The All-Star Leader Podcast

The All-Star Leader Podcast is an interview based show where former athletic director, attorney and career development professional Daniel Hare interviews leaders from sports, business, politics, ministry, academics and the media, looking for the best in leadership skills, traits and tips listeners can use to become a better leader. We tie it all together with our shared passion for sports!

Episode 067 - Part II with Texas A&M-Commerce Director of Athletics Tim McMurray 12/14/2017

Episode 067 - Part II with Texas A&M-Commerce Director of Athletics Tim McMurray src="https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/6044716/height/90/theme/custom/autoplay/no/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/88AA3C/" height="90" width="450"] In Part II of our conversation, Tim dives into strategic planning, goals and caring for others. How do you go about implementing mission, vision, and core values so that the people within your department know, understand and execute on them? When he first arrived he met with each coach. Told them they would get a questionnaire asking each of them about the state of the program. Strengths? Opportunities? What can be done in the next 90 days to improve your program. And then what are five or six common traits that define the A&M-Commerce athletic program. Over 18 people, there were 60/70 different terms. But there were 10 or 12 that emerged. The entire group picked out five: innovate, determination, respect, passion and excellence. PRIDE is the acronym. Important to add specific targets/goals that are measurable. Look out over three years (five is too long). Put a coach and an administrator as the co-chairs of each of six major goals. Prepares a quarterly report on progress toward the goals and provides it to the president. (Putting together measurable goals that can help you know how you’re doing) He’s very fortunate to be working on the NCAA Division II Women and Minorities Mentoring Institute. His mentee is working on her university’s strategic plan team and leaned on Tim for help. As the leader of the department, how do you balance the goal of winning against the sometimes competing goals of doing things the right way, emphasizing academics, etc.? When they came up with their core values, and narrowed it down to those four to five ( by the way four to five core values are your sweet spot for people to remember, think about and implement), there were several other terms that were left behind. Integrity was one of those, but it was left out because it is so fundamental to a healthy organization, like oxygen, that without it the core values wouldn’t even matter. It is beyond/above the core values. You need to just do/have integrity. The other term that almost became a core value was initiative. He demonstrates this to younger staff by showing how he prepares for meetings with his president. Never want the president to be surprised, and want the president’s job re: athletics to be as easy as possible. Maya Angelou quote: “Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care.” Know and take care of the custodian who cleans your building. Surprised the men’s basketball coaches during the interview process: asked the name of who cleaned their office. Mack Rhoades (Baylor AD) always asks this. Rapid Fire Questions (one word/phrase answers) Name one trait or characteristic you want to see in a colleague. The Golden Rule What habit has been key to your success? loyalty Most important app or productivity tool? Evernote Resource recommendation (book, podcast, etc.) All-Star Leader Podcast Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy One bit of parting advice for our audience? Be intentional and sincere Thank Yous/Acknowledgements: / – music . Jonathan Davis – production – voice over /episode/index/show/allstarleaderpodcast/id/6044716

Episode 066 - Texas A&M-Commerce Director of Athletics Tim McMurray 12/07/2017

Episode 066 - Texas A&M-Commerce Director of Athletics Tim McMurray Tim talks coaching searches, finding your why, and vision. Introduction: Hey everyone and welcome to the All-Star Leader Podcast, where together we learn about leadership from the best and brightest, and keep it fun by connecting it to our passion for sports! I’m your host Daniel Hare, and today we are joined by the athletic director at Texas A&M-Commerce, Tim McMurray. Tim is in his third year with the Lions, after nearly three decades of service in senior level roles at Maryland, SMU, Northern Illinois, Texas State and Lamar. He has a wealth of knowledge and wisdom to share with us, and it is my privilege to host him on the show today. This is Tim McMurray; Tim thanks for coming on the show! Interview Questions: Tim you’ve had the chance to experience the college athletics world several different institutions. Could you walk us through some of the key leadership lessons you picked up at a couple of those stops? Got hired at Lamar right after undergrad, and stayed there eight years mostly in athletic communications/PR Lots of great experience that he couldn’t have had at larger schools Built relationships and learned from great mentors like Mike O’Brien Not curing cancer, but might be educating the kid who’s going to Fortunate to work for Coach Jim Wacker at Texas State Then able to really grow with Jim Phillips at Northern Illinois (sport administrator); involved in football and men’s basketball searches The fact he had been at Lamar and Texas State prepared him well for the Texas A&M Commerce; how to work with smaller staff and budget A&M Commerce is one of 10 or 15 Division II schools who can be the next Grand Valley (follow up on how to connect to your purpose) men of faith and important to know/remember your why. Student-athletes and staff members are his why. And it won’t be the same for everyone. Keep reminders around you (pictures, prayer, etc.). (Daniel with a law school mock interview example of how someone may not realize their why even though they have it. And how to pull it out). Let’s talk about Division II for a moment. Those who are regular listeners to the show know that I was a Division II AD at Western Oregon, but share if you would what drew you to the division and what you see as its positive/defining characteristics. While working in development at different schools, hardly got to spend any time with student-athletes (as opposed to when he started in communications), wanted to get back in touch with the student-athletes. As a candidate for the AD job, went over to Commerce from Dallas for the football home opener to “secret shop.” Wanted to show the committee that he wanted the Commerce job; not just an AD job. Recently hired a basketball coach. Had several great finalists with head coaching experience. But one finalist who hadn’t been a HC really showed him how much he wanted this job. VPs at Commerce want them to win and be successful. Treat VPs/Deans like they are a major donor and part of the family. (UCF’s Danny White recently said something similar at the Collegiate Athletics Leadership Symposium). (What did the basketball coach do to show he wanted the Commerce job?) Asked if his head coach could call Tim. Didn’t overdo it. Prepared, but not with a cookie cutter book where you just cut and paste the team logo. Had a recruiting board for who he would want to go after at Commerce (high school kids, juco kids and four year transfers). The sincerity of being interested in this job is what put him over the top. (This comes up a lot because while it sounds like common sense and everyone should do it, people don’t). You mentioned in an interview when you got the Commerce job that the biggest thing that attracted you to it was the vision of the president. Can you elaborate on that and tell us specifically what that vision was, and how the president was able to sell you on his vision? When you’re interviewing for an AD job, you may only get a little time with your boss/the president. There are so many people to meet with. So it’s important to make the most of that time, and to make sure you get to hear from the president rather than just you talking the whole time. Asked direct questions. What happens when we don’t have success? What is your philosophy on getting started? President let Tim do what he needed to do so long as it was within rules and budget. Only able to work with the president who hired him for a few months before he tragically passed away. New president had worked with the prior president at another school, so he could understand and relate to those who worked for the prior president. Helped in the transition. When you have the right president, who thinks athletics is important and that it matters, you can accomplish great things. Wants to provide a best in class experience. Who is your model? Who do you want to catch? Set a goal and go get them! Constantly measure and test. /episode/index/show/allstarleaderpodcast/id/6019929

Episode 065 - Baylor Leadership Guru and Former Navy Footballer Drexel King 11/30/2017

Episode 065 - Baylor Leadership Guru and Former Navy Footballer Drexel King Drexel shares leadership lessons from Navy Football and the Marine Corps. Introduction: Hey everyone and welcome to the All-Star Leader Podcast, where together we learn about leadership from the best and brightest, and keep it fun by connecting it to our passion for sports! I’m your host Daniel Hare, and today I didn’t have to go far to bring a great guest to you. Drexel King works just across campus from me in Baylor University’s Leadership and Learning department. Drexel is a graduate of the prestigious United States Naval Academy, where he also played defensive back for the Midshipmen and led them to bowl games in each of his four seasons. His career prior to joining Baylor in 2016 includes stints in the Navy athletic department as well as platoon commander and officer in the United States Marine Corps, where he led troops in Afghanistan. This is Drexel King. Drexel thanks so much for coming on the show! Interview Questions: We’re going to get into your story, but first off tell us about Baylor’s Leadership and Learning department and what you are up to over there. January start after the Marine Corps Staff development / leadership development / team building Creating/delivering content; staff retreats Tell us how you found your way to the Naval Academy, and what your college experience was like. Dad was in the Army; handed him a brochure for West Point as he was nearing high school graduation Knew he needed a different / more structured college experience Naval Academy was a perfect fit; chance to play football; chance to test yourself and also serve the country How were you self-aware enough to make that choice? Was from North Carolina and lots of friends were going to the state schools; he was open to leaving the state Knowing himself; high school was very regimented and he fit in well; school/homework/sports/bed…fit well with his personality to go to the Naval Academy What was the college experience like? Wanted a challenge/test himself; chose English as a major even though math/science was his strength Went to prep school first in Rhode Island Four year grind; marathon not a sprint Not going home in the summer; you’re training – either for the military or for football Assumed some leadership responsibilities there; set himself up for success Navy tends to play a demanding schedule against teams who, on paper, are bigger and faster. Over your career you played schools like Stanford and Notre Dame, in addition to bowl games against Utah and Boston College. Yet you won many of those games. How does that happen and what are some keys to prevailing against long odds? Navy recruited athletes who were good but too short/slow for larger schools; this helped develop a chip on the shoulder Most teams felt like they should beat Navy We’re going to outwork/outhustle/fight with everything we have; the bonds the team had made them closer than other teams Know what sacrifice feels like and looks like; how to sacrifice for your team What about tactics and strategy Execute what we do better than you do You can do whatever you want, but it is man to man; weapon to weapon; line up and see who is better You spent some time as a coach after your playing days concluded. What are a couple of things that maybe surprised you or that you saw for the first time as a coach that you were unaware of as a player? Night and day being on the coaching side versus as a player Learned he never wanted to coach; seven days/week for most (though Navy now doesn’t allow coaches in the building on Sunday) Your livelihood is dependent on 18-22 year olds Tenured staff at Navy so very special place; Describe the pathway from the Naval Academy to the Marine Corps (many might think you automatically go from the Academy to the Navy. Three primary service academies commissioning schools: Air Force, West Point, Naval Academy. The Marine Corps is a department within the Navy. From the Naval Academy you can go a lot of directions (Navy Officer, Marines, Submarines, Naval Aviator, SEALS) In the Marine Corps you had the opportunity to both serve under leaders and lead teams of people yourself. What are some of the traits or characteristics that you saw in the best leaders you served under? Marines all about professionalism; always faithful is the motto; always pride; getting the job done; discipline; tough Easy transition from Navy football to the Marines Leaders were extremely selfless; post-911 Marines who signed up are the best of America; they lay it on the line and make the ultimate sacrifice Talk about the difference in leadership styles between the drill sergeant and the officer. What officers are doing is training the trainer You are leading the leaders who are leading the group Officers are rare; and the infantry doesn’t see you much of the time; so you have to perform well when they do What are some that were present in leaders who weren’t as successful? New leaders struggle with wanting to be liked, and are susceptible to crossing boundaries More advanced leaders need to demonstrate humility and vulnerability; causes him to take a second or two after observing/hearing something before passing judgment Proximity helps with this; the farther away the more vulnerable you can/should be. If up close you need to be more aware of how much you let them see. How do you balance planning with taking action? Circumstantial As a leader, you have to be able to do both. If your team is full of go-getters, you need to plan; if you have a team of planners you need to go. Marines you have to have a bias toward action; you won’t ever get to 100% certainty before having to make a decision. Deal with consequences, learn from it and move on You have to zoom in and zoom out Gotta know you care before I care about what you know If you’re caring for your people, you need to know what they’re doing and what they’re feeling Leaders eat last (Simon Sinek book based on it) in the Marines; leaders serve first, and evaluate the morale of the people Have to zoom in for all this; but then you can’t stay there You have to zoom back out and apply what you’ve learned to influence How should leaders break down their teams in terms of how many people are under each leader Jesus kept it to 12; then had more intimate connection with 4 Marines it is 3; you’re always only leading three people; this gives people ability to lead and empowered to make decisions Empower at the lowest level possible; they are the ones closest to the situation Jesus to Paul to Timothy What about flat organizations? But decisions are not having to go up and down a bureaucracy if you empower at lower levels, so the layers of leadership and structure don’t create bloat and slowness Corporations have an advantage in some ways because they can recruit to their culture (versus the military where you get what you get) Commanders Intent: with each mission you get the purpose and the end state. This allows soldiers to accomplish the end state by different means if circumstances demand it. We’re hearing more and more about how to best lead the Millennial generation. What thoughts do you have on that subject that might be helpful for our Baby Boomers and GenXers who are trying to lead? Information age has created immediacy of knowledge that translates People want to know more, and organizations who aren’t transparent will struggle Mentorship is desired Continuous improvement; must learn how to communicate Mistake: forcing people out when they don’t meet a standard; you have to teach people! Go and make disciples! Look for teachable moments. (Long-term v. short-term thinking) They want to be part of a cause; connect them and their work to the cause and they will be loyal You are a veteran who has transitioned to a new career, and I’d love for you to share a thought or two with our veteran listeners about how they can successfully make a similar transition. Figure out what you want to do Most veterans leave their first place of employment within a year; they aren’t finding what they want Don’t sacrifice culture; you’re coming out of a special culture. Never too early to start the transition; start networking and getting to know people in the industry you want to be in Tweak your resume so military experience translates to the job you’re pursuing PTSD/Mental health Huge issue People are leaving a very comforting environment (healthcare, meals, shelter, etc.) and are then on their own…and it can feel lonely. If you don’t have a support system around you it can be extremely tough and isolating Churches can be helpful Rapid Fire Questions (one word/phrase answers) Name one trait or characteristic you want to see in a colleague. Humility What habit has been key to your success? Bible/prayer each morning Most important app or productivity tool? – daily planner, example: name someone you’re thankful for; name a thing you’re thankful for; name something you take for granted (three positive thoughts) One bit of parting advice for our audience? Self-awareness – always evaluate yourself and remain humble; everything you think you know could be distorted or wrong Thank Yous/Acknowledgements: / – music . Jonathan Davis – production – voice over /episode/index/show/allstarleaderpodcast/id/5994473

Episode 064 - Three-Time National Champion Baseball Coach Jeremiah Robbins 11/16/2017

Episode 064 - Three-Time National Champion Baseball Coach Jeremiah Robbins Coach Robbins talks about mindset, authenticity and a blue-collar work ethic that can overcome nearly all obstacles. Introduction: Hey everyone and welcome to the All-Star Leader Podcast, where together we learn about leadership from the best and brightest, and keep it fun by connecting it to our passion for sports! I’m your host Daniel Hare, and today for the first time on the show we get to hear from a college head coach, and I can’t think of anyone more fitting to be the first than Jeremiah Robbins. Jeremiah and I first met in 2010 at Western Oregon where he was the head baseball coach. While at WOU he led the Wolves to a 252-109 record, seven straight conference titles and five NCAA tournament appearances. He left Western Oregon in 2012 to take over a Lewis-Clark State College, where all he has done is take the Warriors to five NAIA national championship games, winning the 2015 2016 and 2017 crowns. More important than his on-field accomplishments, however, Coach Robbins is a tremendous leader, a man of integrity, and someone I am proud, humbled and honored to call my friend. This is Jeremiah Robbins. Coach Robbins thanks so much for coming on the show! Interview Questions: Most important question first: does the tropical fruit enterprise continue at Lewis-Clark State? Share with the audience what your team did every year with tropical fruit sales, how they did it and what the results were? What was the purpose in having your team do that? Instead they split/deliver firewood for a fundraiser The fruit sales was a great teambuilding exercise as well as getting the athletes out in the community 150 cords of wood; deliver and stack it. (Daniel – At D2/NAIA, finances are challenging and this is important to the program. How did you come up with these unique fundraisers, and why? They wanted to have a blue-collar approach Get creative Build bonds with the community and increases attendance (Daniel – encourage teams to match their off-field activities like fundraising to their program’s identity) Let’s now rewind and start at the beginning. Tell us about where you’re from, your upbringing, and when/how baseball was instilled in you. Grew up outside of Roseberg, OR Blue-collar town and family was in logging industry. Dad cut trees for 30 years Work hard, pay dues, put time in Led to disciplined, hard-nosed baseball at a young age Had some success in high school Opportunity to play in college and bounced around a few places due to grades. But got those in order and was able to finish up at Western Oregon Then jumped right into the fire as an American Legion coach immediately after finishing school/playing Struggled early on, but grew as a coach and got a JC job before moving back to WOU and then LC State. Early age is where all his qualities/characteristics were formed (Daniel – Can you speak to those who try and adopt others’ approach to coaching, etc. rather than being themselves? How important is authenticity?) Kids want real; they will see right through you in a heartbeat Very transparent; players know who he is and what he is about This breaks down walls between players and coaches and makes them feel loved Baseball is pretty simple, but the personal relationships, discipline, etc. are what separates Getting a player to trust you is harder and harder, so as a coach you have to be on your toes to connect with them Never faked anything and is always up front with his guys (Daniel – talking about Bob Stoops and getting close to your players) In many ways your college career looked similar to many of the players you have recruited and coached over the years, taking advantage of opportunities at both junior colleges and four year schools before arriving your final stop. Talk a bit about your journey through those college years and how that helps you connect with your current players. Would like to change his journey since he had to bounce around because he didn’t go to class But it has given him appreciation for the kid who has struggled some early on and just needs someone to give him a second chance. They often times just need someone to put their arm around them, believe in them, help them get a degree, etc. Learned from past mistakes and has made him a better coach Flunked out of school freshman year after not going to class all fall semester; lost his baseball scholarship and had to go get a job. Worked as a logger for a year and a half before getting back into baseball. Only one in his family to have a college degree. Wound up graduating with a 3.0 GPA after starting with a .2! Degree the most important thing for players; graduation rate improving at LC State. (Daniel - How do you evaluate whether someone deserves a second chance?) There can be sticky situations, and the relationship with the player Have you done your homework as a recruiter and a head coach before bringing them to campus? Must do this work at a higher level. Can’t just make it about athletic ability and can they help you win. Once it gets into someone else’s hands (law enforcement, etc.), there’s not much he can do. Things are getting worse. Social media is limiting face to face contact which is detrimental. He doesn’t let players email professors, etc.; have to go talk face to face. Coaches aren’t investing the time required to properly screen prospective student-athletes. Sit down and talk with the kids, for a long time and not necessarily about baseball, and just learn about who they are. First four days of the fall are meetings. They don’t touch a baseball. They have to write a paper about their “why.” They aren’t perfect; have had a few issues but generally have been pretty fortunate. Eliminate shortcut mindset and promote a growth mindset a team and hard work mindset. (Daniel – all that up front work is long-term approach which may not have short-term benefits but works in the long-run and you still win!) He has shrunk practices at times down to one hour of intense/focused practice, and gets more done than two and three hour practices he used to conduct back in the day Today he is meeting with all 45 players and they aren’t even practicing at all. Sometimes more impact from a 15 minute conversation with a kid than a three hour practice When you think back to your first year as the Western Oregon head baseball coach, what comes into your mind? What do you think you did well or right, and what maybe causes you to say “what was I thinking?!” Was the associate HC when the HC had to resign immediately before the season, so he was named the interim. Had immediate success But looking back he was so wrapped up in the game that he didn’t take time to enjoy it. Still struggles with that today, but is working on it. The personal relationships are the most important. His national championship is getting emails from past players. You’ve now had tremendous success at two different institutions, and at least at WOU you did so with very limited resources. How have you been able to accomplish so much with the odds stacked against you? Hard work Surround yourself with good people; you can overcome a lot with this. Coaching is not a one-man show; have a support staff of coaches/administrators who believe in what you’re doing. Don’t let a lack of resources be your scapegoat or excuse for not achieving. Compete. Have a growth mindset. It’s not about the scholarship but about playing baseball and getting a degree. Have a chip on your shoulder and use that as motivation against the better-funded schools. See challenges as motivation rather than obstacles. Go get athletes who aren’t after the scholarship, but instead those who want the LC State experience and community. (Daniel – lots of your players have been drafted into MLB, so you’re getting talented guys) How do you approach balancing success at work and success at home? Feels like he has failed at this, and feels bad for his wife and boys But working on it and getting better at it Wife has been biggest supporter This summer took a full week to just be together as a family; so setting aside time is important. When you’re home, trying to leave your job at the office All goes back to mindset. Recently reading much less about baseball and much more about mindset. , , all are authors he’s reading now. This helps at home in addition to coaching. Rapid Fire Questions (one word/phrase answers) Name one trait or characteristic you want to see in a colleague. Honesty What habit has been key to your success? Mindset Most important app or productivity tool? iPad app for Facetiming family and videoing hitters Resource recommendation (book, podcast, etc.) Extreme Ownership – Jacqo ; Lee Babin One bit of parting advice for our audience? Hard work and love. Final question: tell us what we can expect from your team this year! Whole new team – 7 guys drafted off of last year’s team (none were previously drafted so all developed while at LC State) Great mindset and ready to go. Thank Yous/Acknowledgements: / – music . Jonathan Davis – production – voice over /episode/index/show/allstarleaderpodcast/id/5950669

