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Nice Guys do Finish First: NASCAR
Daytona 500 – A Leadership Lesson
by Dr. Karen Otazo
What an experience
to meet Kevin Harvick at the Daytona 500. I expected to meet an
experienced professional . He was also a savvy organizational
player and a caring leader. And a really nice guy! As we drove
around the course and conversed on Sunday morning and as I later
watched him in action, Kevin demonstrated his leadership skills
1. "Onboarding"
people new to the organization:
He made
sure that a new player learned “the ropes” of his new organization.
Juan Pablo Montoya had just moved from the Formula One racing.
Kevin’s coaching was something like: “Don’t expect to do well the
first time. It’s your job is to learn the track and make friends.
Your friends are your lifelines which can keep you alive and help
you win. He showed his personal thoughtfulness in small and
meaningful ways.
2. Focus
on going forward with no complaints:
Since
Harvick’s car had had mechanical problems during the qualifying
round, he had a 34th place starting position which affected his
positioning and pit stop position. He wasn’t worried and didn’t
complain.
3. Positive
vision:
Kevin’s
vision was that his car, his team and his sponsor were right for the
track and the race. He didn’t sweat the small stuff. He kept his
eyes on the end game.
4. Worked
through set backs:
Mid-way,
when his car was damaged he pulled back to let the air flow to the
radiator to cool it down and got the problem fixed at the next pit
stop. He didn’t worry about falling back ; he just worked on
getting back into the top ten. The set back didn’t upset him.
5. Help
on the way up:
Once he got
in a good position and saw an opening Kevin took the outside lane
with help from his many friends. As he made his move for the finish
line he got a push from behind more than once from the same guys who
could have blocked his trajectory.
6. Eyes
on the prize:
Kevin
never looked back as other cars had wrecks. He kept his eye on the
prize though he looked out for other drives. (We could hear his
comments by radio as he communicated with his team.) He stayed
balanced and focused at every moment.
7. Show
appreciation:
Kevin
Harvick thanked all of his team immediately after his win and
expressed his sincere congratulations to the man he beat by a nose.
He sent his sponsor team an email on Monday.
Personal
note:
My
granddaughter, Danielle, asked for a NASCAR Dale Earnhardt Barbie
for her birthday in March. Kevin Harvick replaced Dale Earnhardt in
the Richard Childress group on the NASCAR circuit. What a small
world.
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