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The Butler Way

Can a team thrive without a designated captain?

My initial response was no until I heard Adam Grant detailing the Butler Way on a recent episode of Work Life.

Most college basketball fans remember Butler University’s miraculous back-to-back final four appearances in 2010 and 2011. These runs were not supposed to happen as Butler was a major underdog against powerhouses like Syracuse, Michigan State, and Florida. Yet somehow, some way, those teams found a way to win until finishing runner-up to two other powerhouses in consecutive National Championship games (Duke and Connecticut).

But did you know that Butler did not have a team captain for any of these runs? “Everyone is a captain,” explained former Butler Head Coach Brad Stevens on the podcast. “Everyone is empowered to make decisions, and everyone is held accountable.”

On the surface, nothing is shocking about this statement. It is something regurgitated in various platforms, and especially in business books. But most organizations have a pecking order. So while the teams may nod in agreement that they’re “one team,” and that “every opinion matters,” in practice this is not so. In fact, most organizations have a leader with a title, and that person’s opinion holds more sway.

The amazing thing is that basketball is the same way! It is a “star’s game.” Arguably, no other team sport can be more impacted by a superstar, which is why we know the biggest stars by their first names: Kareem, Magic, Kobe, Lebron, and Michael. Yet even though this is the prevailing culture for basketball, Stevens implemented the “Butler Way” where everyone was together, and on the same level. There was no star hierarchy: The freshman could call out the senior, and the senior listened instead of silencing the ignorant bench-warmer. Everyone, as Stevens detailed, was held accountable.

Teamwork alone did not get them to back-to-back final four appearances, so I am not arguing that talent is meaningless. After all, Butler’s 2010 team featured Gordon Hayward, a future 2017 NBA

All-Star. Yet even still, the team embraced the “Butler Way,” and by almost every account over-achieved to become back-to-back national runner-ups.

What amazes me about the “Butler Way” is twofold.

For one, Stevens clearly communicated the message to the team, and held everyone accountable. I can say that confidently because of the success the Butler team had each year. If that team was not being held accountable, they simply would not have made it as far as they did.

Second, it is apparent that the team was humble enough to buy-in to Coach Steven’s vision. The lack of a captain would not have worked any other way. Mass chaos would have ensued the first time the team lost a big game.

I do not know if the “Butler Way” makes sense for your organization.

What I do know, however, is that regardless of how you choose to set up your organization, it won’t be successful without you—the leader—holding people accountable, or without your followers buying-in to the structure.

That’s what made the “Butler Way” so special…

The Butler Way Read More »

closeup of razor wire

Could you image not eating Pizza for 30 years?

Admittedly, this post is a departure from normal. But from time to time, I want to bring some awareness to important issues. More than awareness, I hope these posts challenge conventional thinking and spur some to take action. If we are leaders, we need to use our influence to improve the livelihoods of others.

Catherine Hoke is a leader who gets this.  And her story has recently been challenging me.  She is the founder of Defy Ventures, an organization of volunteers who work to provide leadership training and character development for incarcerated people she calls Entrepreneurs in Training (EITs).  In her book A Second Chance, she tells the story of serving pizza at one of Defy Ventures’ EIT graduations. This, on the surface, is hardly worthy of a story.  But one detail makes the story that follows an unforgettable one.

Hoke had no idea that eating pizza is forbidden in prisons.

Hoke goes on in the book to share the mistake she made (allowing volunteers to eat pizza in front of EITs after the EITs passed the pizza out), the drama of “Pizza Gate” that followed, and an unbelievable display of public accountability and forgiveness. These two chapters, located in the middle of the book, are breathtaking and worth the price of the book.

And at the very beginning of it, is a line that wrecked me: “One of our EITs had not had pizza in 30 years.”

I was listening to the book in the car on Audible when I heard this line and almost drove off the road.

At first I got angry.

