To
know me is to know I'm a hockey fan. I went to my first game at the age
of 8, in 1970. I've been a fan of Los Angeles Kings, a team that had
an unsurpassed history of futility since their founding in 1967. To be
a Kings fan is to live with a lifetime of frustration, a lot of hope,
and not much else.
This
spring, however, something unusual happened. The Kings not only made
it to the playoffs, they won the Holy Grail of hockey: The Stanley Cup.
A team that was nowhere in December made an epic move through the last
third of the season, culminating in an unprecedented run through the
playoffs to win hockey’s Championship.
To
know me is to also know I’m a fan of great leadership and management;
it’s my career. Since June 11 (the night the Kings won the Cup at
Staples Center), I've been thinking about what the Kings did to
transform their entire organization from a history of "almosts" and
‘could haves’ into a Stanley Cup champion. And I realized that what the
Kings did can apply to any manager, CEO, or business.
So,
in no particular order, here are the reasons the Kings won the Stanley
Cup and how you can apply those lessons to your own business.
#1: Switch in coaches
On December 12, 2011, the Kings fired their coach about one-third into the season.
Sometimes
a coach or manager can only take a team to a certain level. And then,
you need someone else to take the team to next level. Prior to the
season, the Kings were favored to be a contender for the Stanley Cup.
But three months into the year, they were mired in 12th place in the
Western Conference and last in the entire league in goals scored. After
losing four games in a row, General Manager Dean Lombardi fired Terry
Murray.
During
his four year tenure, Murray did a marvelous job teaching fundamental
defense to the players. And his calm, professorial demeanor stabilized a
young team during their developing years. By all accounts, Murray was
and is a fine person and a good hockey mind. But by December, it was
clear the Kings were struck on offense and lacked passion. Murray had
taken the team as far as he was capable of.
Darryl
Sutter, Murray’s replacement, came in and immediately changed the
dynamic of the team. By demanding more accountability from his players
(star defenseman Drew Doughty was the subject of a Sutter-esque rant
when the former was caught watching television between periods of a
game), Sutter set a tone: no exceptions, no excuses. Sutter also
installed a more aggressive style, including a consistent and frequent
forecheck and more strategic attitude. The Kings took a several days to
adjust to the change, and then started winning. A team that was just
one game over .500 when Murray was fired went 25-13-11 under Sutter, and
then 16-4 in the playoffs.
What’s the lesson?
The
first lesson is - Just because a manager was good at one time doesn’t
mean they’re the right person today. Time and circumstances change –
we’ve seen fundamental and structural change in business in the past
four years. It’s likely your business is substantially different today
than it was 4 years ago. Have your managers adapted as well? Adapting
to change is critical for management and leadership success.
A
second lesson is in management style. Some managers are capable of
starting and developing a team from scratch, and others are better
suited for taking an existing team to the next level.
The
most success I ever had as a manager came when I took over an existing
team of sales people in 1996. The team was good but not great. I was
able to take the team to the next level, and they became the top sales
team in the company. It’s a lesson I’ve seen through my career.
When
was the last time you identified your current needs and criteria for
your company that’s aligned with a serious business strategy? And then
when did you ensure those needs were in sync with the capabilities of
your management team?
By
the way, one of the best stories I’ve heard was seriously underreported
by the press. After the Kings won the cup, team owner Philip Anschutz
personally called Terry Murray to inform him he was going to receive a
Stanley Cup ring. A class move that shows the Kings understood and
appreciated the value Murray brought to the team.
#2: The Trade for Jeff Carter
By
February 23, the Kings were playing better but still not scoring
goals. General Manager Lombardi then traded one of his young star
defensemen, Jack Johnson, to Columbus for winger Jeff Carter.
This
was a gamble. Carter had been essentially run out of Philadelphia due
to differences with management. And he was desperately unhappy in the
hockey outpost that’s known as Columbus. But he’d also scored 30 or
more goals in his previous four seasons, including 46 in 2008-09. His
best friend, Mike Richards, had been traded to the Kings at the
beginning of the season. It was a gamble, but there was reason for
hope.
Carter
didn’t add much scoring during the regular season – just 6 goals and 3
assists in 16 games. But he changed the dynamic of the team by allowing
players to move into a more natural position. For example, rookie
Dwight King, who had been playing on the second line, moved down to the
third line to accommodate Carter. Other players moved into a position
that was a better fit for their skills.
By
the time the playoffs came, the Kings were ready. Carter scored 8
goals and 5 assists in the 20 playoff games, including the overtime
winner in game #2 of the finals. King scored five goals in the playoffs
and was a decisive physical presence on the third line.
What’s the lesson?
Do you have the right people in the right positions?
Aligning
talent with need is one of the most fundamental yet underused
techniques that human resource professionals’ or executives have at
their disposal.
In
businesses I work with, we first take a look at the overall business
strategy, and then I have each manager rank employees based on employee
skill set as it pertains to the needs of the job. Smaller businesses
today need nimble, agile employees who are capable of multi-tasking and
enjoy performing diverse tasks. Larger companies need employees who are
skilled at individual positions.
But
every company must constantly re-assess their business strategy and
needs with the employees who are doing those jobs. And then, executives
can’t be afraid to make the moves necessary to strengthen the team and
better align skills and needs.
#3: The Kings Went Without Significant Injury Throughout the Playoffs
You might think these sounds like a reason that could only apply to a sports team and not a business.
You’d be wrong.
Larry
Robinson is a winner. A hall-of-famer player and former NHL head
coach, Robinson was named the 24th greatest player in NHL history by The
Hockey News. He won the Stanley Cup six times as a defenseman with the
Montreal Canadiens; as a Coach, he won the Stanley Cup as both as
Assistant Coach and then Head Coach of the New Jersey Devils.
