“My leadership style is always based on championship teams,” Shaquille O’Neal stated during his latest interview with ‘Entrepreneur’. The four-time NBA champion was discussing his booming ‘Big Chicken’ franchise when he shed light on his approach to leadership.
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“I don’t win without Kobe. I don’t win without D-Fish, definitely don’t without Big Shot Bob Robert Horry. Don’t win without Phil Jackson, Pat Riley so. And then, these guys are smarter than me.“
He was describing how different employees at ‘Big Chicken’ have their own expertise that adds value to the franchise. O’Neal believes in listening to the people who know more than him, instead of making top-down decisions as an owner. “I take pride in not knowing it all, I like to learn every day,” the 2000 NBA MVP added.
Not many celebrities turned owners practice this mindset. It would be easy for O’Neal to walk in and command his employees to follow his instructions. But this is the Big Aristotle after all, he knows what he doesn’t know, and relies on professionals with experience to guide him to the best possible decisions.
That led him to highlighting the importance of the restaurant chain’s CEO, Josh Halpern. “He’s been in that business, that’s why he’s the CEO. We work together… I utilize my teammates and I utilize a lot of humor to keep them going,” said Shaquille O’Neal.
Shaq understood the ire of essential workers, explaining how he didn’t want to rule with an iron fist. “I lead with a lot of humor. Just come in, make people feel good, make them feel appreciated and just try to win a championship,” Big Diesel concluded.
The 15-time All-Star turned business mogul has followed these practices for over a decade, even highlighting them in one of his keynote speeches.
Shaq vouches for “Humor’s role in leadership”
In February 2013, Shaq was a keynote speaker at the North East Texas Humor Research Conference in Dallas. His keynote was titled “Half Serious 70% of the Time: Humor’s Role in Leadership.” During his speech, O’Neal explained, “Consider, humor is part of the Shaquille O’Neal brand, if you will. I frequently utilize humor with my employees and colleagues alike to get my ideas across.”
He highlighted how he follows the principles of transformational and collaborative leadership. Transformational leaders look to cultivate an environment where the employees feel inspired to pursue growth and change. Shaq’s collaborative tendencies go hand in hand here, as the ‘Big Chicken’ owner darts in between different sections of the business to not just boost morale but foster teamwork.
After all, for Shaq it’s always been about personnel. “When you’re dealing with humor, you’re focused on the relationship. If your focus is to accomplish a task, you’re dealing with seriousness,” the Big Aristotle summed up.
