Leadership-Interviews

This is the page you should put your interview synopses

**LARRY BERNARD** served as the athletic director at [|Bolingbrook High School]in Illinois for twenty eight years. He retired in 2005 and shortly after was inducted into the Illinois Athletic Director’s Hall of Fame. With personal aspirations of becoming a high school athletic director, I thought his vast experience and knowledge could provide great insight.

Some of the key points that I took away from our [|interview] were the importance that must be placed on showing respect for others, valuing relationships, and having fun in your job. In any leadership position, especially in the role of an athletic director, Larry stressed how vital it is to show respect for everyone from coaches and students, all the way to custodians and bus drivers. His philosophy was that everyone was working together to achieve their goals and nobody was more important than anybody else. Also, he discussed how the countless relationships that he developed were by far the most rewarding aspect of his duties. The opportunity to have an impact on students and develop relationship with them was something that he truly appreciated. Lastly, he relayed how important it is to love your job and have fun. He mentioned that the role of athletic director can be extremely stressful at times and in order to make it you have to love doing it or else you won’t last long.

The role of a high school athletic director can often times be overlooked but ultimately it is a vital position in any athletic program. The leadership that must be displayed to coaches and students is a monumental task and one that allows the opportunity to greatly influence the lives of kids. [|Mr. Bernard] is a perfect example of how to successfully lead and provide lasting impacts. MIKE DAVID

I had the pleasure to interview [|Mike David], the [|Executive Director of the Indiana Golf Office]. I chose Mr. David as my interview subject because I know he has a wealth of experience in being a leader in the golf industry for over 20 years. As the Executive Director of the Indiana Golf Office he has leadership roles with at least four prominent golf organizations. Those organizations are the Indiana Section of the PGA, The Indiana Golf Foundation, The Indiana Golf Association, and The Indiana Women’s Golf Association. These organizations which oversee the affairs of golf professionals, both male and female amateurs, and fundraising for junior golf give Mr. David a unique perspective in his approach to leadership.

In the time I spent talking with Mr. David I found two themes that are central to his success as a leader in the golf industry. First he attributes much of his success to surrounding himself with quality people. He places an emphasis on hiring and working with people who are as qualified, motivated and passionate about what they do as he is. Once he has the proper people in place he generally allows them to set their own goals and agendas of work to be completed. He says he obviously maintains close working relationships with them but generally stays out of the their way and let’s them work.

Secondly, the greatest tool he has in order to lead or influence people is his credibility. While he certainly has legitimate power, he feels his credibility is much more useful when trying to influence board members (who are his superiors) and his office staff (his subordinates). This credibility comes from years of following through with things he says he will do, being responsible with donations made to the Indiana Golf Foundation, and being knowledgeable about the game of golf and the business climate surrounding the game.

Please click the following link if you wish to read a [|transcript] of my interview with Mike David.


 * DONOVAN GARLETTS**

For this project, I interviewed Donovan Garletts, the head basketball coach and assistant athletic director of Marquette High School in Michigan City, IN. My interview with Donovan consisted solely of topics on his style of leadership and what traits he values most and least in good leaders. Throughout the interview, it was clear in understanding his top priority, as a leader was effective communication with his colleagues, assistant coaches, student-athletes, and parents of the athletes.

There were multiple questions throughout the interview that he answered in a variety of different forms but everything always seemed to come back to clear and effective communication in one way or another. In the interview I asked Garletts, “What is the single most important trait to becoming a good leader?” First and foremost, he said that being clear about goals and expectations was a necessity. Then, as in trend, he went right back to communication.

When I asked Garletts about other traits that are needed to be a good leader, that were outside of the communication realm, Garletts mentioned that in a job such as his, public leadership was necessary to survive for any amount of time. In this day and age, any kind of public figure is on 24-hour watch for them to say or do anything questionable. He stressed that being a positive public figure that is seen helping people in the community is going to be something huge for him because people are always watching what you do and what you say.

Overall, Garletts had obviously thought about his personal style of leadership and doing what is necessary to make it work for him. Depending on the type of position a person may take and the amount of visibility they have in the community will affect a persons style of leadership. Individual people have styles that differ from others. The challenge is getting everyone on the same page and finding and exploiting the benefits of those individual styles to make the best out of every situation.

GILBERT, BRIAN

For this project, [|I conducted an interview with Brian Gilbert], a PGA Professional currently working at a local Dick’s Sporting Goods. Brian was formerly the head golf professional at the Donald Ross Golf Course located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The interview consisted of numerous questions regarding various leadership tactics and styles Mr. Gilbert has used throughout his tenure as a PGA Professional.

