Freddie Dryer was and is my great friend. We played together in New York for 3 or 4 years, and not only was he a gifted player, he was a brilliant actor. My friend, Stephen Cannell, who passed away about 3 years ago and was one of the most prolific writers and producers in Hollywood, said that Freddie was the most talented actor he had ever been around.
The attached letter tells you all you need to know about Freddie, and the camaraderie you find among football players. His letter mentions Alex Webster, who passed away about a year ago. Alex was our head coach for 2 years in New York. The letter also talks about Jim Marshall, the great defensive end, member of the Purple People Eaters, and my teammate for most of my career.
A sense of giving, of service, of helping other people, is essential to success. It’s not just about money. In fact, if you make it about money then a business becomes much harder to sustain in the long run. A successful, sustainable business has a mission, a purpose built around providing value to and helping other people.
I have always believed that the mission of business is to help people. It’s not about you, about what you want. It’s about what you can do for your customers, for your partners, for others around you to bring value to them. A lot of people take a different view, though—they think it’s about making money. Now the work of one of the best young business minds in the world is providing research that backs up my belief.
Leaders come in all shapes and sizes. They can be found in all different places. Whether you’re looking at a leader in the business world, in athletics, in politics, or anywhere else, you’d be surprised how many important leadership lessons are there waiting to be learned. I’m a big believer in looking for great ideas no matter where they come from!
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