"I Root for People:" NFL GM Dave Gettleman Delivers Winning Presentation on Life
Monday, December 16, 2024
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Photo Caption: Dave Gettleman, former General Manager of the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers, delivers his presentation “The Winning Strategy.”
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WOODLAND PARK, NJ – Esteemed former NFL General Manager Dave Gettleman spoke to Berkeley College staff and students on “The Winning Strategy,” the leadership lessons he developed during his 30+ year career in professional football.
The charismatic Gettleman shared his philosophies on both how to lead a successful team and how to lead a successful life. He encouraged the audience to study as many leaders as possible through a variety of media, from books to podcasts to reflecting on their own personal experiences. He urged the audience to look at any situation from a variety of angles, consider different perspectives, and to keep an open mind when making decisions. “No one’s got the secret sauce,” Gettleman commented. “Whatever method of leadership you employ, it has to be you, because otherwise no one’s buying it.”
When asked about his ups and downs with both the New York Giants and the Carolina Panthers, Gettleman noted that sometimes you can learn more from the losses than from the wins, despite seven Super Bowl appearances and three Super Bowl wins. When you lose a game, “you can really learn what you’re doing right if you’re properly evaluating a team, you can learn how to better evaluate a team, and you can learn how players are going to respond to different situations.” One of Gettleman’s keys to leadership is also learning and understanding how individuals will respond to various situations at hand. He called this “Knowing Your Customer.”
As for his own style of leadership, Gettleman often followed the philosophy of servant leadership, or, in his own words, what he called “generally managing.” He would arrive each day at 6:30 and spend the next few hours going from department to department, asking how he could help or what they needed, establishing close relationships and positive dynamics with his employees. Some days, Gettleman would not even get to his own office until hours later.
This was all part of Gettleman’s personal “winning strategy” on managing not only the players, but all employees involved with the team. He embodied a style of leadership in which he knew his colleagues (he dislikes the word “subordinates” – he really is a team player) could come to him with some of the wildest ideas and “know you’re going to listen to them and hear them.” He continued, “It is your responsibility to put everybody in the organization in a position to succeed. Successful companies have quality leadership and people who affect that and carry that forward.”
Perhaps most importantly, Gettleman assured the audience that everyone can learn something valuable from their peers, regardless of status or title. He promoted listening with open ears and building up “the good stuff” wherever you go. This ties in with his philosophy to “Be able to leave what you’ve built behind so all the good stuff continues,” so that the next person in your position can continue the program, whatever it may be, in a similar, positive fashion.
Gettleman’s favorite memories from his career are surprisingly not his Super Bowl wins. He reminisced that his fondest moments came from great conversations with peers and players, in times he could help people, and in the small moments that pass many others by. Dave Gettleman no longer roots for one team. Nowadays he roots for individuals to succeed, to prosper, and to continue their legacies. “I root for people,” he said, a wistful smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye.
About Berkeley College
Berkeley College, founded in 1931, is a career-focused institution accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that offers students Master’s, Bachelor’s, and Associate’s degree and Certificate programs in more than 20 career fields. The College also offers Continuing Education programs to enhance career credentials.
Berkeley College has campuses in New York City and in Newark, Woodbridge, and Woodland Park, NJ, with more than 4,000 students enrolled. In addition, Berkeley College Online® serves a global population. U.S. News & World Report has named Berkeley College among the Best Colleges for Online Bachelor’s Programs and among the Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans for 11 consecutive years. Berkeley College is also ranked among the Best Regional Colleges/Universities in the North in the 2023-2024 edition of the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges survey. The website address is https://BerkeleyCollege.edu.
The mission of Berkeley College is to empower each student to achieve lifelong success.
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