Ray Lewis Leadership Essay
A leader is a individual who has the ability to take or command an full group of people. a leader is person who is followed by other people. Bing a leader is a fantastic privilege. it is something that is non needfully handed to an single nor is it something that can be bought. leading is something that is earned. This full class we have been larning about and discoursing assorted features of effectual leaders. Some of those features included assurance. personal appeal. bravery. bosom. doggedness. and among many others. This paper will concentrate chiefly on one person who exemplifies these traits and many other features which contributes greatly to his success as a leader. The individual that has been selected for the footing of this paper is Ray Lewis. a 12 twelvemonth pro-bowl choice line backer from the Baltimore Ravens.
The ground I have chosen Lewis for this paper is because of the qualities he has as a leader non merely on the playing field. but off of it every bit good. He is what I believe to be the best and most motivational and inspirational participant in the National Football League today. possibly even all athleticss. The object of this paper is to lucubrate on Lewis’ features and supply an account of his leading manner and why they are effectual.
This paper will get down by giving an in depth analysis of Ray. After the analysis it will so travel into discoursing Ray’s manners of leading. After speaking about Lewis’ manners it will so get down traveling through all his features as a leader and what makes him stand out as a leader. in other words. I will explicate why Ray Lewis is such a powerful and effectual leader and the ground he stands out to people other than his organisation.
Ray Lewis is a professional football participant who is presently in his 17th season playing for the Baltimore Ravens in the National Football League. Lewis. born on May 15th 1975. ranks him amongst one of the oldest current participants in the conference. Even at age 37 Lewis manages to still be one of the most dominant forces in the game today even while viing with and against jocks who are about half of his age. Seasoned but experienced. Lewis still has much to offer his squad regardless of his age. Statistically Lewis still remains up near the top of the list. In 17 seasons Lewis has won multiple single awards every bit good as squad awards during his clip in the NFL. Lewis has been selected to thirteen pro-bowl visual aspects in his 17 twelvemonth calling.
Basically the pro-bowl is a state broad ballot on what participants go to an all-star game. the participants who are selected are deemed the best at their place during that twelvemonth. Lewis has besides been selected as the best defensive participant in football in two of those seasons. which earned him the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2000 and 2003. In 2000. the Baltimore Ravens lead by Lewis were underdogs in the biggest game of the twelvemonth. the Superbowl. The Baltimore Ravens won that game 34-7 over the New York Giants to clinch the perfect terminal to their season. Lewis became merely the 2nd line backer to win the MVP award for his public presentation in that game.
Adding to his aggregation of single awards was the ultimate award of National title-holders after winning the Superbowl. Since 1996 Lewis has started 228 regular season games and 17 playoff games. In those 228 games he has recorded 2. 061 tackles. 41 pokes ( times tackled the Quarterback ) . 31 interceptions. and 3 defensive touchdowns. These Numberss are a clear representative of how dominant Ray can be on the field every bit good as what a long and powerful calling he has had therefore far. Not merely do these Numberss say that he has had a great calling. but it shows that Lewis has credibleness behind everything he says on and off the field.
Before acquiring into the leading manners of Ray Lewis. I want to supply a historical background of him in order to give a brief thought of Ray’s childhood and where he came from. Ray Anthony Lewis was born on May 15th 1975 in Bartow. which is a little metropolis in Central Florida. His female parent Sunseria Smith. had Ray at a really early age of 15. His male parent walked out on both Ray and his female parent while they were in the infirmary without his new born babe even holding a name. The first clip he of all time saw his male parent face to face was when Ray was merely shy of a twelvemonth old. The abandoning of Ray by his male parent played a enormous function and had a big impact on his life as the clip went by. He believes his male parents absence in his life really helped shaped him as a adult male and made him the character that he is today.
Turning up. Ray witnessed many things in life that effected him separately in a manner that would change the way of his life. As the old ages went on. Ray still without a male parent. began to play athleticss as a child. He found his naming in football when he was told by multiple managers that he had a natural endowment and was highly gifted. The job was that Ray had no 1 to state at place.
His female parent was invariably working. she maintained three occupations to maintain the house over their caput and nutrient on the tabular array. Every clip he did something great in life his male parent was ne’er at that place. When he graduated from senior high school. his male parent was still non at that place. When he accepted a scholarship to Miami University in the spring of 1993. his male parent yet once more failed to demo his boy support. The ground this is of import and relevant to Ray’s features of a good quality leader is because it is the flicker behind his motive.
