One perk of my job is that I sometimes get to meet and speak with leaders in the worlds of business, sports and entertainment. It occurred to me recently that I should share those moments with a broader audience, so I have started recording them and will be posting them on YouTube for you to enjoy.
First up is NFL Hall of Famer and three-time Super Bowl champion (as player, assistant coach, and head coach) Mike Ditka, who gave a talk at the Conversations on the Future of Business event SAP hosted in Chicago last week.
During our impromptu interview, Da Coach shared his thoughts on such topics as how to put together a winning team (good people, clear goals, winning attitude), what he learned from his coaching mentors (George “Papa Bear” Halas and Tom Landry), and the spirited rivalry between the offensive and defensive squads on the 1985 Bears, winners of Super Bowl XX.
Coach Ditka also spoke with evident emotion about Walter Payton (“best ever”), who retired as the league’s all-time rushing leader but sadly died at the age of 45 from a rare form of cancer. When I asked the coach what advice he would give parents about having their children play football, he extolled the virtues of the sport but ended by guaranteeing that “if you play long enough, you’re gonna get hurt.” I hope you enjoy the interview.
Next up: Dan Wagner, CEO of Civis Analytics and Chief Analytics Officer for the 2012 Obamacampaign. Teaser: Dan is one of the smartest guys I ever met!