Episode 063 - Daniel's Presentation To Baylor Leadership Lunch And Learn 11/09/2017

Episode 063 - Daniel's Presentation To Baylor Leadership Lunch And Learn Daniel uses Seinfeld, The West Wing, and past interviews to talk about leadership as influence. Outline: Seinfeld clip demonstrating influence (): eating dessert with a knife/fork. Daniel bio Main theme from John Maxwell: defines leadership as influence Can always influence regardless of positional authority The Wave at sporting events is an example of this - influencing those in your orbit to then influence others outside your orbit and so on. Houston/Harvey citizen rescuers West Wing clip also demonstrating the power of influencing those close to us (). Daniel shares a leadership failure from his WOU AD days. Team captains are good examples because they don't become leaders after being named captain; they were leaders and therefore named captains Specifics on how to influence effectively (based 21 Great Leaders: Learn Their Lessons, Improve Your Influence by the ) Vision (Walt Disney, Nelson Mandela) Communication (Ronald Reagan, Winston Churchill, MLK) on instilling values/culture into his team, and the importance of doing this daily. People Skills (Sam Walton, FDR) Character : story about Bobby Jones taking a penalty stroke when he could have gotten away with not. "They might as well praise me for not robbing a bank." Honor God before all else Not afraid to fail Extreme humility Competence (Bill Gates, Dwight Eisenhower) Back to the West Wing clip. Ainslee displayed competence Boldness (Rosa Parks, Harry Truman) Serving Heart (Mother Theresa, Ghandi) Luke 22:24-27 - 24 A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. 25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. 26 But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. 27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. Thank Yous/Acknowledgements: / – music . Jonathan Davis – production – voice over /episode/index/show/allstarleaderpodcast/id/5926828

Episode 062 - The Power of Positive Leadership Author Jon Gordon 11/02/2017

Episode 062 - The Power of Positive Leadership Author Jon Gordon Jon packs a lot into a short episode, from optimism and vision to grit and a growth mindset. Introduction: Hey everyone and welcome to the All-Star Leader Podcast, where together we learn about leadership from the best and brightest, and keep it fun by connecting it to our passion for sports! I’m your host Daniel Hare, and today we welcome to the show leadership expert Jon Gordon. Jon is a speaker, trainer, and best-selling author who has worked with professional sports coaches and teams all over the country. His latest book is titled The Power of Positive Leadership: How and why positive leaders transform teams and Organizations around the world. This is Jon Gordon. Jon thanks so much for being with us! Interview Questions: First off tell us a bit about your background and how you became the leadership expert you are today. Wrote a book called The Energy Bus 10 years ago; about using positivity and removing negativity Led to speaking engagements and opportunities to hear from teams and organizations what they were going through This led to other books and a focus on leadership Considers himself a teacher second and a student first Define positive leadership for us, and maybe distinguish from other types of leadership. Shouldn’t have to use a qualifier You need to be positive and optimistic to effectively lead; need to have a vision for the road ahead This is not Pollyanna leadership; this type of leadership builds great teams; bring out the best in people encouraging and challenging them This is the best way to lead and the way to get results. You’re demanding but not demeaning; provide love and accountability You don’t have to choose positive without caring for results; positivity will drive results I'm sure some of us listening might be thinking, “sure it's easy to be positive when things are going well, but what about when times are hard? Isn't direct/honest criticism or tough love sometimes warranted?” Like the lawn company which charged him for a bunch of trees that they never installed; Jon challenged them and they tried to settle for half the amount instead of the full refund, and then accused Jon of not being positive when he wouldn’t settle When you challenge someone they might not think you’re being positive, but that’s not the standard Love others first; once they feel that love, people will follow Dabo Swinney is a great example of this; he challenges his players but his players believe he loves them; they have a relationship; this allows him to push them and have hard conversations with them Allen Mulally said same thing: love them up, but hold them accountable to the culture and principles In chapter five of your book you talk about the importance of optimism. Can you share a bit about that, and how, if at all, we balance that with a realistic picture of our circumstances? Confront the challenges knowing the adversity you’re facing Loss – learning opportunity stay strong See events in your live as learning opportunities Pessimists do not change the world; naysayers talk about problems but don’t solve them; critics write words but don’t write the future. It’s the optimists/dreamers/doers that create the future And later in the same chapter you make what I think is a very key observation: when there is a lack of communication, negativity fills the void. Expand on that for us. When not communicating with your team, negativity fills the he void with gossip, complaining Instead fill the void with positive communication (honest, transparent) Uncertainty and fear is what really impacts people As a leader, you need to drive faith, certainty, comfort, love Example – superintendent talked budget cuts at a meeting that was going to involve staff reductions, and the crowd of people who could lose their jobs gave him a standing ovation. They trusted him and knew he was being transparent with them. Helped prevent negativity from seeping in. Having a purpose is something that all leaders need in order to inspire others. You suggest a technique called One Word to assist with this. Tell us about that. One word will change your life. Pick a word for the year that drives you, gives you purpose, inspires you Amazing how the word shapes you and helps you live with more purpose Studies are now saying that grit is the best predictor of success. How have you seen that play out work the teams you've worked with? Not talent, not title, not wealth, not looks. Grit is the number one factor. and gave a about this. Positive leaders have grit; they will move forward through adversity and obstacles and will not let things stop them. Essential for leadership/success Dabo, Allen Mulally, Sara Blakely from Spanx…all display grit Can’t allow nos to hold you back; you have to move forward (Jon’s first book) was rejected over 30 times; finally the book got made/carried; five years’ later it was a best seller How, if at all, can we increase our grittiness? You've talked about embracing failure and I would love to hear how we do that and what its impact can be. We all have grit It’s about recognizing it in yourself It’s like growth mindset – we’re all born with it. Our circumstances change these for the negative if we let them. When Superman took off his outfit, he’s not Clark Kent, he’s always Superman because it is inside him Loving what you’re doing is a big help in bringing out our grit Could you share a word with those in our audience who might just feel stuck. If they wanted to start becoming that positive leader today, what are one or two practical steps you would encourage them to take? Pull out your telescope and your microscope Telescope – big picture of what you want to do and where you want to go; vision; what’s your why? Microscope – Something tangible/practical that you can do to bring the telescope image into focus. What moves you along the journey. Without this you’re dreaming without creating. The two together are key. Jon thank you so much for joining us today. Where can people go to connect with you and learn more about what you have going on? Thank Yous/Acknowledgements: / – music . Jonathan Davis – production – voice over /episode/index/show/allstarleaderpodcast/id/5902265

Episode 061 - All-American Football Player and Retire Inspired Author Chris Hogan 10/26/2017

Episode 061 - All-American Football Player and Retire Inspired Author Chris Hogan Chris shares the keys to winning a football national championship, why it's so important as a leader to have your financial house in order, and how to buy your houses and cars. Introduction: Hey everyone and welcome to the All-Star Leader Podcast, where together we learn about leadership from the best and brightest, and keep it fun by connecting it to our passion for sports! I’m your host Daniel Hare, and I am more than excited to bring you today’s guest. Chris Hogan is a financial coach, best-selling author, motivational speaker, a leader within Dave Ramsey’s organization Ramsey Solutions, and a former college football national champion. He released his first book in January of 2016 titled Retire Inspired: It’s Not an Age It’s a Financial Number. I looked just before this conversation and 19 months after the release the book it continues to rank #6 in its category on Amazon. This is Chris Hogan. Chris thanks so much for being with us! Interview Questions: First of all, Chris tell us a bit of your story. What was growing up like for you, and how did you find your way to playing football at Georgetown College? Grew up in big family; close-knit; competitive; lots of love/care/concern Pastor helped him find his college, which was close to home Loved the coaches and campus, and appreciated the smaller school You all won a national title during your time there, which is a remarkable accomplishment. What are two or three keys that made that team special and propelled you to that level of success? Starts with the leaders; phenomenal coaches (head coach to grad assistants) Everyone was on the same page Incredible culture of winning; looked for certain individuals with certain skills/mindsets/coachability Talent! Players who could have played at larger schools Appreciation from seniors to freshman of what they were trying to accomplish; everyone knew their value and role And now you’re writing bestsellers, headlining events alongside Dave Ramsey and others, and coaching everyone from young/struggling families to celebrities in their financial journeys…share with us how you got where you are today. Worked in banking and wealth management and became connected to a number of influential individuals Got to know Dave, which then led to the opportunity to join the team Trying to empower people that better is available, and give them a plan to achieve it Before we go any deeper into your financial teachings, I don’t want to lose my leadership purists. Can you speak to why it is so important for leaders to get their financial house in order? Also how the principles you teach apply to other areas of a leader’s life? Money permeates all areas; impacts your business, relationship with team members and how you do business You don’t want to be needy in business, where you begin to look at customers as transactions instead of relationships If you’re focused on relationships, you’re looking to serve customers. But if purely transactional, you’re just trying to push products. So if you’re healthy financially, you can stay focused on building people You’re not just running an organization or team, your job is to help build people and help them perform better in what they do. How would you describe your philosophy on money and finances? What are the key principles? Live on less than you make Have a plan for every dollar that comes in Your confidence will grow and you understand the path you’re on Be intentional; boss your money around and don’t let it control you Many people say they will wait until they make more money before they get serious; but they won’t. Your lifestyle will grow along with your income, and you’ll continue to spend more than you make. What does it mean when you say retirement is not an age but rather a financial number? As he was working as a financial coach with Dave, he kept hearing people talk about an age for retirement (65, 60, etc.) But he had met a 41-year-old who had worked and saved for 24 years and was set to retire; this was an epiphany that no, retirement isn’t an age, but instead the financial number needed to allow you to do exactly what you want to do. As Dave Ramsey outlines in his foreword to your book, the foundation for building toward retirement are the Baby Steps he has taught for years (disclaimer: going through Financial Peace University was required by my wife and I’s pre-marriage counselors!). Let’s highlight those real quick for those who aren’t familiar, and along the way please share why these steps are so important. Money fights are the number one cause of divorce; so we need this The baby steps are a clear road map for you to gain control of your money $1,000 emergency fund Pay off all debt with the debt snowball Save 3-6 months of expenses 10%-15% into retirement Save/pay for kids’ college Attack house Build wealth/give (Daniel – cannot out-Give God, and encourage others to give) As a Christian, resources aren’t mine and we’re just managing it Many things that you can give: talent, time Another key foundation for your book are the statistics on how unprepared people are for retirement and how dependent they are upon others (whether that means family, the government, charities, etc.). Can you talk more about that and why it’s important we take control of our retirement destiny? 52% of American workers have less than $10k saved for retirement Social Security is barely enough to make a house payment We have an epidemic: people are working longer/harder than ever, and don’t have much to show for it. Debt is stealing from people’s financial future. We have to take steps to help ourselves and not hope the government will save us. You refer to a Herm Edwards quote where he says that a dream without a plan isn’t a plan at all, but rather a wish. I think this is so helpful not only in finances but in any goal we’re trying to accomplish. Can you elaborate on the difference between a dream and a wish. Wishing is the sitting back/non-proactive way Dreaming is based on action, but we need a plan What am I willing to give up, in exchange for what I want to gain Something your coaches used to tell you, and probably some who listen to this show use with their teams today, is “it’s not about the last play; it’s about the next play.” People will sometimes beat themselves up for past mistakes or even what they see as unbreakable flaws or bad habits, but you have something else to say to them don’t you?! It’s never too late We’ve all made mistakes; we’re all human; but don’t stare back at those mistakes Windshield is bigger than rearview mirror More opportunities ahead than what are behind Be proactive and use the time ahead of us Never too late to make a decision for your future Talk to us about the importance of budgeting, and a tip or two that could help us put that piece of the puzzle into place. The budget is the roadmap to you making progress He was able to give himself a raise just by putting a budget into place and taking control of the money What do we need to live on month in/month out; what are our spending habits? Set limits on groceries/gift buying/etc. Story – took cash to the grocery store and knew exactly had much he had to spend ($150). Had a calculator with him to add up his costs through the aisles. Gets halfway through the store and accidentally clears the calculator. GROW UP MOMENT! Put everything back on the shelves and started over! Checked out at $136 (Daniel talking about buying online and picking up curbside to avoid picking up unnecessary items) Chris agrees, but warns that in-home shopping generally can cause us to overspend You describe five fundamentals for retiring inspired: dreaming, planning, execution, commitment and vigilance. Can you talk about the importance of dreaming about our retirement, and how to then translate that dream into a plan we can execute on? Dreaming is important because it helps us set our sights on what it is we’re working toward Is it hang out on the lake? Start a dream business? Spend more time with family? Do mission work? Getting people to tap into that and understand what they want to do and who they want to do it for; dreams motivate us more than fear prevents us I love the story about your grandmother’s chili: can you relay that story and how it applies to our lives both in finances and becoming successful leaders as well? Grandmother made incredible chili One day Chris decided he was going to make it, but didn’t have the recipe and wasn’t sure of the ingredients Went and got what he thought went in it and basically made chili-colored glue; it was terrible He called her and she laughed; she gave him the recipe and also coached him as to the timing – helped him vastly improve his chili We have to follow a plan in order to succeed; if I don’t control my finances, I could end up anywhere I want our audience to walk away from this show with specific/practical advice they can apply to major expenditures most of us have. The first is housing and the second is cars Housing – What should we be thinking when it comes to renting versus buying our homes, and if buying, how to finance it. Renting is not a bad thing; allows you to save up to buy a home the right way When you buy, and something breaks, you get to fix it If buying, only do 15 year fixed rate mortgage; don’t just do what the mortgage company says; do your research Regarding cars, can you talk about leasing versus buying, buying new versus buying used, and the impact these decisions can have on our long-term retirement situation? Cars are a depreciating asset; with each year, they drop in value Average new car payment is over $500 Pay cash for a used car Leasing is very expensive and you are limited on the amount of mileage you can use Pay yourself each month to save up for the used car repairs and to replace it; this helps you upgrade over time as well There is so much more we could go into, and I would encourage anyone interested in learning more to commit to studying and utilizing the tools you provide in your book and various other platforms. Where can people go to connect with you and take any next steps regarding their own finances? Smart money events in Indy, St. Louis, Kansas City, others (Affiliate Link) Thank Yous/Acknowledgements: / – music . Jonathan Davis – production – voice over /episode/index/show/allstarleaderpodcast/id/5878557

Episode 060 - Business Coach And Author Aaron Walker 10/19/2017

Episode 060 - Business Coach And Author Aaron Walker Business and life coach Aaron Walker returns to the show to talk about living a life of significance, and his new book View From Top. Introduction: Hey everyone and welcome to the All-Star Leader Podcast, where together we learn about leadership from the best and brightest, and keep it fun by connecting it to our passion for sports! I’m your host Daniel Hare, and today we are once again joined by a returning guest who has recently authored a book! You’ll remember Aaron Walker from episode 11 of the podcast, and I encourage if you didn’t catch that episode to pause this one, go back and listen to episode 11, and then come back to this conversation. We’re going to skip through much of the typical intro/bio since we all know Aaron and get right into his new book, View From The Top: Living a life of significance. This is Aaron Walker. Aaron welcome back to the show! Interview Questions: Tell us how you’ve been what’s new in your world. Grueling exercise and a lot of time; 38 years of entrepreneurship to build the stories that are in the book 10% writing and 90% marketing is a truism! Lots of interviews and marketing/promotions; purpose is to help people learn how to live a life of significance. Let’s get right into this. On page 10 you say something I think is critical: “I knew that in order to be good at any one thing, it takes total commitment and a sense of devotion, and I was willing to do that.” Can you speak to the importance of that statement in relation to how some of us might get distracted by different/new things, or just try to do too many different things at one time? Important (Greg McKowen “” – inch deep/mile wide…should be an inch wide and mile deep) not to have so many things going on that we can’t be good at any one thing. “” another great book on this. Following up on that, you recently ended one of your coaching programs, The Community, much for the reasons we’re discussing here. Could you take our audience into how focusing on certain things necessarily means excluding (perhaps even profitable/good) others? Two years ago began “The Community” as a lower price point for people to interact with him and his coaching programs But realized he was devoting a huge amount of time in the community, while figuring out his strength was in facilitating mastermind groups After months of prayer and evaluation, he decided to stop the community and devote entirely to the masterminds. Though it was profitable and enjoyable, the Community had to go. (Daniel – encouragement for people to taking that hard step of eliminating things): money won’t keep you in the game; passion might get you started but won’t last either; you need purpose. Two buildings side by side with a board across; for $10 you wouldn’t do it; to save your child, you would. That’s the purpose we need. So evaluate where you’re spending your time and determine if it’s your purpose. If you’re not doing anything that fulfills your purpose, try something else! You talk in chapter two of the book about delayed gratification; can you share some thoughts on that subject? Aaron and his wife Robin both came from poor/humble beginnings As he got started, he gave up 2/3rds of the business in order to get it going since they didn’t have any money – was willing to give up that much to get it started They committed to live on a very modest salary while building the company up, and putting all the profits back into the business. That resulted in him paying off a ten year loan in 36 months, and buying out his financial partners, leaving him with a paid-for business. Did the same thing again with another store…kept adding stores and doing the same things. This led to a Fortune 500 company wanting to buy his company The problem today is we want it now and aren’t willing to be patient. We shouldn’t compare our beginning to our parents’ middle, or our middle to our parents’ end. Live like no one else today, so tomorrow you can live like no one else – Dave Ramsey You retired from your first business at the age of 27. For the leaders in our audience, who are scattered among a number of industries from business to education, the ministry and more, what are one or two keys you can share about how you created that type of success in such a relatively short amount of time. Started business at 18 (no college) But even graduated high school early by going to summer school and night school You’ve got to have the grit, the perseverance and the determination to get whatever it is you wanted Delayed gratification in other areas (e.g. sports) – wanted to work more than he wanted to be an athlete. What is it for you that you want bad enough to give up other things? Got rid of all naysayers from his circle Recent study that the most common trait of multi-millionaires is grit You have to develop a mindset of I can do this – “can’t couldn’t do it and can did it all.” Failure is in not trying, not in not succeeding Growth mindset as Carol Dweck talks about in “Mindset.” (Daniel – how do you pass on this mindset to others?) – you can’t impose something on someone that doesn’t want it. You can’t force it. You can lead by example and show people the way, but ultimately they have to want it. Model it and look for the people taking it, and then pour your energy into those people. In chapter four (Breaking Free), you talk about seeking balance in your life, which is certainly a popular topic right now. Specifically, you say “Embrace the tension; it’s never going away completely.” What do you mean by embracing the tension? There’s no such thing as work/life balance We have to prioritize our priorities For Aaron: 1) believer/Christ follower; 2) Robin; 3) daughters; 4) grandchildren; 5) business Don’t come home with a pocket full of money and a house full of strangers Regardless of how much money you have, there will always be tension. In the same chapter you tell the story about first meeting Dave Ramsey, how you came to be in a mastermind group with him, and the impact that group has had on you over the years. There is so much there and I encourage people to get the book and read all of it, but share with us what you consider to be the critical point about surrounding yourself with the right people. Met Dave in 1995 at a Nashville Chamber of Commerce Luncheon with 25 people in attendance. Dave had yet to launch his first show, but talked Aaron into advertising on it After three days of a trial period, it was clear the investment would pay off 21 straight years as a sponsor of the show Dave then invited him to be in a mastermind group, which Aaron had never heard of It was uncomfortable at first, but he fell in love with it; having his own board of directors. This group went on for 12 years until Aaron retired. Now Aaron facilitates a number of mastermind groups. The enemy to excellence is isolation; if you want your life to go to the next level, you need to surround yourself with the right people. At the beginning of Chapter Eight you tell the story of one of your mastermind members James Ryle calling you out on something. Share anything about that you want, but I’d like for you to challenge our audience to have someone in their life who could do what James did for you. Aaron was in a dark spot at this point in his life; each week he would share in the mastermind how he couldn’t get out of the rut Weekends were generally off limits, but one Saturday his phone rang and it was James. James said God gave him a word for Aaron, and it was that he was worrying the hell out of everyone in the group. He said the group is getting sick and tired of you coming into He then quoted Isaiah 52:2 – Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, Daughter Zion, now a captive. Then he hung up. Aaron was mad at first; but then realized James loved him enough to tell him the truth. That moment changed his life; it was time to move on. If you don’t have people in your life willing to do that, how are you going to face the troubles of this world? We already said you retired once at 27. Then you built another successful business before retiring a second time. And what I found fascinating was reading your thought process behind jumping into your third business, construction, which you had zero experience in. Walk us through that decision, and why you believe you were able to succeed in a brand new business, and what you learned about yourself that ultimately led to you retiring for a third time (from Chapter Ten – Choose Wisely)? After a major car accident that sidelined him for about five years, Aaron befriended the guy building their house. The builder was a master craftsman, but didn’t have any business experience. So Aaron proposed that they partner up and take advantage of both their strengths. Took the company to #1 for six consecutive years But it was all a mistake; there was no purpose in mind and no passion. It became a drudgery toward the end. And it was things that were just part of the industry that you couldn’t change. Robin knew he had quit when he came home at 3pm one day. Don’t let your life get to that point where you’re not excited/happy to get up and go to work. He loves how now he impacts others through his business. (Daniel – for more about the car accident check out Episode 11) You say that we should “always be in a state of personal assessment.” What does that look like for you and how can we implement that in our own lives? After retiring from the construction business he was planning to stop working. Dan Miller told him he needed to coach, and it made him rethink his plan. He went to Entreleadership Master Series (gift from Dave) and wound up with a couple of entrepreneurs to coach. The rest is history. He got the boat out of the harbor, where it’s much easier to move it. If you’re stuck or not clear about the path forward, get moving! Much easier to adapt once moving. You are a man of faith, and the book is filled with scriptures which speak to the lessons and topics you write about. Can you talk about how your relationship with Jesus has impacted your life and business over the years? Accepted Christ at 9 years old after growing up in Christian home Got a little off track early in business and caring only about himself and stuff But after going through struggles and then ultimately the car accident, radically transformed his mindset from taker to giver, humbling himself and trying to life not a successful life but a life of significance. Faith is priority: number one. Can’t separate business and faith. Don’t force anything on people, but be genuine to who you are and what you stand for. Where can people go to connect with you and find out more about the book? All major bookstores and viewfromthetop.com/book; Email on Twitter for all contact/resources and mastermind groups Thank Yous/Acknowledgements: / – music . Jonathan Davis – production – voice over /episode/index/show/allstarleaderpodcast/id/5855081

