Kris Robertson: Building Winning Cultures Through Self-Awareness & Accountability

Kris Robertson is the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Raptors 905 (NBA G-League) and Sport Scientist with the Toronto Argonauts (CFL). He previously served as Head Coach of Strength and Conditioning at Simon Fraser University and is a former professional athlete drafted by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2013.Kris discusses what separates winning teams from talented teams that fall short, including the role of luck, continuity, and teamwork in championship success. He shares insights from the 2017 Grey Cup Champion Argonauts, where Coach Marc Trestman's philosophy of making everyone feel important created a winning culture. The conversation covers the specialist versus generalist problem that creates silos in organizations, why self-awareness is critical for leadership, how understanding your biases changes the way you communicate, and why over-communication prevents team breakdowns. Kris explains why winning can cover up broken systems until it's too late, how to get comfortable with discomfort, and why personal accountability is foundational to success in sports, business, and life.00:00 - Intro00:49 - Why Some Teams Win: Talent, System & Luck04:14 - Making Everyone Feel Important05:40 - The Silo Problem: Specialist vs. Generalist10:58 - What Athletes Tell Strength Coaches (That Coaches Never Hear)13:05 - Why Winning Covers Up Broken Systems15:32 - Understanding Your Biases to Lead Effectively19:21 - Applying Self-Awareness to Parenting & Personal Life21:03 - Over-Communication: The Championship Difference23:31 - Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortable26:57 - Accountability: Doing the Self-Work