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We’re all flawed. We’re moody. We get jealous of each other. So often we can be too self-absorbed and petty. Then nobody wants to be around us. Even in the NFL.
Ndamukong Soo, who now plays for the Tom Bradys, has been finding this out about the painful way about these stark realities of human condition.
An NBC Sports article this week opens the worm jar to reveal his inner soul-searching about his flawed behavior. It got him in boiling soup with his former team, the Miami Dolphins.
“If you’ve watched me play, you know I can be a lot of in your face,” Soo wrote on a Twitter thread. “I’m a very direct person by nature. My job is entirely about imposing my will on others. So that bleeds into other aspects of my business.
“For a long time in my career, I was always just saying what I wanted to say. Never thinking about how I delivered the message. Everything changed when I got to Miami. I was in a strong, influential position. So I was just making my opinion known, regardless of how it impacted others. Two years in, I realized this attitude was creating divisions on the team, pushing people away. Putting me in a negative headspace.”
Negative Headspace Ndamukong stepped in the really rancid crud when the Dolphins hired coach Adam Gase.
“I disagreed with everything he wanted to do. But…nothing I said was being heard. I couldn’t get the support I wanted. I realized it was because I had zero tact. If you’re not careful about how you do things, you end up being the bad guy.”
Troubled, Soo read Stephen Covey’s best-seller 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Applying the book’s keen insights to his own life, Soo catalyzed his remarkable turnaround in interpersonal relationships. He’s not upsetting everybody he encounters anymore.
“So what did I start doing that I still do today?
1. I listened way more than I talked
2. I paid attention to HOW I interacted with people
3. I observed other’s reactions and adjusted as needed
4. I chose my words carefully to be more empathetic. It was a total 180. There was less arguing and more agreement. I turned my influence on the team into impact. But most importantly, I felt better about myself and my mood improved.”
Now that’s a feel-good story to inspire all of us – sinners though we are. You, Baby Boomer Brothers, can overcome your inherent weaknesses and frailties. You can be likable again.
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Sammy Sportface, a sports blogger, galvanizes, inspires, and amuses The Baby Boomer Brotherhood. And you can learn about his vision and join this group's Facebook page here:
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