Episode 059 - The Leadership Playbook Author Jamy Bechler 10/12/2017

Episode 059 - The Leadership Playbook Author Jamy Bechler Introduction: Hey everyone and welcome to the All-Star Leader Podcast, where together we learn about leadership from the best and brightest, and keep it fun by connecting it to our passion for sports! I’m your host Daniel Hare, and I am excited to say that we are back! I hope you had a great summer and are as fired up as I am to hear more insightful leadership lessons through the prism of sports. Today we are fortunate to visit with Jamy Bechler. You might remember Jamy was a guest on episode 31 of the podcast, and I encourage if you didn’t catch that episode to pause this one, go back and listen to episode 31, and then come back to this conversation. We’re going to skip through much of the typical intro/bio since we all know Jamy and get right into his new book, The Leadership Playbook: Become Your Team’s Most Valuable Leader. The book shot up to #1 New Release on Amazon’s list of basketball coaching books, and #2 in the category overall. This is Jamy Bechler. Jamy welcome back to the show! Interview Questions: How have you been and what have you been up to over the summer? 7/25 – book came out Family moved from Atlanta to Akron, OH Conferences Tell us about how the book came to be. Where did the idea come from? How long did you work on it?, etc. Last year was his first as a leadership trainer/speaker and figuring out how to be an entrepreneur/self-employed Figured out how to create a work environment that worked for him Put together an editing/advising team to help re-write and edit the book Had been writing the book over two years by way of giving speeches to student-athletes Who is the book for, and what are you hoping the reader will take away from the book? For the benefit of student-athletes and would love them to read it But recognizes that young people don’t read as much, so the book is designed in a way to appeal to them (each chapter has a specific story tied to it) Wants to impact them in a way a coach/parent would want them to These student-athletes are our future leaders, and what are we doing to help them Ronald Reagan – “you can’t do everything but you can do something.” How did you decide to publish the book? Self-publishing because you have more control and it is less expensive Traditional doesn’t really make sense unless you are a big-time author Spent time figuring out what the actual product would look like (study book v. actual book etc.) Added handouts and materials to an online resource for practical application There is a paperback and kindle version The cover is a photo of Indiana Wesleyan basketball Right out of the gate in chapter one you talk about positional leadership, and how successful teams can’t/don’t rely on just that type of leadership. Can you explain what positional leadership is, relative to other types of leadership, and why it’s important to have the other? Positional leadership – upper classmen, captains, star players, coaches – if your organization is set up to rely on those people for leadership, it can be used as a crutch by the other people who aren’t expected to lead All players should think/believe they are a leader Telling the positional people you have to be THE leader But also telling everyone else you have to be A leader The numbers dictate that the non-positional leaders can have a significant impact on their teams Kevin Durant speech showed how it is important to recognize your platform and take advantage of the opportunity to lead in a positive manner You said something in chapter two about integrity that caught my eye. You said, “integrity is the sum total of all our everyday choices.” What did you mean by that? When looking at building blocks to be a leader, integrity has to be there before anything else We make choices every day that impact our integrity Sports not only builds character; it also reveals character Legendary golfer Bobby Jones story about taking a penalty when nobody but him had seen it; as he was later praised, he said you might as well praise me for not robbing a bank today. – that’s integrity. As a leader, people will follow you if they see you have integrity and you are who you say you are Building on that idea, you have an encouragement in the book for those who don’t feel their position or status provides people for them to influence. What would/do you say to that person? You won’t always be able to person to influence the star, especially if you are the last person on the bench; but you can be a friend. And though you may not be able to influence the star, you can influence those right next to you (i.e. your friends on the team); they can influence others and eventually you can influence the positional leaders Harriet Tubman example – not a positional leader at all, but able to influence the people around her to the point she had a tremendous impact on people’s lives. Later in the book you give an example talking about former Arizona walk-on basketball player and current Georgia Tech head coach Josh Pastner. Can you tell that story for us? Came to Arizona as a walk on, but was friends with Bibby, Simon, Dickerson and Terry – all NBA guys. He had a key to the gym, and late at night he would get them in and rebound for them; he built them up by saying they were going to win a championship and be talked about. They won the national title in 1997 His secret was adding value and helping the starters get better (Daniel) we may experience seasons of leading from different places – now Josh does have positional leadership Jason Terry went from a sixth-man on the Arizona team to a star, to a solid NBA player to a star player and is now more of a role player. But very respected by the NBA community. Can you speak to the power of patience? Chapter Four on Leading Yourself is full of great examples of patience paying off; would you share one or two? Not sure if any of us are good at patience Leading yourself has to come before leading others, and patience is a key Luck = opportunity + preparation Bill Walsh with the 49ers had a player who would get frustrated because they weren’t making progress – won very few games. But they went from being the worst 2-14 team ever to the best 2-14 team ever. The rest is history. You talk about the impact Larry Fitzgerald’s work ethic had on others in the Arizona Cardinal’s lockerroom in Chapter Five: Leading Others. Tell us more about that, and in particular, encourage the quite/introverted types in the audience who might be feeling like they can’t lead because they aren’t the dynamic, loud, public speaking type. Great example of someone who provides a great example Goes about his business First one there/last to leave/dives for balls/ plays the way you want stars to Doesn’t do a lot of the talking, but lets his actions speak But don’t let your introversion be a crutch to give you permission not to talk; be a verbal leader with those close to you who you talk most with Where can people go to connect with you and find out more about the book? – bulk orders; additional resources as well Thank Yous/Acknowledgements: / – music . Jonathan Davis – production – voice over /episode/index/show/allstarleaderpodcast/id/5832789

Episode 058 - Orlando Magic Co-Founder and VP Pat Williams 07/20/2017

Episode 058 - Orlando Magic Co-Founder and VP Pat Williams Pat shares his wisdom on the topics of leadership, parenting and how to accomplish your goals by prioritizing them! Introduction: Hey everyone and welcome to the All-Star Leader Podcast, where together we learn about leadership from the best and brightest, and keep it fun by connecting it to our passion for sports! I’m your host Daniel Hare, and today we have with us a giant in the sports and leadership space. I could probably fill an entire episode with just his introduction, but instead I’ll be brief now and let you hear more of his bio throughout the interview. Pat Williams is the co-founder and senior vice president of the NBA’s Orlando Magic, author of more than 100 books, a former GM for several NBA franchises, the father of 19 children (14 adopted), a U.S. Army veteran and former professional baseball player, and much more if you can believe it! In 2015 he authored 21 Great Leaders: Learn Their Lessons, Improve Your Influence, and we’re going to dive into that one today. His most recent work was released in January titled The Success Intersection: What Happens When Your Talent Meets Your Passion. This is Pat Williams; hey Pat thanks so much for coming on the show! Interview Questions: Before we get too deep into the substance of your incredible contributions to the topic of leadership, after briefly letting our audience know who you are and what you’ve done, I have to ask whether you’ve found an extra 12 hours in the day the rest of us weren’t aware of, and if not, how do you manage to successfully take on all that you do both in your work and personal life? Prioritizing and self-discipline Sleep 8 hours; 16 hours left and you can get a lot done if you don’t watch TV, play golf or fish Stay closely focused on those things of vital importance: (for him) reading, writing and speaking, family Many distractions, so self-discipline is the key; saying no to things that are good but not great; learn to say no I want to spend much of our time on your book (Affiliate Link). First, this book is framed around what you call the seven sides of leadership, which are Vision, Communication, People Skills, Character, Competence, Boldness, and A Serving Heart. We’ll get into each specifically in a moment, but how did you come to identify those seven, and what would have been the eighth (i.e. who missed the cut?!)? As he began to read and study great leaders, it was amazing how there were seven ingredients/qualities that the great leaders possessed (Lincoln, Washington, MLK…) This is the centerpiece of his writing and speaking Underneath those seven, there are sub-points, but he addresses them as part of the seven Let’s talk about Vision. Here you profile Walt Disney, Nelson Mandela and Steve Jobs. I was struck by how you described Nelson Mandela’s unwavering commitment to his vision of a unified South Africa, and yet at the same time his flexibility and even willingness to change his mind on (my words) “the how.” The example you gave was his views on economic policy. Could you talk about vision and what it means to hold true to it while maintaining flexibility on how we get there? Every great leader is driven and moved and held firm by a vision The vision keeps them going During the eight years of the revolutionary war, George Washington had a vision of a new nation independent of Great Britain Lincoln’s vision: one nation Churchill's vision: a world free of Nazi tyranny MLK: world where we are judged by the character in our heart and not the color of our skin This drives them and doesn’t let them quit Walt Disney another great example; he had a vision of another theme park in the eastern U.S.; didn’t live to see it but his vision made it happen “He saw it; that’s why it’s here.” Encourages leaders to think hard about the vision Sticking with Vision, you talk about the vision of Steve Jobs which vaulted him to the all-time leader he was, but at the same time how he was hampered by his lack of the other sides of leadership in the way he treated people. What should we learn from someone like a Steve Jobs? No question he was a visionary Also no question he could be rough on people All in all he could imagine things that were not there; he had flaws/faults, but our world has been changed by his vision He had weak areas in other leadership sides, but his vision was so big that he belonged in the group. Moving on to People Skills, I thought the peak into how Sam Walton led his company was inspiring. Can you share about his management by walking around style and the importance of how he interacted with his employees? He was just a regular guy with a store But he had big goals and dreams He would go out and visit competing stores and bring back the good ideas and implement them “Communicate as much as you can with your associates; the more you communicate, the more they understand; the more they understand the more they care; once they care there is no stopping them.” – Sam Walton “Amazing what people can accomplish when they feel good about themselves.” – Sam Walton They still try to emulate what Sam wanted done in the early days; it’s harder now with how large the company is. When discussing the fourth side of leadership, Character, you featured George Washington. In today’s political climate, I find it refreshing and hopeful to consider his rise to the presidency and how he comported himself while in office. What should we take away from Washington when evaluating and working on our own character? When looking at the two most important periods in the country’s history (Revolutionary War and Civil War), it’s a gift from God that we had Washington and Lincoln – men of great character. They weren’t flawless, but they were of humble spirit, honest, had integrity. Washington was a farmer at heart; but his nation needed him He was always out among the troops He would have been content to go back to the farm after the war, but the nation called again He could have continued another eighth years, but he was done. He set the precedent for what an American president should be Incredible how books keep coming out about Washington; just study him for a year and go visit Mount Vernon and you’ll be inspired. Listeners you were challenged Sticking with military leaders, Dwight Eisenhower was an example of the fifth side of leadership, Competence. Encouraging was the story of how he was essentially undervalued/used while working under General Douglas MacAurther, but worked hard to learn his craft before then rapidly moving up the ranks under Army Chief of Staff George Marshall. Speak if you could to those of us who might be feeling like Eisenhower must have during those years? Eisenhower knew he had skill/talent and that he should be moving at a faster clip He respected MacAurther, but was frustrated as well Promoted and moved into key role of overseeing the war in Europe (though Marshall should have had that role, but FDR couldn’t let Marshall leave his side during that time). George Marshall was a humble giant to allow Eisenhower to flourish The final side of leadership you discuss is A Serving Heart. What I was reminded of in this section was how serving others is not weak nor is it for the faint of heart. Mother Teresa displayed boldness, shrewdness and tenacity that we might not immediately think of when we hear her name. Can you talk about why adopting a serving mindset is so important, and how Mother Teresa paired it with such strength? The mindset of a serving hearted leader: it’s not about me, it’s about you; it’s not about building my resume, it’s about building yours; it’s not about my success, it’s about the success of the company/organization; that’s how a serving hearted leader thinks. Jesus, Ghandi, Wilberforce, MLK, Billy Graham, Eleanor Roosevelt, John Wooden all led with this mindset This is a leadership quality we all can practice All seven sides need to be there: “Seven things one must do to be a leader right and true: have vision that is strong and clear, communicate so they can here, have people skills based in love, and character that’s far in love, the competence to solve and teach, and boldness that has fearless reach, a serving heart that stands close by, to help, assist and edify.” Something that struck me from the book was how many of these great leaders had experiences or people in their lives as very young children, which made an impression on them that led to their eventual greatness. Bill Gates’ opportunity to learn computing through the foresight and donations of the Lakeside Mothers Club is just one example. How should we as parents and citizens think about our responsibility to inspire and empower our children? We do have an enormous impact on our children Must constantly invest in them and get them ready Book: (Affiliate Link) – adults are investing in the lives of youngsters getting them ready for a life to leadership. This will change the way you parent, coach and teach. Every leader we write about had a key person at some step along the way that was a big influence on them. Is it true there is a poem that ties the seven sides of leadership together? Would you mind sharing it with us? In response to the question what is the secret of success, you said “When your greatest talent intersects with your strongest passion, you’ve discovered your sweet spot in life.” That really is the jumping off point for your latest book (Affiliate Link). Tell us what we can expect to learn about our talents and passions in this book. We’re all asked, what’s your secret of success? Pat says when your greatest talent intersects with your greatest passion, you have found your sweet spot in life. That’s where you want to stay; that’s where you want to get your education. The younger in life you can figure this out the better. My final question before we end our time with rapid fire: I am a husband and father of three kids 5, 3 and 2. Your best advice for success at home? Your kids need your time; need you to be involved in their life Must find the right balance between love and discipline: too much discipline you’ll crush them; all love/no discipline and the kids will run wild Very early you have to break their will without breaking their spirit. They have to know they are not running the show and are not in charge. A child running around without an unbroken will is an absolute nightmare; but not their spirit. A kid’s spirit is what makes them unique special and creative. They must also follow teaches, coaches, authority and not think they are running the place At 18 they leave: we’re preparing them for an independent life. They are going to college, the military or working. They are not going to stay at home, play video games and live off mom/dad. He stressed this to his kids early on. (Don’t spring this on them during their senior year; start at age five with what happens out of school). One of his boys came to him at 25 and said he wanted to live at home and save money; Pat said it’s a great idea and he wants to find someone to pick up his rent as well; so it was a no. That was the last kid to ask that. Rapid Fire Questions (one word/phrase answers) Name one trait or characteristic you want to see in a colleague. Honesty What habit has been key to your success? Self-discipline Most important app or productivity tool? (Real) books Resource recommendation (book, podcast, etc.) Lincoln’s Lieutenants; Revolution of Robert Kennedy; Coach Bruce Aryan’s The Quarterback Whisperer; The Streak He tries to finish one book a day Thanks Jeff Brown from the Read to Lead Podcast for connecting Pat and me! One bit of parting advice for our audience? Read an hour a day from a book your interested in Do this for a year and that’s 52 books you’ll read After 10 years, that’s 520 books. If you read the right five books in any one subject, you’ll be considered a world leading authority in that subject. So you can be an authority in over 100 subjects if you do this. Where can people go to access your books, and where can they connect with you (social media, etc.)? (Affiliate Link) (Affiliate Link) Thank Yous/Acknowledgements: / – music . Jonathan Davis – production – voice over /episode/index/show/allstarleaderpodcast/id/5557131

Episode 057 - Daniel dives into the book The Ideal Team Player by Pat Lencioni 07/06/2017

