Renzi Stone
Saxum Founder & CEO says 1,000 small conversations beat one big one every time.
Corporate Competitor Podcast Episode 67
Renzi Stone played basketball for the University of Oklahoma and is recognized nationally for his political intelligence and public relations insight. Raised in a household where, he says, “competition was the main currency,” Renzi has never been one to shy away from going one on one—even with somebody on his own team—if he feels it’s the right way to get the job done.
“Once, in the middle of working with a colleague on something, he said to me, ‘Well, do you want me to do it or not?’,” Renzi recalled. “I replied, ‘I want you to do it.’ So he said, ‘Then get out of my way. And if you don’t like it at the end, you can fire me. But I think you’ll be pleased.’”
Renzi described the exchange as a “great piece of feedback” from a member of his team who trusted Renzi enough to tell it like he saw it and to do so in the context of the moment. “I think that 1,000 short conversations beat one big, weekly conversation every day,” Renzi observed. “Leadership isn’t about telling someone to do something. It’s about giving your team a framework and a set of expectations that allow them to be who they are.”
In this case, a short and, some might say, brutally honest exchange set up a project for success.
In this episode of Corporate Competitor Podcast, Renzi discusses the techniques and philosophies that have brought him honors as a top business executive under the age of 40.
“The opportunity to compete for something that is a little bit out of reach is where I have found joy in my life,” said Renzi. We think you’ll find plenty of joy in this podcast. So lace up your high tops and get ready to run some shuttles!
You will learn:
- 4:30 The currency of Renzi’s household.
- 9:30 What leadership is NOT.
- 16:30 How to train yourself to overcome adversity.
- 18:00 How Renzi came to embrace new leadership perspectives.
- 22:00 Why you need to teach your team to “touch the line.”
- 28:00 How to create value for your team.
- 32:30 How to balance support and challenge.
You will learn:
- 6:00 How easy it is to cut corners in practice and why you’ll suffer as a result.
- 8:00 How to emphasize the power or “we” on your team.
- 11:00 How living and working in Japan in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster taught Lane that caring was the universal language of respected leaders.
- 15:00 The level of employee interaction required to achieve success.
- 18:30 The difference between being accountable and responsible.
- 27:00 How to identify a meaningful friend or mentor.
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Special thanks to Dave Moore, Lauren Hafner, Samantha Clark, and the Florida State University Internship Program for consistently supporting our research team.
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