What a stupid rule, I thought! They’re human beings! It doesn’t matter what they did in the past. They’ve just worked hard in an Entrepreneurs in Training program and should be allowed to have a piece —ONE FRICKING PIECE—of pizza!

And then I fought back tears.

I didn’t cry—God forbid if Steve saw me me crying when he got out of his car to go into the office last Wednesday morning!

But, I felt the urge.

Do we really live in a world where people go away and don’t eat pizza for 30 plus years?

Really?

Here is the deal…

I am not arguing that some people do not deserve to be behind bars for the mistakes they have made. After all, I believe every action has a consequence. Having said that, I unapologetically believe in the worth of every human being because I believe in a Savior that died for every one of us.

Every. One. Of. Us.

More than that, it is apparent in listening to Hoke’s book, knowing a friend who went away for a time, and reading other books on this subject matter, that our prison system is completely broken. Recidivism —the rate in which individuals return to prison upon release—is alarmingly high.

There are also serious injustices.

At the risk of alienating even more of you, it is apparent that a disparity between races exists in terms of prison sentencing.

It is uncomfortable to write that last statement.

I even have friends who disagree.

But being a leader is about being uncomfortable. Especially, when there is an injustice.

I don’t know what my next move here is. Maybe I need to get involved in our church’s prison ministry? Maybe I need to financially support Defy Ventures?

I don’t know.

But I know this is a big deal.

I know I am not okay with someone not being allowed to have one piece of pizza after 30 years.

I know I am for justice, and advocating for those who cannot advocate for themselves.

I also respect your right in this country to disagree with me on this issue.

Unlike our current political debate, I won’t vilify you.

Just know that I felt strongly enough about this to write this post.

Every human being matters.

Every last one of them.

Even the ones behind bars.

(Note: I have written before about the power of language.  Hoke intentionally calls the inmates in her program Entrepreneurs in Training in order to convey her belief in them and to affect the way they see themselves—as human beings with a successful future.  In this post, I intentionally did not use the word “prisoner.”  I dislike using the word because when I say it, it seems to connote a distance between me and that person and even a sense that the incarcerated person is below me.

And frankly speaking, I do not like feeling that way towards others, thus I remind myself of everyone’s dignity by calling them human beings.)

Could you image not eating Pizza for 30 years? Read More »

thankful sign on wood

To Rocky

I need to start by saying this is not good-bye. As I thought about this day many times over the last few months, I have comforted myself with the thought that your house is right around the corner. But I have to admit that I hate this.

Don’t get me wrong, I am happy for you. While I grew up watching the example of my grandfather who never retired, you taught me that retirement is a gift for the team members (our family members!) at Hoffer Plastics.

Of course the organization will miss your relentless pursuit of being the best molder in the building, and probably in the history of Hoffer Plastics. Of course, I will miss that too, but it is not what I will really miss.

More than anything else, I will miss the conversations we had waiting to fly to North Carolina, or Montreal. I’ll miss being stuck in the Air Canada Club with you for eight hours, and hearing your perspective on operational leadership. I’ll miss your emotion. Manufacturing is hard, and there might not be crying in baseball, but you have taught me that there is some crying in manufacturing! You have always cared deeply, and that care has NEVER wavered. It shone through in all our talks, and I have always come home feeling, “Thank God Rocky is on our team.”

Transition is hard, emotional, and flat out weird. The last six months have been difficult, and I am extremely thankful for your grace during this period.

I’ll always be grateful for the sacrifices you, Brenda, and your family made as the company grew. And I’ll also be forever in your debt for not telling my parents about that one time I was at your house during High School.

But that would incriminate us both, so some tales are best left untold!

Your slice is still wicked at times, so I hope that retirement helps that! I’m sure I’ll get to see the progress. When are we playing?

Thank you.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

You have made a tremendous impact on my life.

I hope we can make you proud as the ship leaves the dock with a new captain.

I believe we will.

But I also know it will never be the same.

I love you.

Alex

To Rocky Read More »

men shaking hands

Hire Up!

