Welcome to Howl Leaders Lead where every week you get to listen in while I interview some of the very best leaders in the world. I break down the key learning so that by the end of the episode, you'll have something simple you can apply as you develop into a better leader. That's what this podcast is all about. Today's guest is Larry Fitzgerald, who played 17 seasons for the Arizona Cardinals and is widely regarded as one of the best wide receivers to ever play the game. He's also an incredible philanthropist, investor, and businessman. It's funny, when we think about leadership, often what comes to mind for us is the person who's up in front of the crowd, who's leading the meeting, calling the huddle, giving the big speech. But when you listen to Larry Fitzgerald, you remember, not all leaders are flashy and vocal and up front. Our best leaders are often the ones who just quietly go about their work with excellence, and they earn their role as a leader by setting an example that other people just want to follow. In this conversation, we talk about how Larry grew up, how he prepares for games, how he is navigating social justice issues, and now how he's developing as a businessman. And in every scenario, Larry just quietly exerts so much influence for good on the people around him. It's the perfect reminder that great leaders lead by example. So here's my conversation with my good friend and soon to be yours, Larry Fitzgerald. Well everyone has their own style and their own way of leading, and today's guest, Larry Fitzgerald, is just one of those quiet, unassuming leaders who leads by example . Larry's taken his platform as a Hall of Fame NFL receiver to make a real difference, not only on the field, but in the communities he serves. Larry, thanks so much for taking the time to be with us. Glad to be with you, Ms. Novak. You know, speaking of examples, you know, I learned that you delivered meals to banner medical healthcare workers and Phoenix during the height of the pandemic. Tell us about that experience. Well, there's so many women and men who put their lives on the line during this pandemic to try to serve the people who are ill and fighting for their lives. And we have a restaurant in Phoenix and we wanted to do our part to serve our community there. So we brought meals to hospitals. We brought meals to frontline workers who were at home with their families. And you know, we wanted to try to do something nice, you know, for the people who are going out of their way, staying away from their families, doing unthinkable things to keep our community safe. And you know, that was the precipice behind it. Well, you've got now you got training camp ready to open up. Do you think the NFL is doing everything it should do for to get ready for coronavirus? Well, you know, I think that's difficult is we really just don't know a lot. You know, early on it was the heat was going to kill, you know, the virus and the numbers will go down and, you know, how everybody's immune system is affected differently. I mean, there's so many things we just don't understand and know about it. And I'm hopefully optimistic that, you know, we'll be able to play the season and be able to get through it without a hitch. I think everybody's watching the NBA and the Major League Baseball and, and the NHL to kind of pick up on tidbits we can do to, you know, make our system more efficient, make sure people are healthy and we're doing everything that we can to protect the environment and people watching the game. Because I mean, in reality, people want sports. They want to be able to sit at home on Saturdays and Sundays and watch their football. You know, it's kind of America's favorite pastime and we want to get out there and play. Question, you know, and this is your last year, Larry. And as Corona, by saying you look great physically, obviously you always do, but just what about the mental aspect of coronavirus? Do you think it's going to affect the players? Well, I think the thing that affects you is just uncertainty. I mean, when you go into a season normally, you know, there's, there's nobody wondering, do you think we're going to be able to play this season? Are we going to be able to practice together with 22 guys in the field? Are we going to be able to sit in meeting rooms with 90 guys and address team issues and policies and things of that nature? So all of those things kind of weigh on your mind. Normally when you go in the training camp, it's just pure excitement. You're looking forward to getting back to work, being around your teammates, working on one common goal of winning championship. This year is so different. There's so many things, you know, we have older coaches and we want to make sure these guys are safe. And, you know, I mean, there's just so many things you're thinking about and concerned about. And you said, this is going to be my last year or so. Like, I don't know that for a fact. You know, I'm still kind of waiting to see. Yeah. That's what I thought. I never, I never liked to say anything's last. You know, I don't like to have that mindset. Well, you know, I know all of football, I hope you stick around for a long time . Certainly do it. There's no question about that. You know, Larry, I also understand you just went on the board of directors for Dick Sporty and Scootz. You know, I know that management team, you know, Ed Stack or Hobart, just