SPEAKER_00 0:04

We're listening to the Angle of the AD Podcast, where we break down hot topics in athletic administration and let's include our leadership. Now we are your host, Josh Matthews and Don Baker.

SPEAKER_01 0:18

Welcome to a special Master's Week Edition of the Angle and ED Podcast. Today we have the distinct honor of standing down with a man who stands at the helm of one of the most revered institutions in all of sport. Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club. In this conversation recorded just days before the Azelians bloom and the world turns its eye to Augusta, Chairman Ridley takes us into eye the inner workings of an event that has become synonymous with tradition, excellence, and vision. We explore what it truly means to lead an organization where the standard is not just maintained, but raised year after year. We'll talk about the discipline it takes to manage time when the calendar never slows down, how to lead with purpose at the highest level, and what it takes to turn long-term vision into reality while honoring the legacy that advanced generations. Whether you're a golf enthusiast, a leader, or simply someone inspired by excellence, you're in for a rare glimpse behind the green curtain. Let's settle in and get to know Chairman Fred Ridley.

SPEAKER_03 1:30

Chairman Ridley, we're so glad to have you joining Don and me for this episode of Hangin' with EAD. It's master season here in Georgia, and we're grateful for uh that you would take a few minutes of your time to join us.

SPEAKER_04 1:41

Thank you, Josh. I'm uh happy to be here and talk to you and Don and uh look forward to our conversation.

SPEAKER_03 1:47

Thank you. So for our listeners, Mr. Fred Ridley is the current chairman of the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. He's the seventh chairman of Augusta National in its history. Mr. Ridley is also a business lawyer and partner of Foley and Lardner, uh law firm in Tampa, Florida. And going back to his college days, Mr. Ridley played collegiate golf at the University of Florida and was a member of their national tournament championship team while playing for the Gators there. There's so much more we could say about uh Mr. Ridley, but we'll stop right there and uh let him tell us a little bit more about his journey in athletics and leadership. Chairman Ridley, we call it the back of the baseball card bio. So take a minute, if you could, tell us what the back of Mr. Fred Ridley's baseball card would look like.

SPEAKER_04 2:32

Well, thanks. Um, I I I played a little baseball when I was younger, but gave it up uh pretty quickly in high school uh because it conflicted with golf and I had to pick one or the other. But um, you know, I I was uh you know, I was a pretty decent uh junior golfer and uh really never had any idea of going anywhere to college but the University of Florida. Um I had been a big Gator fan and and knew a number of uh you know athletes who played sports there, and in particular was knew some golfers who I looked up to and played golf there, so that's what I wanted to do. Um I was a pretty average college golfer, frankly. Uh you were kind to say I played on our national championship team, which I did, although uh I did not actually make the trip to the to the tournament that year. Um I probably started playing my best golf uh as a college player in my senior year, uh when I and it really was tied to sort of a chance meeting I had with a an instructor, which uh don't know if you've heard of him or not. If you have, it's a gentleman named Jack Grout who was the uh lifelong teacher of Jack Nicholas. That was sort of his uh what he was best known for, but he was uh a wonderful man and a great teacher and and really sort of moved me into the next level as I was finishing my college career. Uh I I didn't I didn't take advantage of that immediately because I went right into law school uh after finishing at the University of Florida. And it was only after finishing a year of law school that I decided to try to play golf that next summer in between my first and second years of law school, and uh spent some time with Mr. Grout, uh, who was by that time semi-retired and spending time at Jack Nicholas's then new course, Muirfield Village in Columbus, Ohio. And so I spent uh fair amount of time with him that summer and played golf all summer in amateur tournaments and did pretty well and leading up to the end of the summer when the national championship was played. And uh I qualified and happened to make it through eight matches and won the tournament, which clearly changed my life and set a set a course and a path forward that has really uh been responsible for doing what I've done since then. Uh, but uh it's been a great, been a great ride. I would never have changed anything as far as turning professional and and uh remained an amateur golfer and decided to pursue law as a career.

SPEAKER_03 5:07

That's great. Yeah, sir. We were gonna get into that uh US AM victory a little bit here in a few minutes, but kind of hit on it there. Um Yeah, that's good. So let's start off talking about uh just operating, organizing a major event. Uh I think uh you you get to do that once a year, if not all year long, right? So uh when it comes to operating an event and the organization where it seems the bar of excellence is constantly raised, uh, which I'll do down there at Augusta, what components are necessary to take something that is already extraordinary and making it better the next time you do it?

