Kurt Kane, president and CEO of TruGreen, the nation’s leading lawn care company, grew up a tennis player. Later, as the lowest-ranked recruit on his West Point Tennis roster, Kurt battled for every point to keep his spot on the team.
Soon, though, he learned that it wasn’t about keeping his position—it was about rising up.
The idea crystalized when his teammate Billy Bob Brigman offered important insight. “You’re the guy,” Brigman told Kane, who shared the story with me on the latest episode of the Corporate Competitor Podcast. “You’ve got the spot. But you’re not going to keep it if you don’t keep pushing yourself to try new things—to elevate your game.”
From there, it was all about growth for Kane. He strengthened his backhand, drilled down on the fundamentals and refocused. Thanks to that shift, he moved on from fighting for a spot on the roster to becoming Patriot League champion in both singles and doubles. He also helped break a 23-year losing streak to Navy, which was a defining moment.
Decades later, under the guidance of David Novak at Yum! Brands, Kane took the idea to another level. He adapted one of the lessons of the company’s “Achieving Breakthrough Results” program, known as “Hot Shot Replaces Me.” The idea is simple: If you lost your job today and a new “hot shot” stepped in, what would they do differently?
By using the lesson, Kane was able to give himself “the gift” of firing himself every afternoon and starting “fresh the following morning.”
He talked about all this and more, including:
• The importance of storytelling. “Storytelling has defined my career,” Kane says. But that means he doesn’t shy away from storytelling’s most essential element: conflict. As president and chief commercial officer at Wendy’s, Kane helped spawn their iconic Twitter feuds, culminating in a big Super Bowl ad. “Conflict is what makes stories interesting,” he says.
• Keep learning. Kane continuously pursues wisdom. So much so that if he felt he wasn’t learning from a leader, he would seek to change his position. Throughout his career, Kane actively sought guidance from the people he worked for. His philosophy? “Drain every drop” of knowledge from great leaders.
• Think ahead. For the innovative CEO, it’s always been important to stay ahead of the curve. He advocates to always think ahead so that you might anticipate what your boss needs. “It helps to grow your career,” Kane says. “Because people start to see you as ready for that next level.”
