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Seasonality. “Yes, the worst six months are coming up soon (May – October). But these six months have been lower only once the past decade and last year was the greatest Sell in May return ever (+22.8%). We are expecting another strong return this year.”
@ryandetrick
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10. The Number 1 Pick in the NFL Draft Just Gave a Master Class in Emotional Intelligence. Here Are 3 Lessons
In a recent interview, Fernando Mendoza shows he was the NFL’s top pick not just because of his physical ability, but his emotional intelligence as well.
EXPERT OPINION BY JUSTIN BARISO, AUTHOR, EQ APPLIED @JUSTINJBARISO
Balance humility, modesty, and confidence
Patrick’s first question to Mendoza was: “If I would have told you last year you were going to win the Heisman, what would you have said?”
Mendoza’s answer was near perfect. He responded seemingly authentically and with humility: “I would have said, what are you on? That would have been out of the realm of reality.”
He followed that, though, with a more measured response, acknowledging that there were projections lauding his raw ability and potential. After which he found a way to credit his defensive coordinator and teammates.
“In reality, at that point a year ago, I had just made the move from Cal to Indiana and I was getting my butt kicked by the Indiana defense in spring ball, by that amazing Bryant Haines defense that proved to be the best defense in the nation,” Mendoza said.
The takeaway: This is a rare skill of emotional intelligence—the ability to balance humility (freedom from pride or arrogance) with modesty (recognition of one’s limitations) and confidence from healthy self-esteem (recognition of one’s strengths and abilities).
It’s healthy to recognize your strengths and what others appreciate about you. But if you recognize your weaknesses, too, and shift attention to others, you’ll build self-awareness and promote healthier relationships with those around you.
Focus not just on what you say, but also how you say it
If you watched last year’s college football national championship, you saw Mendoza pull off one of the most amazing plays in football history. On fourth down and five yards to go, Mendoza ran for 12 yards, fighting through several defenders, scoring what would become the winning touchdown.
Patrick wanted to know what the huddle before that play was like, and Mendoza didn’t disappoint. He described the huddle as “a very special place” and “football heaven,” before detailing exactly what happened.
“It’s fourth down in the national championship,” said Mendoza. “You have 10 other players, we’ve worked all this way through an entire season, creating as brothers, looking at you, seeing what’s the play call, how much does he believe in this play call by the way he says it, and does he have any other messaging. And, so, at that point, I was able to deliver the play call with complete confidence.”
The takeaway: This is another emotional intelligence skill that many must explicitly learn: The value in your communication is not just in what you say, but how you say it. Especially if you’re a decision maker, you have to believe in the decisions you make, and show that with your cadence.
Of course, your decisions won’t always be perfect. But if you don’t believe in them, how do you expect others to?
Channel emotion to improve
Mendoza is lauded, for not just his physical abilities but also his mental ones. But his ability to make quick and accurate decisions didn’t come by chance.
Two years ago, Mendoza recognized that he had a playing style similar to NFL quarterback Kirk Cousins’s. So, Mendoza decided to watch films of every single one of Cousins’s passes that season.
Every completion. Every incompletion. I can’t remember hearing about a quarterback who’s done this before.
“It was in my free time, and I love watching NFL ball,” Mendoza said. “Those experiences have helped me a lot, especially to get adjusted to the college games, and to see how quarterbacks process the defense.”
Takeaway: If you want to become great at what you do, channel that love and desire into work—and learn from the experts.
That goes for anything: your professional life and personal life. When you study the best, identify their (and your) strengths and how you can leverage them, along with the weaknesses and how you can improve on them.
If you’re looking to improve your emotional intelligence, take a lesson from the NFL’s newest number one pick: Balance humility, modesty, and confidence. Focus not just on what you say, but also how you say it. Channel your emotions into analysis and hard work.
If you do, you’ll make better decisions—and you’ll be making emotions work for you, instead of against you.