SPEAKER_04 5:46

Well, you've uh you've really hit on a uh one of the underlying core values uh at Augusta National Golf Club, and that's continuous improvement. Um we we have an advantage as a as a host for a major sporting event, and that we're uh you know, we we have the the event at the same place every year. So there's a lot of uh there's a lot of things that we do uh that that we can improve on, probably a little bit easier than a than an event that uh that that travels every year. Um but we have uh again, we we have as a core value continuous improvement, and we believe that no matter how how good you are, you can always get better. And so with that in mind, um we look at every aspect of the tournament and its operation with a fine-toothed comb. And and that that has to do with things that go inside the happen inside the ropes and more probably more broadly, things that happen outside the ropes. Uh all of our committees uh at the Masters are chaired by members of the club. Uh we have a, as I mentioned before, we have a very accomplished professional staff who run the day-to-day operations of the tournament. Uh, but we have member committees chaired by members who who really are very important in in uh in the conduct of the of the tournament and the the commercial side of the tournament. Um every year um we ask those those chair chairpersons to put together a report, uh, and we have a committee that we call the tournament improvements committee. And that committee really takes the the uh uh its own observations during the week, and they're they're constantly uh looking at the various aspects of the tournament on their own. Uh, but they uh but then they also take the re the committee reports and and sort of synthesize those into a to a longer report that's given to me uh to consider with our executives. And out of that report, there are always uh a dozen or two uh things that we feel like we can do better, whether it's uh you know the lines that are concessions and merchandise operations uh uh are just about any aspect of the tournament. And that really is what drives you know the the uh the quest for excellence and our and our uh obsession of of being better every year.

SPEAKER_03 8:14

Man, that's really intriguing because I I hear you say that I think about I I kind of get to lead a um a conference for our athletic directors in Georgia, and I know what kind of notes I'll be taking all week and just simple things I want to get better. And I just looked at last year's to get ready for this year, and it's almost like, man, I wish I could get my eyes on that to see what your members notice that they want to do better just as an idea. So that's that's really cool that they put together that report throughout the throughout the week. Uh gives you a different perspective of what the membership there is looking at each week.

SPEAKER_04 8:49

So and I think it um, you know, I think one of the aspects of that that's really important is I mean, I don't I'm I'm obviously involved in a lot of different things during the tournament, and and uh no one or two uh people could really provide that type of input. So I think it's the fact that we have input coming from a lot of different aspects of the tournament, a lot of different people who have responsibilities. Uh so we're we're kind of we're kind of getting the best of the best ideas. Uh and not not all of them are are implemented, some of them are you know are a little uh you know, might not uh you know be a little bit out of bounds even, but um, but we encourage people to uh you know to to provide whatever input they have. In other words, think big, think short term, think long term. Um, and then and then we take those and and we consider all of them.

SPEAKER_01 9:42

Yeah, I think you need to hire Josh for that. He he is my resident idea guy. So I you know I've served 16 athletic directors, and Josh, I I call him my idea guy. He's real quick to to drop an idea uh and let me know, yeah, hey, why don't we do this? You know, and uh so I that's what I heard when you just did that. Now does that let me ask you a question about that real quick before we move on. Does that happen immediately? So it's like as soon as the the tournament is over, when are you meeting with those with that committee to go over those things to as you look for next year? Does that is that something that happens immediate or is there a little bit of a window there?

SPEAKER_04 10:20

Well, I mean, I I think it makes sense to reflect on anything in in a pretty expedited time frame because you know you you you can take as many notes as you want, but a lot of it still just comes from your recollection. And so, you know, we try to assemble that information pretty quickly.

SPEAKER_01 10:38

Gotcha. Now I I know it's been a few years since you captained the Walker Cup and the Eisenhower Cup, but maybe could you talk about what you learned in those leadership moments about putting together a team and how those opportunities help develop your leadership style that you use as a leader of people today?

SPEAKER_04 10:56

Sure. Well the uh the first thing as it relates to putting together the team, that that whole process has changed quite a bit over the past uh several years. And I say several, it's actually been more than that because my involvement uh with the uh the Walker Cup team goes back to uh the the mid and late 1980s. And then I was captain of two Walker Cup teams in 1987 and 1989, and then I captained the World Amateur team in 2010. Uh if you fast forward to today, the captain uh of those those teams has a very active role similar to what you read about for the Ryder Cup. You know, the Ryder Cup captain uh for the most part takes a couple years off and really just focuses only on that. Um I wouldn't say it's it's quite that intensive for the amateur side of the of the of the team, of the of the national team events, but the Walker Cup captains and the World Amateur Team captains today do dedicate a lot of time to to selecting or providing input to the USGA on the selection of the team. It wasn't so much that wasn't so much the case uh when I when I captained the team. It was a little more, here's your team, you know, good luck. And so um, so I I I pretty much had to make do with what I was given, although I'm not sure that my my opinion would have changed the selection a lot. I think what I did learn, what I did learn was sort of how complex you know team golf can be from a personality standpoint, from a psychological standpoint. Uh it's really important that you you try to get to know the players. And that's one of the reasons I think the way that the team selected now is probably better than when I was captained. And I also would comment that I was extremely young when I captained the Walker Cup teams. I mean, I was only 34 years old when I captained the first team in 1987. And uh on reflection, I think that's probably uh a little bit on the young side for somebody to be doing that because you know I wasn't really that far removed from the age of the players. And actually, I think I had one player, might have been older than I did. I have one player, Jay Sigle, who was older than I was. So um, so but I did I did really learn a lot in that process, and um and I and I I did learn, as I mentioned, that you really you really need to think about you know how each player approaches the game and how you sort of who's gonna have who's gonna sort of click with the with the other player. The other thing, you know, I I think that you know, I I was probably and I and I'd gotten this from maybe talking to some prior captains, but I I think you can be too intense in that your players that there's a different aspect to to playing team golf, and even more particularly playing for your country. Um, you know, I I think there is much more there's much more pressure, uh at least I experienced it in playing on national teams, there's much more pressure than just playing for yourself. I mean, if you if you hit a bad shot, it's that's your problem, but in team golf, it's also your partner's problem. And and in the case of the Walker Cup, it's it's your country's problem, not to elevate it too much. And so I you know, I I think that uh, you know, in retrospect, I probably would have uh tried to create a little more fun with the team. You know, I I remember there were some things that were presented to us, kind of sort of extracurricular type opportunities in and around the matches that you know I sort of dismissed summarily because you know I really thought we had to be you know down to business, you know, but I think in retrospect, I might have been a little more open-minded because it's really you got to get the psyche of the players in the right position. Um, but it was a great experience for me, um, even at a pretty young age, and uh was certainly a compliment that I was asked to uh to take that leadership position. I didn't have a I didn't have a great record. I was one and one uh as Walker Cup captain, um, and then uh we finished third in the World Amateur Team Championship in Argentina. Um I did I did play on a uh a World Amateur team uh in the in the mid-70s and played on a winning Walker Cup side in 1977. One of the things about the 89 match, which we lost, that was I think pretty significant uh for the matches uh as a whole, is that you know that was at a time when the U.S. was winning most every year. And we had never lost on U.S. soil dating back to 1922, which I think was the first match. Um, we we got way behind that match. It was a Peachtree Golf Club in Atlanta, and we were, I think, five points behind going into the last afternoon with eight matches, and we ended up um coming within one point of tying the match, which would have allowed us to keep the cup which we had won in '87 at uh Sunningdale and outside of London. And in retrospect, although that was very painful for me and my teammates, you know, I think if we'd have come back and won that match, it might it would have been so disheartening for for the the others for the GB and I side to have lost another match. I don't know what that had meant for the future of the matches as a whole. And so I think it almost reinvigorated the interest in the match, in the Walker Cup match. And since then, there's been a lot of parody if you look at the uh at the at the matches for the past 30 years. I think that's good. I think that's good for for golf and good for the Walker Cup match. So in a really uh in a an odd way, you know, losing that match might have been good for for the overall you know health of the of the match.

