The Keys to Legendary Leadership

The Keys to Legendary Leadership

What makes a leader legendary, and how can you foster those traits within yourself and the people around you?

OPENING QUOTE:

“I would go back 15 to 20 years. I always say, am I positioning myself well for the next thing? Am I learning? How am I perceived? What's my personal brand? Who am I connecting with that can help me? Who are my mentors? It's a chess game. Obviously, you're the CEO of your own career. It doesn't have to happen where you're at and you have to have some willingness to take some risks and move around.” —Chad Estis

GUEST BIO:

Chad Estis is the Executive Vice President of Business Operations for the Dallas Cowboys, as well as Executive Vice President for the global sports agency Legends. Chad led a team of revenue executives to shatter all previous premium hospitality marks in the sports industry when they opened Cowboys Stadium, and he’s also been CMO for the Cleveland Cavaliers, VP of sales for the Tampa Bay Lightning, and a proud graduate of Ohio University where he captained their 1994 championship team.

Learn more about Chad Estis

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CORE TOPICS + DETAILS:

[6:43]

“If You Have Nothing Else, You Can Work”

If you’re not sure of your path, focus on what you do know

Chad outlines how he arrived in the world of sales and business and wasn’t quite sure what he was doing. But he remembered how he’d thrived in college sports— by simply out-hustling everyone else. So, he applied that effort to his work. The results speak for themselves.

[14:43]

Leaders Set the Tone

Culture is established by leaders

If you can create a great culture, then exceptional things can happen. At Chad’s sports agency, he calls it the Legend’s Way— an energy and passion you can feel just by walking in and talking to people. What do you want your organization to feel like? How can you set the tone as a leader?

[20:13]

Criticism and Commitment

Relationship first, correction second

In Chad’s work, he recognizes that criticism that comes from someone who hasn’t invested time and energy into a person will come across as harsh and impersonal. He stresses the importance of building a strong relationship with someone first, proving you’re invested in their future, before you can sit them down and say, “This needs work.”

[25:39]

The Power of Having No Plan

What happens when you say goodbye to the agenda?

Chad often likes to have meetings with employees that have no agenda at all, or just a loose structure. The result? He often gets unexpected insights and forms deeper, more powerful connections with his teams, resulting in more passionate people and a more productive organization.

[34:24]

Chad’s Guide to Choosing Projects

How do you know that an opportunity is the right fit?

Chad outlines his checklist of questions he must answer about any opportunity before signing on:

Will I be challenged every day?Am I working for people I enjoy?Am I compensated appropriately for what I do?

By narrowing it down to these three simple things, he knows there’s nothing else he should be thinking about when making a big call.

[39:03]

How to Lead Before You Lead

To become a great leader tomorrow, be the best teammate today

Chad encourages listeners to ask themselves: How am I interacting with the people around me in this office or workplace, and how is that being perceived? Hopefully, the answer is “very well.” If you want to become a great leader in the future, the best way to start is by being the best teammate and coworker you can possibly be today.

RESOURCES:

[0:36] The Power of Playing Offense[1:50] Chad Estis LinkedIn[2:02] Legends Agency[10:55] 30 Steps to Successful Sales[14:02] Don’t Fire Them, Fire Them Up[37:38] How to Win Friends and Influence People

FOLLOW:

We'd love to hear your thoughts on today’s episode. Feel free to DM Paul on social or shoot him an email at [email protected].

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ABOUT THE HOST:

Paul Epstein may not be a hard charging running back on the actual football field, but his list of high-profile wins in the world of sports will have you thinking that he could be.

Paul has spent nearly 15 years as a pro sports executive for multiple NFL and NBA teams, a global sports agency, and the NFL league office. He’s transformed numerous NBA teams from the absolute bottom in league revenue to top-two in financial performance. He’s broken every premium revenue metric in Super Bowl history as the NFL’s sales leader. He’s opened a billion-dollar stadium, helped save the New Orleans NBA franchise, and founded the San Francisco 49ers Talent Academy.

He's since installed his leadership and high-performance playbook with Fortune 500 leaders, Founders and CEOs, MBAs, and professional athletes.

Now, as Founder of Purpose Labs, keynote speaker, bestselling author, and host of the Playmakers: Impact Unleashed podcast, Paul explores how living and working with a focus on leadership, culture, and purpose can transform organizations and individuals anywhere to unleash their full potential.

Learn more about Paul at: PaulEpsteinSpeaks.comOrder Paul’s new book: The Power of Playing Offense

CREDITS:

Paul Epstein: Host | [email protected]Connor Trombley: Executive Producer | [email protected]