by Craig Colby
Bruce Boudreau must have known everyone was watching him long before he looked up into the stands to take in the arena full of fans chanting “Bruce, there it is!” in his final moments as the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks. They had actually been watching for much longer. Thanks to the heartless bungling of the team’s upper management, everyone had known for weeks that Boudreau was going to be fired. Whether the coach was aware of it or not, the way he handled this public pressure cooker was a master class in personal branding that everyone can apply to their personal and professional lives.
Boudreau is a 68-year-old hockey lifer. He played professional hockey for 17 years, from 1972 to 1992, largely in the minors, logging 141 NHL games mostly with the Toronto Maple Leafs, his hometown team. His coaching career started in his final year as a player, as an assistant coach for the Fort Wayne Comets. The next season, he became the head coach for the Muskegon Fury. For the next 15 seasons, Boudreau coached in the minors, 14 of them as a head coach, before being named the head coach of the Washington Capitals for the 2007-2008 season. He has been a head coach every season since, working for the Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild and for the last two seasons, the Vancouver Canucks. His leadership skills were identified early and used often. His nickname is Gabby because of his friendly, talkative personality.
Passing the Test
Boudreau’s leadership and communication skills were tested in his tenure in Vancouver, which ended Sunday morning. Jim Rutherford, the Canucks President of Hockey Operations admitted in a press conference that he’d been asking around about a new head coach for months. Still, Boudreau showed up for work every day and did the job. I’d be surprised if he thought at all about what a wonderful opportunity this was.
Your brand is the way you are perceived by others. Corporations pay big bucks on image management. On a personal level we call it a reputation but it’s the same thing. People form opinions about us based on the way we dress, the things we say and what we do, especially when we face adversity. If Boudreau had quit, if he had given interviews complaining about the situation, he would have been justified. He did neither. Instead, he showed up every day and coached. In Boudreau’s final days, when asked about his reaction to the situation, he said he’d be a fool not to acknowledge that he knew what was going on. Then he said, “You come to work, and you realize, you know, how great the game is.” He declined the chance to complain. Instead, he talked about his love of hockey. Boudreau controlled himself beautifully.
The coach held the same course after he was let go. "At some point, maybe I'll feel compelled to say some things. But right now, I'll leave that stuff private, and we'll move on to another topic." Again, he passed on the chance to air grievances. When asked if he ever thought about quitting, the answer was an emphatic “no”. “I'm not going to ever give up because if you do that, you're quitting on the players and my whole thing with the team all year was, we never quit. We never quit. We have to keep going. So, what kind of message would I be sending if I was the one that quit? So, that wasn't going to happen." The Canucks could only take away Boudreau’s job. They couldn’t touch his dignity.
Value Added
I doubt Boudreau was thinking about personal marketing during his final weeks as coach. He simply behaved according to his core values. In his final moments behind the bench, he saw how much that was appreciated. Boudreau looked up at the fans who were chanting for him, fought back tears, then clapped a few times and pointed up to the stands acknowledging the support. He walked away knowing that his example mattered. People in the hockey world already knew who this coach was, but to the casual fan and other observers, Boudreau’s name is now synonymous with perseverance and dedication to others.
In stressful situations, I have succeeded and failed. I have said and done things that are easy to justify but have rarely had good results. I’ve almost always regretted them. However, I’ve never regretted acting with kindness. When I saw the way Boudreau conducted himself, it showed me the person I aspire to be. The next time my back is against the wall, I'm going to think of him.
We can all learn from Boudreau’s actions. Don’t be afraid to show your vulnerability, and however you feel privately, in public, take the high road. When a situation is difficult to navigate, be guided by your values. That’s what people will remember. That’s how you build a brand. Your worst moments are your best chances to shine.
Craig Colby is the author of the Canadian Book Club Award Winning ALL CAPS: Stories That Justify an Outrageous Hat Collection.
Craig is also a television executive producer, producer, director, writer and story editor. He runs a storytelling consulting and production service.