About the June Stewart Leadership Series
Ep 09 June Stewart Leadership Series Podcast, April 21, 2021
Podcast with Dave Sanderson (International speaker, author and noted authority on personal leadership)
with host
Trip Durham, 2D Consulting, LLC
Dave Sanderson
Trip Durham
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Dave Sanderson – davesandersonspeaks.com @DaveSanderson2
Host: Trip Durham, 2D Consulting, LLC Founder
One moment in recent history – 12 years ago - which captured international attention was when US Airways Flight 1549 made an emergency landing in the Hudson River, outside of New York City. This bravery and life-saving techniques of flight captain Chesley Burnett "Sully" Sullenberger III were chronicled as the Miracle on the Hudson, when a bird strike hit Flight 1549, leaving no choice but for the crew to ditch and land the plane into the Hudson River.
One passenger on that January 15, 2009 flight was today's podcast guest – Dave Sanderson. Flying on a business trip, Sanderson was one of the last off the plane after assisting other passengers to exit on the wings of that plane and had to jump into the frigid waters of the Hudson as there was no more room on the wing.
Sanderson joins June Stewart Leadership Series podcast host Trip Durham to discuss that day, his unique story, and the leadership and personal growth experiences that came about after the incident - and how those lessons are applicable as we battle through the issues of today.
Now a motivational speaker, noted authority on personal leadership, storyteller, TEDx speaker and author, Sanderson's book
Moments Matter details his firsthand account of surviving the plane crash and how one defining moment can create a lifetime of purpose.
Moments Matter also offers lessons from his 30+ year career as a successful sales manager and his behind-the-scenes stories as head of security for peak performance coach and international speaker Tony Robbins.
Sanderson directs his comments to our athletic communications professionals and how we all can best move through the challenges brought on by the pandemic, build consensus and rapport in our work environments, and much more.
As he states, "Right now it's about employing your personal leadership to show people how to give certainty to those who may have uncertainty."
Podcast Length: 25:51
Podcast highlights
1:30 Sanderson on defining "leadership" – Someone who has the capacity to translate their vision into reality and maximize their team efforts toward that vision. You need to understand your mission so your team can execute that mission.
2:22 how leadership changed for Sanderson since his jump into the river beside the sinking aircraft? – I stepped up and did what I had to do, but that day changed everything. In 2001, I escorted General Norman Schwarzkopf to an event and spent some time with him. One thing he taught me was when you have the opportunity to lead, lead. When given the opportunity, step up and lead people.
3:24: How did you decide to lead others to get off the plane – Candidly, my first thought was to get up and get out. However, I heard in my head my late mother's voice - If you do the right thing, God will take care of you. That gave me the reinforcement and mindset to do the right thing. My mom in Heaven probably had a really good seat to watch. At that point, I went to the back to see if anyone needed help. Things we have heard from our mentors and parents, come to the forefront in times like this.
4:25 – With all the rapid changes around us, what advice do you give to SIDs to battle through everything facing us now? – What we learned in last year is that defining moments are coming fast and furious and we have to be ready for them… Sports led the way … If I was coaching any SID, I'd say you gotta be ready to be flexible and more important, to be resourceful. Transform yourself to be resourceful as things are happening so quickly.
8:40 –
Thinking ahead – In athletics, in sports information, you have to think, two or three steps ahead. You have to be able to see what's going on. One thing I learned as head of security for Tony Robbins was that the key skill he was looking for from me – was the skill for anticipation. He wanted me to be able to see where the puck was going so I could see where the puck was GOING, not where the puck was now. The skill set of anticipation served my greatly that day (of the crash).
9:15: What have you learned about managing a crisis? – One thing learned quickly that day that doesn't get talked about was how 155 people who did not know each other or care about each other – came together in about six minutes, a first in aviation. So, how do you rally a team when things are breaking around you? … Everyone checked their ego at the door and had a mission. If you watch the movie Sully, one of the ferry captains said eloquently, 'no one dies today.' Everyone got on the common mission. In a crisis, that's essential. In a crisis, if you have someone who veers off, know everyone's eyes go to them and you go sideways quickly.
10:50: In athletics/sports information, it takes years to bring people together and build a culture. Advice to them – I have had the privilege to speak to many athletic departments over the years. I've seen some challenges where teams and departments are so siloed. I get called into meeting with administrators and coaches and they are so siloed and so concerned with only their situations, that I cannot give them inspirational leadership ideas when we get together … It's all about their sports, them. You have to get together on the same page.