“I was pissed off” was the reply Lewis gave the interviewer when asked how he felt about his state of affairs with his male parent ( E:60. Ray Lewis. 2012 ) . He explained how his male parents absence in his childhood angered him. and confused him. He frequently wondered how person could make life and merely go forth it behind like nil of all time happened. The hurting that Ray was having from all the broken promises. deficiency of clip spent with his male parent. and being the lone adult male in the house turning up was all turned into a positive energy for him. The ground that his male parent is a popular subject therefore far is because of how he created the adult male that Ray Lewis is based on the fact he left him entirely. “I turned hurting into my friend. The lone of all time manner to get the better of hurting. is to acknowledge that hurting exists.
That’s the lone of all time manner you will crush hurting. Because hurting comes in every second of our lives” ( A Football Life: Ray Lewis. 2011 ) . What he intend by turning hurting into his friend was that he would utilize that “pain” that his male parent bestowed upon him to actuate and drive himself every twenty-four hours by working out. “Sometimes I would make press-ups and situps until I cried because I wanted to crush him so bad! I wouldn’t stop. I promised myself I would ne’er stop” ( A Football Life: Ray Lewis. 2011 ) .
Much of Ray’s success in developing came from the thrust he had from the hurting he suffered. When he was in highschool one of his managers handed him a yearbook and told him to turn to the athleticss page. On that page was a image of Ray’s male parent Ernie. The following page had a list of records for every athletics. in the figure one slot for record holders was Ray’s male parents name. He made a promise to himself that he wouldn’t stop preparation. he would ne’er give up no affair what. and he would go on to contend through the hurting until his male parents name was gone away of those records. Every clip he took over a record. he crossed his male parents name off of the record list.
The yesteryear of Ray Lewis is the ground for why he is the leader that he is today. Turning up with a individual female parent. Ray witnessed his female parent in many broken relationships. As a kid. there were multiple occasions where Ray saw his female parent with bruised weaponries. black eyes. cut up faces and other marks of domestic maltreatment from failed relationship. Another motive he had for working so hard was to do certain that “No adult male. of all time. of all time put his custodies on my female parent once more or household again” ( A Football Life: Ray Lewis. 2011 ) .
This outlook Ray had would go on on for the remainder of his life. He developed the accomplishments necessary for carry throughing the leading function at a really early age. All of this makes it really easy to see as to why Ray Lewis has developed the features necessary for being an independent. trustworthy. ne’er traveling to discontinue. difficult working. and passionate person. I could travel on and on about features. virtuousness. and other good qualities Ray possesses and we will finally acquire at that place. The following portion of this paper is traveling to analyze Ray in the modern epoch. and expression at his leading manners and why they are so effectual every bit good as examine the possibilities as to why he is so good respected as a leader.
“I’m a natural Born leader” Ray admits. he invariably reminds people that if they follow him he will take them to greatness ( America’s Game: 2000 Baltimore Ravens ) . This subdivision will concentrate chiefly on leading. and why Ray is a great illustration of model leading and what styles he uses for taking his organisation. The first manner of Ray that will be mentioned is his ability to take by illustration. This type of leading harmonizing to the EIL faculty is considered “modelling the way” which basically means paving the way for teammate’s and/or the organisation by taking by illustration.
In the National Football League participants are considered the best of the best at what they do. being confident is barely an issue. but being the best does non needfully intend that they work or play like they are the best. Basically what I mean is that it is really easy for people who are good at something to non believe that they need to go on working to acquire better. Yet it is really difficult to non give a hundred per centum at something when the full ambiance of the organisation is making the same thing.
However. when there is that one individual who is invariably seeking to outwork everyone and ne’er settees for anything less than a 100 per centum it is really hard for the entireness of the squad and/or organisation to go on slacking or non giving it their best attempt. This type of leader forces to people to desire to make good by systematically working to the best of their abilities and ne’er discontinuing. When speaking about Lewis and his ability to take it is of import to look at how he handles state of affairss of hardship. Every individual. squad. and organisation has at one point in their being faced a affair of hardship or been in some state of affairs where they had to mount their manner out of a battle.
The twelvemonth 2000. marked a major passage in Ray Lewis’ life. That twelvemonth Ray was confronting hardship as an person for he was accused of slaying after his engagement in a saloon battle one Saturday dark ( Beyond the Glory 2004 ) . The charges were dropped and Ray was considered wrongfully accused. nevertheless. even though proved inexperienced person this still did non assist his image in any manner. form or signifier. Those who knew Ray closest knew he was non about force and ne’er believed it was true. That twelvemonth the Ravens were playing an away game against the Tennessee Titans. Ray Lewis was being introduced and as he was coming through the tunnel the fans were shouting vulgar. violative. and racist remarks towards him.