SPEAKER_01 16:56

That's good stuff. I I just wanted to take just a second because when you were talking at the very beginning, you talked about inheriting that team. That is what we do as athletic directors. I wish that as an AD I could have come in and handpicked my own coaching staff and my own groups of people. And that's just not reality. You you step in and you have the staff that is there and you have to learn how to make it work. And so I hope that our listeners will kind of take what you said right there and and kind of mold it to fit their world because that is exactly what it is. It's that idea of trying to put people in the right spots and then, oh, by the way, have a little fun while you do it. And it makes it it makes that that day in and day out a lot easier. I think that's that's great stuff.

unknown 17:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:38

So Mr. You talked about winning the US AM in 1975. And um you you even mentioned you were in law school, right? You tried to play not professional golf, but high level, uh, the highest level golf there while pursuing a law degree uh after graduating from Florida. Now you're chairman of Augusta National Golf Club doing that, call it hobby, which is not a hobby, right? With being a partner in a real estate law firm. So you are you you have constantly throughout your life juggled multiple big positions and big uh big things. Talk about time management skills you have implemented over the years that have helped you consistently succeed in these leadership roles you've helped held.

SPEAKER_04 18:23

Well, you're just you're just articulating an issue that my wife reminds me of frequently. I'm sorry, I apologize. That is um, you know, you I'm doing too much, but actually I'm only doing it because I love it.

SPEAKER_03 18:36

Um Do you think some of us are called like to do a lot and a lot of I think about my mom at the same time she's always busy.

SPEAKER_04 18:43

I is that a calling or a skill or I just think maybe it's in inherent in one's personality. Um you know, I don't spend a lot of time relaxing. Um, you know, I like to uh a lot I just like being around people. Uh that's one reason I I love practicing law. It's is dealing with interesting people and interesting problems. And uh, you know, I don't think I could work in the back room of any business and be and be happy. Um obviously my love of golf has created um incredible opportunities and um allowed me to make so many wonderful friends all over the world that I never would have been able to do or been able to know if I weren't for golf. Um I would say a couple things. Um you know, I think it's it's important to try to be able to compartmentalize parts of your of your life. You know, if if I was and and I I'm not I'm not saying I don't wake up at night worrying about things because I do, but um, but you know, if you know to be able to focus on the issue at hand and not let other things distract you, I think is really important. And I think if you're juggling a lot of things, you just have to you have to just uh be able to um assume that you're gonna be able to address these other things in in time, but you can't be thinking too much about anything other than the task at hand. So I would say that's that's one thing, and I think some people are better than others at that. I'm not saying that I'm the best at it. I try and I work at it. I think the other thing is uh surrounding yourself with people who who can help make you successful and you help make them be successful. Um and so you you can't do everything on your own. You you have to you have to have other people involved in the mission and what you're trying to accomplish. And so one of the things that I've tried to do is to focus on that and to uh is to try to try to uplift other people and and in doing so it obviously you know helps me accomplish the the big picture that I'm working on. And that that's just been something that I've I believe strongly, but I've also learned it from being around other successful people. Um, you know, too often in my profession in the practice of law, you know, there's an eat what you kill mentality, and you know, and and people try to do everything on their own and sort of hoard, you know, the fruits of their labor. And when I learned many, many years ago that that wasn't the best way to be successful, and and I started sort of sort of sharing my uh relationships, my contacts, my ideas with other people and asking them what they think uh and how can we work together, the the sort of the geometric or the exponential effect of that is is really significant. And that's one thing that I would would uh you know really tell anyone who is you know trying to. Succeed in business or whatever they're doing. I mean, there's certain things, obviously, that are individual. And, you know, I can't tell anybody or get help on making a three-foot putt. But most things in life, you know, you can work with other people. And if if if one can understand that one plus one truly can equal more than two, once you get once you accept that and you kind of let go, you have to see you have to let go of control. You have to trust other people. You have to uh try to align yourself with really good people who you trust and then let them be successful in their own right.

