Leadership in the Medieval World

¶ … leadership in the medieval world with leadership today. Specifically it will discuss the leadership style of Brett Favre and compare his leadership skills to those of medieval leaders. Favre is a modern day knight, leading his team to victory week after week, and embodying many of the essential qualities of a medieval leader.

A chose Brett Favre because I admire him on and off the football field. I believe he is a strong and vibrant person, and that he has leadership qualities that help him with his football career and in life. I also admire him because although he is highly paid, he has started many charities with some of his money to help people that need it, and I think that it is an important quality of a good leader to give back to the community and to use some of their wealth to help others.

I know that leadership is an important quality in anyone who hopes to lead others and reach the top of their chosen field. I think that Brett Favre embodies this, but the literatures we have studied indicate this is not a new idea. In medieval times, leaders had to lead their men into battle to keep their castles and lands together, and they had to be shrewd and noble leaders to get the men to follow and support them. As Beowulf says in the beginning of the epic poem, "As their leader had bidden, whose word was law in the Scylding realm which he long had ruled," (Kennedy 3), the leader's "word was law," and it's kind of like that on the football field, too. Favre is a quarterback, and he calls the plays, leads the team down the field, and is the real leader of the team, so he has a lot in common with those medieval leaders whose word was law, too.

Medieval leaders were also brave, they had to fight everything from other knights to dragons. "Beowulf" continues, "The flame of the dragon had levelled the fortress, the people's stronghold washed by the wave. But the king of warriors, prince of the Weders, Exacted an ample revenge for it all" (Kennedy 75). The leader was responsible for the welfare of many others, and just like that, Favre is responsible for the welfare of the other men on his team, and indirectly, for the welfare and happiness of the fans who watch the Packers play every week.

How did I search for information on Brett Favre? I began my search online, and found several sites devoted to him, including his own official site, and another "fan" site that had a wealth of information. I wanted to learn more about the man, where he came from and what he believed, and I found this information there. They were very complete, giving pictures of the man both professionally and personally, and they helped cement my ideas about Favre and his leadership qualities. Here's what I found out.

Brett Favre was born October 10, 1969 in Gulfport, Mississippi. He lived in a very small town that didn't even have paved roads. His biography says, "Brett's father taught his boys mental and physical toughness. it's easy to see that the philosophy that Brett grew up with has stuck with him throughout his career with 157 consecutive career starts" ("The Person"). Brett has never missed a game since he turned pro-in 1991, which is an amazing record for football, and another clue to his mental and physical leadership qualities. In high school, Favre excelled at both football and baseball, and his dad was also his coach, so excellence in sports seems to run in the family. He "studied" football with his father all through school, and he managed to get a scholarship to Southern Mississippi, but they recruited him as a defensive back, but Favre wanted to be a quarterback. He lobbied hard to switch positions, and during his first summer camp, proved himself, and began his career on the team as a 7th string quarterback. He improved so much that by his freshman year, he was the quarterback for the team, and he was indicted into the Southern Miss Hall of Fame in 1997 ("The Person").

Brett initially played his first year in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons, where he didn't have a very good year (0-5). He was a second round draft pick, but he just couldn't seem to connect with the Falcons. However, he never gave up on his dream to be a number one quarterback in the league. His fan web site notes, "You know the lyrics to the song 'I get knocked down, but I get up again - you're never gonna keep me down!'? Brett might not either, but he sure lives by those words" (Editors). In 1992, the Green Bay Packers traded a number one draft pick to take Favre, a move that many thought was totally crazy. However, in his first game, he went in for the injured first-string quarterback, and ended up leading the team to a nail-biting victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, 24-23. In that same year, he became the youngest quarterback ever to play in the Pro-Bowl (23). He took over the head quarterback position after the Bengals game, a place he holds to this day.

Favre is a leader in many, many ways. His official web site notes, "The former Southern Mississippi leader's success is partially attributed to a commanding knowledge of his offense, astute observation of countless defenses designed to stop him and physical ability - especially renowned arm strength" ("Bio"). He has studied the game of football since he was young, and so he understands it, but he also understands the relationships between team members that can lead to success on and off the field. He has been chosen as "the No. 1 'Toughest Guy in America' on the basis of his 'fearlessness, perseverance, a willingness to take risk, a tolerance for pain and even a dash of modesty'" ("Bio"), and all of those traits are leadership traits, as well.

Brett Favre could have stepped out of the pages of a medieval folk tale like the "Legend of King Arthur" because he is brave, a risk taker, an inspiration, and a person who gives back to his society. He has founded several charities, including the Brett Favre Forward Foundation, which donates money to a variety of charities in Mississippi and Wisconsin, and his wife has founded the Deanna Favre Hope Foundation for women with breast cancer, after she survived her own bout with the disease. Thus, he is a leader on and off the field, and that makes him a true hero and leader in my book.

Finding good information on Brett Favre and his career wasn't hard to do. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to find as much about his leadership qualities, but that was fairly easy, too. Because he is such a popular and well-known football player, there is a lot of information available to help anyone who would like to know more about the man and his career.