Episode 057 - Daniel dives into the book The Ideal Team Player by Pat Lencioni How to ensure you hire, retain and develop ideal team players, by making sure they are hungry, humble and smart. pisode Notes, Links and Resources What are the "?" Dysfunction #1: Absence of Trust The fear of being vulnerable with team members prevents the building of trust within the team. Dysfunction #2: Fear of Conflict The desire to preserve artificial harmony stifles the occurrence of productive ideological conflict. Dysfunction #3: Lack of Commitment The lack of clarity or buy-in prevents team members from making decisions they will stick to. Dysfunction #4: Avoidance of Accountability The need to avoid interpersonal discomfort prevents team members from holding one another accountable. Dysfunction #5: Inattention to Results The pursuit of individual goals and personal status erodes the focus on collective success. What are the three characteristics of "?" Humble - Ideal team players are humble. They lack excessive ego or concerns about status. Humble people are quick to point out the contributions of others and slow to seek attention for their own. They share credit, emphasize team over self and define success collectively rather than individually. Hungry - Ideal team players are hungry. They are always looking for more. More things to do. More to learn. More responsibility to take on. Hungry people almost never have to be pushed by a manager to work harder because they are self-motivated and diligent. They are constantly thinking about the next step and the next opportunity. Smart - Ideal team players are smart. They have common sense about people. Smart people tend to know what is happening in a group situation and how to deal with others in the most effective way. They have good judgment and intuition around the subtleties of group dynamics and the impact of their words and actions. What does it look like when team members have one of the three? What does it looks like when team members have two of the three? How can you identify candidates who are humble, hungry and smart in the hiring process? By asking specific questions in the interview for the purpose of learning whether the candidate possesses each trait. Resources (AFFILIATE) (AFFILIATE) (free tools and resources including , , the and more). Thank Yous/Acknowledgements: / – music . Jonathan Davis – production – voice over /episode/index/show/allstarleaderpodcast/id/5511573

Episode 056 - Executive Director at The Center for Sport Leadership Dr. Carrie LeCrom 06/29/2017

Episode 056 - Executive Director at The Center for Sport Leadership Dr. Carrie LeCrom Introduction: Hey everyone and welcome to the All-Star Leader Podcast, where together we learn about leadership from the best and brightest, and keep it fun by connecting it to our passion for sports! I’m your host Daniel Hare, and today we are privileged to be joined by the Executive Director of the Center for Sports Leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University, Dr. Carrie LeCrom. Dr. LeCrom has published in a number of academic journals including the Journal of Sport Management and Sport in Society, and much of her research centers around the role of sport in diplomacy and developing social change. She also authored a paper in 2016 which we’ll get into titled Exploring Interactions Between NCAA Division I Athletic Directors and University Presidents: A Qualitative Study From Athletic Directors’ Perspective. Dr. LeCrom was herself a student-athlete, earning both athletic and academic All-American honors while competing in soccer at Lynchburg College. This is Dr. Carrie LeCrom; Dr. LeCrom thank you so much for joining us! Interview Questions: So first things first how much soccer do you get to play these days? Rusty Stopped playing a couple of years back; all running now As we alluded to in the intro, you’ve led some remarkable initiatives using sports as a vehicle to engage with other countries and cultures. Can you tell us more about that? One of the best parts of the job 2006 – friend brought some Ethiopia coaches to the U.S. and asked her to do some leadership training with them; taken off from there Many are funded by the State Department Four part project in August: Kazakhstan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, India (Prior episodes with guests doing international/sports work: , , ) What has been the most gratifying accomplishment or moment of those initiatives? Started as coaches training (train the trainer model) Now helping people use sports to impact their community Worked with coaches/sport administrators in South Africa Programs deal with teen pregnancy, HIV/AIDS See programs take off Working in sports has become more and more popular over the years, with graduate and undergraduate programs popping up all over the country. Tell us a bit about how you see the sports leadership/management field, and talk about what’s unique about the Sports Leadership program at VCU. Who doesn’t want to work in sports? Concerning because there are so many programs educating more students than the market can support VCU is masters/doctoral program only; so focused only on grad students, all of whom have graduate assistantships (i.e. getting hands on work experience) This makes you look better, and makes you a better candidate Make course content super practical; most students are wanting to work in the industry. Partner with organization who needs some consulting work, and turn the students into consultants. This requires students to be professional and put together a practical work product. For those listening who might be future VCU students, what traits do the successful students you have had possess, and what advice would you give them? Highly self-motivated Willing to try new things Positive/good attitude Book resource: (AFFILIATE) – nobody likes everything about their job, so how you approach those things you don’t love is really important Communicate via writing Soft skills are controllable I want to let you teach us a bit out of one of your recent publications. I mentioned in the intro you wrote an article in 2016 titled Exploring Interactions Between NCAA Division I Athletic Directors and University Presidents: A Qualitative Study From Athletic Directors’ Perspective. (); . First of all give us the broad overview of this paper, and what you were looking at. Very little research on these individuals who are the leaders of the field NCAA was moving into stronger presidential/institutional control at this time How do you create a strong relationship between presidents and ADs? Interviewed ADs for this paper; working on a second paper based on interviews with presidents (Principles applicable to various types of relationships) Something caught my eye in the context you established early on in the paper that I thought was worth exploring further before getting into the main point. Could you go into transformational leadership vs. servant leadership, and why the research points toward one in athletic directors as potentially more effective? Came from past research on college athletics She doesn’t love characterizing leadership into these defined buckets Transformational leadership focuses on the good of the organization over your own interest, whereas Servant Leadership focuses on the need of the followers Servant leadership brings more ethics and you don’t lose sight of who your serving, so this type has been shown recently as the preferred type After interviewing these ADs and analyzing their responses, there were four themes that emerged. What were the four themes and then let’s talk about each of them? Trust/Communication – It was interesting how “Walter” described developing trust/communication the same way a coach does with a kid. Can you expand on that? You can’t just give directives and expect trust to be there; rare for a coach to go into a practice and just start directing. Coaches need to establish relationship of trust and open communication before you start directing. Trust/Communication – What is the “no surprise” rule? Came up over and over again President doesn’t want to learn about some major athletics issue from someone else Don’t want president to be caught off guard by something they haven’t already heard from the AD Social media makes this a bit trickier with how fast news can fly, and it can be hard to figure out which items are big enough to share with the president. Important to communicate so they can figure out how this rule works for them. Alignment – Talk about alignment and how the ADs viewed getting on the same page with the president’s vision. Sometimes athletics gets a bad rap for being a rouge department; but every AD mentioned how athletics is just one part of the bigger picture of the university, and how they have to be in alignment with what the presidents want for the university If they know what the president wants, the AD can make better decisions Respect for expertise – What does it mean to “stay in your lane?” Another term that came up multiple times You hire me to do this job, so let me do it ADs don’t go over to the Deans and tell them how to run their colleges, and expect to be treated likewise; ADs are the experts and should be empowered to work in their lane. This goes both ways. Many campuses have a President’s Council where there is planning amongst the leaders of campus including both academics and athletics, so there can be a place for that. Formal and Informal Relationships – How were the ADs defining each type and what is important about each? Formal – AD report to president, so regular meetings and reports Informal – AD and president have a relationship outside the formal structure; play pickup basketball, meals, etc. Not necessarily friends, just more time together than what the formal structure would generally provide. What was the biggest surprise you found in this research? What are some key takeaways? Consistency of the message from the ADs Relationships are complex and are hard to implement, though the big picture might appear simple Rapid Fire Questions (one word/phrase answers) Name one trait or characteristic you want to see in a colleague. Respect for each other What habit has been key to your success? Showing up and following through / consistency and reliability are undervalued Most important app or productivity tool? Google Drive/shared drives Resource recommendation (book, podcast, etc.) One bit of parting advice for our audience? Two things she has found in successful leaders: never stop learning and value relationships over everything else Thank Yous/Acknowledgements: / – music . Jonathan Davis – production – voice over /episode/index/show/allstarleaderpodcast/id/5491123

Episode 055 - Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Commissioner Chris Graham 06/22/2017

Episode 055 - Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Commissioner Chris Graham Chris talks Division III v. Division II, treatment of officials, and the fastest growing sport. Introduction: Hey everyone and welcome to the All-Star Leader Podcast, where together we learn about leadership from the best and brightest, and keep it fun by connecting it to our passion for sports! I’m your host Daniel Hare, and today we are talking with the Commissioner of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, Chris Graham. Chris is in his fourth year at the RMAC after serving 14 years at the Midwest Conference, most recently as its Executive Director. Chris was also an all-conference baseball and basketball player at Ripon College in Ripon, WI, before beginning his journey up the college athletics ladder in the field of sports information. This is Chris Graham. Chris thanks so much for coming on the show! Interview Questions: Tell us first about Ripon College. How did you get there and what was the experience like? Harrison Ford is most famous alum Small/private liberal arts college; in the Midwest Conference Rich athletic tradition; worked on campus there for several years before getting into conference work You’ve now had significant experience at both the Division II and Division III level. What distinguishes the two, and if you were looking to advance in a college athletics career, how would you go about determining which was best suited for you? Very different from D1 where money and legal issues prevail Some anonymity depending on where you are, though Division II more and more has exposure through television and being the largest school in its region. Amateurism works and is special and there’s a place for it. D3 and D2 are secure in that; the partial athletic scholarship model of Division II sets it apart. Tweet which said D3 athletes should stop talking about accepting offers, but in fact that is what they are doing, even though there isn’t athletic scholarship. There is plenty of opportunity for financial aid, including academic. Most parents putting money into summer and club sports for their young kids are not going to see a return on that investment, and would be better off pursuing academic aid. Creates an identity for the young person defined entirely by their sport. Among the various schools and athletic departments you have the opportunity to observe over the years, what are some of the traits you’ve noticed in those who are regularly successful? Take the finance piece out of it Someone who can inspire, who has a consistent model they believe in, and can get kids to believe in you and your system Believe/trust in their people You sell folks on the opportunity to do something special You began your career in the sports information / media relations side of the house. And now with social/digital media there is both pressure to and opportunity in shifting skills, resources and priorities to those emerging tools and platforms. How have you seen that play out in your conference office as well as on campuses from a culture change standpoint, and what can our audience learn about how best to address a changing landscape? When he started in D3 he used a mimeograph Now infographics are big; get photo from website, add graphics, etc. The student-athletes deserve that You almost have to have a full-time video person in the office, but few have the resources to do that. Good but challenging stress on campus sports information departments because of the new tools Control and target your content; getting it out in greater depth with the audience. Dallas Stars guy was let go from ESPN and is now doing content directly for the Stars When you first became the Commissioner of the Midwest Conference, what was the most important initiative or goal you pursued and how did you accomplish it? First full-time employee the league had ever had Goal to get policies/procedures that would enhance student-athlete experience at events, etc. Same question but at the RMAC. Different situation Things were in pretty good shape; did want to attack issues with officiating; Similar concerns across the division at other conferences; lack of people willing to do it and not enough training; Think about how we treat officials…do we treat anyone else or any other profession that way Our expectations are too high for officials; we expect them to be perfect; and even more than that, we don’t know what the right call is but think we do (How are you treating people; that’s really what this is about) Something I like to ask all our guests who have worked in conference offices: how do you go about getting individual schools to put their own best interest aside for the greater good of the conference? (if at all?!) Delicate process Fortunate to have good presidents and ADs who are reasonable and buy in Make sure that everyone understands the conference mission statement and values; mission statement is on the back of name tents Ask the question: what are we here for? Can’t we agree on…? ADs have to advocate for their coaches and programs, but then look at the best interest of the conference. Flip the roles and consider whether you would go for what the other coach/program is saying Before we wind up with our rapid fire questions, I do want to ask you about the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association. How did you get involved with that and what does the organization do? Can you speak to the growth trajectory of lacrosse and where it’s heading as a sport over the next 10 to 20 years? Fastest growing sports on the women’s side Officials needed! Five rapid fire questions Name one trait or characteristic you look for when you hire someone. commitment What habit has been key to your success? listening Most important app or productivity tool? Jpeg to PDF app: camera 2 PDF Resource recommendation (book, podcast, etc.) on Twitter One parting bit of advice for our audience? It’s a game. Find Chris on Twitter at . Thank Yous/Acknowledgements: / – music . Jonathan Davis – production – voice over /episode/index/show/allstarleaderpodcast/id/5470825

Episode 054 - Antioch Community Church Pastor Vincent Carpenter 06/15/2017

Episode 054 - Antioch Community Church Pastor Vincent Carpenter Vincent and I talk about goal setting, engaging one another in community, and the impact of former Baylor football coach Grant Teaff. Introduction: Hey everyone and welcome to today’s episode of the All-Star Leader Podcast, where together we learn about leadership from the best and brightest, and keep it fun by connecting it to our passion for sports! I’m Daniel Hare, and today we are blessed to be joined by a former collegiate football and track & field standout turned pastor Vincent Carpenter. Vincent spent his early career working in a variety of roles at his alma mater Baylor University before returning to school to pursue full-time ministry, which he has done for the past 12 years at my home church, Antioch Community Church in Waco, TX. Vincent is a faith-filled teacher, communicator, organizer and most of all, a leader. This is Vincent Carpenter. Hey Vincent thank you for being with us today! Interview Questions: Vincent most of the people listening right now are not familiar with you or your story, so if you could take just a few minutes and tell us a bit about who you are, where you’re from and what you do. From La Marque, TX Mom involved in local church so met Jesus there Football/Track too at La Marque High School; led to Baylor scholarship Grew in faith at Baylor Went home right after college to work as a sports reporter, but then returned to Baylor Bi-vocational during those years You were a high school athlete and then a two-sport college athlete. What lessons did you learn playing sports that continue to impact how you lead today? Goalsetting: putting them down on paper; intermediary steps to get there Discipline of staying on a routine Whenever disciplined in one area of life, disciplined in others (Goalsetting tips) Accountability – even the most motivated of us tend to fall away from goals, so find someone likeminded to help you Flexibility/variation – circumstances and things in life might change, and having a check-in period every now and then will help you stay on course for the goal rather than give up after three months when you’ve missed a timeline. That also keeps the goals fresh. In Track/Field, results were a little more under his control, but in team sports, ministry and many others are not in your control. So while you might have a goal/result, the process and what is happening in the moment will be more important to God, while we are thinking about the end result. As much or more satisfaction in the workouts and getting ready to compete than the actual games. The process and moment by moment experience was the most impactful. What former coach of yours do you most admire and why? Baylor football coach Grant Teaff He is the same person up close as what you see in the media He taught Vincent about goal setting He put big expectations on the team, and then laid out a plan to get there “I Believe” () is an autobiography that illustrates how he walks the talk After loss to Georgia, went to USC and Coach Teaff believed they could win; Baylor did win; it struck Vincent that he really believed and had confidence, and it spread to the players. During and immediately after college you pursued the journalism and communications field. What attracted you to that area and what skills did you develop that you still rely on today? As a freshman, he started off pursuing photography. Baylor didn’t have that major, but a journalism program did have some photography classes He had been good in English and could write, so it made sense First job out of college he worked at a small town newspaper; did everything (wrote, took pictures, etc. and covered the school board and did obituaries). The education writing that he did helped prepare him for the next step As he was praying about his next steps, a postman knocked on the door and had a letter from Baylor asking him to apply for an education writing position (perhaps a professor had recommended him). ( reference about how we may not see how something we’re doing now is preparing us for the future) – Vincent did a lot of interaction with a community, learned about communicating with parents, etc. Ministry is really a second career for you. Talk to us a bit about your journey through your first career on staff at Baylor and how you came to the realization that God was calling you into full-time ministry. Had been serving in churches while working at Baylor Got talked into being a youth pastor But was also pursuing graduate school at Baylor in order to advance in his role there. He got a great new administration job, moved into a nice new office and thought he was set for life. As soon as he thought that, he had an encounter with God and felt like He was saying “Baylor is not your security blanket.” Which was tough because he was going to put his kids through school at Baylor and everything else, but ultimately he recognized he could trust God with his life and his family. Baylor had been pushing a theme of students thinking about their job/career as a calling, and that was what Vincent was sharing with students in his role as an advisor. But at the same time he wasn’t applying the same standard to himself. When he went to his wife to ask about going to seminary he was worried because they had already spent time/money on graduate school, and now to go back for more was a big commitment. Your boss and our pastor Jimmy Seibert was on episode eight of the show last fall. How did you first meet Jimmy and how did it come to pass that he wound up hiring you to join the leadership at Antioch. Vincent’s academic advisor at Baylor Ed Mooney would ask students to write on an index card anything he could do for them or that they wanted to accomplish. The thing Vincent wrote was to grow in his walk with God, and the advisor suggested a discipleship group. The advisor really invested in Vincent. He introduced him to a man named Bill Adams with Athletes-In-Action. Did a sports outreach in Ulan-Ude, Russia and ran into Antioch missionaries, including pastor Jimmy Seibert Once Vincent’s transition career transition started, he really felt drawn to a diverse congregation But there was one step in between; before he had found a full-time ministry position, he received a job offer to do sports ministry/chaplain. But his mentor Bill Adams through him off by saying he shouldn’t do the sports position but rather should become a church planter. Meanwhile Bill was talking to Jimmy about finding a place for Vincent, which soon happened. God uses people around us to guide and direct our lives. During your time at Antioch, the church as grown at a rapid pace to its current 4500 weekly attendance. And I think many of us experience challenges when trying to lead through a growth phase of any entity or organization. What is the biggest challenge from a leadership standpoint you have faced in the midst of that growth, and how are you working through it? Antioch is very broad and diverse across all categories; this is great, but it also makes it more difficult to land one message that has an impact The diversity also requires many more ministries to serve the needs of the different people groups Back in the day, the rule was don’t have back to back weekends when we’re inviting people to the church. Now the rule is same day! He has really learned to hear God in the moment, because when there are many competing interests and viewpoints, how else are you going to make a decision?! Be sensitive to the still, quiet voice of God (Successes in establishing values/culture) – Jimmy’s gift is as a visionary, while Vincent is an organizer/administrator. Bill Hybels says “vision leaks.” Always important to be reminded of the purpose. If things aren’t going right, tactics/process shouldn’t be the first place to look; make sure people are clear on the vision We’re all part of God’s process; he wants us to partner with him. Part of being a great leader is the ability to communicate. You are clearly an excellent communicator; what tips can you share on how to improve our communication skills? Pray like it depends on God and prepare like it depends on you Also important to have a team around you that helps bring the message to life (Who do you have around you?!) One of your primary charges over the years has been regarding community engagement. Can you speak to what you’re seeing in our culture today when it comes to person-to-person interaction, caring for people around us, and how we can practically engage in our own communities? The old days we might remember as better, though it was really just different We can communicate through social media Antioch moved into a specific, low-income and disadvantaged neighborhood in order to have relationship with people Whether we have more neighborhood time or not, the issue is how we value people. It might seem like talking through a smartphone isn’t as good, but it can be if we value the other person. The Community Feast ministry is a good example because there we invite people from all over the neighborhood for a meal and to hear about Jesus, and even after the food is long gone and message is over, the people still hang around because they are starving for community. So volunteer role is not just to serve a meal, but to listen to people and their story. Five rapid fire questions: Name one trait or characteristic you want to see in a colleague. Responsibility What habit has been key to your success? Discipline Most important app or productivity tool? Outlook A resource recommendation (book/podcast/etc.) (AFFILIATE) One sentence of advice for our audience of leaders? God loves us, partners with us and wants to speak with us and be with us on a day to day basis, and in the day to day grind of life; letting God be part of that is critical to life success. Thank Yous/Acknowledgements: / – music . Jonathan Davis – production – voice over /episode/index/show/allstarleaderpodcast/id/5450303