When
he was the Head Coach for the Kings in the late 1990’s, I asked him
what the most critical component necessary to win the Stanley Cup. His
surprising response was, “keeping the team healthy for the entire season
and playoffs”.
During
the 2012 playoff run, the Kings only suffered one injury, when
fourth-line winger Kyle Clifford suffered a concussion in the opening
series against Vancouver. Other than that, no player missed any
significant playing time due to injury. In fact, the Kings played the
same six defensemen in every game of the playoffs – a feat that hadn’t
been done for 30 years.
What’s the lesson?
I’d
never thought of the importance of a healthy team to business success
until Robinson mentioned it. But think about it – if you’re constantly
replacing employees, you’ll never achieve the momentum and consistency
needed for sustainable success in business. Turnover – especially
involuntary turnover – is a killer for any business. Many businesses
have the mentality that “we can always get better employees if someone
doesn’t work out”. That may be true – and there are always people who
are willing and in some cases, able, to step up. But the never ending
process of recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and onboarding takes
executive focus away from the success of the business; not to mention
the significant costs involved.
There
is a real need for business today to focus on engagement. That means
understanding why you’re hiring, who you’re hiring, and then developing
and nourishing a culture where talented individuals can thrive and
contribute – and stay long enough to make the impact necessary for
everyone’s success. Don’t get your employees injured – get good people
and keep them healthy!
#4: Your Best Players Have To Be Your Best Players
Every
sportscaster beat this line to death during the playoffs. But it
happens to be true. In business, think of it as the old 80/20 rule: 80%
of your success is attributable to 20% of your talent.
The
Kings’ biggest goals were scored by their best players – Anze Kopitar
and Dustin Brown. That’s not to denigrate huge contributions by
others. And every Kings player points to one reason the Kings won the
Stanley Cup – goaltender Jonathan Quick. Quick, who carried the team on
his 26-year-old shoulders during the regular season, was ridiculously
good during the playoffs, with 1.41 goals against average and a .946
save percentage. Quick was named the Conn Smythe winner for the most
outstanding player in the playoffs.
So the Kings best players were their best players.
What’s The Lesson?
What
about your players? Who are your best players, and who are your high
potential players for the future? Do each of your managers know who
they are, and what – strategically – are you doing to develop them for
the future?
The
challenge in today’s business environment is that your best employees
can always find a job elsewhere. The last thing you want is to have
them (or your high potentials) get up and leave. These are your
leaders. Good companies develop special programs to train, develop, and
ensure their success. They frequently conduct ‘stay interviews’ to see
what makes those employees engaged and satisfied. You rely on your
best players. Don’t just hope they stay – make sure they stay.
#5: Adversity Breeds Success
One
of my favorite maxims in business is that adversity breeds success. If
your managers and executives know it, they can use it to their
advantage.
The
Kings certainly have known adversity throughout their history. One of
many people who have had to deal with that over the years is Luc
Robitaille. Now the President of Business Operations for the Kings,
Robitaille was a star player for the organization from 1986 to 1994,
then from 1997-2001, and finally from 2003 until his retirement in 2006.
Robitaille
had his share of adversity. In addition to playing – and never winning –
during his Kings career, he was never supposed to be an NHL player.
Due to a (perceived) lack of skating ability, he was selected all the
way down in the 9th round of the 1984 entry level draft – the 171st
player taken. Robitaille proved everyone wrong – he was the 1986 Calder
Trophy winner as rookie-of-the-year. No player at at his position
(left wing) - in the history of the sport - has scored more goals than
Luc. He was selected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009.
I
had a brief chat with Luc during Game #3 of the finals. He was
slightly preoccupied but told me that the years of losing would make the
Stanley Cup even sweeter, more desirable and intense for Kings’ fans.
(During one of his stints away from the Kings, he won the Stanley Cup
with the Detroit Red Wings.) His point was that Los Angeles fans could
truly appreciate winning the cup after 45 years of adversity. He was
right. And the players fed off the hunger of the fans. Veteran sports
journalists repeatedly said they had never heard a Los Angeles sports
venue louder than during the playoff run.
Barry
Melrose, the former Kings’ coach and now ESPN commentator, made a
number of insightful points about the Kings during the playoffs. At one
point he was asked if it would help by having three players in their
lineup who had previously won the Stanley Cup. Melrose was emphatic.
“No,” he said. “It’s more important that the Kings have five players who made it to the finals and lost. They know what it’s like, having been so close and not winning. Those will be the leaders.”
What’s The Lesson?
Adversity
doesn’t breed contempt; if managed properly, it can breed more success
than you thought possible. Great leaders don’t avoid or fear trouble;
they embrace it. In sports, championship teams often become more
closely bound during a losing streak (such as the Kings). Many great
coaches know this and use it to their advantage.
The
path to greatness almost always must go through some adversity. Once a
team – whether it be your team or the Los Angeles Kings – hits a snag
in the road, it’s up to the leader to direct them out and towards
success. Dean Lombardi and Daryl Sutter did just that, along with
players who had character and attitude and the core values instilled in
them by Terry Murray.
I
was at Staples Center during the decisive Game 6 of the finals. There
was nothing close about the game; the Kings were ahead 3-0 after the
first period and cruised to a 6-1 win. During the third period, I kept
looking around in disbelief. I first got my season seats in 1987.
After 25 years of season seats and spending 40 of my 50 years expecting
the Kings to lose, it was a surreal scene. One fan said he kept trying
to see where Rod Serling was. A team with a history of losing and with
no expectation of success had won the Stanley Cup.
The
leadership decisions the Kings made changed their culture and won a
championship. Culture doesn’t just happen; it must be intentional.
These are the decisions that transformed the Kings - and that also can
transform your business.
