Leadership Strategy: The Red Bull Effect

We have been on a journey with our North Texas Sales Manager this year in his pursuit to find what true leadership means. Jeff Mills has shared challenges and lessons that come along with being a leader, and how these experiences have helped him grow. In today’s blog, Jeff talks about the Red Bull effect—keeping the energy and excitement rolling when goals have already been met.

It has been over seven months since we began the theme to see “through the eyes of a lion” in the North Texas District and two months since we took a leadership pause to spend time with my mentor and evaluate how we were doing halfway through the year. One of the most interesting things I have noticed over the past few months as I focused on leadership is the fluctuation in business activity – very high and active at times and slower, less active at other times. This impact the entire team and impacts our own pace of activity faster or slower. In the fall I traveled to Texarkana, Texas, for a FinishMaster BBQ event. As I left the BBQ and started the long, four-hour drive home I realized I was extremely tired. I exited the interstate to get some gas and refuel my own energy. During my pit stop, I called our district business development manager, Randy, to talk about some things we need to accomplish before the upcoming district meeting. After I hung up I thought, “Wow, that was just absolutely a flat conversation.”

I certainly didn't carry the conversation, but I knew we were both tired from being at the barbecue, so it wasn’t a big deal. I grabbed a Red Bull, got in my car, and headed back to the interstate. Typically, coffee is my go-to when I need a boost, but it was in the 90s and Red Bull just seemed like a better option.

After driving a little while, I started to feel the Red Bull effect. I stopped again to call Randy and this time the conversation was full of energy, excitement, and passion. After I got off the phone, I realized how much the Red Bull effect had contributed to our completely different conversation.

This experience resonated with me and my leadership journey. The North Texas District hit one of our major goals in the middle of the second quarter.

How do we, as leaders, create the Red Bull effect in our team to keep them energized and excited from day-to-day, especially when we have already met our goals?

I believe it is an opportunity to move the goal line and reveal the success of the hard work done to date. Celebrate our victories, but continue to push the team to do more and show them the magic their continued focus can create. It is time to share the Red Bull effect with my team.

I struggled to figure out what makes change so hard. I believe every leader should have a mentor and a coach, so I sat down with Bill for another perspective. I assumed he would look at my team, changes in the market, and our relationship with vendors as causes for change but he didn’t. His perspective was that the changes are happening because of us.

As leaders we motivate people and at times the way we do this must change. What drives a team is setting expectations and goals and sometimes this requires moving the goal line. The goal is always clear, it is simply set by FinishMaster and we need to obtain it each year.  

I like to think of it as a football game. The scoreboard always keeps the score and time, but every player on the field faces their opponent one-on-one at each snap. Much like my district, if I keep calling the same play every time it becomes monotonous and boring for my team, but by changing the plays it gives us an edge.  It keeps the team engaged and helps them get better every play.  Your team will help you change their goals and the outcomes of the game.  Leaders must continue to survey the field and make sure everyone is feeling the Red Bull effect, engaged and energized, working toward the single goal of getting better every day.