Chet Scott drove to Kansas City to pitch his coaching business and won the contract because Mike Frost said he felt authentic while other candidates seemed generic. Scott argues leaders must genuinely believe in what they lead and connect that belief to others.
Chapters
So I was just getting built to get started. I had one client here, called up my good friends in Kansas City and said, get me a meeting with your CEO. I'm gonna start with working with business owners, CEOs, private companies like this one. And they said, our CEO is nuts, you don't want to meet with him. I'm picturing him very much like Derp. They said, meet with the coo, will arrange for it, come over. So I got, got in my car, drove 800 miles, get there, sit down with the COO and I just do what we do, which is I ask him, why are we here? And he said, well, that's a funny way to start. I said, well, why, why are we here? Why are you talking to me? And so he starts telling me about what he wants out of a coach. And he wasn't looking for a coach for him, he was looking for a coach for his right hand guy, the guy they were grooming to be the coo. So I listened and asked more questions and I don't know how long we talked, but it was a long time. And I told him next to nothing about Bill Talib. You know, I just had started it. And he said, why don't you meet this guy? I said, fine. So I met him, same thing. I met the guy they wanted me to start coaching with. I met him, same thing. I started asking him questions and. I don't know, probably an hour and a half later, I hadn't told him anything about Bill Tilley, but I knew a ton about him. I go back, meet with the coo, Mike Frost told him, hey, thanks, appreciate it. Do you have any questions about me or built to lead? And he no, I think I got it. I said, alright. So I get in my car and this is. Cell phones are not as good as they are now. So the coverage was spotty, going from Kansas City to Columbus. And I get into an area where all of a sudden there's coverage and my phone was blowing up and I saw it was from an 816 number, which is Kansas City. So I'm only like three hours outside of KC, middle of Nowhere, Missouri. And it's Mike Frost. And he asked me, he says, when can you start? And I'm like, well, I told you I only have one client, so I'm available. Can you check my calendar? Yeah, not a problem. And he said, well good. He said, we want to hire you. And I was like, man, this is gonna be the easiest thing I've ever done. That's what I'm Thinking to myself, and I said, okay. Mike, do you have a second? He goes, yeah. And I said, you know, I am just starting built to leave, and this is really great. I'm glad you guys want me to work with Mark. Look forward to it. I'll call him. We'll get scheduled. I said, but was this his decision or yours? And he said, both. I said, okay. I knew they'd been talking to local guys, lots of them. Brian and Grover told me, look, you're kind of late. You're pretty much down the path with some local coaches. But he said he'd meet with you. And I said, so I know you have local coaches in Kansas City. You're going to have to pay me more to come in. And I said, do you mind telling me, like, why you. You met me for 90 minutes and you hired me. I'm not trying to talk you out of it, but I would like to know why. He said, oh. He goes, chet, that's real easy. He goes, you actually believe this bullshit? And I said, well, that's a funny way of putting it. I said, what do you mean? He goes, everybody else that we interviewed, they all sound the same. And I didn't believe any of them. And he goes, but I believe you. And he goes, the rest of them, it feels to me like they're in between gigs, like they're just doing this right now because it's easy, but they're not meant to be coaches. You believe this, and I believe you're meant to do this, or at least I believe you do. And I'm like, oh, my gosh, there it is. Leaders are believers. And I hadn't written the playbook yet, but second client in, he's basically telling me, unbelievable. And he hired me simply because he didn't believe these other guys. And I'm like, that is the gig. And he's right. I do believe it. That's why I know I'm not going to do anything but this, you know? And it was like such an early. Such an early searing reminder of what I knew, but I hadn't crystallized down to a real ccd. Thought leaders are believers, and then second thought leaders are connectors, too. And so whatever you're leading, just remember, you're not going to be effective if you don't believe it, and you're not going to be effective if you don't know how to connect others to it. The best way to do that, clear, concise, and direct, right from your heart.
