that individual to the benefit of the organization, the team and others in the most meaningful way will be a major challenge. One of the things that made Drew special was that he proved to be a true leader not just for the Saints, but for New Orleans and Louisiana as well.
I've gone through a lot of training in leadership in my career. One of the things that stuck with me the most is what I call the five L's of leadership. You got to “love” what you do. You’ve got to “labor,” you've got to work hard. You have to be willing to “learn.” You have to be willing to “laugh,” and you have to know when to “leave.”
As for his "labor" and his work ethic, great leaders like Drew work hard every day and set an example by being the first in and the last out, not only in good times, but in bad times as well. And as it relates to "love," it was quite obvious to me that Drew not only loved the role of quarterback, but he exhibited love of family, love of community, love of service, love of history and love of humanity.
In his parting words, Drew said “Each day, I poured my heart and soul into being your quarterback till the very end. I exhausted myself to give everything I had to the Saints organization and the great city of New Orleans.” There never was a doubt in my mind, in good times and bad, that Drew always gave his best. And that was part of the fun of watching him! Even in having a bad game, it never crossed my mind that he wasn't prepared or that he didn't put the work in or that he wasn't out there giving it his all. And I can't say that about all quarterbacks that I've watched over the years.
As for that third “L,” it was obvious that Drew had a thirst for knowledge, and treated every day like a new opportunity to learn. It did not take long for us to realize that when he would walk off the field, put his baseball cap on, grab the tablet and start looking at film, whether he made a good play or not. He was always on the sidelines looking at film. I've heard that there are few quarterbacks in the NFL that prepared as much as he did for the game. It's that quest for knowledge, that yearn to learn that helped him to overcome a lot of physical challenges that he had. Maybe he’s not tall, didn't have the quickest drop, didn't have the quickest feet, didn't have the strongest arm... but it was that opportunity to learn that he exploited each and every day. Brees understood his adversaries better than some of them understood themselves. He learned their proclivities by obsessively watching the film and putting himself in a position to exploit them.
The fourth “L,” of the five L's of leadership is for “laugh.” One of the most important characteristics of leadership is the ability to laugh at oneself, or at least to not take oneself too seriously. It always seemed to me that Drew was not the center of any universe, that he didn't believe that. I would never be so presumptuous to suggest that I know what is the center of Drew's universe (I will say for me, it's my Lord), but I will say that he never gave the impression that he was the center of the Saints. What he always projected was that the Saints, the city, and the fans were always bigger than him. In his parting words, Drew also said “you have molded me, strengthened me, inspired me, and given me a lifetime of memories... my goal for the last 15 years was striving to give you everything you have given to me.” And if that does not exhibit that he never considered himself the center of the New Orleans universe, I don't know what does. When you pay close attention to the way he carries himself, the way he treats people, and his spoken word, you understand that he never thought that he was bigger than the game. And always recognized that everything around him was bigger than him.
Good leaders can’t stay around forever, and know when it's time to “leave.” They understand when they have given the best they've had to give. Good leaders also understand that no measurable amount of effort will translate into an appreciable benefit for the organization. A selfless act that is the epitome of the interest of the organization always outweighs the interest of the individual. To leave leads to a new legacy. As for Drew’s legacy, the football chapter was simply amazing and I could never really do it justice. However, I am looking forward to the next chapters of the life and leadership of Drew Brees. General Colin Powell was asked, how do you know when you are a good leader? And he said, you’re a good leader when folks will follow you into, through and out of the bowels of darkness, if for no other reason than curiosity. I don't know about you, but I do have that curiosity for Drew.
