1 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:05,480 Speaker 1: Everybody is Bill Courtney with an army of normal folks. 2 00:00:05,519 --> 00:00:09,960 Speaker 1: Welcome to Shop Talk number twenty. I think we ought 3 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:14,079 Speaker 1: to have a Bell Alex Shop Talk number twenty. We 4 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:18,200 Speaker 1: need a bell Shop Talk number twenty. We're going to 5 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:21,000 Speaker 1: talk about servant leadership, and we're going to talk about 6 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:25,440 Speaker 1: it through the prism of a late friend of mine 7 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 1: who actually played football for the University of Oklahoma. It's 8 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:31,920 Speaker 1: a great story and it's a great lesson. We'll be 9 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:36,879 Speaker 1: right back with servant leadership with my buddy Steve right 10 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 1: after these brief messages from our general sponsors. Everybody, welcome 11 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 1: back to Shop Talk number twenty, where I just want 12 00:00:56,280 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 1: to briefly talk about servant leadership. And this is probably 13 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 1: not going to be the only time I talk about 14 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:07,399 Speaker 1: servant leadership, because I think there's lots of different ways 15 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 1: to display servant leadership. But a guy named Steve Davis, 16 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:16,800 Speaker 1: who I was so fortunate to meet, displayed a kind 17 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:24,039 Speaker 1: of servant leadership as a mentor that I think is phenomenal. Really, 18 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:29,440 Speaker 1: it's a great story. It actually Steve was highlighted in 19 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:33,120 Speaker 1: my book Against the Grain, and one of the chapters 20 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:36,959 Speaker 1: that we call how leaders Are Defined? You can read 21 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:38,880 Speaker 1: all about him if you've got the book, and if 22 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 1: you don't, buy the book and you can read about 23 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:44,160 Speaker 1: him and other stuff. But I want to share his 24 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 1: story as it pertains servant leadership. Steve was the quarterback 25 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 1: from the University of Oklahoma. I I am too young 26 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 1: to have followed Steve as he played in the early seventies. 27 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:01,440 Speaker 1: In fact, when he introduced him so to me some 28 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:04,160 Speaker 1: years back, he mentioned that he played quote a little 29 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:07,760 Speaker 1: football in college. I didn't really have any clue who 30 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:11,040 Speaker 1: he was, but afterwards I googled him and looked up 31 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:13,680 Speaker 1: his stats, and this guy who played a little football 32 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:17,240 Speaker 1: was the MVP of the nineteen seventy six Orange Bowl. 33 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 1: He ran for thirty three touchdowns and passed for twenty 34 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:25,120 Speaker 1: one on Oklahoma teams on their heyday that went thirty 35 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 1: two wins, one loss, and one tie. So not only 36 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 1: did I find out that Steve was a dog, he 37 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 1: was humble because he mentioned he'd played a little football. 38 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:42,160 Speaker 1: The other thing about Steve is pretty incredible is he 39 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:45,240 Speaker 1: was number eighth on the depth chart when he showed 40 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 1: up at Oklahoma and ended up after the seventh guy 41 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 1: got a broken arm. Being the starter for University of 42 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:59,519 Speaker 1: Oklahoma and ended up with the stats in the world 43 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:08,080 Speaker 1: that I told you about. Why herald him as a 44 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 1: servant leader is obviously he was a leader on the 45 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 1: football team and at Oklahoma. But I met him because 46 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 1: he organized quarterly lunches for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, 47 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:21,679 Speaker 1: where he brought together X Division one coaches and players, 48 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 1: prominent business leaders, high school coaches, and he had hundreds 49 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:31,280 Speaker 1: of people who forged meaningful relationships. And this work and 50 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:36,120 Speaker 1: this guy, even in nineteen seventy five, when he was 51 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:41,400 Speaker 1: still a quarterback at the University of Oklahoma, spoke on 52 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:45,760 Speaker 1: a nationally televised Billy Graham Crusade in Lubbock, Texas. Just 53 