SPEAKER_01 22:42

That is so good. Now, you kind of touched on you're you're moving in the direction of my next question because I think one of the things that uh a leader has to do is number one, they have to realize that that one plus one equals three kind of mentality, but they have to articulate the vision to them to get them on board so that you get there. In your years as chairman, you're credited with several new initiatives led by the Augusta National Golf Club. It seems almost every year you guys roll out a new initiative. We talked about that earlier with a continuous improvement. Let's talk about a leader's vision for his or her organization. How would you encourage a leader, maybe a new leader, uh, in developing, communicating, and implementing a vision for their organization?

SPEAKER_04 23:25

Well, I I think first you have to start by looking, you have to look backwards. You have to you have to understand the history and the culture of the organization. Um, you know, you don't you don't want to uh you don't want to come in and just blow everything apart. Um and so I think having an appreciation for tradition and culture is a foundation of at least the way I I approached I've approached things and and the endeavors that I've undertaken. Having said that, I think I think the key is being is being progressive uh within the context of that eco of that ecosystem, of that culture. Um and that that's sort of the the uh the approach that I've tried to take you know at Augusta National. We often talk about our founders, uh Clifford Roberts and Bobby Jones and the really the the uh you know their vision for Augusta National and the path that they set for everyone to follow. And I think that still is relevant. And I think if you go you go back to what kind of the underlying core values were that they uh espoused, and one of them I've talked about in in quite a bit of detail, and that's continuous improvement. But that but the other thing is basically serving the game of golf. Um and so it's it's that service mentality, I think, that underlies everything that we do. Um, you know, we um we've been a little more public about that in recent years, but you know, I I firmly believe that you know golf has some unique values that maybe not every sport has. And so I think it's incumbent upon us to continue to do everything we can to expose golf to more people, to grow the game, and to give more people opportunities to play it and enjoy it, because it is a game for a lifetime. It's it's a game that no matter how well or poorly you play it, it can uh foster friendships and relationships. And I mean, where else can you spend you know, four hours or perhaps a little bit more with almost the undivided attention of the people that you're participating with? I mean, there's no other sport like it that I can think of. You know, when you're across the net at a tennis, playing a tennis match, friendly tennis match, you don't really talk to the person you're playing with until the match is over. Um, so there's so many good things that golf brings with it. And that's so that's that's been an underlying value that we've undertaken. The other thing is, you know, I I've always tried to tell people, you know, don't be afraid to make a mistake. You learn from your mistakes. Obviously, some are worse than others, and you've got to be careful you don't do something really off the grid. But I mean, it it's okay to it's okay to uh to to take a chance. If you if you believe strongly in something, then go ahead and push the idea forward. It may not ultimately get implemented, but I've sort of told some some organizations are so closed that people are afraid to come up with new ideas. They're afraid to be criticized. They just go with the status quo. And that's the the quickest way I think for an organization to die. Because I think you either you either move forward or you go backwards. You don't stay the same. And so I've encouraged our, you know, I've encouraged, you know, all of our the people at at Augusta National to think big, to, to, to think within the context of our core values and our history, but to but to be willing to uh you know think a little think outside the box. And I think some of the things that we've done uh recently and some of the things that we will be doing will reflect that.

SPEAKER_01 27:15

That is so good. You you kind of laid out you touched on what was going to be my follow-up, was what is that next step. Uh, and you kind of you laid out that blueprint is that you lean into the history, but at the same time, if you've got a something that you want to bring to the table that is your vision, that you want to kind of push forward, do it. Like go go ahead and don't be afraid uh you know to put it out there. So I think that uh I think that's a great point. Take what you have as a good foundation and then and then build on it to make it better. So good.

SPEAKER_03 27:43

That's good.

SPEAKER_04 27:44

Well, I think if I could just elaborate on that, I think what you know as far as what the next idea is, I don't I I I couldn't tell you what it is, I don't know. Some of these things, you know, are things I think about, but then others are suggestions that you know are made by our our staff, our executive staff. Um, but I think, as I mentioned before, we've been a little more public about uh public facing, about some of the things that we are doing, some of the charitable activities. There's a lot of ways you can be helpful to people, and you know, one of the ways is being sort of a convening factor or convening power. And we try to do that as much as we can if we think there's a good idea. We don't always have to be you know in the forefront. We don't we don't always have to lead. Sometimes we do, sometimes we follow. A great example is um the uh a wonderful initiative that was created by my predecessor, Billy Payne, and that was the drive chip and putt, which was modeled a little bit after the old punt, pass, and kick, which you guys are too young to remember.

SPEAKER_01 28:50

But uh oh no, I know, I know.

