Mark of A Leader

Josh Thornton

​We look to leadership everywhere, whether in our careers or personal lives, being navigated down the right path is paramount. Many things go into making a great leader. Accountability, honesty, focus and confidence, just to name a few. Now, while many desirable leadership traits can be developed over time, I believe that some are just… in us. Engrained within our DNA. One ability stands out as the kind that people are just born with and, to me, is a common thread amongst all great leaders. Gravitational pull. No, not the pull that a large celestial body exerts on the objects around it, well… not in the scientific sense anyway. The pull is real and people do “gravitate” toward natural leaders. Great leaders become infectious. Those around them feed off their energy, performing better themselves. These type of leaders are very visible, especially in football. Folks, I believe that we are witnessing this first hand here in Cleveland.

​Baker Mayfield has been labeled a leader his whole football career. You have always had the accountability, inspiration and other headline leadership traits with him. Playing quarterback inherently brings with it a fair amount of those. This season we have been witnessing a bit more though. Amidst all the winning, we are seeing a team gravitate toward their quarterback. Back him. Embody him. If you think this is because of the winning… not so fast. I’d venture to bet this squads pull to Baker has become stronger through the trying times. Seeing Baker navigate the past organizational instability and remain a beacon of hope has only strengthened the gravity. It has brought this team closer to Mayfield. Every time Baker gleefully chases down a Nick Chubb touchdown run with arms out like an airplane, every red carpet photo shoot, every arm around the shoulder pick-me-up brings this unit closer and closer to Baker. Its poetry in motion.

​Ultimately, we will have to wait a whole career to see where Baker shakes out on the list of great leaders. Hopefully we have to wait a long, long time. I see greatness in this guy. 

Greatness when the ball is in his hands, and even when it isn’t.

Go Browns!