Howard Talks About Leadership to Students

Written by Dalton Tevlin/Assistant Sports Director

What started a wager with his father became a lesson in responsibility and hard work for Super Bowl MVP Desmond Howard.

Howard’s father bet him that if Howard improved his football game in a summer training camp then he would get a car.

For the FIU  Center for Leadership’s “Beyond the Corner” office lecture series, Howard delivered insight on different types of leadership.

To him it is not a singular trait that someone can have. Rather, he said, leadership comes in different forms. Howard’s father was present at the lecture and was honored by his son bringing him on to the stage during the presentation.

His father is the one who provided him the lessons necessary to be a successful leader, Howard said in his lecture.

Howard used an example of apple pie to explain leadership.

“If I were to go around the room and ask ten people to give me a recipe for apple pie, I would get ten different recipes,” said Howard.

This example symbolized how leadership can vary in life.

Howard also drew from his experience as a football player at the University of Michigan to explain leadership.

As a former professional, Howard had advice in succeeding on and off the field for the FIU football team and coach Butch Davis who attended the lecture.

Whether it is through being an authoritarian leader or leading by example, Howard’s message that true leadership can come in many forms.

Feature image by Dalton Tevlin