SPEAKER_04 28:53

But um, but it's been a great success. And the point I'm I'm making is that you know, we could not do that alone. We we do that with the collaboration, uh collaborating with the PGA of America and the United States Golf Association. They PGA of America runs all the qualifiers in all 50 states. Uh and we just um we'd have to we'd have to have an entirely a new infrastructure to make that happen. And uh well, I I mean we would do it, but but to have them as our partner and likewise with the USGA who handles all the entries, uh entries and does all the processing, and I mean it is there are tens of thousands of entrants, and and and we would have a difficult time to really do that without them. So, you know, as I mentioned, we we're happy to be in the background and be a supporting factor. We're we many times we're in the forefront, but the but the real the real issue is just doing what's good for the game. And and in our some of our recent endeavors, it's been trying to get younger people involved, trying to get trying to give underserved communities the opportunity to be exposed to golf, and we're gonna continue to do that.

SPEAKER_03 30:05

Yeah, that's good. I think once again, just like Don did earlier, to bring a parallel to what we do in athletics, we've started talking a lot at the high school, especially at the college level where kids are transferring a lot. You've got to sell yourself. You've got to you've got to be a little more public in promoting your brand and what you're doing and how you're cutting edge. But like you said too, sometimes you can be in the background and let let the results or let someone else kind of uh lead the way and and just uh follow along. So uh, but like you said, I think that's right.

SPEAKER_04 30:40

And I think to me, there's a there's a real um satisfaction factor of seeing others succeed. Um, I mean, I I I've and again a lot of these things I've just watched other people and but I mean, particularly somebody you've worked with or some organization you've worked with, to see them be successful, and maybe you've had a little bit to do with it, maybe not, but it's just to me, it's very gratifying to see those around you and then that that you're involved with, you know, really be successful.

SPEAKER_03 31:14

Right. I agree 100%. So, so I want to talk about the masters just a little bit and uh expectations there. I've been to a few practice rounds, obviously you watch many on TV, and I'm I may be in the minority here, but two of the top things, or maybe the top two things that stick out to me about the masters tournament are the hospitality from the members and the staff, and then the level of excellence that is demonstrated across every aspect of the tournament, right? And you talked about your core values as chairman of Augusta National and the leader that we see. How do you communicate these expectations to so many people and seemingly have every one of them deliver excellence in every role, especially considering many of them are temporary employees or volunteers?

SPEAKER_04 32:05

Well, number one, thank you for that observation. And and I and I hope that most people who experience the tournament, you know, would feel the same way. Um it is a challenge uh because as you mentioned, we number one, we have a very small, relatively speaking, staff to to operate the tournament. Uh, and therefore we need we need a lot to to recruit a lot of people, uh, which we do. And um, I would say that that one advantage that we have is we have a lot of returning people every year. And so they have experience working at the tournament and they really understand the the importance of the hospitality aspect. For example, if you there are a few positions where there's almost no turnover for decades. Uh, on the other hand, with as many people as we do uh bring in, that there are going to be a lot of new people. And um it is amazing that in a very short uh uh training session, you know, we're able to, these people are able to sort of absorb what the values of the of the organization are. And I think really it it kind of gets down to kind of what I would call common sense and courtesy. I mean, you know, we we want people to really understand that the experience of our patrons is really, and we try to, if you look at every uh sort of stakeholder group that participates or makes up the masters. I mean, you think about patrons, players, uh, volunteers, media, uh, sponsors, uh, everyone who sort of makes what's called the masters, they're very important. Uh, and so we try to treat everyone with that in mind, to treat them with respect and courtesy and and and wanting them to leave uh Augusta uh with it with fond memories. And uh, you know, I get in my role, I get uh numerous letters every year from people who I don't know, from strangers, who've been to the tournament and just want to tell me how much they enjoyed it and what an unbelievable experience it was. And in some cases, I mean, almost a life-changing experience. They'll they'll go home thinking, you know, this is the way people ought to treat each other. And so it's not something we we're bragging about. It's just sort of in our DNA. We think it's really the way that people would like to be treated, and and we think it enhances their experience. So it's it's really important.

SPEAKER_01 34:48

You said something there, everyone is important. That's a simple philosophy, right? I think if we would, as leaders, take that on, uh, we would find that our organizations would improve a great deal. Now, in your time as a player and as chairman at Augusta, it's safe to say that you have watched some of the best athletes in the world compete. Uh but we imagine that you've also been able to see them prepare and maybe even train. Uh for the athletic world that we live in, what are some of the things that the best in the world, maybe not just the best golfers, uh, do that you have seen and maybe as we're talking about young athletes and and talking to young athletes and even talking to our coaches, the best in the world, some of the best that you've seen really behind the curtain, what is it that they do that sets them apart from everybody else, in your opinion?

