Before the Message, the Messenger

If we want to lead people, we have to know people. That means slowing down long enough to listen, to learn, and to earn trust—brick by brick. In any arena—business, sports, or life—trust is the gateway to real transformation.

In this week’s Saturday Blueprint, we explore the power of knowing people beyond their titles, shifting the spotlight from us to them, and leading a new team forward with both rigor and optimism.

Because great leadership begins with trust. And trust begins with us.

Let’s dive in.

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On Winning the Person First:

"Before our players love the message, we have to get them to love the messenger. And to do that requires a relentless, championship-level commitment in learning about our people. We need to become elite trust builders. If we want to lead them better, we have to read them better."

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On Building Trust:

Lessons From Our Monthly Discussions on Leadership

• Consistency Builds Confidence: A team can only trust your decisions if they know what to expect. Whether it’s a new hire or a tough call, clarity and follow-through set the tone.

• Trust Turns Me & You Into Us: Great leaders invest time in understanding the people they lead. Without real connection, there’s no real cohesion.

• Make Deposits Before You Withdraw: Trust is like a bank account—you must consistently invest in relationships before expecting returns. And remember: trusted voices across your organization can help make those deposits too.

Daily Coach Leadership Peer Groups are small groups of business leaders, sports executives, and coaches who meet monthly to inspire, teach, and support one another in building championship teams and cultures. Learn more here.

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On Shifting the Spotlight: 

Performance expert Alan Stein Jr. and best-selling Mel Robbins delve into the foundational mantra of transformational leadership: "It's not about me, it's about you." 

Learn how this powerful principle can transform your relationships, both personally and professionally. 

Key takeaways: 

• Leadership is about impacting and inspiring others. 

• High fives can be a powerful tool for acknowledgment and celebration. 

• Consistently adding value to others fosters a positive and productive culture. 

• Empathy and effective communication are crucial in building strong relationships. 

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On Advice for Taking Over a New Team:

“One is honor the past, wherever you’re showing up. People were there before you, and you don’t want to come in and say, “I’m the savior.” You have to convince people that yes, you’re going to change some things, but there are a whole lot of things you’re not going to change. Honor the good and the bad of the past. Otherwise, the past will keep trying to pull you back.

What you have to do in general is give a clear and compelling change mandate. When you talk about how you’re going to do things, you have to do it with enormously optimistic language, and you have to do it with deep rigor. We have to have a rigorous and optimistic way forward. Some people think rigor makes optimism obsolete. It doesn’t. And some people think optimism makes rigor obsolete. It doesn’t.

I would say honor the past, have a clear and compelling change mandate, and a rigorous and optimistic way forward.”

― Dr. Frances Frei, Harvard Business School Professor 

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