The Florida Gators' championship season in 2008 didn't start out as a promising one. They struggled in early wins and then lost, 31-30, to unranked conference rival Mississippi; but the team turned a corner after Tim Tebow made what is now known simply as "The Podium Speech" in which he made a promise that changed their season.
It wasn't Tim Tebow guaranteeing a National Championship. It was a leader apologizing to fans and teammates for his poor play, then stating: "A lot of good will come out of this. You will never see any player in the entire country who will play as hard as I will play the rest of the season. You will never see someone push the rest of the team as hard as I will push everybody the rest of the season."
What changed from that moment at the podium was the Greatness of a leader taking responsibility. The key to what makes Tebow so highly respected now is that when the team failed, he publicly and promptly invited additional attention to himself for the failure and set expectations for change. Because he understood his role as a team leader, he made himself accountable on behalf of his team...and then, as he promised, he brought the team along with him. All the way to the National Championship.
While I selfishly hope Tebow gets the chance to make another Podium Speech after Florida State beats them in November (fingers crossed), his work on and off the field make him a true leader.
(thanks Don Yaeger & coach Starkey)
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