SPEAKER_04 35:38

You know, there was this uh it's funny you mentioned that uh because I was just talking about this uh this past weekend with some friends. Um there was a book written uh probably 20, 25 years ago. I think the author's name was Malcolm Gladwell, and the name of the book was Tipping Point. Great book. And he made a he made a point that and there was a some research, which I'm not sure it's every everyone agrees with it today, but it'll make the point. And he used several examples of highly accomplished people. I think Bill Gates was one, and and he he he he he mentions this sort of theory of of 10,000 hours, and and and that you know that and it and it really is kind of a simple concept, but it's it's an it's an unwavering commitment to uh dedication to what one's aspirations are, and it's and it's consistent and it's over a period of a long period of time. And he sort of kind of equated that to sort of 10,000 hours of preparation for what you and continuing preparation for what you do. And so I think I think that um uh that that the the people and and I can't speak a lot for for other sports because I I don't consider myself that knowledgeable. I think though in all sports, you know, you start, you know, with God-given talents, and certainly some people have more than others. Some people have that it factor that's I I'm not sure if I think part of it's learned, but part of it probably is sort of uh in your DNA. Um, you know, I I sort of think about, and I'm a big football fan, I don't know a lot about it, but I I remember one of the um great uh players that I admired as a University of Florida football fan has been Emmett Smith. And you know, watching him at Florida and then with the Dallas Cowboys, um, he he just seemed to have this incredible vision of what was in front of him. And it just, I'm not sure that's something you can learn, but it you know, he he he just saw where everybody was on the field and where he could put himself to to you know to get that as much out of that play as possible. And I think there's some of that in golf as well. But I think today that sort of inherent talent is probably, while it's important, I think fewer, I think more players in the past that sort of carried the day for them because people didn't frankly didn't practice as hard and work as hard, they didn't take as good a care of themselves. There's all you know, if you went out on a practice tee in the 1970s, you saw 40 players on the practice tee, you'd see 40 different golf swings. Today, most of these guys you can't tell them apart. I mean, in the way they swing the club, only maybe their size. But I think probably the two golfers that stand out in my mind over the years, and you're not gonna be surprised when I say this, but is Jack Nicholas and Tiger Woods. Um, I mean, the the never has there been uh you know two players who are more dedicated to to being the best in the world. And I think in both of their cases, um I think Tiger was probably a little more, how do I say this? I think he was a little more singularly focused in that regard, maybe than Jack was. Um, you know, Jack had an incredible ability to, I mentioned compartmentalization a little while ago. He had an incredible ability to to turn it on and turn it off. But I I know from uh particularly from getting to know this Mr. Jack Grout, who I mentioned, who was his teacher from age 10 on, I know how hard he worked as a young person. And I think both of those players, in addition to that, had the greatest uh strategic and tactical minds that I've ever seen in golf. They they had an ability to kind of manage their way around the golf course, uh, you know, to avoid the mistakes you see that are typically made with young players or even experienced players. And, you know, Jack was a master at it. Um I and the when I think about Tiger, the round that comes to my mind mostly because I was at a front seat, and that was when he won the Masters for the sixth time in 2019. I mean, he literally watched players self-destruct all around him. And he just he had a mission, he was on on he had a mission, he knew what he wanted to do, he hit the ball right where he wanted to do it. I mean, I remember watching the two players, I think I forget who it was that I believe it might have been uh I can't remember now. I'll think of it in a minute, but the his playing partners um the last day both knocked the ball in the water on 12. And Tiger was third to hit, and you knew exactly where that ball was going to go. He put it 30 feet left of the pin, right in the middle of the green. He didn't even think about going for the pin. And he just maneuvered his way through the golf course the rest of the round, knowing that it was his to win. And even on the last hole, he purposely, on the last hole, he he he he purposely hit it short and right of the green. He needed a bug, all he needed was a bogey to win. And he made a bogey. Uh, he wasn't he wasn't gonna do anything to to to chance, uh, take a chance. And so I think the combination of the incredible dedication that both those golfers had to excellence and the time they put in it back to the 10,000 hours, and then combined with just I think the best minds the game has ever seen.

SPEAKER_03 41:34

Yeah, that's good. Really good. You know, I just think the one thing you said there that plays across any uh industry, any kind of leadership is improving your mindset mindset from a strategical and a tactical fashion, right? I mean, whatever that may not look like golf for most people, but it's gonna be whatever we play in every day. So that's uh really, really good stuff. Really appreciate it, really rich. So, Mr. Ridley, our last question before we get into what we call our two-minute drill, it's kind of a common question for all our guests. It's on leadership, and it comes from a book called The Five Graces of Life and Leadership by Gary Burnison. Just a good, good little leadership book uh that speaks mostly about grace and and humility and things that fall under leadership there. Here's the statement. We're just gonna I'll say the statement, then you can respond to it and tell us what you think. The statement is leadership, it starts with a leader, but it's not about the leader. How do you respond to that statement on leadership?

SPEAKER_04 42:37

Well, I couldn't I I couldn't agree more. Um you know, if if if everyone would would uh pull in the same direction on on any initiative and and not worry who gets the credit, then I think that's gonna give that initiative the best chance to succeed. You know, CEOs of companies, uh leaders in any organizations are not you're not gonna be judged by what you do. You're gonna be judged by what those who you work with do. And uh whenever there's a change in leadership uh for whatever reason in a company, there's a reason for that, and that's because you know that person is just not is not getting the job done. And what I mean by that is they are not, they either don't have the right people uh on their team, or they're not able to uh motivate those people and empower those people to do great things. And so, and again, I've said this two or three times during this this podcast, but I learned most of this. I learned most of this by by observing other people. And you know, recognition is the most powerful tool that a leader can have. And and I and I will tell you the person who that I you mentioned earlier on that being. Before we got on this, the podcast I did with David Novak. And David Novak is one of the greatest executives and greatest leaders I've ever known because he understands that and he delivers it every day. And uh and so I I've tried to emulate that, frankly. Um and uh, you know, now now you can be you can't be disingenuous in recognizing people. You don't recognize them all the time because sometimes people don't they don't they disappoint, but but you need to be willing to build people up and recognize them for their contributions to the success of the organization. And if you can do that, they'll do backflips, they'll run through brick walls. Um and to me that is that is really the gratifying part of running an organization is to is to empower other people to uh to help them do great things and not really worry about who's gonna be uh getting credit for it, because and at the end of the day leader leaders are judged by how their their teams do and how their organizations do.