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:49,680 Speaker 1: an amazing guy played for Barry Switzer. On the field, 54 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 1: he won and he inspired others. So when I met 55 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 1: Steve at the Circle Cinnamon, Ulsa after a screening of Undefeated, 56 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:05,120 Speaker 1: he asked me if I could speak at one of 57 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:07,560 Speaker 1: these events, and of course I said, you know, call me. 58 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 1: I didn't think much about it, and a week later 59 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 1: he called me, so I went. I spoke at the 60 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:17,080 Speaker 1: event in Tulsa and got to be buddies with him. 61 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:21,839 Speaker 1: After one event, I flew back to Memphis with him, 62 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:24,520 Speaker 1: and he talked about other stuff he had set up 63 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:27,000 Speaker 1: in Miami for the Orange Bowl at Notre Dame at 64 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:30,240 Speaker 1: South Bend, Indiana, And when we parted, I thought to 65 00:04:30,279 --> 00:04:33,640 Speaker 1: myself how much fun we were going to share and 66 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 1: the future good work we could do together. Six days later, 67 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:41,800 Speaker 1: I received a call Steve was dead. He and his 68 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:45,280 Speaker 1: friend Wesley Craves were killed when their small private plane, 69 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:48,400 Speaker 1: the same exact plane I'd just been on with them, 70 00:04:49,279 --> 00:04:52,720 Speaker 1: crashed into some homes in northern Indiana actually going up 71 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:55,479 Speaker 1: to South Bend putting together some of the work that 72 00:04:55,600 --> 00:05:01,600 Speaker 1: he and I talked about doing together. It was devastating. 73 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:05,599 Speaker 1: It's devastating for his family, obviously, and devastating for the 74 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:09,159 Speaker 1: Oklahoma community, but it was devastating to me personally. I'd 75 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:11,800 Speaker 1: started to make a friend and a guy who I 76 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:17,839 Speaker 1: really respected and thought of as a leader. Last August, 77 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:22,039 Speaker 1: not last August. August of that year, I went back 78 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 1: to Tulsa to speak at a luncheon that was held 79 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 1: in his honor, and I really couldn't stop thinking about him, 80 00:05:28,839 --> 00:05:33,200 Speaker 1: his parents and sibling, his children. But then I found 81 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 1: out another piece of his story. At the time, Oklahoma 82 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:42,760 Speaker 1: had another gifted quarterback that was named Landry Jones. You 83 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:47,400 Speaker 1: may have remembered him. Once Landry was criticized for really 84 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:51,000 Speaker 1: poor performance and a loss that Oklahoma had to Kansas State, 85 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:54,120 Speaker 1: and Oklahoma didn't like losing to Kansas State, and he 86 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:57,839 Speaker 1: was getting blistered in the media, Steve reached out to him. 87 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:01,680 Speaker 1: Steve never forgot and how much it hurt when he 88 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:04,680 Speaker 1: was booed by the fans in normand and the only 89 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:08,360 Speaker 1: single game he lost as a starting quarterback for Oklahoma 90 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:12,280 Speaker 1: in nineteen seventy five, when an unranked Kansas team beat 91 00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:17,160 Speaker 1: them twenty three to three. Steve said, it broke my heart. 92 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:23,000 Speaker 1: It made me feel like I'd let down every Sooner fan. Privately, 93 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:25,159 Speaker 1: it was one of the lowest moments of my life 94 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:27,720 Speaker 1: and certainly the lowest moment in my career at Oklahoma. 95 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:31,520 Speaker 1: Steve went on to mention how the Sooners rallied after 96 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:34,679 Speaker 1: that loss to beat Missouri and Nebraska and then Michigan 97 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:36,960 Speaker 1: and the Orange Bowl to win their second straight national 98 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:43,160 Speaker 1: title with him under center. It was his quote. It 99 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:46,960 Speaker 1: was a wonderful vindication of that one November afternoon and 100 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:50,800 Speaker 1: the silencing of those boos that have forever galvanized our 101 00:06:50,839 --> 00:06:53,640 Speaker 1: team and made us all respect and love each other 102 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 1: and to find our team beyond our thirty two to 103 00:06:56,120 --> 00:07:00,400 Speaker 1: one to one record. With that experience, Steve knew what 104 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:07,240 Speaker 1: Landry Jones was going for going through, so Landry was 105 00:07:07,279 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 1: on the verge of breaking the old school