fantastic people. What do you hope to bring to the party there? Well, it's a fabulous company. So already really well run the upper management Ed Stack in this leadership group. It's done a fantastic job thus far leading the company to do so much uncertainty like many others in retail has been hit primarily hard because, you know, breaking more people just aren't getting out into the stores, but they've really done a great job to , you know, to lead and find ways to be able to be productive and stay relevant in the current market. And, you know, I've been a sportsman. I feel like I have a great understanding of sports and equipment that's necessary for people to go out there and do their jobs and compete at a high level. And I think that I'll be able to offer a lot, but I'll also be able to bring some enthusiasm and youth and some different set of eyes to the company. But I'm there to learn and I have a lot of wonderful people that I can learn from there. You've done extensive work with them. And Mr. Stack and this group are interested in growing and getting better. And that's why guys like yourself come in and talk to the leadership team so they can improve holistically and improve because you have to find ways to continue to change and develop new alternatives to compete and always change an environment. So they're lucky to have you. You'll do a great job for me. You know, I want to hear about how you grew up. I know you grew up in Minneapolis, but what brought you and your family to Minneapolis? So my mom and dad, both their families, my mom was born in New Orleans and her family moved up to Chicago and my dad's family from Natchez, Mississippi. And they moved up to Chicago from there. My mom and dad ended up meeting in high school. They dated in high school and dated through college. My mom went to the bar. My dad went D&D on the state. And once they graduated from college, they ended up getting married in '78. And they moved to Minneapolis. And I saw my brother and I were born. We had a fantastic upbringing. It was a regular or middle class family. You know, we weren't rich by any stretch of the imagination, but you know, we always had clothes on our backs and a hot meal in our belly. Went to good school with my parents, made a lot of sacrifices for us to be able to go get a private education. And you know, it was really good for my brother and I. We ended up both getting scholarships to go to college and play football. And you know, it was great. My dad's a journalist in Twin Cities area. He has been doing it for 40 plus years. My mom was before she passed away. It was in the nonprofit business. And you know, it was a really unique upbringing. You know, so with my dad, we would grow up and be around great athletes. Michael Jordan, Kirby Puckett, Kevin Garnett, you name it. And then on the on the on the mother side, we would be around passing out pamph lets with people to, you know, learn more by HIV and AIDS and cancer. And so it was a it was a really great upbringing and it was full of excitement and great learning experiences. You know, Larry, I loved your New York Times op-ed about Minneapolis not being the hometown you grew up in and your plea for racial justice after the George, you know, tragic George Floyd incident that happened in Minneapolis. You know, tell us about that article and why you wrote it and how you went through the process of writing because very thoughtful. Well, I like most Americans were really appalled by what I witnessed through the tape and the actions of, you know, that police officer who kneeled on his neck for that time . And, you know, being a Minneapolis native, you know, you just have a wide array of emotions. You know, I was I was shocked. You know, I was embarrassed. You know, I was upset. You know, I was looking for justice. You know, I go to this this weird emotional swing and, you know, I wanted to get back home and kind of get the pulse of the land. I wanted to go talk to some city councilman. I wanted to talk to the police officers that I knew in this city. I want to talk to the clergy. You know, I wanted to be able to get to speak to some people that, you know, we 're on the grounds and really could affect change. And once I was able to do that and take my notes, you know, I could accurately, accurately to play what I was truly feeling. And, you know, that's what I did. I wanted to take my time. I didn't want it to be a knee jerk reaction. You know, I didn't want to be one of the folks that picks up the phone and sends out a tweet without thinking it through. And the New York Times gave me a great opportunity to do that. And I'm very privileged that I was able to write it. And, you know, I got, you know, different perspectives from different people. You know, some people thought I was too soft on the police or I wasn't, you know, adamant enough about what I felt should be done. And, you know, so it was really what I was hoping for with the God conversation started. And that's what I think we need to do because it's impossible for a black man to understand what it's like to be a white man or a white woman. And it's impossible for a white person to understand what it's like to be an African-American or a Latino or a Jewish person. I mean, these are things that only you can understand by getting to know the people in our communities and actually having those tough conversations that might be a little