Brian Gilbert, who practices a [|democratic style of leadership], understands that other individual’s opinions are important. He states, “I have my opinions, but I am not afraid to listen to other’s ideas and choose what works best for the group.’ Brian Gilbert’s democratic style of leadership is evident in his management of employees. He is always asking his employees for their thoughts and ideas as to what is best for the organization. 

Brian Gilbert and I also discussed a couple of hectic situations he encountered during his tenure as head golf professional. One story which stood out to me occurred during Brian’s first summer as head professional. The front nine of the golf course flooded and no one could play that side of the course for the rest of the summer. For four months, Gilbert and his associates had to revise every league, outing, tournament, and round played at the course. I can only imagine the pain and agony that caused for everyone involved in running the course.

Overall, the interview went extremely smooth. I suggest anyone [|interested in becoming a PGA Professional] or just perhaps working within a golf setting to read this interview. It was very interesting and some of the ideas and thoughts expressed by Brian Gilbert might be beneficial to you in your future endeavors.

**[|TROY HAUGHT]**is the Assistant Volleyball Coach at Oberlin College. After getting his start in coaching at a very young age, Coach Haught has established himself as one of the up and coming young coaches in the [|Ohio volleyball scene]. Because of his high levels of responsibility at a young age, Haught has always recognized the importance of understanding leadership styles and communication styles. It is that understanding, an understanding that he garnered while watching his dad lead teams for thirty years that has allowed him to reach is current level of career success.

[|During a recent interview], Coach Haught reiterated the necessity of a leader having an understanding of each situation as well as each individual that they are working with. There is no cookie cutter pattern to leading or communicating well; a good leader is able to adjust and adapt to each situation and each individual in order to guarantee the best possible outcomes for all individuals involved.

**[|JEFF HSU]** is the CEO of Integration Sports, he wanted to open a company that put its focus on tennis because he used to be a tennis player, and he wished to help talented tennis players in Taiwan now. In the [|interview], he mentioned that He faced several difficulties when he tried to open a new sport organization and being a leader in Integration Sports. In his opinion, to [|manage someone that has similar age with him] is challenging, and it is hard to keep an appropriate distance from employees. This issue is important to leadership nowadays because recently managers’ age is decreasing.

