For CEOs and corporate leaders,
Let’s start here.
Any “expert” in any industry who tells you that you don’t need talent to achieve excellence or that motivation is over-rated is probably not an expert and likely has no real “industry.”
As a 7-time NCAA championship coach at Boise State, Colgate, Mississippi State, McKendree, and business founder who has the good fortune to work with innovative, yet “analysis paralysis” corporate athletes on and off the court, I’ve heard more than my share of BS, over-complicated leadership theories.
One of the benefits of coming from and staying active in the sports arena is that the scoreboard never lies, thus simplicity reigns, whereas many entrepreneurs in business have taken Steve Jobs’ “reality distortion theory” far outside the lines of execution reality, leading to repeated failure and frustration.
In a recent guest appearance on the Breaking Back Podcast, entitled ‘More Than a Game: René Vidal’s Formula for Transformational Success,” I was asked about my philosophy of recruiting top performers for the purposes of attaining higher and higher levels of excellence.
For over 25 years, I have operated from a simple three-step process for championship success:
I. Character
The legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden said, “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because character is what you really are, and your reputation is merely what others think you are.”
When I came across this golden nugget in my 20s, I took it and ran. Whether I’m recruiting the next great tennis player for our program or considering taking on a new corporate client, I look for fundamental values such as:
- honesty
- trustworthiness
- self-respect
- work ethic
- enthusiasm
P.S. You can’t teach character, but you can make examples of it.
Business Tip: During interviews, be authentic. Show aspects of who you really are. Share your mission, leadership philosophy, and expectations around culture. Introduce prospects to members of your team and debrief the process to ensure you have the right fit.
II. Competence
This is about skill development and fundamentals.
In sports, you want athletes with “zero hitches” in their game. You understand that the ROI on your time spent “trying to fix” poor technique is not worth it in terms of results.
It’s the same in business. That’s one of the reasons we have all sorts of personality tests and often rounds and rounds of pre-hiring conversations–to identify “the hitch” in someone’s game.
On the tennis court, I’m always looking for players with a track of record of success and sound technique that can be built upon.
In the corner office, I align with clients who already have a high-performance mindset, are seeking the winning edge, and are humble and secure enough to partner with a trusted advisor.
Business Tip: Know exactly what you are looking for in terms of technical skills, relational leadership capabilities, and upside for professional growth. Clarity will save you time, money, and eventually boost your bottom line exponentially.
III. Chemistry
If I’m not looking forward to seeing your face every day, you can’t be on my team.
Sports, business, or otherwise.
Is that blunt enough?
Chemistry is all about finding a 360 degree fit. This is where all the pieces come together.
- Easy and tough conversations
- Real collaboration
- Team-first mentalities
- Blending playfulness and intensity
- Looking out for each other
- True accountability, no Blame Games, and more…
Early in my coaching career, I was willing to sacrifice chemistry for competence (talent).
Today, I’m a different kind of leader.
Culture reigns supreme.
It took me a long, long, loooong time to apply Stanford hall of fame coach Dick Gould‘s secret sauce practice of creating “positive learning environments” to my day-to-day leadership approach, yet I’m glad I did nor can I argue with the results.
Business Tip: Relationships are an intuitive game. Continually refine your gut instinct and surround yourself with a trusted inner circle. Like character and competence, you need to know what you’re after, but more importantly, you must pay attention to how you feel.
Now that you have my 3-step playbook on recruiting top performers to achieve higher and higher levels of success, think about how you can incorporate them into your life and business. Remember, simplicity is the ultimate sophistication in so many ways.
René Vidal | CAI Inquiries: Email
René Vidal is a 7-time NCAA championship coach at Boise State, Colgate, Mississippi State, and McKendree. Vidal currently serves as head coach at NIU Men’s Tennis, a top 100 ITA program, and founder, leadership strategist at Corporate Athletes International (CAI), a boutique executive coaching firm helping companies attain higher levels of excellence.
