Mike Miedler might not be leading a team of realtors at Century 21 the way he does today if it weren’t for a bandana he insisted on wearing during high school football practice. Miedler thought it looked cool, but his coach had other priorities—he wanted his team to be tough and disciplined.
“I had a coach who told us to tuck in our shirts and made sure all the small things were taken care of,” Miedler shared on the podcast. “When we got out onto that field, we were actually executing at a very high level. He was a strict coach.”
That same coach told Miedler to take off the bandana, warning that he would be benched if he kept wearing it during practices. But, like many young people testing limits, Miedler didn’t listen.
“I remember showing up on the bus for a JV game on a Thursday afternoon with my bandana on. My coach had some really choice words, and I, for whatever reason, didn’t listen to him and just kept the bandana on,” Miedler recalled. “I was removed from that game and wasn’t allowed to play in the varsity game that Saturday.”
That experience stuck with Miedler. He realized that his coach’s rules about small details were there for a reason. If you want to win big, you have to manage the small things. It’s a lesson Miedler has carried into his leadership at Century 21, one of the nation’s largest real estate firms.
In this episode, Miedler shares additional insights about his journey to becoming CEO, including:
- How his early experiences at the bottom of the company hierarchy influences his approach to leadership.
- Advice for young professionals about the importance of loyalty and how it can impact their career growth.
- Why focusing on daily activities, not just end goals, is key to success in both IRONMAN preparation and business.
Despite the decades that have passed since high school, Miedler still reflects on the lesson he learned from his coach over that bandana.
“I think the lesson for me as a young individual is you can test leadership,” Miedler explained. “Yes, you can question things. But, at the end of the day, the leader is doing things for a reason. The team is big, and everyone needs to fall in line and follow those rules. Because if you’re not following the rules, it causes dissension among the team. It’s a lesson I remember even to this day.”
Resources:
- Connect with Mike Miedler on LinkedIn.
- If you’re looking for a new home, an investment property, or to explore the area – Century 21 can help.
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