Giants, Teams, and Vending Machines

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of listening to John Amaechi speak to a group of senior executives in my parent company.  John is an organizational psychologist and a retired NBA basketball player (he has a really interesting background, by the way -- worth the read here.)

As a sports nut, I remembered his name when I saw it on the agenda, but still had to do some digging.  I recalled his time with the Cavaliers (when they were pretty bad), but I had forgotten his path from England to Penn State to the NBA -- and of course, I couldn't help but smile realizing our shared Boston roots.  John became known as much for his stance off the court as his play on the court -- he was truly a groundbreaking professional athlete.  Walking by him in the conference room before he went on stage, you just can't miss John.  He's a wonderful contrast of imposing (something about being 6'10") and approachable (that smile; that eye contact.)

I've been fortunate over my career to hear presentations/speeches/lectures from a host of well-known people, from brilliant business executives to media celebrities to professional athletes.  I can honestly say that those from the latter category more often than not disappointed -- they tended to talk about themselves and their careers and let the audience figure out if there are any connections to one's personal situation.

But not John.  This was different.  He captivated the audience, and we left wanting to hear more.  In comparing notes with my colleagues, we all wished he had kicked off the day, not wrapped it up; and we all wished he could have spoken for two hours, not one.  Why?  Because in his booming voice and imposing authority on stage he connected with us -- on leadership, on teams, and on people.

Here were my three biggest takeaways:

• He said leaders are like giants, and you need to be aware of the shadow you cast.  "You have a massive impact on people around you.  Just like a giant in size, giants in organizations need to be vigilant and look after those around them, treating them as real people."
• The word "team" is overused and misused according to John.  "A group of people is not the same as a team, they are characteristically and functionally different."  He went on to share some personal experiences from his playing days, before zeroing in on this quote that resonated with every business leader in the room:  "A true team is greater than a sum of its parts.  A team creates an environment where people feel compelled to deliver more than what they are contracted or instructed to do.  Teams look at people holistically and consider what value they can bring beyond their job title, whereas in a group the hierarchy determines their input and its value."
• At the end of his speech, John highlighted an encounter with a deck steward while attending a business cruise as a speaker.  This one left the biggest impact, in my opinion.  As John recounted the discussion, the steward described to him how the managers treated staff like vending machines.  "The most interaction we have with our managers is when they don't get what they want.  Then they shake us as if what they want is stuck inside."

John ended by warning business leaders about the language they use -- he paid particular attention to the word "resources" and urged us to remove that word from our vocabulary and replace it with the word "people".  John's parting advice was the most powerful of all:

"A vending machine will give you exactly what you ask for and they will never give you anything else.  Ever.  Vending machines don't innovate; people do."

If you have the chance to hear John speak, seize that opportunity.  It will be worth it.  Trust me.

For more information on John's business and his company, check out his website here.

Questions or thoughts about John's speech or my key takeaways?  Share your comments here or connect with me on Twitter at @GlennEngler.

(The thoughts above are completely my own.  Image from the Amaechi Performance website)