Leadership is a quality that some people just have frankly been born with. For others, they are tagged with this type of responsibility.
Whatever the case, when someone is carrying that characteristic it requires a demeanor that will allow others to follow and one that will be respected. After all, a leader is supposed to be someone who leads, whether vocally or by example.
It doesn’t take a special person to vocally lead a group, organization or even a sports team. But what really is a true statement is that actions most often speak louder than words.
When a group is faced with adversity, that is when a leader is needed most. It is very evident in football due to the fact that how a team responds following that adversity can be crucial. And when the so-called leader has jumped ship, more often than not it doesn’t bode well especially in terms of team morale.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton had an opportunity to show that he is deserving of that leadership role after their 36-7 loss to the New York Giants in prime time football on Thursday night. Newton did not play particularly well in the loss, tossing three interceptions.
With the game out of hand, head coach Ron Rivera made the decision to bench Newton in the final quarter following his third pick and down by 26 points. The game was all but over and why not give backup Derek Anderson some game snaps?
Instead of backing his replacement and showing support like a leader should in times of adversity, the 23-year old Newton headed for the bench. In other words, expressing his frustration by pouting and showing no interest in what was left of the game.
Veteran receiver Steve Smith stated he let his young quarterback know how he felt of Newton’s decision to head to the bench and pout. It wasn’t pleasant and good for Smith!
Newton is in just his second year of the NFL, but came in with high expectations. He had an unbelievable rookie campaign so it is not misleading to say he was developing into that leadership role for the Panthers, a role that all NFL quarterbacks should embrace.
The reality is he has a lot of work to do in becoming that leader. Not only did Carolina lose, they might have also took a step back in developing that trust in their quarterback as their leader.
Whether it was the loss or his sub-par play that led to Newton’s decision to mope, he has got to learn that leaders do not act that way in times of adversity.