Bhrett McCabe
When I Say the BEST - I Mean It
“Championship coaches create winning cultures by emphasizing three things – people, processes, and persistence.”
That was my answer to a question I was asked the other night at dinner. I was sitting with a close friend who owns a medium-sized business and struggles keeping his team on task throughout the month. He told me that he has read “literally every management and motivational book on Amazon” and struggles to bring the words to life in his company. He has tried high-priced management consultants, rearranged his office to feature an open concept for better collaboration, and has preached the importance of loving his team at every meeting.
Yet, he leaves work nearly every day frustrated and feeling like a failure. After reading a series of books recommended by one of his favorite social media influencers, he eliminated rules in the office, hoping that if the team felt empowered, they would work harder. The result was more time spent out of the office by his team, missed deadlines, and poor financial outcomes. But even worse, despite his attempts to be more relaxed and increase accountability, his team complained more. They were still unhappy and now business was suffering too.
Unfortunately, I get it. I have had complaints over the years that my coffee pods were the wrong kind, the “thought bullpen” needed a paint job, and that 8:30 am start days were too early! I often questioned myself about my leadership, and leadership is what I do.
But the question got me thinking – what have I learned from my experiences around the best coaches in the country?
As a valued subscriber to my newsletter, you can likely identify the coaches I work with regularly. I played for the greatest college baseball coach, Skip Bertman, who won 5 NCAA Titles in 10 years. I worked in Nick Saban’s organization at the University of Alabama on a weekly basis for 12 years and through multiple national titles.
I am constantly speaking with coaches, asking them questions about how they produce results. Final Fours. National Titles. Professional association accolades. Hall of Fame careers. I am truly blessed to sit at lunch tables and listen to them share their insights.
Recently, I was sitting at a lunch table with two elite coaches as they were describing new ways to motivate their players in the era of the transfer portal, and then two days later, I am in the batting cages at a Major League baseball park listening to championship coaches share about their favorite mentors from over 40 years ago!
Team sports are not much different than my work on the PGA Tour. Winning is never an accident, and I have been around winners—tons of them.
I have always been cautious about sharing my experiences with such successful coaches and players. I have never wanted to come across as the influence that catapulted those coaches or players to their success but I have learned so much along the way.
If you are looking for a speaker for your company retreat or annual meeting, I would love to share what I have learned while being surrounded by the best coaches and athletes. Those common traits, and most importantly, the struggles that the best leaders work to overcome each day.
Our current generation is challenging but so has every generation that came before us. As leaders, each of us must learn to positively impact our teams, rather than expecting them to figure it out on their own without our guidance.
Those three factors – People, Process, and Persistence – drive championship cultures. They do not promise easy environments, let team members drift in their motivations, or get away with a lack of accountability. Great leaders stay focused on their responsibility to drive success and strive to do it in a manner that benefits the team’s desires without sacrificing positive outcomes. Achieving and creating success is not easy, but certain behaviors must be in place to reach goals.
If I can help, please let me know or share this with a friend who you think might benefit.