uneasy. Yeah, you really talked about the importance of listening. Yeah. Yeah. And for anybody to understand anything, you have to listen. There's no way, you know, if I was, you know, trying to understand about, you know, restaurants and, you know, learn about, you know, the young brand, if I didn't understand the only way for me to understand, we'll be able to have dialogue with you and say, "M ish, no, hey, can you teach me at this? Can you help me understand that?" And that's a conversation that we all need to have. It doesn't matter what the subject matter is, but we need to do a better job of communicating with each other. I agree 100%. You know, and Larry, you know, I understand that you and your son actually participated in the protests up in Minneapolis. How old is your son and what was that like for you? Devin is 12 years old. He's going into seventh grade this year. And I was really, really, and I didn't really push the facts on him. Obviously, he's on Instagram and all these different media platforms. And, you know, he sees what goes on. He hears it. And what I really liked is he was curious about it. He wanted to know that, why would that police officer do that? And how was that possible in the United States of America when the police were here to protect us, right? And I said, " Devin, you can't judge all police by this one incident. You know, this is the actions of one man. It's just not the entire police divorce. This is one person who did something that he was not coached or to do. And he took it upon his own self to do these things. And I think it's important that we understand that. And also, he wanted to go down and see the site where it happened. He wanted to fill the energy. He wanted to go out and do the peaceful protests in March. And so, you know, as a father, I was really, really happy that he was so socially conscious about what was going on. And not only that, but he wanted to see what his own eyes and experience it. And so, you know, I like to think that we're on the right track. Sounds like it. We're on the right track. Smart young men. That age, that's fantastic. You know, what's your advice to any one of us who might want to get involved in social issues? I would say you find the cause that is near and dear to you, how are you? And I think that's a good thing. And I think that's a good thing. And I think that's a good thing. 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He's going an extra mile here. Man, he really focuses. He takes notes in there. And they don't ever have to be spoken about. Never talked about. You just start seeing guys doing the things that you're doing and eating the things that you're eating and dressing the way you're dressing. I've noticed that in sports and it's something that is unique in our game in athletics because a lot of it has never even spoken about. In 2011, Larry, you signed an eight-year, $120 million contract. You pick him the fifth highest player in the league. When you get that kind of money and it's locked in, how do you keep from getting complacent? And do you have any tricks that you've used to really stay hungry? Well, I think one of the best things about me and probably will be one of the worst things about me when I'm done playing football is I always look at myself as a project. I could go out and play and catch ten passes for 250 yards and three touchdowns. I would look at the tape and I'll say, "Man, I could have got better here. I was really bad in this block and I could have broke that tackle." All I ever see in myself is weaknesses and mistakes. I never really take any joy from the accomplishments that makes sense to you. I'm always constantly trying to improve the things that I know I can get better at. It's a good thing because it always keeps me hungry no matter what. But also when I'm having success, I really can't like bask in it. I can't really take a lot of joy in it because I'm always in pursuit. That's a tough thing. Not to be able to take joy. Yeah, it is. I've gotten better and as my children get older, I take a lot of joy in seeing them do well. So the joy is kind of transferred because I, for some reason, can't ever take joy in the things that I do. Now I can take joy in the successes of my son come home with 100% on his battling test or he's done something really good in math or had a wonderful game. I can feel proud. It makes me happy. So I do get it, but it just doesn't usually come from myself. In business, we all have to get up for big events, big situations, big moments where you've got to bring your A game. And you had the most postseason games with over 150 yards and you had a 67 yard touchdown pass in the Super Bowl. Can you tell us a story of how you personally get up for the big moments, the big games because you have a great track record for doing that? Well, Mr. Novak, honestly, the bigger the moment, the more pressure in the game, I think the quieter it becomes for me. You know, when I'm playing and I'm running, I don't hear the crowd. I mean, literally when the ball's in the air, I feel like it's in slow motion. I mean, the ball's in the air. And I feel like the ball's in the air. And I feel like the ball's in the air. And I feel like the ball's in the air. And I feel like the ball's in the air. And I feel like the ball's in the air. And I feel like the ball's in the air. 