Build It With Character: Rick Hendrick's Advice on Building a Winning Organization

Yesterday was an historic day for one of the world's leading businessmen. No it’s not Donald Trump and no this isn't a political post. This is a post about one man who seems to continuously be building his company by finding men and women of high character. Time and time again his managers are praised for their ability to get things done and win at high levels. SO how did a man who started his career as a farmer in North Carolina grow his business to become an 8.4 billion dollar business with 10,000 employees?

He built it with character.

Yesterday, we saw Hendrick Motorsports win its 14th championship with the third youngest driver in NASCAR history.  When you talk with Chase Elliot he, like Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, seems like he has the maturity of a 40 year old but the spirit of a 24 year old. Rick Hendrick has always found the best and brightest people to represent his company. Building a brand like Hendrick Motorsports can't be done without great people. When you compare Mr. Hendrick and his team to other owners in the sport, he always seems a cut above and that is because he has a special talent in discerning the heart of an individual.

So how do you start to grow your business to the same size as Rick Hendrick? That’s what today's tidbit is all about!

The first thing Rick would tell you is that you have to turn your ‘pyramid’ upside down. That is, to show that you are the one carrying the weight of the organization and that if things are going to roll down hill, they roll down to you. Your character has to be the North Star of the organization. If you want the people at the top to be servant leaders you need to be one yourself. If you want everyone to pitch in when issues pop up, you need to pitch in. That is one thing Rick Hendrick has shown throughout his very successful career.

The second thing Rick would tell you is to find, not only the most talented people for your team, but also those who have outstanding character. People who take responsibility for their actions. Individuals who have unquestionable integrity and that live above reproach. If you look at the people who have stayed with Rick Hendrick for their entire careers, even when they weren't winning, they have all lived this way. In addition, Mr. Hendrick has been known to move on from great talent that has had attitude issues and made life choices that didn’t match with the traits of his organizations.

The final thing Rick Hendrick would suggest to you is that once you have the people with the right attitude, you need to provide them with the right tools to get the job done. In his world, the competition is fierce and you need good equipment to keep your people happy and focused. They need to believe they can win with what they’ve got, because if they can't win why even try?

These are just a few things from the 2020 championship car owner that I have placed in my own companies. Believe you me, they work!

Enjoy,