SPEAKER_03 45:03

Great reminder. Wow, that was really good. Yeah, I don't know. I think maybe I just forgot it for the day, but I think that's uh that's great for us all to hear that leaders aren't judged by what you do, but by what other people do. So uh yeah, really, really good. Hey, was it uh Brooks, Kapka, and DJ? Were they Dustin Johnson, were they the last the two in the in the in the final group? I tried to look it up real quick uh while you're answering.

SPEAKER_04 45:28

I think it was um Francisco Molinari was one. That's right, that's right. It may have been either Brooks Kapka or Tony Finao. I don't remember, but he was one of the last two groups. But um but they they they hit first and second in that in that uh I'm gonna Google who played with Tiger when in the last round when we get off this.

SPEAKER_02 45:48

Um I was trying to, but your a your answer to that last question was too good. I was getting distracted by a great answer.

SPEAKER_04 45:54

I know I know Molinari was in the group. Uh that's right. But you know, they they both knocked it in the water, and you know, that that hole is to me, it's one of the most uh intriguing holes in golf because you know on his face it's not very difficult. I mean it's 150 yards max, 155 maybe from the back right pin. And uh and it's just it just shouldn't be that hard, but there's something about it. You know, a lot of it, and there's all kinds of myths about the wind and everything, but um I just think it's uh it requires so much precision, even though it's a very short club for those guys, that um it just it's the masters, so yeah, that's great.

SPEAKER_03 46:40

Yeah, it's uh it's really it's really fun to watch. Uh probably a little bit more fun to watch than it is play it on Sunday afternoon, probably. So that's good. There it is. Mr. Ridley, thanks a lot. Thanks for helping us be better leaders. Obviously, you have a um a big role there and a big role what you do uh for a living, as you said. So, and you've you've seen a lot. So we appreciate your time today and uh wish you the best with the masters tournament this year. But before we let you go, we're gonna do a little two-minute drill, some shorter questions just to um get to know you a little bit better.

SPEAKER_01 47:12

All right. So we're gonna hit you with some rapid fire questions. You just tell us the first thing that comes to your mind, okay?

SPEAKER_04 47:17

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 47:18

What was the first job you ever had ever in your life?

SPEAKER_04 47:23

Yeah, it was during the summer. I was in high school. Um I'm trying to think why I was trying to make a little money, but uh I wanted to buy something, I guess. But anyway, I worked in a in a mattress warehouse. Uh not a very exciting job, but it probably paid about three dollars an hour, but maybe.

SPEAKER_03 47:42

There you go. All right, that's good. Would you rather always eat at your favorite restaurant or always try new places?

SPEAKER_04 47:51

Oh, that's a good one. Um I'd say I, you know, that probably has changed over time. I would say if you asked me that 10 or 15 years ago, I'd probably say eat in my favorite restaurant. But, you know, I I've had I have had the opportunity to travel quite a bit uh because of golf and uh business. And I would say I've I'm I'm pretty uh uh you know, I I like I like to try different places, but I but I definitely have my favorites.

SPEAKER_01 48:17

Understood. All right, let's play a game of hot or not. So these are things that I'm gonna I'm gonna mention the statement. It's either a hot take or it's not. Okay, so a hot take is an unpopular opinion that people feel strongly about. So if you agree with what I say, you stay hot. If you don't agree, you say not. Uh most golfers spend more money on clubs than actually improving their game.

SPEAKER_03 48:42

All right, another hot or not. Walking the course is way better than riding in a cart. Real golfers don't need wheels.

SPEAKER_04 48:50

100% hot.

SPEAKER_01 48:53

That was put in there. Josh is a walker, so that's why I put that in there. Uh, hot or not, mini golf requires just as much skill as real golf, just in a different way.

SPEAKER_04 49:03

Not all right.

SPEAKER_03 49:06

And then last one, if you're taking more than four and a half hours to play 18 holes, you're the problem.

SPEAKER_01 49:16

All right. So we're asking all of our guests this year. Uh we uh a book by Brett Ludbetter, What Drives Winning? It's called 365 Questions. It's great. So pick a number between one and 365.

SPEAKER_04 49:29

75.

SPEAKER_01 49:33

All right. Think of the last year. What makes you think, why did I make such a big deal out of that? And what can you learn from it?

SPEAKER_04 49:45

Um I'm sorry, uh I don't understand the question, Greg.

SPEAKER_01 49:49

So think of think about the last year and something that you either made a big deal out of or whatever, and it makes you think, why did I why did I care so much about that? When it probably wasn't even that important.