 He also shared with me how he maintains the relationship with sponsors. He said that regular communication with sponsors is critical, and sometimes he had to ask sponsors to think about the possible brand image enhancement the sponsorship deals may generate. Especially when recent economy situation is not so good, companies are always asking for solid return on their investment, it is necessary for sport organizations to direct sponsors’ attention to the intangible value of sponsorship. ﻿ **UN-YONG KIM **was the former World Taekwondo Federation president, the former vice president of the International Olympic Committee, and the former president of the Korea Olympic Committee. As you know his antecedents, he was one of the most influential experts in the global sport field. He readily accepted my interview suggestion, because we’ve met before as a guest speaker and a student.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 32px;">As a result of his response, I learned that a leader should apply proper leadership style in accordance with the characteristics of an organization. Nevertheless, he said that a leader should be an open-minded person, and have a fine personality. Based on these, a leader can have a good relationship with colleagues and followers. That was a lesson from an expert of global sports diplomacy. <span style="display: block; line-height: 26px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 32px;">I found that leadership is an interaction which is based on mutual respect. A leader can know other’s feelings. “Sound body, sound mind”. In the sports-related word, moral maturity is the most important to be a leader over any other ability.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">**[|TRUDY NORTON]** is the district’s assistant athletic director for Gary Community School Corporation. Her position is more behind-the-scenes than most people would expect. Also, she has a myriad of responsibilities that most people tend to overlook. Norton’s [|leadership style]and views on empowerment are very similar. She believes in providing opportunities for others to advance because she experienced major gains from the opportunities afforded to her by others.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Her goals are centered on improving district athletics for all stakeholders. She believes that planning and preparing are essential components to achieving success. In her interview she states, “I believe that mapping a destination is important. You need to know where you’re going before you can pack.” This is very insightful because some organization’s make the mistake of rushing into a decision without thoughtful [|planning]. Norton has a strong philosophy and vision for her district. It is very encouraging to know a person in her position. She has been very instrumental to the academic and athletic productivity in the city of Gary. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">**  [|DR. ALFONSO SCANDRETT]  ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> I chose to interview Dr. Alfonso Scandrett; a former athletic director at numerous universities. [|The interview] was very informative towards my research in sports. He touched on many issues that I was unaware of and was very critical about cultural issues in the NCAA. My topic was centered on the major discrepancies between athletic programs at Historically Black Colleges/Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). Dr. Scandrett was a perfect candidate for this interview because he was an Athletic Director at an HBCU and a PWI. The questions were designed to explain the difficulties in managing an HBCU athletic program compared to a PWI athletic program. The questions were divided into 6 topics: Mission/objectives, operating budget, fan participation/atmosphere, staff, media exposure, and coaches’ salaries. The results showed that compared to PWI athletic programs, HBCUs have minimal financial resources, media exposure, fan participation, staff, and coaches’ pay scale. In fact, Dr. Scandrett stated that there are some Division II and III institutions that have more resources and credibility than some of the [|top ranked HBCU athletic programs]. From this research, I believe that leaders in black college sports must be more patient, resourceful, and confident leaders at PWI athletic programs because of these issues. This interview raises the dilemma of cultural discrepancies in college sports and should increase research on how leaders must overcome them. **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Chuck Schmitt ** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">For this project I interview my former high school basketball coach and athletic director, Chuck Schmitt. During his tenure at Western Reserve Academy, Mr. Schmitt held the position of athletic director for twenty years before retiring at the end of the 2006-07 academic year. I think he was a great subject for this project for a few reasons. First off, he represents a very unique education populous, as boarding schools are not as popular due to price and students having to live away from home. Furthermore, because of the unique environment that boarding school students and teachers live in and the //academic// requirement to participate in athletics (intramural to varsity options), make being an athletic director a very different process in comparison to other high school counterparts. During our interview we covered a wide spread palate of subjects of leadership, ranging from being an athletic director in the boarding school realm to communication methods; but there were a few vital components of our discussion that I would like to delve into. The first was Mr. Schmitt’s philosophy on communication amongst athletic department staff that athletics must be a part of the athletic environment. I thought this was an important aspect to point out as I believe it really separates him from others in his field. Furthermore, I thought it was quite interesting that he seemed humble enough to admit that he wished he got out of coaching basketball earlier to set all of his attention on being athletic director. This is an important aspect of leadership that I think commonly is overlooked as being humble, yet confident is integral to developing a positive persona to subordinates. Overall, I learned a lot from Mr. Schmitt during my time at WRA, as I was lucky enough to not only learn from him on the basketball court, but also observed him in his administrative role. Leadership has to change due to its environment, and in Mr. Schmitt’s case, rather than just adapt I think he embraced and thrived as he utilized the atmosphere to get students involved in athletics in a positive sense. In conclusion, I hope that someday I will be able to lead like Mr. Schmitt did, as his attitude, desire, and successes speak for themselves. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">[|**AMEIT SHEETH**] is currently in the communications graduate school at [|Northwestern University], but previously was in corporate communications for both the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Cavaliers. Since he worked in two different sport industries, I thought his experiences would be interesting to see the similarities and differences between the two. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">One of the main differences he noticed between leagues would be the [|culture]. The way that the departments go about their daily business, and their values or beliefs make both of the organizations unique to themselves. Working in different department has enabled him to see many different types of leaders, and what he believes to be the best characteristics. He believes that honesty and respect are two of the biggest factors in being a good leader. He believes that respecting the employees builds relationships the best way. He also said that motivation is the most important characteristic in the sports industry, because there are so many factors that you cannot control (such as whether the team wins or loses), and always staying positive is pivotal to staying productive in the industry. Lastly, he suggests that for someone new entering the field, they need to always have a smile on their face. Staying positive, and always having a good attitude can take you a long way in the sports world. All of these points he made will be crucial to me beginning my career in the industry. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">**__Mark Sterner__** For this project[| I interviewed Mark Sterner]who is the Facility Manager at the [|Twin Lakes Recreation Center]in Bloomington, Indiana. Mark has lived his entire life in Bloomington and moved his way up to his current position through a variety of jobs that he has held within the sport industry. Mark has been in his current position for little over a year now since the city of Bloomington purchased the facility from private owners.

As the facility manager Mark coordinates tournaments and events that take place at Twin Lakes along with day-to-day tasks which includes facility rentals and deposits. Mark also sits in on all of the city board meetings which involve any changes that might be taking place to city rules and regulations. He has to ensure that the facility is up to code with city zoning rules and city health code standards.

Mr. Sterner showed a passion for what he does as Facility Manager. One of his goals is to create a fun environment for his employees through daily interaction and showing interest in their personal lives so that he can connect with them. He believes a strong [|communication] bond between employees creates a great workplace and it creates trust between co-workers.