Good leaders: How did you start your day today?

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“I serve breakfast to my children every day I’m home,” he answered.  The question I asked Darrell Thompson was: “Beyond being a famous Minnesota athlete and a professional football player, who are you?”

It’s not every day we get to spend time with an NFL football player, Minnesota Golden Gopher star, radio broadcaster and social entrepreneur – but this Friday we’ll get to share some rare air with Darrell Thompson at the Good Leadership Breakfast.

“Family has been a big deal all my life – always #1,” Darrell shared with pride. “I continue to work in the community, and stay close to Minnesota football, but it’s family that defines me.”

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Darrell admitted he is drawn to the concept of blending the Seven Fs: faith, family, finances, fitness, friends, fun & future, because it’s how he was raised. Even though he and his siblings were playing sports all year round, they weren’t allowed to talk about their sports at home. “My parents did a great job of making us learn about and talk about the other things in life that helped us become well-rounded people,” he explained.

That’s why in 1998, he leveraged his NFL success into Bolder Options, a non-profit organization for mentoring at-risk inner city youth. He knew kids needed the benefit of a coach/friend/family to learn what word class athletes know are the keys to success: persistence, consistency and working together. Today, Bolder Options is hailed as one of the most innovative mentoring programs in America, with success rates more than 50% higher than the national average.

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“Our mentoring program works because our mentors make a commitment to really serve the kids they mentor – to always put the kid’s best interest #1 and to stick with it.” he beamed.

But the demands of a local-celebrity CEO can pull Darrell in many different directions. That’s why he serves breakfast at home. “The quiet time around the breakfast table with my kids is my commitment to demonstrating how special they are to my wife and me,” Darrell explained. “And how important commitment to family is to making your mark on the world.”

Good leaders make a habit of starting their day with the most important priorities front and center. And they go to work with persistence, consistency and the intention of working together.

Our readers will appreciate your insight: How did you start your day today?

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