I just finished eating some yogurt on an airplane ride to the Plastic News Executive Forum. Even though I really like this particular brand of yogurt, it will forever be tied to some bittersweet memories for me.

As a sales person a few years ago, I came in runner-up in a project this yogurt company was launching. It was a a difficult loss because we really believed in the project and believed it would take off. Besides the business component, I am a fan of the company and wanted to be part of its supply chain. To make matters worse, we had also recently finished second in another yogurt project with a different brand. It was a rough stretch for my self-confidence.

At about this time, our sales team was undergoing some changes. As the newly appointed hiring manager, I wanted to improve the talent (i.e. get people who were better than me into sales positions!). Enter Tammy. She does not take no for an answer, which makes me feel sorry for her husband and kids. Kidding aside, she lectured me that we were going to continue to pursue the second project that got away. And two years later, she—along with our “change-over team” —had realized that dream.

With growth comes expansion, so it was time to hire again. One of the readers of this blog, Roger, suggested that I talk to Lee. So a few days after New Years Eve, I flew to New Jersey and met with him. I told him that I wanted him to challenge my (and our company’s) assumptions, help us build our proprietary product line, and grow relationships in the pouch space. He has exceeded expectations on all fronts.

Joel is better than most at having crucial conversations with customers. Patricia does things most sales people dread doing, and does them with humility and excellence. Marion is constantly considering ways to push the organization to get better, and his energy tires us all! Pete and Kevin both have unyielding tenacities, and relentlessly pursue new opportunities in difficult markets. Mike very humbly goes about his business, and always brings positive energy to the conversations I have with him.

And Jack…well, he’s just Jack! But, his guidance has deeply impacted me in more ways I can adequately count here.

All of these people are older than I am.  (Sorry!)

All of these people are better at sales than I am.

And I am incredibly grateful for their humility and pursuit of excellence.

Down the path comes Drew, Justin, and possibly some of the entrepreneurial students I spoke to recently at Loyola, or Judson! (When are we getting together again?)

If they have the drive — Drew and Justin do — they, too, will also be better.

This is THE pursuit of leadership.

Always hire up. Always hire people that are better, or can become better.

It is humbling.

And that’s because it is leadership.

Hire Up! Read More »

long escalator with man walking off bottom

Let’s Solve this Problem Together!

Can you imagine having a job where your entire role revolves around dealing with stressed out, and often, very irritated customers? Where basically everyone complains about all that is wrong, and expects you to fix the issue?

This is the everyday reality of most airline gate agents. As I witnessed recently, they often get to see the worst in human behavior. Yet much of the complaints they field (delays, status upgrade denials, and other first-world problems) are outside their ability to resolve.

One of the biggest frustrations most leaders share with me is somewhat similar to the situation above: team members show up at their “counter,” point out all that is wrong with the company, and then expect the leader to fix the problem without having to take action themselves!

One of our most important jobs as leaders is to first create a culture open to all kinds of feedback. So as irritating as negative feedback is, it is preferable to silence, and actually a positive sign as it relates to the culture of the organization.

Unlike an airline gate agent, however, a leader has power, or at least influence, to make change possible. Resolving the problem is of extreme importance, but the leader shouldn’t always do this on their own.  In fact, the other person often can have a role to play in solving whatever problem they have brought to light.

An organization with a culture open to feedback will only thrive with a second component. Every leader must also aim to create a culture of mutual accountability and support. We need to make our “gate agents” into leaders with influence and power. We need to help our team members know that they, too, have the ability to address the problem they see. This may mean that we need to support them, even defend their view when we think it is the right one, and be present when others inside the organization push back against them.

And the organization will push back when they perceive the feedback is coming from someone who doesn’t have the title. (On a personal note, this reality really gets me going.  Truth is truth; I don’t give a rip where it comes from, nor the “title” of the person sharing it. All I care about is whether the idea or feedback has merit. Often I find people won’t even consider the feedback’s truthfulness, however, unless it comes from someone with a fancy acronym in their title. How foolish!)

