Quantities of quality connections

There are some wonderful things about living in Colorado this time of year. For instance, no matter how contentious, ugly, or, frankly, embarrassing the political debates we’re having become (I mean, really, folks –; when national media outlets are referring to your senator by a female reproductive organ …), we can all come together around one thing: The Denver Broncos.

I, like, well, everybody, was glued to the TV last Thursday night for the Broncos/49ers game. And, no matter how long he’s been at this, Peyton Manning still seems to find new ways to exploit his opponents. This week, it was Emmanuel Sanders torching the enemy for three touchdowns.

And then I go, “how the heck do ‘we’ (because, y’know, I a part of the Broncos organization) have Emmanuel Sanders?” He’s really fast, he catches everything thrown his way, and he looks, for all the world, like one of the league’s top-tier receivers. But why would someone like that come to the Broncos, knowing that we already have one of the five best receivers, one of the five best tight ends, and the greatest slot receiver the game has ever seen?

But it’s not just him. The three “really big” offseason pickups were all on the defense. So, why are all these major players coming to play in Denver, when they could make the same (or maybe better) money somewhere else?

And the answer is simple: quality attracts quality. These players all know that, as long as Peyton Manning is in Denver, they have a chance to win a Super Bowl. But, more than that, I think they know that, as long as Peyton Manning is in Denver, things are going to be done the right way.

And, why is Peyton Manning in Denver? Because John Elway is running things, and that means things are going to be done the right way.

By the way, if you want to see the converse of this idea, just watch the Colorado Rockies’ off-season. See how much “A-list” talent they attract.

The old proverb advises to “judge a man by the company he keeps.” I think the same is very true of organizations, and not just sports teams. For instance, I’ve been very impressed to witness, over the last several weeks, the quality of people who have come through the doors of our church. We attend the Arvada Covenant Church, and we’ve been trying to hire a new worship leader, and the finalists were invited to meet the congregation, and lead us in song. And the two people who came in were most impressive! And then, just this past week, a junior member of the pastoral staff gave the Sunday sermon, and hit it out of the park.

I am forced to conclude that there is something very good going on in the culture of my church (thankfully–;whew!) that it has been able to attract some very strong people to be a part of the organization. It speaks well of the leadership of the senior pastor, and the governance of the board of directors. The same is true of schools, and of retirement communities, and, really, of every organization (except, maybe,Trump Industries, who simply pay through the roof for talent).

So I think the lesson of the Broncos’ re-ascension to dominance is simply this: if you are in a leadership position (say, of a school district), and you want to know how you’re doing, you have no further to look than the resumes of the people applying for jobs with you. If you’re doing things the right way, great people will be knocking down your door to get in.

Golden Transcript – Latest Stories