They were shouting “You black boy of a bitch” and other racial slurs towards Lewis. His squad mate Trent Dilfer noted that the manner Lewis reacted to that was astonishing. he did non move out of choler or state anything back. He merely proved to his squad that no affair what person says to you “you ever have to travel on” and ne’er halt combat. Lewis did merely that. he used what these fans were shouting at him and turned it into positive energy. taking the Ravens to a triumph over the Titans that game ( Americas Game: 2000 Baltimore Ravens ) .
The squad had his dorsum. and one time they saw how Lewis was transitioning the negativeness into a positive they followed his lead. Lewis was known for doing a claim and endorsing it up. He would invariably reiterate himself about how he is traveling to win this game for his squad. every bit long as they follow his lead and hold his dorsum because he will ever hold theirs. He would ne’er let himself to neglect on the field. he would endorse up all of his words with actions and that made him an effectual person that people could set their trust in. He did merely that. in 2000 he led the conference with 137 recorded tackles. 3 interceptions. and 3 pokes ( LLC 2000 ) .
The importance of taking by illustration goes manus in manus with the persons ability to be an influential. motive. and inspirational 1 every bit good. This leading manner is besides known as “encouraging the bosom. ” This manner of leading is really what Lewis is most known for. the manner he can animate his teammate’s with words of wisdom and words of truth. Lewis can capture the heads of many of his squad by merely speaking to them. He enables people to desire to make good and gives them a whole new assurance that mentally prepares them for something of import. Anytime that Lewis felt his squad was going shy of hope. and losing religion. he would be the one to acquire them back up on their pess and do them believe nil is impossible.
Before every game Ray gathers his teammate’s together to supply them with mental energy. Normally he begins by stating them that they should ne’er settle for anything less than their best. He ever reminds them why they are where they are today. and how they need to take advantage of every chance that appears. He invariably reminds them that he will be at that place for them when they are in a minute of desperation. Any clip they are experiencing like they can non travel on they will be reignited with him giving it his all. “I am non stating you something for the benefit of myself. I am stating you something for the benefit of us” ( America’s Game: 2000 Baltimore Ravens ) .
The challenging thing about Lewis is that he understands when it is clip to speak. and when it is clip no listen. As believable of a participant he is. Lewis still respects every clip his managers or participants have something to state. “The most surprising things I have discovered about Ray upon first meeting him was how quiet he truly is. Lewis seldom opens his oral cavity and is normally found in the background softly watching and detecting everything that goes on in a meeting. Wisely. Lewis is really selective about when he chooses to present a vocal message. But when he does. everyone listens” ( Riddle. 2012 ) . Those times that he chooses to open his oral cavity he delivers powerful messages that force people to believe in something greater than what they think they see.
The undermentioned transition is a address given by Ray Lewis to his squad and managers in the hotel a dark before their AFC title game: “We have been here earlier. we done been here 3 old ages in a row! N’ we allow this clip off the hook. Make certain that you own it tonight and do non allow them take you off from this minute adult male! Cuz this is all we got. That’s what ya’ll don’t recognize most of the clip. that we gon na acquire this once more. We gon na acquire this once more. the auto runs excessively fast. That’s why we got to taste these minutes cuz of right now. I couldn’t understand that when I was 24 and 25. That’s why God had to imprison me so I could see how great my approval was that he gave me. So I had to come from a gaol being in place. to so step onto a Superbowl dais adult male.
I don’t do this for me. I merely watch adequate movie so that I can set myself in place to do my defense mechanism the best darn defense mechanism in football. That’s why I come back every twelvemonth. We are non allowing this squad acquire out of here this clip. That’s what we here for. a W! And when we get off the coach tomorrow. we get off it with a swagman. a swagman that says. . Done! ” Lewis was known for his “we non me” outlook that inspired many people to desire to play with him. for him. and for the squad. A distinguishable narrative stood out about this adult male. It was a the beginning of a new season. Lewis and the Ravens were approximately to take the field. Patiently waiting in their cabinet room stables. nervous and dying. all of these participants have one end in head. to win the game.