Episode 053 - Anchor Up Author and Former Grand Valley AD Tim Selgo 06/08/2017

Episode 053 - Anchor Up Author and Former Grand Valley AD Tim Selgo Tim returns to the show to talk about his new book Anchor Up, which details five key steps to leading a successful organization. Introduction: Hey everyone and welcome to the All-Star Leader Podcast, where together we learn about leadership from the best and brightest, and keep it fun by connecting it to our passion for sports! I’m your host Daniel Hare, and today we have our first returning guest on the show. Former Director of Athletics at Grand Valley State University Tim Selgo appeared on Episode 007 of the podcast, and he is back to talk about his new book Anchor Up: Competitive Greatness The Grand Valley Way. This is Tim Selgo; hey Tim welcome back to the show! Interview Questions: Before we jump into the book remind our listeners who you are and what you’re up to. Retired July 2016 after 20 years as AD at Grand Valley; former coach prior to that Ready for second career: Athletics Staffing and Consulting, author, speaker and teacher Now has four grandkids so that’s his other role – Tim’s first visit to the show Let’s get right into the book because there is a ton you’ve packed in here that I think is just gold. First, why did you decide to write the book, and what is it you are hoping to accomplish? There was a story to tell after 15 years as the dominant Division II program Wanted to write the story of building the program Audience is anyone in athletics, as well as anyone leading/managing an organization Really a book about leadership and about how to build a team and lead the team We should mention that the foreword is provided by the former football coach at Grand Valley and the current Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly. He talks about the vision you had for Grand Valley Athletics; could you share with us the importance of vision and how we can find one and communicate it? Step One – must establish a vision of what you want to accomplish Athletics is nice because there’s a built in measure of success Grand Valley had been described as a sleeping giant before he got there; it had not won the president’s cup (the conference all-sports trophy) since 1979 Won it in 1999 and haven’t lost it since Important about vision: how are we going to get there? Focus on process. Three fundamentals: 1) create best learning environment possible; 2) challenge teams to competitive greatness (best effort/best performance when it is most needed – direct from John Wooden’s pyramid of success); and 3) commit the energy necessary for success. (How to handle skeptics to the vision) – stay focused on the process not the result. Build the vision around the process; what’s going to happen daily. A large portion of the book is divided into what you call The Five Leadership Steps. We already talked a bit about vision, which is the first. So let’s talk about the remaining four: Number Two: Align your vision with that of your company or organization – what do we need to know about that? Two examples: a) before you take a position with an organization, you have to do your homework and learn everything you can about that organization. At Grand Valley, the president had a vision for the university regarding students living on campus that Tim bought into and fit his values as well; and a vision for raising academic standards, which Tim was able to get an academic advisor to go along with them; and b) his wife had to sync up her values/goals as an injectionist with a clinic. Number three: Set ambitious yet realistic goals and expectations. What do you mean by that and how do we balance this with dreaming / long-term vision? “When you’re through improving, you through.” Doesn’t buy into the shoot for the stars approach to goal setting; it needs to be achievable in someone’s mind Never set a goal such as winning a national championship or the Director’s Cup (there’s too much subjectivity in that); but if get to the tournament, goal to advance as far as possible (Talk about the faculty member who freaked out when they didn’t win the Director’s Cup) – finished second by just a few crazy last minute circumstances, so Tim was not disappointed. But a sign of respect/compliment that the program was at that point of high expectations. Number Four: Surround yourself with good people. How are you defining good? And how do you go about ensuring you attract and retain good people. You should be an expert of the organization; freedom in not worrying about what other people (students/parents) High character and hardworking is key Find out what they have done (not philosophy); tell us what you’ve done in the past to make us believe you’re the person to fix out problem. Usually best to hire people on their way up when they’re hungry for a new challenge Example of hiring women’s soccer coach Dave Dilanni from the high school ranks who is not the head coach at Iowa Example of Jerry Baltes who coaches track/field/cross-country; positive energy; Tim recruited he and his family every day to keep him from leaving Commitment from the top will help you keep great people Number Five: Earn trust from those you report to and those who report to you. How do we go about that? Develop and grow relationships; people make you successful This is true in athletics and business People produce and sell products Must show genuine care/concern for people Wanted to take athletics off the plate of his president/vice-president so they could enjoy it; but also stood up for the people below him with the leadership which built trust with the people below Must be honest and forthright Must have courage to stand up for moral right/wrong – example about applying new/extra scholarship dollars to current athletes rather than new recruits (leadership didn’t understand this at first). But Tim was ready to walk away from the additional dollars. Many times people want to earn fame rather than respect; don’t be like that. Where can people go to get the book, and where can they connect with you (social media, etc.)? (affiliate) : the first five to tweet at both @timselgo and @DanielHare that you want the book you’ll get it as a gift! Thank Yous/Acknowledgements: / – music . Jonathan Davis – production – voice over /episode/index/show/allstarleaderpodcast/id/5429507

Episode 052 - Daniel's High School Football Coach Blair Philbrick 06/01/2017

Episode 052 - Daniel's High School Football Coach Blair Philbrick Coach Philbrick talks 1995 Edmond Santa Fe football, how to overcome adversity, and making where you're at the "big-time." Introduction: Hey everyone and welcome to the All-Star Leader Podcast, where together we learn about leadership from the best and brightest, and keep it fun by connecting it to our passion for sports! I’m your host Daniel Hare, and today is an extra special episode. We’re joined today by my high school football coach Blair Philbrick. Coach Philbrick led the Santa Fe High School Wolves to an 11-2 record and the state semi-finals in 1995, before moving on to coach at several other high schools. He then jumped back to the college level at the University of Tulsa and University of Pittsburgh. In 2012 he left athletics for private business where he has served as a corporate executive coach and a sales director. This is Coach Blair Philbrick. Hey Coach thank you so much for joining us! Interview Questions: Let’s start off by talking about the really important stuff: 1995 Santa Fe High School football. What jumps into your mind when you reflect on that season? Was kind of a Remember the Titans type season Still just a brand new school and this was his first head job, so not being sure if he was ready to be a head coach We had a little chip on our shoulder after dividing Edmond into three high schools and wanting to establish who we were When did you know we had something special, and what was it that made that team special? University of Tulsa team camp; really bonded After week one when we lost our starting tailback Ben Satterfield for the season, and how the team responded to that adversity; lost two other key players soon after Even as we were winning, it seemed like we faced significant adversity nearly every week particularly with devastating injuries. What do you remember about that and how did you approach getting us through it? Great coaching staff that was always positive Rory Laisle’s injury (severed pancreas) was life/death; lost John Hoeh to a knee injury as well Important to prepare for the adversity, so when it comes it isn’t surprising There was a level of naivety he had that we were going to keep going and nothing could happen to us that would cap our potential Awesome to have Rory come back to kick extra points in the playoffs (Daniel: that youth/inexperience/naivety from coach was never felt by the players – we were bought in and assumed he knew what he was doing because it sure looked like he believed it!) He credits the coaching staff which he really relied on; great collaboration and ownership for each coach to coach their own position (Daniel: also faced adversity late in the year when taking our first loss after nine straight wins to open the season) Treated that final regular season game week as a special one; charter bus, etc.; and got it handed to us! Maybe the best lesson prior to the playoffs First playoff game was crazy; significant weather change from 2:30pm (65 F) and then at kickoff it was a blizzard. Got down 10-0 at half before rallying in the second half to win 20-10. We blocked what seemed like a ridiculous number of extra points and field goals; one in particular which essentially led to a come-from-behind first round playoff game. How did we do that?! We blocked eleven kicks that year Had made special teams a priority; given equal time in practice Bryan Houck had a knack for it Season ended with semi-final loss to Lawton McArthur Coach learned a lesson about not overcoaching and changing up what was working Feels responsible (Daniel: If you’re a coach, hopefully this conversation reminds you of the impact you have on young people and the great work you’re doing.) Okay let’s back up a bit and give our audience some context. Tell us a bit about how/where you grew up, and how you got into football and coaching? Fortunate to grow up in a great home; father retired Air Force pilot who taught him well Knew early on that he wanted to be a coach Played five sports in Altus, OK before football/track at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. Taught high school science Raised a family (kids are 27 and 24) Had a Forest Gump life; lots of amazing experiences with amazing people Faith/family has been key You went from coaching in college to coaching in high school, then back to college. Talk to us about the major differences and what you enjoyed most about each. The difference between college and high school is the skill level The transitions back and forth weren’t too difficult Players at each level wanted the same things, and the coaches were faced with many of the same things The “big-time” is where you’re at (i.e. don’t worry about what level you’re at). (Daniel: how to do this) – Be the hardest worker and trust that the future/career will take care of itself Enjoyed building relationships with players at all levels; guys who have gone on to the NFL will tell him their favorite time in football was high school. You had the opportunity to work closely with Millennials and Gen-Zers. We know what’s written and said about them, but I’m wondering what your first-hand experience has been. Didn’t see a change in players from one generation to the next Always great energy Most of what has happened is parenting has changed – kids have been great Be positive/relatable, and learn about your people on a personal level Special questions from former Santa Fe players! Bobby Soltani – The ability to adapt to change is something great leaders tend to have in common. How did your approach to coaching or your coaching style change over the years? Adapt and understand what is important to your organization/players Know your team and have the willingness to want to get to know them Watch other leaders and observe how they adapt to change. (Daniel: did you ever have to change up your coaching style as the game changed) – Defining moment when he recognized the power running game was no longer the most effective strategy and had to adapt. Bryan Dearing – What advice or stories do you tell athletes who are not starters yet but could be? How do you help them reach that goal? One day Bryan asked coach to take him home from practice one day, and he used the opportunity to ask coach what he needs to do in order to play Coach said you have to prepare for a moment that may never come; and then one week later an injury created an opportunity for Bryan to start, which he did the rest of the year (at 5’7”, 140 lbs.) Jake Turner – What would you tell parents who are concerned about their children’s safety playing football? Wish we could evolve football to a place with equipment/tech that would make the game safer But players are faster, bigger and stronger, and the physics of the collisions are tough to overcome He advocates middle school as the earliest to start playing, and to learn the fundamentals; until then play flag football Still one of the greatest games and greatest teachers of life / teamwork / family / brotherhood Five rapid fire questions: Name one trait or characteristic you want to see in a colleague. Enthusiasm/passion What habit has been key to your success? Persistence; empathy/emotional intelligence Most important app or productivity tool? Powerpoint/Outlook calendar A resource recommendation (book/podcast/etc.) : The Power of Who (guest on Episode 014) The Bible One sentence of advice for our audience of leaders? Never give up. Stay hungry and humble. With God all things are possible Thank Yous/Acknowledgements: / – music . Jonathan Davis – production – voice over /episode/index/show/allstarleaderpodcast/id/5408091

Episode 051 - Sports Law Professor And Writer Alicia Jessop 05/25/2017

Episode 051 - Sports Law Professor And Writer Alicia Jessop Alicia goes deep into the state of media and journalism in 2017, what the great leaders have in common, and how to get perspective on our problems. Introduction: Hey everyone and welcome to the All-Star Leader Podcast, where together we learn about leadership from the best and brightest, and keep it fun by connecting it to our passion for sports! I’m your host Daniel Hare, and today we are joined by Alicia Jessop. Alicia is a professor of sports law at the University of Miami, though she’ll be relocating to California in August to teach at Pepperdine University. She writes for SI.com in addition to her own site rulingsports.com. n addition to her professional success, she gives back through multiple charities, including I’mMe, which focuses on ending the orphan crisis in Haiti. This is Alicia Jessop. Alicia thanks so much for coming on the show! Interview Questions: You had a proud moment recently in watching a couple of your students get drafted into the NFL; tell us about that and what you were feeling watching their names get called! David Njoku - #29 to the Cleveland Browns Closest to Brad Kaaya who was taken in the 6th round by the Lions Adam White took the video of David’s draft; founder of FrontOfficeSports; started the site as a sophomore in college and it’s now got tens of thousands of visitors ESPN recently let go a huge group of journalists, and I’m curious to get your take on that situation and what it says about where we are with sports and media in 2017. Unfortunate because some of the greatest sports journalists in the world lost their jobs There aren’t many landing places for them Newspapers are in trouble; media in general are in a scary state Social media allows everyone to be a pseudo journalist, pushing out the traditional journalists Losing the pure journalist who have to uphold standards/ethics Dana O’Neil one of the best sports writers of this generation, and she inspired/motivated Alicia to pursue her writing career Do we really understand the 1st Amendment and what it does for us? Do we not care about the journalist anymore? Gen Z has an attention span of eight seconds, so how can we make sure they get facts and truth when so much is entertainment? Okay now that we’ve got the current events out of the way, tell us a bit of your background and how you first got into the world of sports law and journalism. Is a young millennial and much like her generation, isn’t following a straight line path Went to law school thinking music or sports agent Had a real world moment with her assistant when the market crashed in 2008 and wiped out her retirement Graduated law school at the height of the recession in 2009 She’s a devout Christian and prayed for her job and career as she watched her classmates struggle to find employment She was blessed to always have a job, but it just was never one she was passionate about Part of her died every day at this job (which was a good job!), though she knew she was fortunate to have it. Her dad said not to call her again until she had something positive to say Would work efficiently in her law office to give herself time to study and read about sports; that’s when she discovered Dana O’Neil That’s when she started her sports law blog, Ruling Sports Then, right place/right time, the NBA locked out their players, and was one of the only ones Got called by an agency; then got called by Forbes She struck what she was supposed to find; she has a calling as a writer looking for truth and positive stories Essays from Katy Couric / The only way to not get to the highest level of success is to quit; you have to believe in what you’re creating and tell the market why it’s important You have to follow and listen to the market; she watched and read and listened for six months before starting her blog Her agent told her she needed to be an expert in everything; she can talk business of the major sports which has widened her readership and opened up new opportunities So she niched down on the one hand (sports law), but then broadened out in the application (multiple sports) You have observed and written about leaders in the sports world; what are one or two common traits or approaches you see in the great leaders? Fearlessness; put yourself out there on the line; utter belief that you’re going to succeed She sees this in her students at Miami Also had opportunity to cover the Heat (Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron) and has interviewed Steph Curry for his Nothing But Nets malaria prevention project We’ve asked a number of guests on this show about the Millennial generation, but as a college professor you are starting to see the next generation, Gen Z, come through the doors. What can you tell us about them?! GenZ is also known as the Boomlets Biggest difference between Y and Z; Zs don’t know a world without the smart phone You have to meet Z where they are – smart phone Most spend over 10 hours per day there; attention span is short (eight seconds v. 12 for Millennials) You have to reach them in a visual way; get message out in short time; have to create digital messaging Best part of being a professor is you get to stay young by connecting with the students Whisper is an anonymous messaging system where you can post text/pictures that disappears Artist who took pictures of couples at different places and removed the phone from their hands (!). We are losing face to face communication and just want to talk through our phones; leading to lower marriage and fertility rates! Tell us about your work in Haiti and how people can get involved. Got involved in 2014 Friend had rescued nine kids in Haiti and wanted to jump in as a sponsor Tough point in her life, and focused on Jeremiah 29:11 which talks about God having plans to “prosper” you. One of the nine Haitian kids who needed a sponsors was named Prosper. The issue in Haiti is beyond orphan care; it’s job development, so she’s helping that initiative out Planning a computer programming course in Haiti through her own non-profit; once she is out of school debt, she would pack up and move there tomorrow. It’s the most important work that she does. She was always passionate about giving back; thought she would go into public interest law at one point We are so blessed in the U.S.; need to keep perspective, work together/collaborate Your passion is your gift to the world; must give freely of yourself May not be good to compare your problems to others, but since getting back from Haiti hasn’t had a bad day because of the perspective gained – when an eight-year-old looks one because he is malnourished, you get it real quick. Five rapid fire questions Name one trait or characteristic you want to see in a colleague. loyal What habit has been key to your success? dedication Most important app or productivity tool? Feedly Most influential leader you’ve personally been around? (I skipped this one!) One sentence of advice for emerging leaders? Do what you want to do and have fun every single day Where can people find you? How can they connect? on Twitter on Instagram Thank Yous/Acknowledgements: / – music . Jonathan Davis – production – voice over /episode/index/show/allstarleaderpodcast/id/5388256

Episode 050 - Former Roller Hockey Star And Founder at Gamechangingdads.com Ray Matz 05/18/2017

Episode 050 - Former Roller Hockey Star And Founder at Gamechangingdads.com Ray Matz Ray brings a ton of energy to the show and we talk about living your dream, doing the opposite, and injecting fun into your work day. Introduction: Hey everyone and welcome to the All-Star Leader Podcast, where together we learn about leadership from the best and brightest, and keep it fun by connecting it to our passion for sports! Today we are joined by Ray Matz, an entrepreneur, author, speaker, coach and hockey player. In fact his is a three-time World Champion in the sport of Roller Hockey. You can see his work, including a podcast of his own, over at gamechangingdads.com This is Ray Matz. Hey Ray thanks for coming on the show!erview Questions: First off why don’t you share a little about yourself and what you’re up to. Started gamechangingdads two years ago after attending the Dan Miller leadership seminar Loves pouring into fathers and husbands and coaching them through life You were a hockey player in college and your early years; talk to us about that experience and how it has impacted who you are today. Born/raised in Kensington, PA The Philadelphia Flyers were on their way to winning the Stanley Cup, and it was a beacon of positivity among difficult circumstances Hockey was always in him. Played junior A hockey up in Canada, and realized the hard work/talent of those teams were incredible. Seven years later, high school friend called him and asked him to play roller hockey. Enjoyed the sport immediately and then made the US championship team Gave him the opportunity to train teams in other countries And you’ve since coached kids as an instructor at the Team USA Hockey Clinics; what has that experience been like and what leadership skills or techniques do you tend to use with the kids that carries over into the other areas of your life? Peter Dale was a teammate, and he asked Ray to help Great experience to give back Important to lead by example; coaches and kids are looking up at him You owned a landscaping business for many years; what was that like and what did you discover then about how to lead people? Started his first business at 19; always encouraged by parents to do their own thing Got into real estate in Vegas Then vending company Just walking through and learning Then got involved with a network marketing company and was pushed toward growing in his leadership through books by John Maxwell and (what about risk taking?) He and mom had a talk, and she told him he would be criticized and people would say he’s crazy. Mom would affirm him then when this happened. The more criticism you get the more successful you’ll be Girlfriend didn’t want him driving her around in his truck since it had his name on it We’re getting too comfortable like in a lazy river at the water park The older he gets, the more inspired he is to go do stuff! Parenting is something we touch on now and again on this show. I know you both teach and speak on parenting, and are raising three kids of your own. What advice do you have for those of us who are raising kids in 2017? Gamechangingdads came from a deep root created when he was a kid Dad was always working hard, so not a deep relationship Knew he wanted to have the relationship with his kids that he had with his mom Don’t miss time with your kids! Would not do anything different, even though there have been tough financial years by trying to build businesses and do it from home. (easy to fall into comparison trap) – count your blessings; pray for others; transparency/honesty is a key to avoiding these traps You’ve spoken about how to make time for fun during the work day. What can you share with us about that? Big fan of doing the complete opposite of what everyone else is doing in order to be successful (!) Everyone checking their phone at the park with kids? Jump in and play! Vegas partner at the park example; just making time to have fun and relax Get your blood flowing/exercise/stretching if you’re stuck in an office all day Does podcast standing up and it gives him more energy and better tonality What does it mean to love the job you have? Follow your passion/dream, and if something isn’t right, time to go Life goes way too fast Figure out how to serve others During an interview with ESPN you removed your teeth upon request; it was a funny moment, but there’s a deeper lesson about taking immediate action isn’t there? Opportunities will come and you have to be willing to say yes and take action Five rapid fire questions Name one trait or characteristic you want to see in a colleague. Handshake is good enough What habit has been key to your success? Staying in the fight Most important app or productivity tool? Podcasts Most influential leader you’ve personally been around? One sentence of advice for the leaders in our audience? Enjoy the valleys; things will be tough, but learn and move on Where can people connect with you and learn about masterminds? Thank Yous/Acknowledgements: / – music . Jonathan Davis – production – voice over /episode/index/show/allstarleaderpodcast/id/5367100

