The Keys to Legendary Leadership (ft. Chad Estis, EVP, Dallas Cowboys + EVP, Legends)

The Keys to Legendary LeadershipWhat makes a leader legendary, and how can you foster those traits within yourself and the people around you?OPENING QUOTE:“I would go back 15 to 20 years. I always say, am I positioning myself well for the next thing? Am I learning? How am I perceived? What's my personal brand? Who am I connecting with that can help me? Who are my mentors? It's a chess game. Obviously, you're the CEO of your own career. It doesn't have to happen where you're at and you have to have some willingness to take some risks and move around.” —Chad EstisGUEST BIO:Chad Estis is the Executive Vice President of Business Operations for the Dallas Cowboys, as well as Executive Vice President for the global sports agency Legends. Chad led a team of revenue executives to shatter all previous premium hospitality marks in the sports industry when they opened Cowboys Stadium, and he’s also been CMO for the Cleveland Cavaliers, VP of sales for the Tampa Bay Lightning, and a proud graduate of Ohio University where he captained their 1994 championship team.Learn more about Chad EstisWebsiteLinkedInCORE TOPICS + DETAILS:[6:43]“If You Have Nothing Else, You Can Work”If you’re not sure of your path, focus on what you do knowChad outlines how he arrived in the world of sales and business and wasn’t quite sure what he was doing. But he remembered how he’d thrived in college sports— by simply out-hustling everyone else. So, he applied that effort to his work. The results speak for themselves.[14:43]Leaders Set the ToneCulture is established by leadersIf you can create a great culture, then exceptional things can happen. At Chad’s sports agency, he calls it the Legend’s Way— an energy and passion you can feel just by walking in and talking to people. What do you want your organization to feel like? How can you set the tone as a leader?[20:13]Criticism and CommitmentRelationship first, correction secondIn Chad’s work, he recognizes that criticism that comes from someone who hasn’t invested time and energy into a person will come across as harsh and impersonal. He stresses the importance of building a strong relationship with someone first, proving you’re invested in their future, before you can sit them down and say, “This needs work.”[25:39]The Power of Having No PlanWhat happens when you say goodbye to the agenda?Chad often likes to have meetings with employees that have no agenda at all, or just a loose structure. The result? He often gets unexpected insights and forms deeper, more powerful connections with his teams, resulting in more passionate people and a more productive organization.[34:24]Chad’s Guide to Choosing ProjectsHow do you know that an opportunity is the right fit?Chad outlines his checklist of questions he must answer about any opportunity before signing on:Will I be challenged every day?Am I working for people I enjoy?Am I compensated appropriately for what I do?By narrowing it down to these three simple things, he knows there’s nothing else he should be thinking about when making a big call.[39:03]How to Lead Before You LeadTo become a great leader tomorrow, be the best teammate todayChad encourages listeners to ask themselves: How am I interacting with the people around me in this office or workplace, and how is that being perceived? Hopefully, the answer is “very well.” If you want to become a great leader in the future, the best way to start is by being the best teammate and coworker you can possibly be today.RESOURCES:[0:36] The Power of Playing Offense[1:50] Chad Estis LinkedIn[2:02] Legends Agency[10:55] 30 Steps to Successful Sales[14:02] Don’t Fire Them, Fire Them Up[37:38] How to Win Friends and Influence PeopleFOLLOW:We'd love to hear your thoughts on today’s episode. Feel free to DM Paul on social or shoot him an email at [email protected] to keep making the right plays? Subscribe to Playmakers now.Check out more episodes and content on the Playmaker’s website.Follow Chad Estis:WebsiteLinkedInFollow Paul:Playmakers PodcastThe Power of Playing OffenseLinkedInFacebookTwitterInstagramYoutubeSHOW SPONSOR:Audible: Interested in leveling up and lifelong learning? Then what’s better than a free audio book and 30-day free trial when you visit audible.playmakerspod.com? With over 200,000 titles to choose from, there’s no limit to what you can explore and learn on Audible. TRY AUDIBLE TODAYABOUT PLAYMAKERS: IMPACT UNLEASHED:Playmakers: Impact Unleashed is an all-access pass to the game-changers of today and the history makers of tomorrow. The show looks past the trophy cabinet and features a no-BS, inside look into the world of comeback, transformation, and impact unearthing practical tools and mindsets that we can all leverage to make a play in our own lives and careers.Take a seat at the table with leadership expert, sports industry veteran, bestselling author, personal transformation coach, purpose igniter, and your host Paul Epstein in this inspiring, yet immediately actionable podcast. From stories of total defeat to the thrills of unimaginable achievement to the practices of mastering the inside game, each show will share a high-energy, prescriptive blueprint to unleash impact and drive success, significance, and purpose no matter your starting point.Meet Paul at the 50 and make a play together!Learn more at: PlaymakersPod.comABOUT DETROIT PODCAST STUDIOS:In Detroit, history was made when Barry Gordy opened Motown Records back in 1960. More than just discovering great talent, Gordy built a systematic approach to launching superstars. His rigorous processes, technology, and development methods were the secret sauce behind legendary acts such as The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.As a nod to the past, Detroit Podcast Studios leverages modern versions of Motown’s processes to launch today’s most compelling podcasts. What Motown was to musical artists, Detroit Podcast Studios is to podcast artists today. With over 75 combined years of experience in content development, audio production, music scoring, storytelling, and digital marketing, Detroit Podcast Studios provides full-service development, training, and production capabilities to take podcasts from messy ideas to finely tuned hits. Here’s to making (podcast) history together.Learn more at: DetroitPodcastStudios.comABOUT THE HOST:Paul Epstein may not be a hard charging running back on the actual football field, but his list of high-profile wins in the world of sports will have you thinking that he could be.Paul has spent nearly 15 years as a pro sports executive for multiple NFL and NBA teams, a global sports agency, and the NFL league office. He’s transformed numerous NBA teams from the absolute bottom in league revenue to top-two in financial performance. He’s broken every premium revenue metric in Super Bowl history as the NFL’s sales leader. He’s opened a billion-dollar stadium, helped save the New Orleans NBA franchise, and founded the San Francisco 49ers Talent Academy.He's since installed his leadership and high-performance playbook with Fortune 500 leaders, Founders and CEOs, MBAs, and professional athletes.Now, as Founder of Purpose Labs, keynote speaker, bestselling author, and host of the Playmakers: Impact Unleashed podcast, Paul explores how living and working with a focus on leadership, culture, and purpose can transform organizations and individuals anywhere to unleash their full potential.Learn more about Paul at: PaulEpsteinSpeaks.comOrder Paul’s new book: The Power of Playing OffenseCREDITS:Paul Epstein: Host | [email protected] Trombley: Executive Producer | [email protected]