Throughout the history of football there have been many great leaders who have inspired their teams to victory. They have used many different leadership tactics that helped build up their teammates to perform to the best of their abilities. No leader in the last 20 years has been able to inspire a professional sports team like Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis. Lewis has been the face of the Baltimore franchise since its inception in 1996. Lewis was a part of the team's original draft class along with another future hall of fame player Jonathan Ogden. He quickly became not only one of the best players in football, but also one of the greatest leaders in sports.
The reason Ray Lewis has developed into a fantastic leaders is that he truly walks the walk and talks the talk. On the field Lewis is a relentless competitor who plays every play like its his last. He is also incredibly talented and his a future 1st ballot hall of famer. His play on the field gives him immense credibility among his teammates and gives them a great role model on how to play the game. But Lewis does not just lead by example, he uses his great oratorical skills to motivate his teammates before every game. His speeches are very inspirational and many teammates have said that Lewis is the glue of the team and makes sure that everything is in line. Lewis is also very spiritual, and he uses his relationship with God to connect with his teammates on an even greater level.
The power that Lewis exerts as a leader is legitimate power. He has legitimate power as a team captain who performed on the field week in and week out. He leads the team in film sessions and makes sure that his defense is well versed on any offense they go up against. Current Ravens' coach John Harbaugh and former head coach Brian Billick both let Lewis be a forceful presence in the locker room by giving him time to speak to the players. Lewis is almost like a coach on the field and his knowledge of the game has helped create a perennially great defense in Baltimore. Lewis as also become a mentor for many NFL players who do not even play for the Ravens. Many players around the league call and text Lewis for advice both during the season and during the off-season about many different issues. This has made Lewis one of the most influential players in the NFL.
My favorite aspect about Lewis' leadership is the relentless competitive attitude that makes people follow him. Many of the speeches he gives before games highlight the relentlessness his team needs to have in order to win. Lewis makes it clear to his teammates that he would die for them and that he will do everything in his power to win. He is also able to back up all of his talk about relentlessness with his play on the field. Lewis is one of the most intense players in the history of the sport, and he changes games with his abilities. His teammates are able to follow his lead and produce performances perhaps above their normal level. Lewis also strives for greatness famously saying to his teammates in a meeting before the start of the Ravens Super Bowl winning season "I need to be in Tampa" (the site of the Super Bowl that year) and imploring his teammates to follow him on this goal.
The one flaw that I see in Lewis is that he can sometimes be too aggressive both in talk and in play, which sometimes leads to reckless and undisciplined play by both him and his teammates. The Ravens have been known for being one of the most penalized teams in the NFL and some of this may be attributed to lack of discipline on the defensive side of the ball (although in Baltimore we are convinced NFL refs have it out for us, trust us, its true). Other than that, Ray Lewis is a fantastic leader and a person I would go to battle with any day of the week.
Some YouTube Vids highlighting Ray Lewis' leadership Greatness
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obQArlxzEWE (starts 40 sec)
It's amazing when you think about it that Ray Lewis has been on the roster for every Ravens game ever. As a Ravens fan, when number 52 is in the game I know that he will do all that he can to help the team perform their best. We always have a chance, because either Ray will make a play, or he will inspire someone else too. The Ravens defense is top ten year in and year out. The players and coaches change, except the man in the middle, who has been leading them since 1996.
ReplyDeleteIt'll be tough for the Ravens and for Ravens fans when Ray finally retires. He has truly been the one thing that has held the team together since their inception in '96
ReplyDeleteInteresting -- someone from the other class also wrote about Ray Lewis. I'm a terrible football fan and don't really follow it closely, but from the looks of it... Ray Lewis seems like quite the character. Enjoyed the post!
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