Episode 049 - West Coast Conference Commissioner Lynn Holzman 05/11/2017

Episode 049 - West Coast Conference Commissioner Lynn Holzman Lynn and I talk Gonzaga hoops, Kansas State's Bramlage Coliseum, and the importance of people and relationships to an organization's success. Introduction: Hey everyone and welcome to the All-Star Leader Podcast, where together we learn about leadership from the best and brightest, and keep it fun by connecting it to our passion for sports! I’m your host Daniel Hare, and today we are talking with Lynn Holzman. Lynn is the Commissioner of the West Coast Conference, headquartered in San Bruno, California in the San Francisco Bay area. The WCC is home to men’s basketball powerhouse and national runner up Gonzaga, as well as BYU and Pepperdine among others. Prior to joining the WCC as a senior Associate Commissioner in 2012, Lynn spent 16 years at the NCAA. This is Lynn Holzman. Lynn thanks so much for coming on the show! rview Questions: Before we get too far along would you share some thoughts on Gonzaga men’s basketball, Mark Few, and the remarkable season they just had? What do you think it says about the state of Division I athletics that a small school from a smaller conference can play for the national title and very easily could have won it? Didn’t happen over night; 20 years ago the school committed itself to its athletic program and especially men’s basketball Back then Gonzaga was having serious enrollment/financial issues and were considering closing down. But the president saw the opportunity in men’s basketball and invested in it. Diligently worked to build a culture of success and family They are a university/program where there has been stability in leadership (president / athletic director / head coach); they were clear about who they are and what types of student-athletes fit their culture They’ve been knocking on the door for awhile no This wasn’t a fluke; they were persistent and tenacious Studies show that success in high profile sports really can positively impact universities in terms Basketball v football playoff: from an optimistic side, the Hoosiers / Cinderella model makes it possible. But it is so tough. The ongoing commitment is so big. You see it with St. Mary’s who has consistently improved, made the NCAA Tournament and had stability in their leadership, but it’s been hard. The gap in financial investment in the top schools v the rest of the Division I membership makes it very tough. One other that caught my eye. The state of Oklahoma passed a law (Georgia has something similar) which allows for schools to recover damages through a lawsuit from donors who cause an NCAA violation to take place and cost the school money (e.g. missing a bowl game). As a former NCAA official and now a conference commissioner, what are your thoughts on these types of laws? Interesting intersection between federal/state/local and NCAA laws and rules Demonstrates the high value we place on sports and college sports; if politicians are taking time to address these issues… Looks well intended to be a deterrent NCAA is limited in how they can respond to certain situations because of lack of jurisdiction, and laws like this might allow these governments to come along side the NCAA with complimentary regulations Is it an appropriate role for government? In California, laws are being proposed regarding health and safety of student-athletes Tell us a bit about your background and how you got into college athletics administration. Entire life revolved around sports from a young age She and her brother would play in the backyard Played college basketball at Kansas State and originally thought about pursuing sports medicine Went to UNC-Chapel Hill for masters in sports administration, and got hired on as an intern at the NCAA; then hired full-time Promoted within the NCAA and spent 16 years there while also getting an MBA from Purdue Always had a deep desire to stay involved Did all types of odd jobs within the athletics department at Kansas State which opened up her eyes to the opportunities Bramlage a very tough place to play; active student section; now known as the Octagon of Doom You’ve mentioned that playing and working in sports has taught you a number of skills and values which impact you today, and I wanted to talk about a few of those specifically: 1) accountability; 2) overcoming adversity; and 3) communication. Overcoming adversity – recognition that things are not always going to go your way; any progress is progress (marathon not a sprint); persistent and stick with it Accountability – delivering on what you say you’re going to deliver; if you aren’t, you have to communicate; when working closely with ADs, coaches and presidents, there is a personal accountability that comes with that; be responsive to those we are leading and serving We’ve had several current/former NCAA staff on the show in the past, all who valued different aspects of the organization and took away different things. Looking back now what do feel you learned about yourself and about how to lead from your time at the NCAA. Leading by example is only a small part of leadership; her personality/core is about hard work and perfectionism, but that’s just a part If you are the leader and people look to you, there’s a responsibility that comes with it in terms of relationships / people; action and inaction both matter Leadership is about setting out to make a difference, and people need to feel appreciated Must acknowledge and recognize when you don’t have all the answers; must surround yourself with great people Leadership not about title; there were times at the NCAA when she was calling together VPs to address an issue Communication/people/relationship are what it’s all about; we have common goals; listening is important and making sure people are heard; adaptable; also a recognition that it’s not about “me” but it’s about the student-athletes There’s an unselfishness that comes with great leaders; get motivated by the success of letters You’re deeply involved in several organizations promoting the advancement of women within the college athletics industry and sports more generally. Could you tell us one area where we’ve seen significant improvement when it comes to women in sports, and one area where we are stuck and need to make more progress? Improvement with women and women of color in conference commissioner positions, though still work to do in the Autonomy Five leagues Progress still needed in women and men of color in leadership positions There needs to be more opportunities for women to coach men The challenges facing college athletics are not that unlike other industries However, college athletics serves a very diverse constituency of student-athletes (female, minority, poor), so critical for the industry to advance Important for people to see others who look like them in these leadership roles (“if you can see them you can be them”) Something I like to ask all our guests who have worked in conference offices: how do you go about getting individual schools to put their own best interest aside for the greater good of the conference? (if at all?!) It’s an art and a science; no two situations are the same Learn about the people, their interests and motivations The science part is presenting facts/data It’s okay for leaders of programs/schools to advocate for their own program; the challenge is to get them to rise above that if in the long run there will be a benefit Get coaches / ADs to spend time thinking about the greater good of the conference What is a significant leadership mistake you’ve made, and what did you learn from it? Trying to be everything to everyone; there’s a responsibility you take on for others, but you’re not good for anyone when you do that Five rapid fire questions Name one trait or characteristic you want to see in a colleague. Positive/optimistic energy What habit has been key to your success? organized Most important app or productivity tool? iCloud Most influential leader you’ve personally been around? Myles Brand, former NCAA president One sentence of advice for emerging leaders? Seize and create your own opportunities Thank Yous/Acknowledgements: / – music . Jonathan Davis – production – voice over /episode/index/show/allstarleaderpodcast/id/5346266

Episode 048 - Sports Agent Kelli Masters 05/04/2017

Episode 048 - Sports Agent Kelli Masters From world class baton twirling to Miss Oklahoma and law school to sports agent, Kelli Masters has found her purpose. Introduction: Hey everyone and welcome to the All-Star Leader Podcast, where together we learn about leadership from the best and brightest, and keep it fun by connecting it to our passion for sports! I’m your host Daniel Hare, and today we are joined by one of the top sports agents in the country, Kelli Masters. Kelli is an attorney, and the owner of KMM Sports, an agency representing athletes in the NFL, Major League Baseball, the Olympics and even the MMA. Kelli is also a five-time world champion baton twirler, and many Oklahoma football fans will remember her and twin sister Kim, who in the 90s graced the lawn of then-Owen Field as the OU baton twirlers. As if all this isn’t enough, she is a former Miss Oklahoma. This is Kelli Masters. Hey Kelli thanks for coming on the show! Interview Questions: So let’s start the way most leadership/sports podcast interviews do: with baton twirling. How did you get into it and when did you realize it was something you were gifted at? April 10th is World Baton Twirling Day At 4/5, went to OU games and watched the baton twirler on the field; wanted to do that. Mom was a majorette in high school but didn’t want her to do it. Soon though they were twirling and by age eight competing all over the country, world championships at 14, retired at 22. Very tough training regimen; 3-4 hours/day 6/7 days per week. Lots of injuries and challenges. No scholarship. Given her great perspective as an agent. Are there skills or traits you learned as a twirler that you feel made you who are today? What are they? Before we get to the sports agent questions, let’s talk first about the time you spent as a full-time practicing lawyer. You handled some high level cases and even had one which went all the way up to the United States Supreme Court. Reflect a bit on those years and what stands out to you as important steps to get where you are today. Practicing law gave her great perspective to look at problems and issues in a productive, critical way. Learned to be thorough and an effective advocate. Didn’t start off wanting to litigate and wasn’t in her comfort zone. She didn’t like conflict. But it has been great for her. Sports agency was not a part of her practice the first five years; it was her non-profit practice which first exposed her to the sports world, setting up non-profits for athletes. Practicing law teaches you diligence and how to work hard when no one is paying attention. Argued and won a case at the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in front of Neil Gorsuch, now a Supreme Court justice. As an associate and then partner at your law firm, you undoubtedly witnessed and implemented a variety of leadership styles and effectiveness. Can you talk a bit about what you learned from your time there? Answer is different than it would have been five years ago Culture is key. People who work together to accomplish great things must be in a culture where they feel valued, appreciated and listened to. There is value in pouring time into people that is not work related. Building others up, improving morale, are very important. Must prioritize time for this. You have to have both trust and communication in order to develop this type of culture. When things are left undiscussed, issues arise. Leaders may default to acting strong and unphased, but better to be vulnerable and transparent. And as you transitioned into more and more of your work involving athletes and sports agency, how would you say your experience as a practicing lawyer contributed to the success you’re now having in the sports agent world? She sees it both when working with the teams directly, and then through her players’ experiences once they are in the team. The top organizations have a winning culture. Spend time valuing people. Patriots and Seahawks are great examples; they reward and value employees. We talk a lot on this show about the importance of organizational culture. You get to see every NFL team in a way most of us don’t. What have you observed about the way successful franchises are run? We also talk a lot about the importance of leading yourself. What have you found to be helpful with your athletes who struggle in this area? How are you able to help them lead themselves (which of course then helps them lead others)? Used to think players would listen to her and respond Has learned that developing trust is first. Be vulnerable and authentic. Create high level of expectations, but don’t expect perfection. Help them understand and reach their purpose. This is an ongoing conversation. Examples? Cody Hodges at Texas Tech – undrafted but signed as a free agent with the Titans; got to final cuts but didn’t wind up sticking in the NFL; played in Europe/Canada/Arena before retiring Along the way Kelli encouraged him to speak to groups; he joined up with Rachel’s Challenge based on the Columbine tragedy and grew into a fantastic speaker It was a tough journey for him, but he battled through Talk about “who” they want to be not “what” they want to be. How did you get the first client / break into the sports agent world? Was told at the beginning if she was not willing to break the rules she wouldn’t succeed as an agent, but she took that as a challenge Has not wavered from that, though it has been even harder than she thought It is both what you know and who you know; you need to know more than the person on the other side of the table, as well as developing relationships Began working with an Olympic athlete on some endorsement contracts; when that athlete found out Kelli was looking for her first NFL player, he connected her with Cody Hodges, who he had been friends with and shared a youth pastor with. Opportunities always come through people!! You mention your faith quite a bit in your public statements and on your website. Talk about the role your faith plays in your professional life. Growing up in Oklahoma, everyone says they are a Christian, though for many it is just a social thing It never became personal for her until later, after she spent years trying to fill the void inside with accomplishments…but it was never enough At 23, put it all together and was relieved that it wasn’t too late to connect with God. Then she thought she was supposed to be a missionary and go take care of orphans in the jungle; but in seeking God’s will for her life she discovered the path of law and sports. Faith is just expecting God is going to do what he says he’s going to do. This led her to a place she never would have predicted. Even on the tough days, she knows she is where she is supposed to be. This isn’t just about chasing happiness, but rather fulfilling a purpose. She’s not preachy, though she will encourage them/pray for them/etc. But she does not limit her practice to Christian athletes. Could you share a bit about the mission trips to Haiti. Who goes? Why you do it? Teamed up with Mission of Hope Haiti, and brings her athletes to serve during their offseason Fulfillment of all her dreams to serve as a missionary and to expose her athletes to a life changing experience Her athletes were all going through some tough times, but when they arrived they realized how blessed they are and were grateful. What is a significant professional mistake you have made and what did you learn from it? Grew up terrified of failure When she switched from being fear driven to purpose driven, that changed everything for her Now failure/mistakes are for learning Realized that by doing more than she should for her clients, she is doing them a disservice as well as herself and other clients. Five rapid fire questions Name one trait or characteristic you look for when you hire someone. Go-getter What habit has been key to your success? Making her bed each morning – discipline each day in the little things… Most important app or productivity tool? Outlook calendar Book/podcast recommendation? Anything by Andy Andrews – One sentence of advice for the leaders in our audience? Be willing to be broken and vulnerable; be real and authentic Draft Day David Moore / WR / East Central (OK) – () Blake Jarwin / TE / Oklahoma State – () Thank Yous/Acknowledgements: / – music . Jonathan Davis – production – voice over /episode/index/show/allstarleaderpodcast/id/5325681

Episode 047 - Daniel Hare on Balance and What's Ahead in April 04/06/2017

Episode 047 - Daniel Hare on Balance and What's Ahead in April Daniel preview's Tim Selgo's new book Anchor Up, and provides listeners with time slots to visit one-on-one throughout the month of April. April is the month for one-on-ones! I've been talking to you all as a big group for 47 episodes now, and it's time we talk one-on-one. Do you have questions about a topic we've covered? A leadership issue you want to visit about? An idea you want to kick around? Maybe you're looking to make a career move and just want to bounce some ideas off someone. Whether it's leadership, career, interviewing, resumes, team building, law, faith, podcasting, or anything else we've covered on the show, I'm game to talk about it with you! So how does it work? Easy. If you are already on the email list, or you entered your email list on the splash page that came up when you first came to the website, you should have an email shortly with instructions on how to schedule your time with me. If you haven't entered your email, you can go to the very top of this webpage and see a box prompting you to enter your email address. Do that and you'll receive more instructions via email. For now the time slots are 20 minutes in length, and we'll limit it to one block per person. Perhaps we'll open up more next month if you all want more! How Do You Have Time For This?! I don't! So to make time, we're going to go on a brief hiatus from the podcast for the month of April. We'll be back on Thursday, May 4th with all new episodes. Get This Book! In today's episode I previewed Tim Selgo's new book, Anchor Up. You need to pre-order this book today (; )! Tim is the now-retired Director Athletics at Grand Valley State University, and was our guest on . He'll be back in May to dive deep into the book with us, but for now today's preview should give you some great nuggets to get started with! Thank Yous/Acknowledgements: / – music . Jonathan Davis – production – voice over /episode/index/show/allstarleaderpodcast/id/5241421

Episode 046 - University of Richmond Director of Athletics Keith Gill 03/30/2017

Episode 046 - University of Richmond Director of Athletics Keith Gill Keith demonstrates the importance of culture, the advantages of empowering people around you, and what's in a wardrobe! Intro/Bio: Hey everyone and welcome to the All-Star Leader Podcast, where together we learn about leadership from the best and brightest, and keep it fun by connecting it to our passion for sports! I’m your host Daniel Hare, and today our guest is University of Richmond Director of Athletics Keith Gill. Keith is in his fifth year with the Spiders, and prior to that spent five years in the same role at American University. Keith has also made stops at the University of Oklahoma, Vanderbilt University and the NCAA national office. He also served as the Vice-Chair of the NCAA Division I Council. He is a graduate of Duke University where he lettered four years as a member of the Blue Devil football team. This is Keith Gill. Hey Keith thanks for coming on the show! Interview Questions: Keith share with us a bit about your early years; where did you grow up and who was the first impactful leader you spent time around. Grew up in Orlando; dad was in the Navy so lots of moving around Played four sports in high school Then on to Duke NCAA Internship (Are kids still playing lots of sports or are they specializing early?) – more specialization now, though he got a lot out of the multiple sports. Football coach Larry Gurley and baseball coach Bob King were influential leaders in his life. They were very different and highly successful. They shared common threads of successful leaders, but great leaders do what works for them and are true to themselves. You can’t emulate someone; you have to be who you are and apply those principles appropriately. Setting expectations is very important, along with accountability. Must be able to connect; must be able to listen. Let ideas percolate from the bottom up and facilitate conversations where everyone has a voice and feels invested. (practical way to be intentional about facilitating these conversations?) – culture is key; do people feel like they can speak up? Structure is key too; one on ones with direct reports. Also getting out of your office, bouncing around and popping your head in is a great way to connect and pick up pieces of information. What did you learn about leadership from your time playing football at Duke? Such a gift Tries to create the same experience for today’s student-athletes that he had Learned how to write; was challenged; learned he could handle more than he thought he could. Learned life lessons (i.e. how to hail a cab!) which are simple once you learn them, but if nobody teaches them to you, you won’t know! Learned these at Duke. (And how do you handle playing a sport that is not the priority): there’s an adjustment; as a 19-year-old, it’s hard to see other athletes on TV and with the best gear. But there’s always someone who has it better, and others who have it worse (the cross-country team v. football). Focus on trying to get the most you can out of the opportunities you do have. If you get the degree you’ve won, and it doesn’t matter how many sweatshirts you have. You spent a number of years at the NCAA. How would you describe the strengths of that organization that the leaders in our audience could implement within their own organizations? Incredible experience; learned how to be a professional; had a mentor and a director of the program who were great influences Of course, once he got hired full-time by the NCAA, his mentor told him he had to upgrade his wardrobe! Able to see presidents and ADs work You no doubt worked with a number of committees while at the NCAA; what did you notice about presidents, ADs, etc. who were able to influence and lead other presidents and ADs in those committees? Had the opportunity to see that a lot! Some people get their work done during breaks Others speak rarely, but when they do the respect is so great people listen We’ve heard from former University of Oklahoma administrators-now-ADs Kirby Hocutt and Rick Hart, so it’s your turn to tell us what you learned from your time working with Joe Casiglione about how to lead a department and staff. Joe empowers his staff and gives them a lot of responsibility, opportunity and access to himself He listens to his staff; he gives lots of his own thoughts as well. When you first became an AD at American University, what surprised you the most and how did you respond to that surprise? How relevant are we to the institution? If athletics went away, would we be missed? It didn’t seem like it in the beginning. We didn’t have much of an impact on the life of the institution. So that was much of the focus early on: to integrate athletics into the life of the institution Engaged faculty: for example created a faculty/staff basketball game, with a banner in honor of the winner hanging in the gym rafters (That issue is even more difficult than just succeeding on the field): relevance is hard because so many things are competing for people’s time/money/effort Let’s talk about culture. How do you go about creating a culture and how do you maintain it? You have to model the behavior you seek You have to define your values (ground rules and principles that are agreed to) With such decentralized operations among the teams, the culture is critical How would you advise young leaders to make an impact on their organizations when they don’t yet have the title/authority? Think of themselves as a leader; it’s a mindset; every day they are an agent for their department/school/team/company They need to be willing to take on challenges; step up when asked; volunteer He used to volunteer to pick up the SEC commish when he would come into town; that allowed him to get to know him; the contact has paid off over the years Finding opportunity everywhere it’s presented is big; you don’t know where your next opportunity is coming from; while at the NCAA he went on campus at Stanford for some work, and met Todd Turner which led to Keith getting hired at Vanderbilt. What is the biggest mistake you have made as a leader, and what did you learn from it? Made a bunch Not understanding the power of words: left someone off a list when making a presentation, and made an off-hand joke about it in public; the person was embarrassed and it created an issue. Though the culture was such that the person felt comfortable coming to Keith and explaining how that made them feel. So that was a silver lining. Very cognizant now as to the words he uses about others in public. Be introspective enough to learn from them; goal should be not to repeat them. Five rapid fire questions Name one trait or characteristic you look for when you hire someone. People skills What habit has been key to your success? Walking Most important app or productivity tool? Washington Post Most influential leader you’ve personally been around? Brother One sentence of advice for the leaders in our audience? Find the balance between what you want out of your career and life, and focus on where you are right now Thank Yous/Acknowledgements: / – music . Jonathan Davis – production – voice over /episode/index/show/allstarleaderpodcast/id/5217534

