What Greek Leaders Can Learn From Tim Tebow

Tim Tebow. Whether you follow football or not, I’m sure you’ve heard of him. He is the Denver Broncos starting quarterback and one of the greatest college football players of all-time. Yet, I’m not here to talk about his football skills; I’m here to talk about his leadership skills off the field. Simply put, I think fraternity and sorority leaders can learn a lot from Tim Tebow. Allow me to explain…

There are many personal attributes to like about Tim Tebow. He is humble. He is passionate. He is driven. He is competitive. He is grounded in his religion. He is a team player. He thinks of others before himself. Yet, these comments only begin to scratch the surface of why Tim Tebow is a proven leader.

What impresses me most about Tim Tebow is his innate ability to block out the naysayers and critics. His ability to prove others wrong. You go back to his high school days and critics said he would never be a college quarterback. He did. Critics said he would never win the Heisman. He did as a sophomore (the first sophomore ever to win the Heisman). Then, critics said he could never be an NFL quarterback. He did. Now, Tebow leads his Denver Broncos to the second round of the playoffs. Did I mention that he took over as the starting QB for the Broncos when their record was 1-4 and their record with Tebow in as their starter is 8-4?

Again, this only begins to scratch the surface of what critics will say about Tebow. His throwing mechanics are bad. He will be benched for Brady Quinn. He will never succeed in the NFL. Yet, through all this negativity, Tebow stays grounded in who he is as a person and a professional football player.

So how does this relate to fraternity and sorority leaders? Imagine for a moment you have just come back from an amazing conference or institute. You are ready to change the world you think in your head. You have all these ideas of how your organization can be better and you are convinced they will work. You are excited!

You get back and you tell your best friend your ambitions and they are thrilled. You then decide to share with others in your organization and some give you the “umm, okay” look. Not to be let down by negative Nancy, you search for others to share your ideas. However, others start to question why you would want to change a good thing. More start to question your desires of change. Soon enough, you are beginning to doubt the changes you want to make. You plead to your peers that these changes will truly make your organization great but your voice falls on deaf ears. Shortly thereafter, you are in your room angry and frustrated. You think, I can’t make the change. I give up.

Well I’m here to tell you NOT give up. You can make the change. Why? Tim Tebow showed you the way to do it. Corny to state? Maybe, but I believe it.

You see, all great leaders face adversity. Quite frankly, nothing comes easy as a leader. Most organizations will hardly ever embrace change with open arms. Yet, it can happen. You just have to block out the critics and the naysayers.

How you may ask? By your actions. If you want to make positive change, you have to believe in the change you want to make and show others that you are committed to this change. Want more service in the organization? Then you should be the first one to set up a service trip and the first one to the service site. Want to increase your organization’s academics? Then you should be seen studying or tutoring others if your academics are up to par. Want to improve brotherhood/sisterhood relations? Get out there, TALK (not tweet, poke, instant message) to your peers and find out what the true issues are in your organization.

Going back to the Tebow example, the guy is the epitome of a role model leader. When critics try to get him angry, all he does is use that anger on the field of play and win games. When critics question his religion, he sticks to his core values and further restates his love for the Lord Jesus Christ. When critics intentionally ask him questions to get a rise out of him, he always stays positive and optimistic. Don’t believe me? Try this as a test. Try and find a Tebow YouTube clip where he bashes a player, coach, or anyone for that matter. I bet you won’t find one. He doesn’t allow you to beat him. He doesn’t allow you to get to him. He doesn’t let up in his drive to succeed.

Can every fraternity and sorority leader be Tim Tebow? No. I’m not asking you to be Tebow. I’m asking you to lead like Tebow. I’m asking you to believe in yourself. To believe in your core values and your organizations core values. I’m asking you to fight for your organization’s purpose. I’m asking you not to bash your brothers and sisters. I’m asking you to be passionate about the letters you wear on your chest. I’m asking you to be humble in the opportunity you have been given and cherish it. I’m asking to recommit to the oath you took to your organization.
I’m a fan of Tim Tebow and think he is a class act. He is someone I look up to and someone I’d be honored to call a fraternity brother. Even though I can’t, I can still learn from him and his leadership abilities to further improve my efforts as a leader. I believe you can to. So, the next time a critic or naysayer says something to you, what will you do?



Below is a YouTube clip of Tim Tebow giving a post-game speech after a loss to Mississippi State in 2008. The speech, now known as “The Promise” became the driving force behind the rest of the season for the Gators as they went on to win the National Championship, the second under Tebow's leadership. “The Promise” is now on a plaque at the University of Florida, near the statue of Tebow. Leadership...is what you do.

The Promise