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And I feel like the ball's in the air. And I feel like the ball's in the air. And I feel like the ball's in the air. And I feel like the ball's in the air. And I feel like the ball's in the air. And I feel like the ball's in the air. And I feel like the ball's in the air. And I feel like the ball's in the air. And I feel like the ball's in the air. And I feel like the ball's in the air. And I feel like the ball's in the air. And I feel like the ball's in the air. And I feel like the ball's in the air. But you're obviously very high profile. And with that profile, you know, people are always watching you. You come under scrutiny. Was there ever a time you felt like you were unfairly criticized for what you do? And how did you handle that with the media? Well, you know, I'm just gonna be like, I don't do myself any disservices. I don't read any material on myself. I don't watch the local news. You know, I don't do any of that because I think when you do, you take too much in when things are going well and you take it too personal when things are going bad. And I just like to keep myself in. I don't want to walk into the locker room and have an interview with a reporter that I know said something negative about me or told me I shouldn't be there anymore or I'm making too much money. Any of those things that would make me feel negative towards that person, I don't want those feelings because he's been objective. He's doing his job. I need to focus on my job. And I think too many of the young people, they're so caught up in the social media and what this person said. And what did Harry from Vermont say about that? Why does it matter what Harry from Vermont says about your game? Only people that should matter are your teammates, your coaches, the people that are in the locker room with you. Those are the opinions of the people that should matter to you. And I think too much, just too much noise and too many distractions around guys now. And I try to make sure I control those distractions and I can by not subjecting myself to the hearsay of people that don't matter to what we're trying to accomplish. You've said that no matter what obstacles you face, be a finisher. I love that. Be a finisher. Describe a time when you had to really live that out. Well, the biggest and earliest test for me was losing my mother as a freshman in college. And my mother was in a seven year battle with breast cancer and she fought valiantly for years. I wanted to have her mission twice and came back stronger every time. And my mother never once complained. I never heard her say, "Why Laura, why did this happen to me?" Or, "This is so unfair." She never did that. And I remember my mom going to chemo therapy, coming home, throwing up in the car, getting us ready to go to football practice, sitting out there in the cold, supporting us every time. And like that just showed me so much when I was seeing that. And so whenever I have a sprained ankle or something bothering me, I just look back and think about what my mom went through and how tough she was and how she always pushed through and supported us no matter what. It makes me think that I can get through anything. And my mom always was one of those people that always talked about that. And I remember after she passed away, it was in the springtime. I was going through spring ball and I contemplated not playing ball anymore. I just thought back to all the things that she stood for and anything that you start, you finish, no matter what it is. If you give a manual word, you always commit to it. You do what you say you're going to do. You have to hold true to those values. And I never wave her from those things. And she wanted me to finish my college education. I was a sophomore and it took me eight years after I finished to be able to finally get my college degree done. But those are the type of things that she taught us as young people. And that still resonates to me. You know, I remember reading a great article that you wrote. And I circulated to my friends. It was all about, you know, the nation needs today what sports teaches you. Explain that. Well, I think sports teaches us so many wonderful things in life, Ms. Novak. You know, I feel like the country can be divided at times. You know, politically, racially, there's so many things that can pull us apart at the seams. And the one thing I do love about sports, you look up in that crowd and you see African Americans sitting with Jewish people. And you see Jewish people sitting with Protestants. And you see Protestants sitting with Arabs. I mean, it's just, and nobody's worried about what they look like or what God they serve. All they're looking at is who's playing on the field? What's the score? Can they make a comeback? And if I make the basket, can this guy make the catch? You think he can get on base? And it, for a moment, it brings us all together. And that's what I love so much about sports. And in business, and I see there's so many trials and tribulations you go through. And in sports, it's up and down. Evan flows. Deficits overcome. And, you know, guys get hurt and they come back. You know, Will is real out of the locker room to come back and help your team prevail. There's so many triumphs and stories. And, you know, in business, I think it's the same way. I mean, there's years where the stock is plummeting, you know, for reasons. And it's sore in the next year. I