First Command CEO Mark Steffe Says: “Throw a Strike!”
Mark Steffe believes that coaching and leadership in business and sports are very similar. “Communicating isn’t just about delivering your message,” Steffe said. “It’s about somebody receiving it.”
To illustrate his point, Steffe recalls a typical Little League scenario he faced when a struggling pitcher would elicit a “C’mon, throw a strike!” from a parent, practically guaranteeing the pitcher would fail to do that. “If he’s not throwing strikes, it’s not because he doesn’t care to throw them,” Steffe explained. “What he needs is his coach to get out of the dugout, call timeout, walk out to the mound and help him adjust his mechanics.”
The same thing is true in business organizations, Steffe says. When an employee isn’t performing up to snuff, Steffe wants his supervisors not to tell them to sell more, deliver more or work harder. He wants them to “roll up their sleeves, get their hands a little bit dirty and help people get to a better place—not just tell them to get to a better place so they can throw strikes.”
“Throw strikes” has grown into something of a sporting metaphor at First Command Financial Services, which maintains more than $35 billion in managed accounts and mutual funds and has more than $62 billion in life insurance coverage in force for some 280,000 military families.
In this episode of Corporate Competitor Podcast, Steffe shares lessons learned about “leading with love,” including:
“Profitability should be the outcome of all you do and not the driving force,” noted Steffe. “When you lack a passion for your purpose, your customers know it. It’s a turn-off.”
Turn on Corporate Competitor Podcast and learn for yourself how to help your team throw more strikes. Check out the full Corporate Competitor Podcast interview archive and subscribe to new episodes.
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Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process
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Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations.
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General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
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