Episode 045 - Former NFL Player And CBS Sports Host Brian Jones 03/23/2017

Episode 045 - Former NFL Player And CBS Sports Host Brian Jones Brian talks Lubbock to L.A. and back, the humble transition from NFL player to broadcaster, and a little Socrates for the exclamation point. Introduction / Bio: Hey everyone and welcome to the All-Star Leader Podcast, where together we learn about leadership from the best and brightest, and keep it fun by connecting it to our passion for sports! I’m your host Daniel Hare, and I am very excited about today’s show! Our guest is a familiar voice to college football fans everywhere. Brian Jones is a CBS Sports College Football Studio Analyst and host of the Gio and Jones Show on CBS Radio. Brian played six seasons in the NFL after a college football career at both UCLA and The University of Texas. This is Brian Jones. Hey Brian thank you so much for joining us! Interview Questions: So first of all now that college football is over give us a little behind the scenes into what you’re up to during the offseason? Combine? NFL draft? Focusing on the radio job Gio and Jones, 6-9am EST M-F Draft shows from the college side Travel now that the weekends are free This past season we saw an incredible championship game with Clemson knocking off Alabama. We’ve talked on this show before about Nick Saban’s leadership style, but I’d like to hear your thoughts on Dabo Swinney’s leadership, and what we can learn from the two of them. Everyone has a process; it’s how you go about implementing that process Different approaches: Saban – stoic, business-like; Swinney – folksy, Mack Brown-ish, shaking hands/kissing babies There is a myriad of styles that can work; Brian likes a more hands-on/assertive approach Authenticity is the key; players can see through you. If you aren’t true to yourself, it will not work. Socrates quote: a life not self-examined is a life not worth living. (Or So-Crates as pronounced in West Texas) Let’s talk a bit about growing up in Lubbock and playing high school football in Texas. What did you learn from those days that shaped who you are today? Grandmother raised him; neither mom or dad were around. Another lady from the neighborhood helped as well Grandmother loved sports and that’s where it started Played neighborhood football on a concrete pad High school football in Texas is like religion; grew up in the Friday Night Lights era with Odessa-Permian; that really motivated you to do better; the conference was referred to as the little Southwest Conference You chose UCLA when coming out of high school before coming back to UT to finish up your college career; what went into those decisions and how do you look back on them now? Graduated high school 1986; SMU just got the death penalty; Every SWC school seemed to being investigated Went on recruiting trip to L.A. where it’s 75 degrees (and Lubbock was in the 20s) UCLA was coming off a Rose Bowl win against Iowa Fell in love with it; a whole other planet UT was always on his mind, though he did well at UCLA and enjoyed it There’s too much transferring now for the wrong reasons (playing time) Tough because he had great relationships with tremendous players/leaders at UCLA: Ken Norton, Jr., Frank Cornish, James Washington, Troy Aikman Also in 1984 was the Summer Olympics in L.A., so all these big-time track athletes would train at UCLA And lots going on with social issues on campus, including protests to divest in South Africa (response to apartheid) Go see the world; you can always return home; experience other cultures Who were leaders on those teams that you looked up to and why? A difficult dynamic that exists on a college campus many times is a new recruit joining the team and his relationship with the established player at that position Ken Norton, on the other hand, took Brian under his wing and was a great mentor and friend. He never felt threatened by Brian. James Primus mixed joking with serious Troy Aikman – so tough. Nebraska really gave him a beating but Troy kept getting up. How he went about his business as well. How they practiced, how they talked to teammates were all things Brian picked up on You then made it to the NFL; drafted by the Raiders in the 8th What surprised you the most when you transitioned from college to pro? Not as much politics at the pro level that you could sometimes experience in the collegiate game What shocked him was how different the league was in how stars were treated within the team. (Guys hanging out with Al Davis on the sideline during practice smoking cigarettes) House and Jerry Robinson took him under his wing. Winston Moss as well. Joe Kelly His rookie year they played a game over in Japan, and he was having a bit too much fun…Tim Brown and Marcus Allen pulled Brian to the side and said “Listen up young buck, you need to chill you’re a** out!” As wild as the Raiders were, still disciplined enough to win championships Vince Evans was a great leader as well. Who are some guys you played with or against that weren’t necessarily the best players, but were incredible leaders, and why? You have to have drive The skills translate to other walks of life as well Drive, determination, self-motivation Don’t talk about it, be about it. People don’t care what you say, they care what you do CBS Sports Radio boss Mark Chernoff. Gets there at 5am. Has already made a big name for himself in the industry. He empties trashcans, will B.S. with the guys. He could have a corner office with his feet kicked up, but he doesn’t Brian tries to know everyone in the building regardless of position, etc.; create a fun environment to work with Jerry Lee was his high school coach and would really drive them; tough, tough; when he thought he couldn’t keep going he found a way. That helps him today. So you have to balance that drive and motivation with the fun and warm environment. The transition out of playing professional sports can be tough on guys who have committed their entire lives to the game up to that point. Talk about how that process was for you. Difficult; athletes die twice: the first when their playing career ends What can you do to replace the rush and adrenaline that comes from playing? Guys try everything (drugs, women, etc.) Kenyon Rasheed (former OU and NFLer) would say you have to reinvent yourself. You can’t walk into a place of business quoting your stats and expect anything; how does that help their bottom line? Brian went back to school and got his degree after about a year in the wilderness Then he had an opportunity to join the Longhorn broadcast team, though as the parabolic mic holder That was humbling Helped him strip down his identity away from the number on his NFL jersey and focus on what it would be going forward Broadcast career took off after that; did sidelines the next year and hosted coaches’ shows Played in a golf tournament one time where the Fox Sports SW GM was playing as well. Brian had sent in his tape but hadn’t heard anything. He went up to him and asked if he would watch his tape. GM said he would check it out. That led to an audition and then a job. Then a job at CSTV (former guests Scottie Rodgers and Craig Esherick worked with me there!!) Fun to help a startup build something No self-entitlement or ego!! You have to work! Five rapid fire questions: Name one trait or characteristic you want to see in a colleague. Work ethic and no excuses What habit has been key to your success? Being honest with youself Most important app or productivity tool? Wireless headphones Most influential leader you’ve personally been around? Jerry Lee – high school coach One sentence of advice for emerging leaders? Don’t let others or societal norms define you. You define you. Where can people listen, watch, and connect with you?! Yoga apparel – Yoga is my gym – Thank Yous/Acknowledgements: / – music . Jonathan Davis – production – voice over /episode/index/show/allstarleaderpodcast/id/5195838

Episode 044 - Daniel Hare Speaks To Baylor Law School's Christian Legal Society 03/16/2017

Episode 044 - Daniel Hare Speaks To Baylor Law School's Christian Legal Society Daniel uses Biblical examples to talk about "leading without authority," by caring about people, offering to help and praising in public. Leading without Authority (think in terms of your colleagues when talking teammates) John Maxwell quote: Leadership is influence Harriet Tubbman Lead yourself first Chief Navy Officer who never gave an order; it was all about influence Difference between leadership/management/position authority Leadership definition – is anyone following? Most leadership research is focused on political leaders because you don’t have to follow them Volunteer. Show up. Solve problems. Leadership is about the influence Stop Wishing for control / Move beyond compliance The greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves” (Luke 22:26) John Maxwell wrote, “off Joshua 24:14-28 “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods! 17 It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. 18 And the Lord drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God.”19 Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. 20 If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.”21 But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the Lord.”22 Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord.” “Yes, we are witnesses,” they replied. 23 “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.” 24 And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.” 25 On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws. 26 And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the Lord.27 “See!” he said to all the people. “This stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all the words the Lord has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God.” 28 Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to their own inheritance. Joshua doesn’t dictate or rule by fiat He lays out his view and then gives them the choice When they choose God he takes them further down the road to commitment Only after they are "in" does Joshua issue rules/standards/etc. My own experience – Jeremiah Robbins Won the conference title in all seven seasons as head coach and let them to the NCAA tournament five times. Didn’t have to yell/scream/dictate. Created a culture where players held each other accountable. When the time came for myself, the conference or the NCAA to solicit feedback about an issue, or recruit someone to serve on a committee, Jeremiah was first on the list. Care / Offer to help - Nehemiah 1:3-4 – sad/fasted/prayed 2:5 – asked king to let him rebuild Professor Stephen Dempster: Nehemiah is regarded as the wall builder in Jerusalem, and this is the theme that resonates in the book. But his story is not only about building the physical walls of Jerusalem for physical protection, it is also a story of building spiritual walls around the people with the Word of God and thus building up the people as well. 2:17,20 – note the use of we/us 5:1-13 – eating with the workers; advocating on their behalf to relieve their plight 5:14-19 – his generosity once he became governor (he now has actual authority, but behaves as if he doesn’t) (caveat – this is also a book about God’s providence when it comes to leadership; he called Nehemiah and rose him up, as he did Abraham, Moses, David, and others.) My own experience – worked with a guy at OU basketball like this, good friend and guest on ; cared so much about people, the players, those he worked with; and there was never a task he didn’t offer to take on or help with. He’s now the head coach of a women’s college basketball team, won their league and they are making their first NCAA tournament appearance. Thank people in public / Nehemiah continued Lead from a place of humility, which means giving credit where it is due and shining the spotlight on God and others. Psalm 115:1 - Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. Nehemiah 3 – literally documents who all should get credit; it is movie credits My own experience – observing that the great players, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, etc. are always quick to dish out the credit to teammates and coaches after wins, and take the blame when they lose (even if it wasn’t their fault). Thank Yous/Acknowledgements: / – music . Jonathan Davis – production – voice over /episode/index/show/allstarleaderpodcast/id/5175097

Episode 043 - Pastor and Author Kevin Thompson 03/09/2017

Episode 043 - Pastor and Author Kevin Thompson Kevin and I discuss which golf courses to put on your bucket list, leadership lessons we can take away from Nick Saban, and how to become an effective listener. Introduction/Bio: Hey everyone and welcome to the All-Star Leader Podcast, where together we learn about leadership from the best and brightest, and keep it fun by connecting it to our passion for sports! Today we are joined by Kevin Thompson, a pastor who also writes on the topics of leadership, marriage and parenting. He is also a scratch golfer, having competed in college at Oklahoma Baptist University. Kevin has a new book about marriage that will hit the shelves May 2nd titled Friends, Partners and Lovers. This is Kevin Thompson. Hey Kevin thanks for coming on the show! Interview: Let’s talk some golf first. How did you get introduced to the game, and when did you start to figure out you could actually play well enough to make a college team? Family vacation as a kid with another family; the dads/sons played and he was hooked Really liked basketball/baseball better, but in high school started focusing more on golf Didn’t ever consider playing in college After deciding to attend Oklahoma Baptist (which didn’t offer golf), schools started offering him scholarships But he decided to stick with OBU, who then added back the program (Talking OBU hoops as well with coach Bob Hoffman) What has the game of golf taught you about life? Golf and tennis are unique because you can play them your entire life Golf is about relationships; plays every Friday with college kids, then goes into the clubhouse and eats lunch with guys in their 80s Also great to teach the game by playing alongside (as opposed to coaching baseball, etc. with a clear coach/player role) Dealing with adversity Favorite course you’ve ever played? Southern Hills (Tulsa, OK; host of several major championships) The Alotian (Roland, AR; mimics Augusta National) Pebble Beach Plantation Course at Kapalua (Maui, HI) Tell us a bit about the nature of your work and how you came upon it. Loves to write, but had gotten away from it Started a blog to get into the habit of writing Also wanted to start writing books, and began with the book U-Turn Likes the idea of legacy through books, so that kids/grandkids can learn from him after he is gone, in addition to the other lives you get to impact Your write quite a bit about leadership, which is truly the core of what this show is about. In fact you wrote recently about the one habit (binary listening) that is killing our leadership. Can you tell us about that? Gets to be around lots of leaders as a pastor, so he gets to observe leadership all the time Listening is under-thought of; we are listening before we are born, and hearing is the last sense to go But we’re really never trained to listen We tend to listen in a binary way: we either agree/disagree, we like it or we don’t. As soon as we make that judgment, everything else we hear is filtered through that lens Example: when people are provided a statement from a politician, they will say they like it or not based upon whether the identity of the politician (or party). If we will truly listen to what is being said and look for areas Steven Sample from USC authored ; in it he encourages people to think grey, and to hold off for as long as possible to form an opinion, because after that everything you hear will be filtered through that opinion (Daniel with example from how health care is presented in surveys: if referred to as Obamacare, the numbers are one way and if the Affordable Care Act, the numbers change) You also wrote about Nick Saban’s five leadership lessons, and I’d like to go through those with you and have you explain them to us: Make routine decisions habitual so they don’t require mental energy. Our mental resources are not unlimited, and every decision we make takes energy. He has the same breakfast/lunch every day, because he wants to save the time/energy from those decisions. Automate and make a habit of everything you can, especially on decisions that don’t matter Focus on the process over the outcome (John Wooden emphasized this as well) Focusing on the outcome can happen in all areas of life Arkanasas QB Tyler Wilson example; didn’t necessarily make a bad decision to return for senior year, but didn’t get the outcome he wanted Sometimes you didn’t do the process right, but you just got lucky; so focusing on the outcome can mislead you Focusing on the outcome can lead to jumping from process to process to process (Daniel follow up on how this impacts strategic planning, goal setting, etc.) Not wrong to think about the outcome or the goals Just don’t assume you did the process right/wrong based on the outcome; give it more thought than that We can learn from leaders, but must fit our personality and values You wrote an interesting piece about how to place value on a championship, which I would suggest could be broadened to include any kind of professional or personal success. Let’s talk first about the things that are worth it which come from a championship: hard work, sacrifice of other dreams and the struggle We don’t all get those moments where there is a clear winner; we don’t all have scoreboards to give us that feedback and provide moments of celebration Kirby Puckett lockerroom story after winning the World Series; he was crying and said it was because all the sacrifice was for this trophy Now for the things that aren’t worth it: the ending of a marriage, missing your kids grow up and your soul. He tells his church staff that he hopes they are not quite as effective as they could be, because they all have healthy lives, relationships, etc. Kevin interviewed Gus Malzahn (Auburn football head coach) and he talked about how you need rings to remember the wins, but the losses stick with you forever (Daniel talks about how healthy people will in the long run make the organization more successful than if the people were giving all of themselves at the expense of outside health) Before we go tell us a bit about your new book Friends, Partners and Lovers, and how those three roles are key to a healthy marriage. for pre-orders; available May 2, 2017 What is it a spouse is supposed to do? It’s not always intuitive or clear. The book attempts to answer that question by focusing on these three roles on Twitter on Facebook Thank Yous/Acknowledgements: / – music . Jonathan Davis – production – voice over /episode/index/show/allstarleaderpodcast/id/5153429

Episode 042 - Strength Through The Struggle's Mark Goblowsky 03/02/2017

Episode 042 - Strength Through The Struggle's Mark Goblowsky Mark talks about overcoming adversity, putting people in your life to support you and the importance of accepting the hand your dealt but then responding to it. Introduction/Bio: Hey everyone and welcome to the All-Star Leader Podcast, where together we learn about leadership from the best and brightest, and keep it fun by connecting it to our passion for sports! Today we are privileged to be joined by someone who knows how to overcome adversity, and who will teach us just how to do it. Mark Goblowsky is a martial arts expert, author, business owner, coach, podcast host and father. His upcoming book, Strength Through the Struggle, is due out this spring. Mark thanks so much for coming on the show! Interview Questions: Tell us first of all how you came to focus your work on this area of overcoming adversity. There are about 7 billion people who will face adversity at some time in their lives, so a big market! His son was hurt in a hit/run car accident; he felt alone; wasn’t sure how to deal with it Wanted to create something that others could have as a resource when they were confronted with adversity; to let them know they aren’t alone Many of us look for ways to avoid adversity; how do we know when that’s the right course or when we need to face something head on? There are lots of people who actively look for adversity (ultramarathon runners; climbers; etc.) Most of us are not like that However, many of us are looking for an effortless life, and we’re trying to avoid the pain that is necessary to get that growth So look at adversity as whether it’s going to serve me that is going to make me a better version of myself (lawyer example; athlete example) As a parent, we wish raising kids was easy, but it’s not. And those struggles are opportunities for us to become better versions of ourselves. When we press into those adversities, we gain strength and can serve others How do we do it?! What does it look like or what are helpful tools to use when we face those situations? Life deals what it deals, and we have to come to terms with reality Important to embrace the fact we don’t have control over the hand dealt to us; we can only control how we respond He has failed at this in the past and got caught up in how the situation happened (Daniel asks about Mark’s martial arts) – Mark had a tough upbringing; was molested as a child; but when Kung-Fu came out, he admired the main character’s peace and power, the strength and ability to protect himself; didn’t pursue it until he was in his 20s and by that time he had been attacked, stabbed, etc. so he knew how to scrap; Realized the pain of being afraid the rest of his life was greater than any pain that would come from learning Kung-Fu Kung-Fe became something Mark could fall back on when his son was hurt There was so much uncertainty and so much fear; sitting next to his bed that first night, holding his hand, thought if he held his hand, he could keep him here on the earth and prevent him from dying (Daniel shares about his own situation with his infant daughter) When you teach or coach someone who is going through a tough time, what are some of the common mistakes you see people make when trying to get through it? Right that they’re not really mistakes; there are a lot of unknowns, so you’re just learning along the way People try to make too many changes at once, and that is a very difficult thing to do; we didn’t get unhealthy overnight, and we’re not going to fix it overnight either We don’t take very good care of ourselves, so we need to show some self-leadership; he should have gotten some help; tried to gut his way through it and shouldn’t have done that; gotta find a way to hang on to hope How important is having a support network around you? Family/friends? No man is an island; we really need each other; men aren’t good at reaching out and being honest about how we feel on the inside There is an increase in the suicide rate of men in the U.S., and that’s scary Men don’t have other men around them to share the tough conversations with; we’re scared He stepped out and went to a conference at one point that really helped him connect with others going through traumatic situations, and it was a tremendous help His encouragement for people who are struggling is to find someone you can trust, start to connect with them, and have the honest conversations about what is going on (Daniel follows up with encouragement to get people around you) Men be vulnerable with your wife; they are in your corner but we need to trust them and give them the benefit of the doubt You have a remarkable podcast of your own, and I’d like to ask you to share a few stories from your show to help bring this home. Ray Edwards is well-known in the copywriting and sales world and is a massive success by most measures, but he shared a significant struggle on your show. What can you tell us about that. Recommend everyone connect with Ray Very gifted/skilled copywriter; has written for Tony Robbins He has gone through Parkinson’s Disease; he taught about reframing your thoughts and that you continue to have a choice how you will respond Jim Harshaw was an All-American wrestler who lost control of his life in his 30s; that’s something I’m sure hits close to home with many in our audience who were or are athletes. What is Jim’s story and what can we learn? Jim was confronted with life not turning out how he expected But then he accepted his reality Is now helping others Where can people go to learn more about you, the book and the work you’re doing? Strength Through The Struggle Memoir of this process of experiencing the tragedy with his son and the journey after Due out this spring is stories of people who have gone through challenges and adversity Thank Yous/Acknowledgements: / – music . Jonathan Davis – production – voice over /episode/index/show/allstarleaderpodcast/id/5132538

Episode 041 - Millennial And Emotional Intelligence Expert Jared Buckley 02/23/2017