mean, it's just all these ups and downs. And I just love sports and what it teaches you about life. You never give up on it. You always have to see there's a possibility for a comeback. And you get a cohesiveness with the team that the nation would need. Absolutely. Absolutely. So, let's move to your business interests. What are your business interests outside of football now? Well, I'm involved in a couple of different things. You know, I've just recently become a minority owner of the Phoenix Suns. I'm in the restaurant groups, hospitality businesses, a travel company. You know, so I have a plethora of outside interests that I have. And, you know, football is my main interest, but right now, but I had to do a good job of kind of opening my eyes and learning about life after ball. And I think I've got off to a pretty decent start and surrounding myself with some really intelligent people that I can learn from and kind of run things by bounce ideas off of. And, you know, I think I'm in my infancy stage as a businessman, but every single day is an opportunity for me to learn. You have a business leader who's kind of taking you underneath his wing and really helped you outside of sport. I have quite a few guys who have helped me along the way, but I would say probably the guy on the day-to-day that helps me the most, Robert Sarver. He's the majority owner of the Phoenix Suns. He started Western Lions Banks and is a great real estate banking man. And, you know, he's been providing a great deal of knowledge and understanding to me over the years. And, you know, it's really helped me kind of scrub through deals and things to look for and things to avoid and just, you know, some great things that I always be able to utilize. That's fantastic. It's great to have somebody like that. You know, Larry, when you live a life of celebrity, you know, your endorsements can be very lucrative. Tell us about the Larry Fitzgerald brand. You know, what does it stand for? And how do you decide who you're going to partner with? I think it's important, you know, because there's a lot of opportunities that present themselves, but I think you have to be able to be with companies who match your authenticity, right? And I've passed up on numerous deals that were very lucrative but didn't align with me personally. And I've been very selective in the way I align myself with companies. And the companies that I really, you know, have had the longest standing relationship with the Nike's and Visas and Bridgestones and companies like that, Bose, you know, their leadership is fantastic. The men that run those companies are, you know, of the highest moral compass. And, you know, I've learned from those men and also, you know, the values of those companies in part. And, you know, so I mean, I'm always trying to pick relationships that, you know, that I can learn from as well. You know, I follow you on Twitter at one of 2.2 million followers. You know, so I, you know, but what guidance can you give to leaders on how to use social media? And by the way, I've looked at your website. It's spectacular. I mean, it's so professional and, you know, what's your strategy there? Well, I don't know if I per se have a strategy, but I try to use social media as an uplifting way to get my message across. I don't really try to get into any negativity or hearsay. I might enter, you know, all of the nonsense is more so. What's the Larry Fitzgerald message that you want to get across? Well, just positivity. I think that there can't be enough set about being positive and having a mindset that is open to, to growth. And I think a lot of young people I see that they're so caught up in more of the negativity on social media, the things that are not necessarily good. And I try to stay positive. I try to shed light on people that are doing good things and are serving their communities and making a difference in the lives of others. And so that's really where I try to stay in my zone with social media. You said that you have to believe in your ability on the good days and the bad days. Was there ever, you know, as an athlete, I'm sure you had those moments, but as you move into business, you're probably in more foreign territory, you know, to a certain extent, but you're getting better and better at it and you're learning. Have you ever struggled believing in your abilities in the world of business or has that just come kind of naturally for you? Oh, yes. Definitely been a struggle. How'd you overcome it? I think I'm still trying to overcome it. You know, when I'm sitting in these meetings and sitting in board meetings and things of that nature, sometimes in the back of my mind, I'm thinking, what can I actually bring? You know, all I've done is catch a football over the last 25 years. You know, how can I and what I've experienced be applicable to what they're going through in here? And as I've gotten more comfortable and more knowledgeable, I think there's a lot of things that I can bring to the table. My insight is a little different than most of the people sitting around the table. And I know that I can bring value. And so I think my confidence has definitely grown from when I first started really taking a greater step to be more of a businessman. And the more knowledge that I've acquired, you know, going, studying, going to different business programs and getting a better argument, I think I've become