Major?
General Studies/Sports Marketing and Management
Grade level?
Fifth year senior
What experience have you had in the sport industry?
For the last six years, including this current year, I’ve been involved with the stock car racing industry. The first three years I was involved in the lowest level of racing. It was just a group of friends with a street stock, racing one track whenever they could afford it. I learned a little bit about the marketing and advertisement opportunities within racing with that team. The last three years I’ve elevated myself higher up the racing industry ladder, and have been involved with racing across the Midwest in the best Super Late Model racing series in the country, The CRA Super Series. With this team, I’ve learned and experienced a lot in the racing industry. I’ve been involved with the pit crew and shop operations, and I’ve also been involved with the marketing and sponsor acquisition side of racing. I’ve been working with Inwood Racing for three years. I’ve worked with Jason Dietsch Racing which can be seen at, www.jasondietschracing.net and I’ve spotted for KRJ Motorsports, which can be seen at www.johnlong32.com We race within the CRA Super Series which can be seen at www.craracing.net
What leadership roles do you have in your sport industry?
There are numerous leadership roles within the racing industry. First off we have the owners who are in charge of everything. From there we have crew chiefs who are basically in charge of all the decisions that are made, that are to be done to the cars, as well as being in charge of the pit crews and shop crews. The drivers are also considered leaders in their own way. Crews look to their driver for inspiration and leadership. Each one of these guys can provide leadership in a centralized way. The owners are very much like the head coaches of sports team. The crew chief and car chief are coordinators and assistant coaches. The drivers are the quarterbacks.
What do you consider to be your leadership style?
Within the sports industry my leadership style is to lead by example, push those around me to be better, when something needs to be done right I do it, work harder than anybody else so that others around me want to work hard
What do you feel are the greatest challenges facing leaders in the sport industry today?
One of the biggest challenges that I see in the sports industry is trying to make everybody happy but at the same time getting the job done correctly. Communication is a big challenge. Finding quality people to surround yourself with and to work with is also a big challenge.
Who is one public figure in sports that you look to as a role model for leadership? Why? –
I personally view Tony Stewart as a great leader in the sports industry. People may not think that but there is so much behind the scenes with him that people don’t understand. Not only is he a great race car driver but he may be an even better business man. I consider him to be a lot like Mark Cuban. Tony owns and operates his own Nascar Sprint Cup team, he owns a Sprint Car team that races and dominates in the World of Outlaws and USAC. I believe his sprint car team has been around for around 10 years and in those 10 years he’s won more than 10 championships, as an owner, in the respective series’ that he races in. He also owns and operates the most historic and most successful dirt track in the country, Eldora Speedway. He owns an RC car company, Custom Works RC Cars. He also has his own line of barbeque sauces and beef jerkys. He has his hand in a little bit of everything. He is a true leader and businessman in my eyes.
How leadership is handled within the organization they are in?
I think that leadership within the racing industry is very centralized. It’s really a top down business model and leadership starts at the top and trickles down. Of course there are goes that are lower on the totem pole that can be leaders, but when it’s all said and done, the crew chiefs, owners, and drivers are the leaders.
With any dysfunctional team or organization today what do you believe is the biggest issue many of these companies face?
I think that it could be a combination of many things. But I think that a lot of times companies will hire people to put in leadership roles that just truly aren’t cut out for it. They then get big heads and get on power trips and then all of the employees around them hates them and the job doesn’t get done. I think communication is key, and the way you treat people is key as well.
According to Patrick Lencioni absence of trust is the foundation of any team. According to Lencioni people should let others know of their weaknesses so the team can build off of this and become better all around. Do you agree with this concept of showing your weaknesses in industry so your team can utilize this and become a better team?
I think that in the long run it is important to realize your weaknesses so that you can work on that and improve them. However I think it’s very important to base off of your strengths. If you base an industry off of working on your weaknesses then you are always focusing on trying to get better. But if you focus on your strengths, you’ll establish a dominance in an area, and then be able to work on your weaknesses as well.
Warren Bennis believes leaders are made whenever they feel they are ready to lead and be successful. When do you think leaders should be adapted and called so called leaders? What makes a leader in your mind?
I don’t really know if I believe that leaders are necessarily made. I think that leaders have that necessary “stuff” or the “intangibles” even at birth. Even if they don’t realize they are leaders there will be some instance where it is shown. I have always felt like a leader in life. Yes there were certain times where I wasn’t given the leadership title, but as a leader you’re always leading others in one way or another. I think a leader has great work ethic, knows how to treat people respectfully but at the same time motivate them to get the job done. He’s a person that everybody looks too for advice, help, direction, information, and he’s also the one who takes the blunt of the punishment.
Also according to Bennis, he explains in his book of the fear in the American public of the lack of leadership. Do you think America has a lack of leadership in today’s society?
I could say that there is a lack of leadership in our society. Even though Obama is in a leadership role, I don’t really feel that leadership and confidence in him. I feel like he is just temporarily there filling in for a leader. America should be confident and comfortable with their leader, and know that he will do the best for our country and will have all of the answers. I’ve never really felt that with Obama. I never look to him when I have concerns because he’s not a true leader in my mind. I could be wrong though, I know nothing about politics. But I can definitely see how there could be a lack of leadership in today’s society.
