When early dreams of playing professional soccer were derailed by injuries, Verdine Baker channeled his competitive urge into finding a new game to conquer. And by all measures, he found his new “sport”: business leadership.
When Baker joined StretchLab as the national sales director, there were three franchise locations. Today, there are more than 400 studios across North America and 900 licensed locations globally, making them the global leader in assisted stretching. Baker has risen to the position of president of StretchLab, a brand among Xponential Fitness’s impressive portfolio, which includes Pure Barre and CycleBar.
As an athlete and a leader, Baker believes the secret to leading others is knowing what pushes and motivates them, and he shares his five, sure-fire means of getting to know them deeper than just the “surface level things” on a consistent basis in this episode.
“Our weekly meetings are not just feel-good meetings,” he pointed out. “You are actually gaining a competitive advantage because when the chips are down, you actually know what pushes and motivates them.”
In the podcast, Baker says he fully appreciates the challenges of getting to know your team below a surface level, but that creating connections with the team that also serves your business is mostly a matter of building trust— and understanding “what team members want out of the arrangement as well.” How do you build a safe, trustworthy “second home” at work?
Baker offers numerous tips including:
- How to use the first minute of every meeting to “humanize” the context and put everyone in a more open and collaborative mindset.
- Creating daily, weekly and monthly meeting rhythms that provide timely and relevant contexts for decision-making.
- Why your organization’s vision, purpose and values need to come down off the wall and into your personal and team day-to-day conversations.
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Greg Brenneman
“Don, you have mastered the skill of interviewing and asking great questions. That is a great skill all leaders need in order to understand their team members’ thought processes.”
John C. Maxwell
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Simon Sinek
“Don is one of the best storytellers I’ve ever met. I’ve known him for a long time and every time we talk I walk away wiser and more inspired. He is the best in the business at teaching you a skill – storytelling – that will last you a lifetime.”
Beth Brooke
“The ability for athletes to get hired is carried on through you because you are putting out the message that lessons learned from sports are important in life. It is embedded in this podcast, what you’re doing is significant.”
Rick Hendrick
“We speak the same language. I am inspired by the stories you tell, the people you have met, and the things you’ve done. Those of us that are competitors like to follow others that have been down that journey, so it is always fun talking to you!”
Bill George
“Many of the leaders I have worked with were excellent athletes, and I think there is a direct correlation. You’re one of the few people that really has pursued this study, Don. Keep up the great work. What you are doing really makes a difference.”
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