much more confident in what I know and how I can convey my messages. Did you have a defining moment where you said, you know, just like in sports where you said, hey, I think I can actually be a player, you know, have you had that defining moment in business where you say, hey, look, I really belong in this world? Yeah. So I'm taking some executive business courses at Harvard last year and I was around some of the most bright minds you could ever imagine. And I'm sitting there and I'm highly intimidated. And I've been playing in big games my entire life and I've never been that intimidated. And I remember about the second day, I was like, you know what? I can present something. I can bring things to the table here. And there were some points I was making that nobody else brought up. And, you know, so I really started to have some more confidence that I could hold my own in that situation and in that form. And they saw all about just like sports, you have to have that belief in your ability. You have to have that belief that you can do and you can achieve and you can accomplish what you set your mind to. And I started to get a little bit more confidence after that last year. You know, almost every leader has an epic fail. You know, what was your, your biggest career or business failure and what did you learn from it? My biggest fail definitely would I would say I haven't had any. I haven't had any fails really in business. I haven't gotten that and depth in it, but in sport to be the Super Bowl losing losing that. And, you know, it was still something, you know, it happened 11 years ago and it still was like, it's fresh in my mind to things that I would have done different, you know, how I would have called this player or the way I would have executed that. You know, sometimes it still comes back in my mind, especially during this time of the year when the Toronto Super Bowl and, you know, knowing that, you know, the opportunity, you know, may not ever present itself again. It definitely weighs on you pretty heavy. How do you work through that? Because we all have those failures. You know, you had to pick yourself up, but it's still with you. Oh, it definitely is still with me. And I always say, you know, if I get another opportunity to do it again, I'm going to do it different this time. I'm going to prepare harder. I'm going to do something, you know, better and make sure that I'm not on that losing side again and make sure my teammates understand the importance and that this opportunity doesn't come that often and it may not ever come again. And so all these things that I've kind of stored in the back of my mind, you know, to prepare myself for it when an opportunity comes again. So on a more, you know, uplifting side, what would you see as your biggest business or career success and what do you learn from it? I would say I've always dreamed of being able to have, you know, be able to get into the sports world. And so being able to get into the NBA, which I've always followed and admired and really, you know, enjoy watching the game to be able to get into the business side of it and be able to learn about the backside of business in the sports world. And I think it's really exciting for me. And I'm really looking forward to the future and, you know, getting gained some more experience and knowledge in that field. You know, leadership is all about taking people from me to we nothing big happens by yourself. What do you think would be your greatest example of taking people with you? I think a lot of guys, you know, especially my younger teammates, they always asking me about, you know, my community work and, you know, how did I get started and that really, really makes me happy because, you know, at the end of the day, people will forget about how many catches you had, how many touchdowns and all of the things that really don't matter. But people never forget how you make them feel. And when you're out there in the community and you're serving and you see these young people so happy about getting, you know, Christmas shopping that you took them to or new computer labs in their schools or clothes drives or backpack things that you've done for for different people or women being thankful for, you know, providing medicines for them to deal with their HIV or AIDS, you know, things like that that really make a profound impact on you and to CDL people kind of recognize you for those type of thing. I think makes me makes me really, really happy that I'm, you know, working in the right direction. You know, I always love watching you hand the ball to the referee or a teammate after you score. There's no annex, no Captain America celebrations. You know, what do you do that? You know, I've always been a big fan of Barry Sanders and I remember watching him up close and personally and he never made a show. He, he acted like he had been there before and I always try to act like, you know, this is something that I'm a customer doing. I've done it a few times and I don't want to make a scene. That's, that's kind of my thought process in it. This is all fun, but I want to have a little more fun and do a lightning round of rapid fire questions and answers. Okay. So what leader do you admire most and why? I got a chance to play golf with President Obama last year and, you know, second time I got a chance to meet him and I just really admired, you know, his