Jackie Zach
August 26, 2024
In this episode of the Tough Love for Business podcast, hosts Jackie Zach and Mike McKay discuss the key qualities that define a championship team, drawing parallels between sports and business leadership. They emphasize that business owners must eliminate excuses, set clear expectations, and act as coaches for their employees. Both hosts stress that teamwork, singular focus, and clearly defined roles are critical for success in both sports and business. By comparing the Kansas City Chiefs’ collective teamwork under Patrick Mahomes to the struggles of the Green Bay Packers and Jordan Love, they highlight the importance of having a strong coach who guides the team toward a common goal.
The conversation also touches on the need for tough decisions, such as removing problematic team members, which can improve overall team dynamics and performance. Mike recounts the example of Kadarius Toney, a talented yet disruptive player who was cut from the Chiefs, illustrating how businesses can benefit from similar actions. The hosts emphasize that, just like in sports, a business team needs a strong leader to maintain focus on profitability and growth. Ultimately, setting high standards and clear expectations, along with fostering an environment where team members can thrive, are essential for building a championship-caliber team in business.
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Podcast Transcript
Jackie Zach: Welcome to the Tough Love for Business podcast. I’m Jackie Zach, joined by Mike McKay, and today we’re continuing our series. We’ve discussed excuses and setting expectations, and now we’re focusing on what it takes to build a championship team. We’re recording this right after the Super Bowl, which got us thinking: As a business owner or manager, do you want a championship team? And if so, what steps do you need to take to build one?
Mike McKay: That’s a great question, Jackie. What else do you think is necessary for creating a championship team?
Jackie: Oh, you’re tossing that back to me?
Mike: Well, I was thinking about the Super Bowl and also about Badger Basketball, which is experiencing a big collapse. The Packers also had a disappointing finish in the playoffs. A lot of it boils down to people trying to do too much—like Jordan Love, who threw multiple game-ending interceptions this year. The last one wasn’t due to inexperience but from trying to carry the team alone in a team sport. You can be the best athlete, but if you try to go it solo, you won’t beat a team of 11, no matter how good you are.
Patrick Mahomes, on the other hand, is a master at making sure everyone is where they need to be. It may look like he’s carrying the team, but he’s just ensuring that everyone is doing their job so he can complete the pass, score the touchdown, or kick the field goal. Championship teams aren’t about individual efforts—they need great coaching too.
No NFL team goes without a coach—or even multiple coaches. The Packers, for example, have 53 players and 26 coaches. So, as a business owner, if you want a championship team, you need to be a championship-level coach or have someone help you get there.
Take the Badgers, for instance. Greg Gard may be a top 25 coach, but when his team reaches the top 10, they start losing games they shouldn’t. It’s the coach’s job to get the best out of the team by putting people in the right positions and calling the right plays. When that doesn’t happen, you can’t have a championship team.
Look at the Super Bowl. While the 49ers dominated at first, when the game got tough, some players tried to win it all by themselves instead of playing as a team. Kansas City made mistakes in the first half, but by overtime, they were playing as a cohesive unit, which is what allowed them to win.
So, championship teams need a singular focus on their goal, like winning the Super Bowl. But remember, no matter how good you are, next season, everyone starts at 0-0. In business, you have to play the game every day. The goal is profit—if you’re focused on anything besides growing your business profitably, you’re not aiming at the right target. As a leader, you need to be on your game and avoid falling into a negative mindset.
At the end of the day, the business’s job is to make money. What you do with that money is up to you, but your role isn’t to be the star player. Your role is to be the coach who puts your employees in a position to succeed by setting clear expectations and responsibilities.
Jackie: Exactly. And part of building that championship team is recognizing what you’re willing to accept. Let’s take salespeople as an example. If your top salesperson makes a lot of money for the company but is difficult to work with, are they really helping your team? The fear is often, “If I let this person go, I’ll lose revenue.” But on a championship team, bad behavior isn’t tolerated. If someone is holding you back from building a championship team, letting them go often allows the rest of the team to step up.
Mike: Absolutely. There’s a player on the Chiefs, Kadarius Toney, who wasn’t even allowed to travel to the Super Bowl because of his attitude. Despite his talent, the team didn’t need him to win. When you remove someone who’s toxic to the team, the business often grows beyond what that person was contributing.
If you keep someone like that around, you’re essentially choosing to stay where you are. To grow, both you and your team need to grow. You have to foster a championship mindset and give people room to grow into their roles.
Jackie: Right. By setting expectations, refusing to accept excuses, and giving your team the freedom to thrive, you can create a championship team. But it starts with you. Are you setting the bar high enough? Are you leading like a championship owner? In the end, it’s all about pushing yourself and your team to reach for the sky.