Three Things I've Learned from the Leaders of the St. Louis Blues

I’ve had the good fortune to work with and get to know the leadership team of the Stanley Cup Champion St. Louis Blues. In the midst of all the fun and excitement of this history-making season, I learned three things that are worth sharing. 

1. Winning Takes Focus

Tom Stillman, Chairman and Governor of the St. Louis Blues, taught me what extreme focus looks like. 

Like the rest of the Blues organization, Stillman was focused on the franchise’s number one goal, winning a Stanley Cup for St. Louis.  At the same time, Tom was deeply involved in a critical, long-simmering business deal, working toward the best possible outcome for the Blues organization, his investors, and the City of St. Louis.  Even when the team sank to the bottom of the league, and as it climbed toward a championship, Stillman maintained a laser focus on both objectives. As it turned out, the Blues won the Cup and the business deal was concluded favorably a few days later.  

Watching Stillman, I learned that extreme focus is critical to achieving major goals. In this case, along with focus came vigilance, judgment, patience, and persistence. Through constant twists and turns, Stillman’s focus remained steadfast, and it eventually paid off for the Blues and the City of St. Louis.

2. Winning Takes Conviction

Doug Armstrong, President of Hockey Operations and General Manager of the Blues, taught me that conviction is at the heart of winning a championship.

Throughout the first half of the season, there were many who urged Armstrong to take action on the team's roster and trade away key players. Their opinions weren’t baseless, and these calls for change were shared constantly in the media.  

But Armstrong saw something the critics didn’t: he saw the players for who they could be. And he saw that a Stanley Cup victory could become a reality. So instead of taking the easy route and giving in to the criticism, Armstrong held on to his convictions and demonstrated tremendous patience with his team. Doug’s conviction played a major part in this Cup win!

3. Winning Takes Relationships

Chris Zimmerman, President and CEO of Business Operations, showed me how relationship-building leads to major accomplishments.

Like many, I have seen how achievement sometimes comes at the cost of relationships – that you can either get things done or maintain amicable relations with co-workers and business partners, but not both.  Over the last few seasons, however, Zimmerman overcame this tension and was, in fact, able to do both. 

Chris helped lead the organization through an incredible list of achievements: hosting the NHL Winter Classic, completion of a three-year arena renovation, the team’s first-ever Stanley Cup, the construction of a new practice facility, and being awarded next year's NHL All-Star Game. Yet throughout this stretch of achievements, Zimmerman continued to maintain and grow relationships inside and outside the organization. Chris clearly has the ability to engage with people to achieve unprecedented results. I’m confident that Chris’s approach, and his achievements, played a key role in the Blues’ recent success.

Here at Leadership Training Camp, we couldn’t be more excited about the St. Louis Blues’ win! We appreciate the championship and the values of these three leaders.