intelligence, his ability to kind of know everything that's going on in the world, you know, from sports to business, everything. And I really, I really enjoyed that. What three words best describe you and why? I would say tenacity, commitment and work ethic. What's your biggest pet peeve? I'm having a dirty house. If you could trade places for a day with one person, who would it be and why? Does it have to be fictional? It can be anybody you will say Iron Man. Iron Man. Why Iron Man? Besides the obvious, you're a physical Iron Man right now. I love them because he has a big nice crib in Malibu with the fancy cars and the cool jets, but then he goes out and saves the world and he makes a difference. Share a random fact about you that few people know. I'm an avid chess player. Great. You know, that's fun. And now I want to shift to something that you've already talked a little bit about it. And I want to talk about your philanthrop y. You've visited over a hundred countries and done mission trips in Africa, India , Thailand, Philippines. What's your biggest insight from these experiences? Well, that no matter where I've gone in the world, when you extend courtesy to people, they are appreciative. It doesn't matter where they're from, what their economical backgrounds are. When you do good for people, they appreciate you. And I think that's the one thing that I've learned through all my travels in humanity is, you know, love is love and just love your fellow man. You know, you've talked about the first down fund and your foundation work there. What's next for that? Well, I'm going to continue to keep growing it. You know, we do two events every year. We do a celebrity softball event, usually in late April and then in late August, I do a sit down celebrity waiter event in between the two of those who usually raised between 800 to a million to a year doing both of those events and and this be able to help me fund all the initiatives that I have around the country and reading literacy and after school programs for children. And I just hope I can continue to do that for the rest of my life because it brings me a lot of joy. You know, Larry, you had the privilege of being a great friend of the late Senator McCain. And you actually spoke at his memorial service. What was the most important thing that he taught you? Well, the way he treated people, I'll never forget one of the times I went out to visit them in Washington, D.C. We flew home together. And like most centers, he wasn't flying private. He was on a US Air flight. America West actually, which is the hub was in Phoenix and we flew back and every single person. It took us probably 30 minutes to get from the plane just to get the bag as cl ank is every single person. I wanted to picture and wanted to talk to him. He made time for every single person. And it just showed me a lot about his humility and what it meant for him to be a man of service and, you know, getting to know him and. And his wife Cindy and his family. It wasn't an act that that was who he was as a human being. And I look back and my relationship with Senator McCain is one of the better, most true relationships I've had. And I was so blessed and fortunate to be able to call him a friend. You know, you've had so much public recognition and you received so many awards , you know, all kinds of awards. I couldn't list them all. You know, what was the most emotional recognition you've received and why. I was saying a water paid man of the year award was definitely the most hum bling that I've ever received because, you know, getting a chance to meet Mr. Payton's wife and Connie and his children, Brittany and Jared and to see what they still for. And to learn about his story and how he was such a humble servant and to be able to have an award that embodies everything that he stood for. It meant a great deal to me. You know, we all fall short of his, his, his greatness, but, you know, we can all aspire to do it. And I mean, I think that's definitely the one that really sticks out to me. You know, you have two sons and, and you've said you're committed to be an example of what it means to be a man. What does that mean to you? Well, you know, my father, you know, imparted some great examples for us, you know, when things were, were going good and things weren't going so good. He never wavered from how he treated my mother and how he respected us, how we respected other people and just watching him on a daily basis is how he conducted himself and how he worked. No matter what he had to do to put food on the table, but close on our backs to pay for our tuition. He did it and he did it with class and grace. And there's no better example than just being on the watch your father go by his work. And I hope my son would have watched me from a distance and see, you know, how important it is to do things, you know, obviously to provide for them, but to do it the right way. You know, we're about to wrap this up, Larry, because I'm going to whip up on you a little bit today. But what are three bits of advice you'd give to aspiring leaders? I would say commit to learning about the people you're around, you know, take take time to get to know what makes them who they are, because when you invest in people, they'll take the time to invest in you. I would say be honest always. There's not always going to life is not always going to be peachy things are