Brian Decker on How Character Plays into Selecting the Best, Evaluating NFL Players, and Building a Winner in Indy

Peak PerformanceLeadershipNFLTeam BuildingTeam ChemistryCulture
Written By Evan Burk
 

Brian Decker is the Director of Team Development for the Indianapolis Colts and was previously Commander of Special Forces Assessment and Selection for the U.S. military. 

In this conversation, Evan Burk talks to Brian about his model for talent assessment, how character is the bridge between talent and performance, and how the Colts’ see the culture of their team as a competitive advantage

Tune into this episode to hear:

  • Starting from the ground up in Indy with the Colts

  • Creating environments for assessing character, and blending with practice already in place

  • Adjustments and evolutions that stood out early on adapting to the NFL

  • Why Resiliency is such an important factor in peak performance

  • Controlling the Controllables

  • Making Adversity Your Teacher

  • How the Indianapolis Colts’ view their culture as a competitive advantage

  • Colts’ Character and the Blue Cards on Indy’s draft board

 
 

Listen to the podcast and subscribe today on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher or your chosen podcast platform.

Learn more about Brian:

 

Learn more about Evan:

Read Evan’s book, Finding Intangibles, to learn how the best teams are built not on talent, but on the hidden character traits that drive all elite performers and organizations.

Thank you for listening to The Highest Level podcast, rated as one of the top sports leadership podcasts. If you find value in today’s episode, please share the show with your friends and tap that subscribe button so you don’t miss an episode!

Connect with Evan

Find this episode for free on your favorite podcast platform

 
Evan Burk

Evan Burk is a speaker, former NFL coach, and podcast host who uses the sports world as his backdrop to engage audiences with thought-provoking lessons of leadership, team-building, and creating championship cultures.

Evan Burk is not your typical football coach. Despite not playing football beyond high school and no network in the coaching profession, Evan's unlikely football journey began as a 4th grade coach, where he quickly worked his way to the NFL in just 6 years, and included coaching for teams such as the Miami Dolphins, UCLA, and SMU.

After spending fifteen-plus years working with the highest-performing athletes, coaches, and teams on the planet, Coach Burk uses his unique football coaching background to teach people how to utilize the same strategies in business and life that elite players and teams use to perform at a world-class level.

Evan received his B.S. in business management from the University of Colorado, and his Master of Liberal Studies degree from Southern Methodist University. He also hosts his own weekly sports leadership podcast, The Highest Level, where he reveals how championship team cultures are built and the keys to leadership excellence at the highest level.

Previous

Joan Ryan of the San Francisco Giants on the Science and Soul of Team Success
Next

Kelvin Beachum on his 11-year NFL career, Locker Room Leadership, and Leaving a Legacy of Giving Back