Part 2: Fred Ridley, Augusta National Golf Club Chairman—Preserve Tradition and Drive Innovation

How Leaders Lead with David Novak

Here is part two of my conversation with Fred Ridley, Chairman of the Augusta National Golf Club.

If you haven’t had a chance to listen to part one yet, stop and do that first.

It’s not easy to preserve the incredible tradition of a place like Augusta National while also making sure you’re moving into the future with new ideas. That tension between tradition and new ideas is something we can probably all relate to.

But Fred is surrounded by an incredible team that he genuinely loves being around and learning from. And that’s at the heart of how he leads: he puts people before processes.

His team members come first, because they’re the ones who are going to make the experience for patrons and players and guests the legendary experience Augusta is known for. They also have the ideas that are going to pave the way forward. Fred shares a lot of strategies for how we, too, can put people before processes.

You’ll also learn:

• The key mentality you need to preserve an organization’s tradition while also blazing new trails
• Practical tips to speak to the press (or anyone who asks you tough questions)
• A surprising way to develop your organization’s core values – and why it’s so much more effective than the traditional method
• One small thing you can do at the start of every meeting that will boost team morale