From the Gridiron to the Boardroom: 2x Super Bowl Champion Carl Banks on Leadership, Transition, & Success
…Pursue internships and gain real-life experience. Explore different opportunities until you discover what truly interests you. They’ll provide you with valuable insights into how the world works and as you move from one opportunity to the next, you’ll notice connections and eventually find your place in it. So I would say explore, gain experience, and embrace different ways of thinking and working…
Carl Banks is a former two-time Super Bowl champion who played in the NFL for 12 seasons, from 1984 to 1995. He was a member of the New York Giants’ Super Bowl XXI and XXV championship teams, and he was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1987. While playing in the NFL, Banks founded G-III Sports, a clothing company that manufactures and distributes sportswear for major sports leagues and teams.
Let’s dive into your transition from the NFL to the business world. Could you give us some background and context on when this transition happened and how challenging it was?
Sure, my transition began during my second year when I was with the New York Giants. During the offseason, I completed my communications degree at Michigan State and had main objectives: pursuing opportunities in communications and exploring sports licensing. I wanted to create a line of NFL leather jackets. The NFL gave me a license to produce big and tall leather jackets, which helped me establish a small business. Foot Locker placed an order, and I went back to the NFL for an extension.
How long have you been at it and how involved are you in the day-to-day operations?
I’m involved the same as I was when I first started more than 30 years ago. I have to be present. I oversee design. I’m in the office every day that I’m not with the Giants.
Talk to me about the leadership challenges you had as a player compared to the leadership challenges that you have in business.
I was a team captain and the first thing is you have to lead by example. Second, you have to manage different personalities because everyone has different motivations. Not everybody plays the game for the same reasons. You have to figure out how to approach everyone differently. The coaches do this better than the players, but they depend on their captains to make sure the right messages are communicated. It’s important to spend time with your teammates because they all come from different walks of life and are dealing with different circumstances, so they play the game to meet whatever goal is most important to them personally.
How does your experience as a leader in your business compare to your time in the NFL?
Business is very different because there are no referees. You have to connect with people, and often, you have no clue what’s going on in their lives.
Playing in the NFL really prepares you for the challenges of business. In business, you deal with adversity, but outside of something tragic, you can address most issues within a quarter (90 days). In sports, it’s a different story; you have to overcome adversity in the next 12 to 15 minutes, and most of the time under physical duress. It’s a constant cycle of success or failure. Standards are crucial; I emphasize adhering to them, avoiding shortcuts, and never compromising.
What’s your what’s your biggest leadership challenge at work?
Dealing with the unexpected, like supply chain disruptions. It’s similar to halftime adjustments in sports. In business, it’s a constant challenge due to the complexity of various aspects, from manufacturing and retail to supply chains and human resources. You have to adapt and overcome, just as in sports where you can’t cancel a season due to injuries or unexpected events.
Here’s a good example. At one point, Reebok secured exclusive rights at major retailers that I worked with, like Foot Locker and JCPenney. I discussed this with my CEO, and we decided to pivot. I started focusing on smaller mom-and-pop stores, where my unique product thrived. When Reebok warehoused their rights, the NFL what was going on and reopened opportunities for me. I didn’t dwell on the setback; I turned it into an opportunity, maintaining the best-in-class status of my product. It’s all about making audibles and adjustments, just like in sports.
What’s one of the hardest things you’ve been challenged with and how did you deal with it?
Covid, when our world shut down.
The first thing I did was talk to my licensing partners and explain that we needed some relief and assure them that we were going to figure this out. It was such a huge adjustment for us and I knew just communicating during this period was critical.
Talk to me about the NIL and the impact it’s having on student athletes now being able to get paid. How involved are you in that process?
My approach is a little different and I’m not necessarily chasing anyone. I can’t compete with the big shoe companies, but there are other ways to approach it that we’re looking into, more from a collective team perspective.
Who has been a major influence in your life and what did they teach you?
There’s been a few people, but my high school coach is one of them. He taught me about mental toughness, but also about the value of being prepared.
Bill, I’m not going to tell you which one because I played for both Bill Belichick and Bill Parcells, which taught me to be more refined in the way of preparation and also the value of accountability. He was big on always seeing a path forward.
On the business side, the CEO of G3, Morris Goldfarb, has been a great example of leadership. Combine that with what I know in sports and we do a great job feeding off of each other. And then another example.
Talk to me about the company culture at your company.
Our culture mirrors my values and I’m a big believer in accountability. Just like in sports, each position or group has leaders who are accountable for their job. We have designers, sales, and marketing and all are responsible for accountability within their teams. As a leader, I set the tone and hold everyone accountable.
The advantage I bring from my sports background is the mindset of a high achiever. I can walk into any business environment, assess it, ask questions, and help people see a different or better way of doing things. The key to consistency in business is having high standards. That’s how we maintain our culture of accountability.
Holding people accountable is hard, especially when you’re close to them. How many chances do you give people on your team and how do you handle things when they mess up?
Again, it’s all about the standard that I set from the start. We strive to be the best in class, so focusing on good communication internally and externally is key. I let people know what to expect so there are no surprises. If they don’t like it we’ll find a way to work around their issue.
How involved are you What are you looking for when hiring new employees?
If I’m hiring a designer, my director will determine if someone is a good cultural fit. The team will tell me when they like someone and ask if I’ll meet with them. I like being involved because I want to feel like I have the right people on my team.
Talk about being an outlier and how valuable collaboration is to you.
Collaboration should be a win-win. It’s especially powerful when collaborations are born from a deep connection to the brand because it’s emotionally driven. The beauty of collaborations is that we have sports stories that continue to connect with people. When you hold licenses that create exceptional products, it takes collaboration to another level. You’re collaborating not only with the leagues that grant you the licenses but also with legacy opportunities tied to those leagues. The collaboration’s strength lies in the story and narrative behind it, not just the power of the brands involved.
What advice could give high school who aren’t sure if they should go to college or if it’s worth pursuing a degree?
My advice is to pursue internships and gain real-life experience. Explore different opportunities until you discover what truly interests you. They’ll provide you with valuable insights into how the world works and as you move from one opportunity to the next, you’ll notice connections and eventually find your place in it. So I would say explore, gain experience, and embrace different ways of thinking and working.
Thanks, Carl. I appreciate you sharing your experiences with us. Your career as a player and in business is truly impressive. I wish you continued success!
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About the Interviewer: Chad Silverstein is a successful entrepreneur with more than two decades of experience as a successful founder and CEO. He started his first company, Choice Recovery, Inc. a third-party collection agency, out of his apartment while going to The Ohio State University. He grew the business nationwide and represented more than 10,000 clients before he sold the company on his 25th anniversary. Chad’s second venture [re]start, a career development platform that helps people find new jobs, launched in 2013 as a division inside his agency. [re]start was a catalyst to Chad’s team becoming an industry outlier after connecting thousands of people sent to collections with new career opportunities so they could afford to pay their bills and get out of debt. His team was nationally recognized for their social impact, while twice being ranked the #1 business to work for in Central Ohio. Chad sold [re]start in 2023 and is now a writer and thought leader for Authority Magazine’s Entrepreneur and Sports Editorials. He also offers an exclusive executive leadership program inside his online community at Authentic Authority