(on breaking down silos): Through my training, I've learned that everyone has six primary needs in their life. First is the need for certainty; they want to have control. Then, with it, people can get bored. So the second need is uncertainty, because you need variety. The third need is for everyone to feel significant and important – the need to stand out. But, with this third one, it's hard for the fourth need to come into play – which is connection. How do you connect if I am the main guy – and you are not?
And, the fifth need is the need for growth … The sixth one is where everything starts to come together – it's the need for contribution. When I stand in front of groups and talk to individuals, the question I have is: What is the primary need that this person is going through now? Each person has a different primary need, a go-to, in times of challenges and crisis.
Uncertainty is one of the biggest challenges right now, especially in athletics.
14:10 COVID-19 issues and challenges have been great, and it's been difficult for all of us, particularly SIDs, to recover. – What I always tell people when speaking, is that it is easy to blame events. If you do that, then you never give yourself an opportunity to grow …. (With the plane crash), I found two ways to grow from that traumatic situation. First, you have to change your life situation or your condition; you have to change what you are doing. Second, you have to change your world view. My world view changed dramatically after the crash. And, I started to connect with people differently.
15:45: When you made your way onto the rescue ferry, Red Cross was waiting to assist. Many don't have a Red Cross to lean on. In crisis, how do people find a new anchor to lean on? – I wrote a blog on this last week – My Ride or Die. Strategy to grow out of COVID, or a challenging situation, is to find that "ride or die." The person who not let you lower your standards, who you can trust implicitedly, who has your back, but who also holds you accountable. Everyone can have their own "Red Cross" by finding their "ride or die."
17:16: How do you define empowerment? – I learned this from my mentor, Bill. He taught me the difference between being a manager and a leader. He said, a manager will give a situation and spend 15 minutes on how to handle it and then give you five minutes to ask queations. But, leaders will talk for five minutes on the situation or mission, and then empower their team for 15 minutes to ask question. Empower them to solve the issue. That was a great lesson for me. Five plus 15 is greater than 15 plus five.
18:50 Checking your ego at the door to solve issues – That's what happened that day on the Hudson River. I tell people, one thing that was underplayed that day is that no one cared … black, white, gay, lesbian, everyone checked their ego at the door because we had a common mission. A true leader will hold people to that common mission. There are some things I did really well that day, but there also are things that other people on that plane did better than me. They had a skill set better than me in a specific area. Sometimes, you need to step back and say, this person has a better handle on it then I do, and I am going to follow. I'll step back into a leadership role when I see a skill set that I can excel in.
21:50 Talking about the perils of being judgmental – People who are growing out of the situations, COVID, social justice, whatever, is that they are seeing all around them but they are not judging. In the past, I was very judgmental … I realized that I could change this and how would that impact my life? If I was coaching leaders, sports information personnel right now, I would say, don't judge others. Don't judge where they came from, don't judge their situations.
25:00 Turning turmoil into triumph – how can SIDs accomplish this? For sports information directors, one of the primary functions is to get the message out correctly. Having constituents understand what the message is. Messages produce emotion. Today, people are looking for people who are congruent. What we've seen over the last year is the lack of congruency in a lot of different places. So no one knows what to believe.
If you are going to be someone held in high esteem and being the voice of your team, voice of your school, come across with congruency and certainty with people. They will back you to the hilt, they will go to the mat for you. That's what I look for in people for my team. I want to know - are you congruent with your message, your vision and your thought process. If they are then we can have a conversation and see how we can help each other.
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About the June Stewart Leadership Series Podcast
CoSIDA debuted the June Stewart Leadership Series in the Fall of 2019 as part of our year-round professional development and continuing education program for our members.
This series adds to our existing professional development initiatives and is named in honor of the late June Stewart who served as CoSIDA's first female president during the 1990-91 academic year. Stewart was a longtime Vanderbilt University administrator and a pioneer for women in college athletics. The series was created in honor of Stewart's great leadership, her love and commitment to the profession and her legacy in giving back to CoSIDA.
This special June Stewart Series showcases noted speakers and experts who will address CoSIDA members on timely communications and leadership topics and issues.
Designed exclusively for CoSIDA members, this series of webinars and podcasts will offer perspectives on leadership and perspectives on managing and directing collegiate athletic communications.
Click here to read more about CoSIDA Hall of Famer
June Stewart.