All of a sudden. merely proceedingss before it was clip. Lewis stands up. and pulls out a bottle of what looks to be muscle stand-in of some kind. He begins to travel up to every individual individual in that cabinet room. One by one he dabs his finger in this bottle. and briefly touches each person on the caput. As he is making so he is whispering something different to each of his teammate’s. What he is making is basically blessing all of his teammate’s. He is praying for their safety and bravery. “It was as if he injected every adult male in that cabinet room with synthesized courage” ( Riddle. 2012 ) . This extremely motivated his squad. a new found inspiration was giving to his teammate’s that dark.
This event touched many of Lewis’ teammate’s in many different ways. They all believed that they were one unit. one squad. one household. because they had a male parent and wise man that they knew would ever maintain them safe. Lewis is good known for promoting the Black Marias of other participants. doing them experience capable of wining. He is particularly effectual when the morale of the squad is at a low because he feeds off of his participants emotions. he understands how to actuate his teammate’s both mentally and physically.
As motive as Ray Lewis is the list of qualities and manners does non stop at motivational. One of the most stand out manners and features of an single leader is his or her ability to animate a squad based on a vision. This is one manner that Lewis takes to bosom and is exceptionally great at making. He has the ability to animate a squad based off a shared vision. which is his vision that inspires the remainder of the organisation. Ray Lewis is know for his passion for the game. and an even bigger passion for being the best possible individual he can be as a adult male of God. This outlook besides influences how he thinks as an jock. Recently. he was asked to take part in an interview with hall of celebrity participant Deion Sanders during the playoffs. Ray asked them if they could keep off until following hebdomad insinuating that his squad will win the approaching game and travel on to the following unit of ammunition of the playoffs.
“Some call it bumptiousness. I call it confidence” the two chuckled over Ray’s comments because of how confident he was in his squad to be successful. Ray’s outlook was simple. he claimed that he was ne’er in it to neglect. “See I’m non traveling to lose. I’m non in it to lose. That’s merely a fact. I ne’er strap up my helmet to travel lose. And candidly. that’s a vision. And that’s the thing. acquire everybody seeing that same vision. . and if you do. adult male that’s unsmooth crushing a adult male with a vision. crushing a adult male who see’s something” ( Beyond the Glory 2004 ) . This outlook Ray had stated would travel on much further than merely words that he thought of on the topographic point.
He preaches to his squad about being one unit. believing a similar. holding the same head set twenty-four hours in and twenty-four hours out. because if that is the instance so they truly will be unstoppable. He preaches about being “one bosom round. one mind” and that basically means that they live and die as one. there is no persons. Basically. if one individual makes a error everyone is accountable. and this went for off the field state of affairss every bit good as on the field determinations every bit good. Lewis inspired his squad to be smart. drama with each other. and particularly most significantly learn to love each other. Lewis said that if you are non playing for each other than you will ne’er amount to anything great.
It is more good to play selfless than to play egotistically. Reason being is because his whole vision is that “the merely way to success. is the 1 that we take together. There is no other manner. If we all believe in the same thing and have the same vision. so we will genuinely be powerful. and no 1 can take that off from us. ” ( A Football Life: Ray Lewis 2011 ) . In 2011. Ray suffered a broken toe hurt that sidelined him for several hebdomads.
Alternatively of moving upset like how most jocks act. he alternatively used the hardship and turned it into a positive for his teammates. ?“Adversity defines true character. If one of us is aching. the other portion got ta choice it up” This is the message he told his squad the undermentioned game while he was speaking to them before their game. He emphasizes that holding a squad believe in the same end will finally progress a plan and organisation to new highs. in order to be successful all must be on board when doing the right picks for carry throughing a end.
Those types of leading mentioned earlier in this paper really compliment the following manner which is disputing the procedure. This manner fundamentally means ne’er settling for anything. Always traveling after mark. When one end is accomplished. another one is added to the board. Lewis is a house truster that there is merely one manner. and that is up. And there will go on to merely be one up until he stops playing the game when he retires. After Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens won the title in 2000. Lewis was speaking about it is great to observe. but other squads are already developing to take down the Baltimore Ravens following twelvemonth. and their end is be right at that place at their really minute once more ( America’s Game: 2000 Baltimore Ravens ) .
Even in his exercises it is apparent that he continues to force himself passed his bounds because settling for mediocre and at a certain degree is non what makes an single great. Turning up. every achievement Ray of all time had he would ever state himself that it isn’t plenty. He wanted more. and he would go on to do new ends after every one was accomplished. This outlook would profit his calling as a professional.
