I saw a demonstration of this in action at the October 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway. Unlike previous years, Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson had failed to qualify for the race near the front. In the past, he had held several poles or had qualified in the top three. This time he started 21st.
As the race began, it became clear that Johnson was not happy with the car. Coming into the pits for his first scheduled pit stop, Johnson had expectations that his team would perform flawlessly in servicing the car and making adjustments, and would help him to gain spots on the track. Instead, when the stop was finally completed some 17 seconds later, Johnson found himself even further back in the pack.
As Johnson reentered the track, his crew chief, Chad Knaus, came on the radio and told him that he was sorry for the performance of the team. He also told Johnson that if he was going to have a good finish he would have to do it on his own. As Knaus stated, the crew “is not going to be much help to you today.”
At first this seemed an odd thing to say, but as the day continued to unfold, the genius of this statement became clear. With this critical statement Knaus ultimately changed the fortunes of both Johnson and the pit crew. How did he do it?
First, he inspired his driver. Prior to the pit stop, Johnson had been frustrated because he was mired back in the pack. When he entered the pits, he believed that his championship winning pit crew would make the necessary adjustments in blazing speed, and would help him pick up positions on the track. Instead, they had fumbled and sent him deeper in the field. By telling Johnson that he would have to make his own success, Knaus provided him with a spark. Inspired by this statement, Johnson got up on the wheel. With his renewed drive and the changes the crew had made during the stop, he started to advance quickly toward the front.
Second, Knaus used the opportunity to shame his crew into action. On this initial stop the crew had been less than stellar. While it is true that even the best crews have an off day, this crew was part of a team that had won an unprecedented four championships in a row. No other driver or crew had ever done this before. By relaying to Johnson that he would have to make his own success today, Knaus had lit a fire under the crew. Like the champions they were, they rose to the occasion. Johnson might not win the race on this day, but they were not going to be the reason.
During the following stops, they worked lightning fast. They made the right adjustments, and helped Johnson pick up valuable track position coming out of the pits. By the end of the race, Johnson found himself in position to challenge for the win.
When the day ended, Johnson could not overcome the large lead of Greg Biffle. However, he was able to finish a strong second. More importantly, he gained enough points to take over the lead for the championship. Had a caution happened at the end of the race, it is quite possible that he could have passed Biffle for the win.
As this real-life example shows, it is possible for critical statements to inspire. However, these types of statements are doomed to failure without a little preparation by the leader. In my next post, I will talk more about what goes into this preparation.