For the Miami Dolphins “The price of greatness is responsibility”
By Scott Fisher
Does Miami Dolphins Tua Tagovailoa’s consistent willingness to take responsibility for mistakes help him to be a great leader? Absolutely!
The title of this article is actually a quote from Winston Churchill and I think it really does capture one of the most important aspects of leadership – responsibility.
One of the expectations – hallmarks even – of a franchise quarterback is his ability to lead. To inspire those around him to arrive earlier, stay later, practice harder, and find every possible way to get better and be better – starting with oneself and even in the face of adversity. Leading doesn’t always mean screaming up and down the sidelines nor does it mean being the loudest or most aggressive person in the room but you know it when you see it.
However a person leads, it has to be authentic, it has to be consistent, it has to be effective and it always has to include taking responsibility for one’s own opportunities for improvement.
Recently, the importance of starting quarterbacks continually growing as leaders have been a particularly hot topic, thanks to a post-game soundbite from former (and future?) New York Jets starting Quarterback Zach Wilson.
In all honesty – I find criticism of a player’s overall leadership ability to be an interesting viewpoint from those on the outside looking in. How do we know they have to improve? How do we know they are or are not a leader? The short answer is that we typically don’t know anything for sure.
However, there are certainly places where leadership is on full display – and I don’t mean the captain’s “C” on the jersey. Simply listening to the words a player says can tell you a lot and there’s no easier place to look than in a post-game press conference after a big loss.
The way a leader handles themselves in a post-game presser after a loss can make all the difference for those whom he’s leading. Does he take responsibility for the loss? Does he deflect blame? These are important and significant, decisions as these words can mean a lot to those who hear them.
Like most relationships in life, there are deposits and withdrawals in the metaphorical bank. These happen all the time with many actions taking the form of one or the other – but post-game presser transactions can be pricy if you will.
Throw an offensive lineman under the bus in a post-game press conference after being sacked four times? Withdrawal.
Shoulder the blame for those sacks even when you know the critical response may sting? Huge deposit.
After the loss to the San Francisco 49ers in week 13, Tua Tagovailoa, was faced with this very situation. He didn’t have his best game but neither did the defense or the coaching staff – a bump in the road for most, if you will.
To hear Tua after the game, though, was to hear a leader shouldering the blame. For example:
"“Obviously, it starts with me offensively, turnovers with third downs, communication errors. In that retrospect, it’s hard to win a game when you’re not on your Ps and Qs, and you’re not dialed in. So a lot of that has to do with just understanding what we’re trying to accomplish and what we’re trying to do.”– Tua Tagovailoa, 12/4/22"
and this:
"“No one really to blame but myself, so we’ll be better from this.”– Tua Tagovailoa, 12/4/22"
“I” and “me” statements from a leader can be truly powerful when followed by constructive and honest self-criticism. These were deposits in the bank of those around him who also didn’t put on their best performance.
These are incredibly important moments for Miami’s 24-year-old quarterback in his first year with the captain’s “C” on his jersey. These are moments that not only resonate with others but inspire change. These soundbites carry a lot of weight and show those around you that you have the ability to be vulnerable – and will choose to do so – for the good of the whole.
This is one reason why his team feels he deserves to wear that “C” and, while I’m not in the locker room with them, I can’t help but agree.
As Pam Beasley/Halpert once said on The Office – Pobody’s Nerfect. When a team leader acknowledges that for themselves and does something about it, others will follow and hopefully open themselves up for growth, too.