He continuously emphasizes the importance of difficult work. and will. The will to maintain traveling when everything is good can frequently be more hard so when everything is bad. When something is traveling good you tend to believe you are making alright and do non necessitate to maintain endeavoring for more. Lewis understands that if this is the instance so he will ne’er be genuinely every bit great as he could be if he believes that is true.
A inquiry that frequently rises when speaking about Ray Lewis is where does all this energy and motive come from? What is he like outside the game of football? Well. as was mentioned earlier Lewis has come from a broken place. fatherless. with a female parent who was full clip working two different occupations. His childhood is what fueled him to be great. Particularly with state of affairss such as domestic force that Ray saw a really immature age it is no inquiry where his motive to be a good individual comes from.
When his male parent left him he could non hold on an apprehension as to why a male parent would bail like that on his new born babe. “Why cant a dada be a dada to a kid who had no pick to be here today. why would person go forth that kid. ” ( A Football Life: Ray Lewis 2011 ) . This was the ground why he non holding a pa developed Ray’s mentality. “I didn’t know who to name dada. ” he worked because of that. he used to shout during exercises because of that mentality that. hurting is nil.
Ray Lewis today has six kids of his ain “4 male monarchs. and two Queenss. and I have ne’er had a greater push in my life than to see my kids smile. ” ( A Football Life: Ray Lewis 2011 ) . This along side many of the people he met later in life would travel on to be a ground why he is the adult male that he is today. Ray got involved with an person who was enduring from a disease that was life threatening.
Bill Warble was Lewis’ biggest fan. an aged adult male who promise Ray he would non go forth this Earth until they won another title. Ray says that he owes Bill his life. He taught him a valuable lesson on life. which contributed much to his logical thinking as a leader and how to move. Bill Warble had taught him “what to kick approximately. what non to kick approximately. what non to be sad about. what to be glad. sad. mad and happy about. ” ( A Football Life: Ray Lewis 2011 ) . This changed his position on life for the better as Lewis began to see things in his ain life a batch clearer.
Ray Lewis will travel down in history as one of the greatest linebacker’s to of all time play in the National Football League. along with that claim he will besides travel down every bit one of the best leader’s on any athleticss squad every bit good. For all who have played with him. got a opportunity to run into him. knew him outside of the game. all of those people knew the existent Ray Lewis and what he was capable of making. “He was genuinely an inspiration and it was a pleasance to play along side Ray” ( Riddle. 2011 ) . Whether the squad win’s or loses. Ray is ne’er taking recognition or puting the incrimination on anyone. He will everlastingly populate by his “one bosom round. one mind” outlook and will forever impact the lives of those who got a opportunity to play along side him.
After their AFC title loss in 2011 Ray was acquiring interviewed by newsmans about what had happened. He got disquieted with the newsmans for suggesting towards the loss being entirely on one participant. “What you gon na make set that loss on two work forces? Oh. Evans should hold caught the ball. oh Billy should hold made the boot. Well. possibly I should hold made that tackle in the 3rd one-fourth. So anything could be you. so there is no one individual that you could of all time set incrimination on. We came here as a squad. we locked and loaded as a squad. let’s make sure we leave as a squad. ” ( A Football Life: Ray Lewis 2011 ) .
He went on after the game to state his teammates in supplication that they did what they had to make. that following twelvemonth they had to do certain they finished. He told his squad it is no 1s fault but their squad combined attempt. No one individual gets the incrimination. He kept the morale as high up as he could in order to maintain his squad motivated for the undermentioned season. that this loss should fire into their memories for following twelvemonth. Use it as fuel. bend that negative energy into something utile. “Let’s understand ourselves as work forces. and do person smile when we walk out of here” ( A Football Life: Ray Lewis 2011 ) . This is Ray Lewis. his impact and his bequest.
“We acquire one chance in life. one opportunity at life to make whatever you’re traveling to make. and put your foundation and do whatever grade you’re traveling to do. Whatever bequest you’re traveling to go forth. go forth your bequest! ” — Ray Lewis
Beginnings:
Sabol. Ed. 2000. Raven Road to the Superbowl ( Documentary ) . NFL Films. United States. Sabol. Ed. 2011. A Football Life. “Ray Lewis” ( Documentary ) . NFL Films. United States. Farrey. T. Nichols. R. Schaap. J. Smith. S. 2012. E:60 Ray Lewis ( Interview ) . ESPN. United States. N. A. 2004. Beyond the Glory. “Ray Lewis” Season 4. ep. 9. ( Documentary ) . United States. Riddle. Ryan. August 7th 2012. Bleacher Report ( Article ) . Web. December 4th 2012.
