Leadership, with Super Bowl Champion Keith Jackson

The workforce is changing and leadership must evolve with it. So, what makes a good leader in this current environment? We discuss this topic with NFL legend and Cadence Bank board member Keith Jackson, and hear how he incorporates lessons from his Hall of Fame coaches into his leadership style.

Show Notes

Leaders decide goals and dictate strategy. Perhaps most importantly, they set culture. But the workforce is changing and leadership must evolve with it. So what makes a good leader in this current environment? How do you engage and inspire your workforce? And what can you do to improve, so you can build your business and career?

To help us, we turned to one of the greatest leaders we know: Keith Jackson. Keith has an illustrious football journey – he played tight end at the University of Oklahoma and went on to star in the NFL with the Eagles, Dolphins and the Green Bay Packers. Over the course of his career, he was Rookie of the Year, a 5-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion. But his experience goes far beyond the football field. Keith is on the board of Cadence Bank and he’s also the president of the youth non-profit P.A.R.K. (Positive Atmosphere Reaches Kids), which he founded in 1993. He knows a thing or two about leadership.

Throughout his career, Keith played for some of the greatest coaches the game has ever seen: legends like Barry Switzer, Buddy Ryan, Don Shula and Mike Holmgren. So in this episode, we’re going to break down what Keith learned from each of these leaders, and how their teachings apply to business today. Join us, as we tackle leadership with a legend.

Highlights:

• Intro to Keith Jackson  (2:01)
• What leadership isn’t (3:13)
• See it, say it, write it: Keith’s formula for successful leadership (3:47)
• There’s no one-size-fits-all (5:00)
• “Leaders aren’t born, they’re mentored” (7:16)
• Barry Switzer and positive reinforcement (8:35)
• Buddy Ryan: you can’t treat everybody the same (10:18)
• Eliminating mistakes and the magic of Don Shula (12:59)
• How Mike Holmgren led by teaching (15:13)
• How leadership is evolving (17:37)
• The challenge of disengagement (18:41)
• Servant leadership as a way to inspire and engage (22:36)
• Avoiding complacency (24:18)

Links:

• Cadence Bank Website
• Cadence Bank Twitter
• Cadence Bank LinkedIn
• Keith Jackson Website
• Positive Atmosphere Reaches Kids Website
• The Coming Jobs War - Jim Clifton (2011)
• Harvard Business Review - The Trickle-Down Effect of Good (And Bad) Leadership
• Leadership Circle - How COVID has Influenced Leadership
• Forbes - The Pandemic Has Changed Leadership for the Better: How Young Leaders Will Respond to Today’s Challenges
• MIT Sloan Management Review - How to Become a Better Leader

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producers, [e-mail] or [e-mail].

What is In Good Companies?

Starting and running a business or managing one isn’t for the faint of heart. You’re balancing internal and external forces in a continually changing landscape. You’re building strategies, and banking on the future – no matter what it holds. This is where Cadence Bank’s In Good Companies comes in. We share our wealth of knowledge, and insights from noted industry experts, to guide you through the forces shaping business today.

We’re back for Season 6, and this time, we’re setting our sights on the future of work. We’re asking the big questions, like:

What will your career look like in 2030? Or 2050, even?
How is ESG shaping the future of companies?
And how can we leverage AI to our advantage?

We bring together experts from across the board, from Silicon Valley to multinationals like EY, to help you stay on the cutting edge of business. And we get to know those who are building the future of our companies; because at Cadence Bank, we want to hear the human side of every success story.

Hosting our stellar range of guests this season is our new host, Ari Marin. He is a Cadence Bank Senior Vice President and family enterprise advisor, whose specialty is consulting with family-owned and small businesses. Ari’s idea of “good company” is being around creative, insightful people with unique and inspirational stories. For Season 6, he brings in his curiosity and ambition to In Good Companies, to lead discussions with our guests, and bring listeners across the U.S. all the information they need, in one place, in under 30 minutes.

Ready to launch into the future? Then join us!