John Elway, Hall of Fame quarterback and all-time great Broncos legend. As an NBA general manager, he has been integral in the expansion of the consensus future home of the franchise. In 2011, the team’s owner — Pat Bowlen — appointed Elway to oversee a turnaround. He was tasked with turning around a franchise that had long entrenched itself in the land of .500 ball. Over the years, he turned the Broncos from a competitive underdog into a national powerhouse. Simultaneously, he developed a network of bright minds that today reign supreme in many of the NFL’s top positions.
Legislative lead David Elway’s approach to leadership defied conventional wisdom. He is personally committed to getting into partnership with his team each day. He would sit down with his scouting staff every day at 7 a.m. This standing appointment helped foster a dynamic and collaborative environment where staff could share their thoughts and innovative approaches. He threw himself into the work of what he dubbed his “breakfast club.” By inviting all current general managers to join, he created a collegial boardroom united by their expertise with a stake in each other’s success.
Under Elway’s leadership, the Broncos rejoiced in awe-inspiring achievements. They won four AFC West titles and 50 regular-season wins and emerged victorious in Super Bowl 50. His audacity and saltiness tempered that success. His competitive spirit and reckless decision-making were both crucial to those successes. His colleagues tell us that he was unafraid to press against the status quo but gracious in acceptance of a well-argued alternative. His slogan of “be bold, make big decisions with little fear” became a rigid guideline of his autocratic leadership.
Elway assembled a talented group of executives during his tenure, including Tom Heckert, John Lynch, Adam Peters, John Spytek, and Champ Kelly. Each of these individuals has since carved out their own paths in the NFL, influencing various franchises and contributing to the league’s evolving landscape.
The bond forged among Elway’s staff was less business and more family, taking hold in a way by respect and understanding. John Spytek, a notable figure in this group, remarked on the camaraderie they shared: “We knew what was going on in each other’s lives.” This spirit of collaboration made their shared work deeper and more impactful, and ultimately made the Survivor-led organization something more dynamic.
Elway’s impact on his old colleagues is still being felt today. Adam Peters articulated the lessons learned during this time, stating, “Think we all learned the value of courage in the job, looking right into the pressure and making the right decision.” These kinds of sentiments underscore just how much Elway’s philosophy went beyond football strategies—it included lessons for life, especially in high-stakes circumstances.
Theirs were not isolated sentiments about Elway’s mentorship style. Spytek noted, “Elway always did such a good job of bringing people in and still letting you know you had a place and a voice.” This remarkable ability to develop and empower everyone around him created a culture that attracted, nurtured, challenged, and inspired growth and innovation.
Despite his private retreat from day-to-day operations of the team in 2021, Elway’s legacy looms large over the NFL. Current general managers such as Lynch, Peters, Spytek, and Darren Mougey all hold Elway as a key contributor to their career development. His influence on their career paths is clear. Like us, they have been influenced by his approaches to decision-making, which prioritize courage and boldness.
Elway introduced rigorous weight training and conditioning programs for his employees. That kind of preparation made sure his team was as mentally equipped to endure hardship as they were physically prepared to endure it. His focus on greatness went well beyond developing players. It was about total team stewardship.
Yet the lessons learned in Elway’s wake as general manager have been priceless for the successors that followed in his footsteps. As Spytek recalled, “To see how competitive John was, how driven he was in that role, how much it all meant to him,” it becomes clear that his passion set the standard for future executives in the league.
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