records of 106 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:14,640 Speaker 1: thirty two wins that Steve himself held. Steve didn't care. 107 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 1: All he cared about was helping young man facing the 108 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:24,160 Speaker 1: same expectations and same sadness that he once did when 109 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:28,840 Speaker 1: he was beat by Kansas. He wrote, Landry, you are 110 00:07:28,880 --> 00:07:32,640 Speaker 1: a champion who has been blessed with indescribable athletic skill 111 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 1: and an exemplary personal history. You will leave Norman owning 112 00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:41,720 Speaker 1: virtually every passing record as well as being the winningest 113 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:44,440 Speaker 1: quarterback at the one hundred and seventeen year history of 114 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:49,040 Speaker 1: Oklahoma football. You've made sacrifices and commitments that few ou 115 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:52,400 Speaker 1: quarterbacks have ever made, and you deserve that recognition and 116 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:57,840 Speaker 1: respect because of your discipline and determination. Steve didn't have 117 00:07:57,880 --> 00:08:01,680 Speaker 1: to write that write letter to Landry. Headed wrote it 118 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:05,680 Speaker 1: because he wanted to serve him as a leader through 119 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:13,520 Speaker 1: shared experiences as a mentor to let Landry know that 120 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:17,200 Speaker 1: it was going to be okay. Later that year, Landry 121 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:23,320 Speaker 1: did break Steve records, and the first person to stand 122 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:28,440 Speaker 1: up and applaud him was Steve himself. Y'all, we can 123 00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:31,360 Speaker 1: serve in a number of different ways. You can serve 124 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:35,280 Speaker 1: as a mentor, you can serve as an advisor. But 125 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:41,600 Speaker 1: when you use your experience and past life experiences to 126 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:45,240 Speaker 1: serve another young person who may be going through something 127 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:47,800 Speaker 1: just like you. You don't have to be part of 128 00:08:47,800 --> 00:08:49,840 Speaker 1: a five HO one C three, you don't have to 129 00:08:49,840 --> 00:08:53,040 Speaker 1: be part of some big organization. You just see a 130 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:58,360 Speaker 1: need and you fill it. So leadership and service can 131 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:00,640 Speaker 1: come in a number of different ways. Sure, you can 132 00:09:00,679 --> 00:09:03,880 Speaker 1: be a leader of a national championship football team that's 133 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:05,839 Speaker 1: heralded as one of the best in the history of 134 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:12,200 Speaker 1: the game. But maybe Steve's greatest measure of leadership was 135 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:14,600 Speaker 1: not what he did on the field as young man, 136 00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:19,560 Speaker 1: but what he did later in life mentoring another young 137 00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:24,560 Speaker 1: man who had a similar experience to him. Servant leadership, guys, 138 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:29,360 Speaker 1: it is really how we change lives. And I can't 139 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 1: imagine a better example of how that works than the 140 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:38,120 Speaker 1: story of Steve Davis. Think about it. Where can you 141 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:41,520 Speaker 1: serve in order to lead. Where can you mentor where 142 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:45,320 Speaker 1: can you share experiences? Where can you be part of 143 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:48,280 Speaker 1: an army of normal folks just seeing areas of need 144 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:55,439 Speaker 1: and filling it. I'm Bill Courtney. That shop Talk number twenty. 145 00:09:55,520 --> 00:09:57,800 Speaker 1: If you enjoyed this episode, do me a favor and 146 00:09:57,840 --> 00:10:01,319 Speaker 1: share with friends and on social Describe to our podcast, 147 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:06,120 Speaker 1: rate and review it. Join the army at normal Folks 148 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:09,200 Speaker 1: dot us. Consider becoming a premium member. Do all of 149 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:12,560 Speaker 1: these things that can help us grow. Guys, the more 150 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:15,360 Speaker 1: people we bring in, the more impact we can have. 151 00:10:16,160 --> 00:10:20,880 Speaker 1: If you have ideas for shop talk, current events, old stories, tenants, 152 00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:25,360 Speaker 1: any of it and you'd like to drop them on me, 153 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:29,360 Speaker 1: email me. All you got to do is email me, 154 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:33,120 Speaker 1: and if I think I have something to add a value, 155 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:36,240 Speaker 1: We'll do a shop talk on it. I swear just 156 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:41,200 Speaker 1: send me ideas beyond that. Thanks to our producer, iron 157 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:44,720 Speaker 1: Light Labs. I'm Bill Courtney. I'll see you next week.