not always going to be perfect. It's not going to be hey, Michelle Vak, we want to give you a 10% raise every year. That's not in reality, but if you're honest with people all the time, I think they will appreciate it. And they will go to extra mile for you. And then I would say just be kind. There's nothing wrong with just being kind to people. And, you know, people will respect that. This brought you to if you're kind and you treat people well. We've joked a little bit about it about golf. You know, I know you're an avid golfer and you just recently picked it up and you've really become very good in a hurry. You've won the AT&T pro am already, you know, you're already, you know, just getting all these, this hardware. You know, how did you get into golf and what has it taught you so far about yourself? Well, one of my former teammates, Andre Roberts, who actually played for the Buffalo Bills, the one that got me in the golf seven years ago, we were at practice and he was like, man, Fitz, he's sitting around, you're not doing anything. You might as just come out here and play some golf. So he drug me out to this celebrity tournament and I play terribly because I never played before. And, but I hit a couple shots that felt great, right? You know, it's a few hours like, man, you know, nothing like a compressed golf ball. You know, you know, you know the feeling and I got it and I was like, man, I got to have this and I just committed to it. I started hitting balls every day and I started getting better and I saw the progress and I remember you started off like, man, if I could just break a hundred, right? And then it says, if I could just, if I could just break 90, you know, if I could just break 80, you know, and I realized that now that I shoot the 70s often, now all I want to do is shoot in the 60s. You know, I never changes. You always in pursuit of greatness and always chasing it. But the greatest thing about golf is you get a chance to be able to really meet some unbelievable people. You get a chance to learn, you know, about what makes a man tick. I think golf is the best for our interview. You can ever have you. You see a mass temperament. You see, you know, if that person is honest, you know, if they have integrity, you know, how they handle prosperity, how they handle defeat. You know, all of these things you learn by playing golf in four hours and not to mention, you know, it's something that you can never beat. Now, if you're the best football team, you get a trophy and you win the Super Bowl, but golf is fleeting. You know, today, you might shoot a 75. Tomorrow you can shoot 95 is that nothing that stays the same. And I think that that kind of like carrot that you'll never be able to beat the game. I think keeps you hungry, trying to chase it. You know, I want to close with a quote from you that I love, which is until the day we are no longer left on this earth, we are not yet finished. There's more to be done more to live for. There's still a race yet to be run. What's next for Larry Fitzgerald? You know, I want to continue to do some great work with my foundation to serve the people that I've been serving. I want to be a good example from my, from my sons. And, you know, I just want to be an example for young people that come up behind me that, you know, that are aspiring to do whatever they want to do. And it doesn't matter if it's playing sports or being doctors or lawyers, you know, just putting yourself in a position to be successful by working hard at it. Well, Larry, I want to thank you so much for being with me today. And I also want to tell you just how much you've inspired me. You know, your example, the way you live your life, the way you give to others, including me and all our listeners, when you've taken the time to share, I think it's such a great example. You truly walk the talk. And thanks for being Larry Fitzgerald. Thank you, Mr. Stovet. I appreciate it. It's an honor to be in on with you. Thank you. Well, I think you'll agree. Larry Fitzgerald is one class act. He's one of the most respected athletes out there, and he has earned it. He's the kind of person you just instantly look up to and you want to follow. Even if he wasn't that person given the big speech or calling the plays in the huddle. And now it's time for my favorite part of these episodes where I give you a little personal coaching so that you can develop into a better leader. This week, as a part of your weekly personal development plan, here's what I want you to do. I want you to think about the person in your life who leads by example. And I want you to just send them a note of encouragement this week, point out what you specifically appreciate about them. We need to recognize their kind of quiet excellence when we see it. And remember, regardless of your title or role, true leadership is earned. When you set an example of excellence and integrity, people will follow you because you've earned their respect. So do you want to know how leaders lead? What we learned today is the great leaders lead by example. Thanks again for tuning in to another episode of How Leaders Lead, where every Thursday you get to listen in while I interview some of the very best leaders in the world. I make it a point to give you something simple on each episode that you can apply in your business so that you will become the best leader you can be. [BLANK_AUDIO] [BLANK_AUDIO]