Episode 041 - Millennial And Emotional Intelligence Expert Jared Buckley Jared shares the biggest myths about Millennials, what really motivates them, and how to improve your Emotional Intelligence. Introduction/Bio: Hey everyone and welcome to the All-Star Leader Podcast, where together we learn about leadership from the best and brightest, and keep it fun by connecting it to our passion for sports! Today our guest is Jared Buckley, a pastor, coach, speaker and now entrepreneur who helps organizations teach and develop soft skills and Emotional Intelligence to their Millennial workforce. Jared authored a book in 2016 titled “.” This is Jared Buckley. Hey Jared thanks for coming on the show! Interview Questions: How did you first become interested in Millennials and what is it you are hoping to accomplish with your work? Began in 2000 when he got to college; was working to become a pastor; they gave him a book about Millennials Wasn’t really a topic to him, it was just who he was working with in his normal life Then a few years ago, it dawned on him he had an expertise in working with Millennials, and people began seeking him out What would you say are some of the biggest myths about Millennials, and what are the truths? Entitlement: it’s not entitlement, it’s an expectation; they come to the table with a set expectation that is fast; technology is a bit part of this; because they are fast, they expect fast things (promotions, raises, etc.); this gets translated as entitled, but it’s more an expectation based on speed Disloyalty: ; they can come across disloyal, but that’s not really what is going on; Millennials are loyal to a reason, and they will become more loyal than other generations (Daniel follows up on entitlement/expectation, and how managers of Millennials can connect and meet or help adjust their expectations): If you’re going down the road at 85 MPH and see a deer in the road, you aren’t supposed to slam on the brakes (though that’s the tendency) You have to tap the brakes and slow the car down Same thing with Millennials, you can’t slam on the brakes You have to tap the brakes; teach them what expectations are for you, your team, etc.; they have to learn these expectations But the problem is most organizations just want them to adapt and learn those expectations on the fly You can tweak processes like promotions: maybe give a bit more responsibility without a raise (if you can’t afford it). Break up a once in five year promotion to several micro-promotions Go one step further: this is a leadership development plan by giving them these roles over time Simon Sinek had a video go viral recently where he went on a 15 minute exposition of what’s going on with Millennials in the workplace. Was there anything that resonated with you his analysis? Got asked a lot about it Simon attempted to dissect a generation based on personal experiences, which is a big no-no You can’t label an entire generation He has a valid point about issues like parenting, but everyone didn’t have bad parenting At the end of the day, we’re still talking about people, and you have to take the time to listen and understand them. That’s what leadership is all about. Let’s talk about Emotional Intelligence, or EQ. How do you define it? An emotional ability to take productive action; this is not kumbaya; how do you react in certain situations Why is it important? Huge in sports; “emotional hijacking” short circuits the process of making a decision; explains how a baseball player can hit a baseball, when other than by reaction it isn’t possible (Daniel asks for an example/hypothetical) – emotional intelligence is how you encounter that person and problem in the situation; you have to be able to regulate emotions in that situation so you can get production; steadiness; prioritize developing people rather than just getting the job done; also keep in mind that people respond differently to different types of motivators Jared has an assessment for this that he is willing to give away to our audience: . He’s also giving away a reading/analysis of the results! If it can be developed, how can we do that? Different from IQ which is pretty well locked in EQ can go up and down Your emotions are like a muscle, and you have to exercise them; spend time with self-awareness and figure out who God made you to be; what makes you tick? Journal, meditate, pray, are all ways to go about this You wrote a piece titled “8.5 steps to train Millennials for Leadership.”: First, let’s talk about what Millennials are saying are the top drivers of a “perfect job environment.” What can we learn from that? All free food and bean bags? Not necessarily Best thing we can do is invest in the Millennials; that we believe in them; create a family environment that is filled with trust; that lets you speak into them in good times and bad So the best environment is where they believe that the leaders believe in them; and there is trust; mentorship is big; this will lead to greater loyalty You pointed out that older Millennials are now 36 and ready, if not overdue for management positions, whereas the perception of them is still based on their 23-year-old basement living recent graduate brethren. Why do you think that is happening and why is it important? Much of this is based on the stereotypical Millennial and how its marketed Advancing Millennials who are now executives think a bit differently Multi-generational workforces are big right now Let’s talk about your book, “Career OnRamp: 19 Career Options for College Graduates.” What motivated you to write the book, and who is it for? Came out of discovering questions and from coaching Millennials; a common conversation with those clients are dealing with what they’re going to do in their career Who is the Professional Student? What can we learn from her? Have a purpose; there must be a reason to go back to school Don’t just assume having a masters is going to help you get a job If your vocation requires it, or you need it for licensure, then great. But otherwise, learn through experience and getting paid Where can people go to learn more about you, the book and the work you’re doing? - assessment for the audience Thank Yous/Acknowledgements: / – music . Jonathan Davis – production – voice over /episode/index/show/allstarleaderpodcast/id/5110357

Episode 040 - Great Northwest Athletic Conference Commissioner Dave Haglund 02/16/2017

Episode 040 - Great Northwest Athletic Conference Commissioner Dave Haglund Dave talks Maryland hoops, the future of sports information work in a SnapChat world, and how to foster an ideas driven office culture. Introduction: Hey everyone and welcome to the All-Star Leader Podcast, where together we learn about leadership from the best and brightest, and keep it fun by connecting it to our passion for sports! I’m your host Daniel Hare, and today we are talking with the Commissioner of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, Dave Haglund. Dave is in his fifth year at the GNAC after serving in the same role at the Cascade Collegiate Conference, and prior to that spent a combined 27 years in media relations at the University of Maryland and Fresno State University. This is Dave Haglund. Dave thanks so much for coming on the show! Interview Questions: So I don’t think we’ve talked about this before, but if my timing is right I was on the basketball staff at Oklahoma and you were at Maryland when we played in 2001 in Cole Fieldhouse. Maryland won in a very good, rare out-of-conference February game. What do you remember about that one?! First year Maryland went to the Final Four; Juan Dixon was scoreless in the first half, changed shoes and led Now that we have that out of the way, let’s start at the beginning. You grew up in Portland; so you’re back in your hometown. What was it like growing up there and what were some of your early interactions with the sports world? Grew up an Oregon State fan; Portland Timbers were big and he went to some of those playoff games; and then Trailblazers were big as well Always devoured the sports page; after high school got a sports clerk job at a local newspaper The Oregon Journal which launched his career You went to Oregon State for college; what was that experience like and how did it move you closer to the career you ultimately decided on? The ability to make connections were big, which led to more opportunities; Oregon Journal editor called the Oregon State SID and helped Dave get a job there as a student Big round table in the Oregon State SID room where Dave worked; and Ralph Miller (OSU men’s basketball coach) would use that table and Dave’s chair to talk to the media after games How did you wind up at Fresno State? Who had an impact on you during your time there and how? What did you learn from a leadership standpoint during your time at Fresno State that still impacts you today. Scott Johnson was assistant SID at Oregon State and got hired at Fresno State as the head SID; offered Dave a job, and he had a job from Oregon State upon graduation as well Three coaches: men’s soccer coach Jose Elgorriaga helped him with his confidence; baseball coach Bob Bennett taught him hard work and standing up for your program; football coach Jim Sweeney too. You were at Fresno for a couple of years of Jerry Tarkanian. What can you share about him and his leadership style? Enjoyed working with Tark; easy to work with He was a celebrity coach, and he returned to Fresno which was his hometown after a long, stellar career As a PR person, having someone the media wanted to talk to all the time was great for the job and career There was always controversy that followed him and his program that you had to deal with What drew you to Maryland? Same question: Who had an impact on you during your time there and how? What did you learn from a leadership standpoint during your time at Fresno State that still impacts you today. Leap of faith to move to a new part of the country and a new conference, etc. Hired Ralph Friedgen and went to an Orange Bowl Back to back final fours and a national championship in 2002 As a media relations professional, what were the benefits and challenges of being in the massive media market of Washington, D.C.? Number one benefit was the exposure because of the number of media outlets that were covering you When men’s basketball went to the NCAA Tournament, they would take 80 media members along with them Always in the public eye; USA Today, CNN, PBS are right there, so anything a national sports news issue arose, those outlets would want to interview Maryland athletics’ staff Let’s pause here and drill down on your area of expertise for a moment. Where do you think the traditional area of media relations/sports information is going in the age of SnapChat, Instagram and Facebook? Wishes he was an SID with all the new media Athletic departments and coaches can communicate directly with their fans; this is a great thing! Create your own content in different forms and deliver it, and not need the media Balance between the old and new; the old doesn’t totally go away; example is the hardcopy media guides are now gone You left Maryland to take the Commissioner position at the Cascade Conference. Can you talk a little about the motivations behind that move out of major Division I athletics and also out of media relations? Who are a few of the Cascade schools so our audience has some frame of reference? Always thought the Maryland time was temporary and would want to go back home Took a risk by leaving Division I and taking on a commissioner role of an NAIA league Was a one-man band and worked out of his home Was able to bring several national championships to the Portland area 11 institutions in three states: Oregon, Washington and Idaho; supportive presidents and good ADs; Oregon Tech won the men’s basketball national championship (Daniel asks about future of NAIA) – they have lost 50+ schools to NCAA Division II in recent years but this has slowed; and Dave thinks there is a place for the NAIA; they are at 240 or 250 schools right now. Then we stole you away at the GNAC in 2011; talk about taking over that role and some of the challenges you’ve faced. The vast footprint: Alaska, Oregon, Montana, Idaho and Alaska; plus Canada; there’s a lot of travel and air travel There was only one postseason championship at the time, and he added baseball, softball and soccer Small college football in the west is very challenging; there just aren’t many schools playing; GNAC has five members and plays a double round robin Next year, men’s women’s basketball championship will be in Alaska this year The air/long-trip leagues are financially challenging because it really is a cost of living increase to compete at the same level Something I like to ask all our guests who have worked in conference offices: how do you go about getting individual schools to put their own best interest aside for the greater good of the conference? (if at all?!) Teamwork; everyone matters ADs have an understanding of what it takes to make the conference work; they are collegial and know there are times when what’s good for the group might not be good for them as an individual school, and they are okay with that. Audience question from John Owen: How do you communicate so your team feels welcome to talk to you and bring new ideas? (from email list [email protected]) Keep an open door; pop into people’s offices and shoot the breeze; when you’re relaxed and talking about what’s going on, new ideas will come that are worthy Five rapid fire questions Name one trait or characteristic you look for when you hire someone. Work ethic and desire What habit has been key to your success? Underpromise and overdeliver Most important app or productivity tool? iPhone and Dropbox Most influential leader you’ve personally been around? Debbie Yow (N.C. State AD) One sentence of advice for emerging leaders? Don’t remain in your comfort zone too long. GNAC happenings Four final fours in 2016; three teams reached the national championship; Western Washington won the women’s soccer national championship – Saturday, April 8th, Portland (3rd annual) 10-15 panelists of women working in sports industry Open to high school/college students interested in pursuing a career in sports WOU Director of Sports Performance Cori Metzgar (Episode 3 guest) has been a panelist on Twitter; Thank Yous/Acknowledgements: / – music . Jonathan Davis – production – voice over /episode/index/show/allstarleaderpodcast/id/5090108

Episode 039 - Former CFL Commissioner and SMU Sport Management Professor Michael Lysko 02/09/2017

Episode 039 - Former CFL Commissioner and SMU Sport Management Professor Michael Lysko Professor Lysko talks about growing up around sports in Canada, careers in agencies and event planning, and the ups and downs of leading the Canadian Football League. Introduction: Hey everyone and welcome to the All-Star Leader Podcast, where together we learn about leadership from the best and brightest, and keep it fun by connecting it to our passion for sports! I’m your host Daniel Hare, and today we are fortunate to be joined by Michael Lysko, the former commissioner of the Canadian Football League, and current Director and a Professor of Practice in the Sport Management Program at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. In addition to those roles Mike has served as a university athletic director, and prior to joining SMU was the Vice President for Marketing and Partnerships at Intersport in Chicago. This is Professor Michael Lysko. Interview Questions: I know I just barely touched on a few points in your impressive bio, so let’s fill in some gaps so our audience can get to know you. Where did you grow up, and what was your early exposure to the sports world? Small town Aylmer, Ontario Canada Sports always part of his life; played hockey, swam, wrestling and football Saturday night sports were big on TV in Canada – following Hee Haw! When did you recognize you wanted a career in sports, and what was the first thing you did about it? As a kid, dream sports career was to play High school assessment and interests said history/political science, but hard to make a career of that. Focused on business and marketing in college. Tell us about some of your early jobs within the sports marketing realm; what did you learn from them? Began with a hockey agency, founded by Bill Waters. Connected to Bobby Orr. You then become the commissioner of the Canadian Football League (And we’ll talk about your tenure there a bit later) You then served as an athletic director; how would you describe the differences between Canadian and American college athletics? 2nd biggest land mass in the world with the population of California. Most are concentrated around Toronto. Up until ’96, there were no college athletics scholarships Level of play in football compares to Group of Five teams (Daniel talking about Canadian university Simon Fraser coming into the NCAA) Makes sense because Canada is so vast, Simon Fraser (Vancouver) is much closer to the U.S. school to its south. What is Intersport Chicago and what did you do for them? Charlie Besser founded Partnered with major networks to produce sports programming (e.g. UA High School football game; Final Four ancillary events) NACDA events Now you’re at the SMU sports management program; tell us about that? Both undergraduate and graduate programs Only program in Dallas-Fort Worth Faculty have at least 15 years in the industry Lots of great major events for students to partner with and get experience (Daniel asked about job market for sports management students) SMU is a small school and there is a 30/semester cap; you have to apply to get into the major program; 70% of applicants are turned down. Focus is on experiential learning, and putting people into position where they can get jobs. 95% to 100% employment rates Once you get in and do good work for seven to 10 years and stay in, you’ll do well Good number of graduates go into sales for their entry-level position Lots of opportunities in agencies which are connected to the major leagues, teams and athletes Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is huge and includes Frisco, Plano, Arlington, Irving, etc. Graduate program priority deadline is 2/15 – ; final deadline 4/30 More SMU Materials (; ; ) Not as important which school you’re based in (i.e. business, education), more important to focus on the curriculum Let’s talk a bit about your CFL commissioner tenure and have you teach us a few lessons learned from that experience. First just tell us about the interview process, getting hired, and those first few days on the job. Was in Chicago working and got called by an executive recruiter CFL had issues and had been without a commissioner for five years After the interview with the selection committee he was selected as the guy; but prior to a formal announcement his name was leaked, which sped up the process First few weeks, tried to get a lay of the land; but nothing really added up even though the perception in public was the financials are good He brought in a third party to audit the league’s finances and went about fixing the broken pieces from there What people might not realize is you said those things in the course of litigation following your separation from the CFL in 2002. What would you like to share with us about the circumstances under which you left the CFL, and what do you feel are lessons that we can all learn from what you went through? CFL is a small league; 8 teams Pushed owners to pay back outstanding loans 9/11 – postponed all games in the face of opposition There have been four more commissioners since he left What can we take away about the importance of building trust with colleagues, and how to go about doing that? Be inclusive and listen; servant leadership and doing what’s best for the collective/league Hire people good at what they do and empower them to do their job Honor your word Can’t always find consensus; must do what you think is right based on the information you have at the time Thank Yous/Acknowledgements: / – music . Jonathan Davis – production – voice over /episode/index/show/allstarleaderpodcast/id/5069016

Episode 038 - SMU Director of Athletics Rick Hart 02/02/2017

Episode 038 - SMU Director of Athletics Rick Hart Rick shares about his college sports roots, strategic planning, finding the best talent and what athletics marketing looks like in 2017 and beyond. Introduction and Bio: Hey everyone and welcome to the All-Star Leader Podcast, where together we learn about leadership from the best and brightest, and keep it fun by connecting it to our passion for sports! Continuing with our recent lineup of university athletic directors, we are privileged today to be joined by the director of athletics at Southern Methodist University, Rick Hart. Rick has been around college athletics his entire life, and prior to coming to SMU spent time as the AD at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and on the staff at the University of Oklahoma. This is Rick Hart. Hey Rick thanks for coming on the show! Interview Questions: I mentioned that you grew up around college athletics; tell us about that and what you learned during those years which still informs how you lead today? Didn’t realize it at the time, but very special experience Dad was high school coach/teacher early on and mom was teacher; grew up around educators and sports Went to Dad’s practices, camps, games, etc. and was around the coaches grandfather was the AD at Louisville and Missouri Dad went into college athletics at East Carolina, and it continued and shaped him While in college he figured out that combining sports and education was what he wanted to do; learning through sports You can do that without compromising your values/ethics You spent a number of years at the University of Oklahoma working in marketing, promotions and external affairs. How have you seen those areas change since those early days, and how do you see them changing in the future. Started at UNC in the ticket office before Joe Castiglione called and asked him to join the marketing department at OU Joe hired Matt Trantham around the same time for development, but soon moved over to join Rick in marketing. The two of them were able to build that department from scratch. Of course now there are 12 people doing those jobs that the two of them were doing at the time. There is more specialization now and there is more on your plate. Technology has changed and you have to manage that. And you have to be adding new revenue streams and enhancing the fan experience and engaging the community. Joe knows how to do these things and he is the best at it. External roles will continue to grow and become more important. (Daniel following up on TV attacking attendance) – always been competition but now you are competing against yourself. So how can you differentiate the in-venue experience and offer exclusive access/atmosphere. Different seat types is one way you’re seeing now (verandas; beaches). Know your audiences/fans and address their desires for a social experience. (Daniel following up on process to identify how to differentiate) – You have to engage those constituents. Sometimes he might think something is important, but when you ask you find out it wasn’t that important. You have to gather feedback (surveys, focus groups, etc.). Millennials want something different than the traditional fans, and you have to address both even though right now most of the revenue comes from the traditional fans. You have to prepare and build for the future. Think about factors and tradeoffs. TV is big for rights fees, but gametimes aren’t convenient for fans and therefore discourages attendance. His kids are in high school and he watches how they consume their entertainment. (Daniel follow up on Joe C’s leadership style of throwing Rick/Matt into the fire) – One of Joe’s greatest strengths is his ability to identify talent and get the right people in the right places doing the right things at the right time. He trusted Rick to get the job done. And when Joe hired him, he knew he didn’t have marketing experience, but knew Rick could learn the job. He was hired based on his character and values. So many resumes look similar; it’s about finding out who the person is. You hire the person based on who they are and not just what they’ve done. What was the biggest challenge facing you when you arrived at SMU, and how did you go about addressing it? Challenges range from personal to professional. Personal when it comes to work/life balance since there really is none in college athletics. Challenges professionally were often made easier with a good set of mentors. Accept challenges are a big part of the job; he doesn’t catalog them though. He learns from mistakes/shortcomings/failures, but don’t dwell on them. Make sure you know who you are, so that with each challenge if you operate within that framework you can live with the results no matter what they are. To pursue excellence you’re going to make mistakes. How do you handle conflict between two (or more) of your staff? There’s some soft skill and emotional intelligence involved One of their values is respect Tweaked the golden rule: treat others the way they want to be treated – everyone is different and to respect someone is to be aware that everyone doesn’t want to be treated the same way you do. Try to operate in an environment where you can challenge ideas, but know there are limits in how you interact with one another. Also the better the relationship is leading into a conflict, the smoother the process to resolve the conflict How do you approach trying to achieve some work/life balance? Communicate expectations Schedule family events/time along with your work appointments; make a commitment Use technology to your advantage, but understand you are always on the job with a cell phone in your pocket. You have to integrate the work/life, because they really become one (Daniel following up with the Coach Stoops/family night) – you have to create a culture where the kids can be part of what’s going on. It’s good for the student-athletes to see healthy family interaction and relationships, levity, casual atmosphere. You have to integrate the kids where you can, and it’s a healthy way for kids to grow up. They see young men/women mastering their sport and their studies. It’s also a great retention tool to hang on to your staff. You initiated a strategic plan titled “The SMU Advantage.” Can you tell us how you put that plan together, and offer advice on how to put together a strategic plan that will be effective? First exposure to strategic planning was at OU, and then at Chattanooga installed a plan and learned more about how to do it At SMU, you can’t start from zero and get everyone involved or it won’t get done. So there needs to be a framework to begin with. Then you can bring people in to get ownership. Met individually with staff to ask key questions and develop some themes; based upon who everyone thinks the department is and who they want to me, here is the plan – to achieve the mission, goals and values. Then you have to determine the role everyone has in contributing to the plan. Thank Yous/Acknowledgements: / – music . Jonathan Davis – production – voice over /episode/index/show/allstarleaderpodcast/id/5047632

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