Imagine if a leader at the airline had the “back” of the airline gate agent when they waived a fee or helped a stranded passenger get home earlier than expected? (That scenario sadly sounds too good to be true anymore.)

How delighted would the customer be?

How empowered would the gate agent feel?

How satisfied with their day’s work?

To be sure, the leader is always – or should always be – the “extreme owner.” Even so, they need to teach their followers that they also have a role in solving whatever issue they bring to light.

In a true team environment, everyone plays a role in improving the organization!

Let’s Solve this Problem Together! Read More »

looking our airplane window to wing and sunset on the horizon

Why don’t you fly business class?

It was the last leg of a very long day flying home from Asia. All that was left was a “fast” 4.5 hour flight from San Francisco to Chicago. I could smell home.

“Does your company let you fly business class?” Asked the guy sitting next to me.

“No, we don’t fly business class for these trips because it is hard to justify the extra cost,” I said emphasizing the WE.

“Those people must be a-holes,” the guy said next.

I said with a chuckle, “yes, they kind of are.

Oh, if he only knew! Haha!

But it got me thinking: What’s the purpose of business class tickets, expensive office furniture, or other extraneous business expenses?

Do any of these add value to your customers? Do any improve their livelihoods?

Now I am not saying that if you splurge for business seats on your next international flight you automatically value customers less than I do. That would be a false assumption.

Rather, I am challenging you to think about what you’re spending your money on. For instance, I paid around 1K for my coach seat on the way to Asia, where business class seats were priced around 6K. For that difference, we as a company can invest in many different things, like a new unit tool for a new product, that may solve a customer need.

As relaxing as sitting in business class may be, it won’t have that kind of effect on the future.

The point here is what do you really value?

Putting the customer first should change everything, including where you sit on an airplane.

(And kudos to the road warriors whose business class seats have been earned through status upgrades! Good things tend to come to those who hustle, don’t they?)

Why don’t you fly business class? Read More »

young people on park bench looking at river

Can You Be Trusted?

I recently had lunch with a friend of mine and they shared a story about something that happened within their organization. As the primary leader, they were sort of venting, and sort of looking for reassurance that they had handled the situation well. Not only did I think they handled it well, and in fact, I thought their handling of it could be a brilliant model for other leaders to follow.

Twenty-Four hours later, I found myself amped up on caffeine. As you may have noticed, I have been doing video blogs regularly in 2018, and the topic that had been discussed the day prior was “video worthy,” so off I went.

A few minutes later, the video was done. Before I started uploading it to YouTube, I thought it would be wise to run it by this leader, so I shared the video with them via text.  The feedback I received was the following: “Wow, this video is awesome. But since you asked, and I appreciate you asking, I don’t think you should post it publicly because this was a ‘private matter.’ I hope you understand.”

Not only did I understand, I was embarrassed that I had come within seconds of publicly sharing what they had intended to be a private conversation. I was completely in the wrong to assume that my friend’s story was not confidential. So thank God I checked before making a terrible mistake and sharing the “private” matter publicly.

Trust is everything in a relationship, and I had come perilously close to unintentionally ruining the trust my friend had in me. Granted, my intention was to inspire, not to ruin trust —In fact, the gist of the video was encouragement for this organization. Regardless of intentions, I had come close to ruining trust.

I learned a few things from this experience. For starters, I should never assume that I have the liberty to publicly share a story told in private. Further, I should always ask for permission to make sure —this is a good reminder for me and other writers, who are always on the hunt for a good story! Finally, I need to practice self-control with regards to what I tell others. Like many of the readers of this blog, I sign countless NDAs, and have countless “private” conversations. I want to be known as someone others can trust, not as someone with loose lips.

Trust is a big deal. In fact, it may be one of the most critical aspects of any relationship. Learn from me, and assume private conversations are to be kept private unless otherwise noted.

Can You Be Trusted? Read More »