SPEAKER_04 50:02

Well, I think I could say that about a lot of years. I think um I'm really hard on myself when it comes to uh uh whatever I'm doing. And I think I'm probably uh hypercritical um, you know, when I make a mistake, and probably I I I I make it a bigger deal than it really is. Uh a lot of times that happens in the middle of the night when I'm thinking about something I did what I what I wish I hadn't have done or done differently. Somehow the next day it doesn't seem all that bad. Yep. Uh but but I would just say generally, um uh you know, you know, we're all gonna make mistakes, and as long as you don't make them too often or over and over again, uh we learn from them, and I would say I probably should be a little less uh worried about things that don't quite go my way.

SPEAKER_03 50:53

Really good. All right, what's a personal accomplishment you're really proud of?

SPEAKER_04 51:01

Um I I would say I would say I'm not sure if this is a personal accomplishment, but I would see I would say um well yeah, no, I I will say I would say that the the two I'm a real estate lawyer and the two uh senior and probably uh most accomplished and most competent lawyers in our office here in Tampa. It's only one of 26, but in our office here in Tampa, I hired uh over 30 years ago and trained.

SPEAKER_01 51:38

That's good. Legacy. Now, if you could swap lives with any fictional character for a day, who would it be?

SPEAKER_04 51:44

Wow. I I I I'm gonna pass. I I can't answer that. Uh I don't I'm I'd have to think longer. That's not a quick one.

SPEAKER_01 51:51

Yeah, between the two, it it'd be James Bond for me. If I if I could somehow pull that off, I'd I'd pull it off.

SPEAKER_04 51:57

You know, I I'll I'll give you one. Um you probably never heard of this guy. But uh again, not not to think, not to be one-dimensional talking about golf, but there was a great book uh called Golf in the Kingdom, and the uh the central character was a guy named uh uh Shivas Irons. And it was all about the mystical side of golf. It it's a good read, really. You ought to read it sometime. It's by a guy, uh author named Michael Murphy. Uh and it's really about it's it's almost the mystical side of the game of golf. And it was it was really about this this mythical character and his kind of experiences, almost supernatural experiences. I I got a big kick out of that.

SPEAKER_02 52:42

There you go.

SPEAKER_03 52:43

Good. See, we got a book out of it too. That's great. Yeah, that's good. Okay, let's finish with this. It's our trademark question, Mr. Fred Ridley. Today you've been hanging with the ADs, but if you could hang out with anyone, who would that be and why?

SPEAKER_04 52:58

Oh wow. I you know, um I think um I mean uh I assume it could be someone living or deceased.

SPEAKER_01 53:09

Yep, any anybody.

SPEAKER_04 53:12

Um I think it would probably be um I think it would probably be a political figure. I would say probably Ronald Reagan. Um I mean uh he was such an extraordinary leader and such an interesting person. Um probably could, if I've thought about a little bit more, I might be able to give you a little deeper answer. But um I'm uh I've read a lot about him and and uh and then another, I think another, and again another political figure and a military figure, and and probably now that I've thought about it, it might even be my my number one answer, but it would be uh President Eisenhower because um number one, he's uh I I think you know, I I don't think I that he is recognized uh for all that he did for our country. Um certainly he has been from a military standpoint, but as a president, um, and then sort of secondarily because he was a real central figure at Augusta National Golf Club. If you go in the the trophy room, which is our main dining room, there are three portraits. One's Bobby Jones, one's Clifford Roberts, and one's Dwight Eisenhower. And so um I I think he was a was an unbelievable leader, very modest and humble. And so I think for that reason I'd like to hang around him. But those are two that come to mind.

SPEAKER_01 54:40

Good answers. Fred, thank you so much for the time today. We've we love learning from leaders outside of our space, especially those who have a front row seat to one of the premier events in the world each and every year. You've helped us and our listeners get better. So thanks again.

SPEAKER_04 54:54

Well, thanks, guys. And I and I want to just compliment you on doing this. Uh I mean, I think it's it's uh it's really commendable that the two of you, you know, would have an interest in leadership and and uh you know in in in your roles as as athletic directors and certainly you know shaping the lives of these young women uh men and women are very, very important. And uh thank you for what you're doing.

SPEAKER_03 55:23

What a privilege it was to get to visit with Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club. It's master season here in Georgia in the golf world, and that's a big deal, especially uh down here in Georgia. Uh Chairman Ridley just just being available once again. So many people are available, and we appreciate Chairman Ridley's availability to share some of his leadership experiences with us. And uh for me, uh the biggest takeaway was how do they do what they do at Augusta National for the Masters to make people feel so so special and put on such an uh an excellent event. That's exactly what we try to do daily, right? With our high school sporting events, college sporting events, signing day events, other events that we have in our athletic departments. And when he talked about common sense and courtesy, making f everyone feel important, uh, making the volunteers feel important and giving them ownership, just developing those relationships. I just thought of our communities that we live in and how we have to do more with less, but how other people that we can get to volunteer appreciate that opportunity to volunteer because we give them ownership. They feel valued. That's what I took from today's episode with a whole lot of other notes, and I look forward to uh continue to listen to this one over and over again. And uh, once again, what a treat to have someone as busy as Fred Ridley join us. Uh, Mr. Ridley, thank you for your time, and listeners, thank you for spending your time hanging with EADs, and I'm gonna be a little bit of a lot of people.