Legendary Quarterback Peyton Manning Inspires at Rental Show Keynote Address

Legendary Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning gave an inspiring keynote address at the opening assembly in New Orleans at the rental show. Manning started off talking about the need to be willing to make tough decisions as a business leader, just as a quarterback on the football field must make, based on what he sees, decisions that might not be immediately understood by others.

“You have to have a fierce conversation with yourself,” Manning said. “You have to come to grips with challenges. There is often no shortage of complexity in the decisions you have to make. Decision-making is the currency of running a business.”

Manning said a business leader must always look forward and not look back. If a decision didn’t turn out right, one must always keep going. “Life is never just a straight line,” he said.

Manning said to succeed, one must always be willing to thrive in difficult situations. “Thrive on discomfort,” he said, adding that as a quarterback, he always wanted to have a perfect pocket to throw from, but it rarely happened. Thriving in difficult situations is the key to success, he said.

Manning also said in his career he tried to always listen to coaches and to learn from them. He knew that no matter how well he’d done in the past, he had to always want to get better.

“As soon as you stop wanting to be coached, taught or mentored, you’re in trouble,” he said. “Stay stimulated by changes. Don’t let changes drag your organization down.” Manning said he always had to find new ways to move the chains. As he got older, he couldn’t always throw a perfect pass 60 yards down the field. “But if I can make a 15-yard gain here, a 20-yard gain there, then a 45-yard gain, I’ll still get the team where it needs to go.”

Manning said preparation is another key to success in everything. In football, he always watched film, spending countless hours studying to understand his own team as well as his opponents. “Prepare, prepare and prepare,” he said.

Manning’s speech was well received and he was given more than one standing ovation.