Character Leads to Sustained Success

"Winning takes talent; to repeat, takes character." - John Wooden, Legendary UCLA basketball coach

College basketball fans may recognize this as the philosophy espoused by the late John Wooden. After 10 NCAA basketball championships in 12 years -- and a record 88-game winning streak -- there is no doubt Coach Wooden can be considered the greatest college basketball coach of all time. 

However, it’s only today, 45 years after John Wooden coached his last game, that we can truly appreciate how prescient he was to place as much emphasis on virtue and values as on talent and skill. At Weatherford Capital, recognizing how this lens supports long-term, sustainable outcomes, we espouse the same principles. 

This philosophy was also deeply held by my college football coach Bobby Bowden. He took significant measures to ensure alignment between his players and the program's culture. 

I, Drew Weatherford, will never forget his recruiting visit in the summer of 2004. Not only did he take the time to travel to my home, but he also broke bread with my large family and spent much of that evening learning about my upbringing and getting to know the most influential people in my life. In addition to firming up my commitment, he was able to ensure my values were in alignment with the values he sought to instill into his program. He could have simply come to one of my games and watched my behavior around my peers. (In fact, that was what many other coaches did during the recruiting process.) But Coach Bowden came to my home, met my siblings and my parents, and saw first hand how I interacted with those who I am most authentic. This insight ultimately allowed him to trust in my ability to contribute in a positive way, both on the field and in the locker room. 

Later, Coach Bowden would explain that if he detected a player was arrogant at home or that he lacked respect for his parents, the recruit would generally not respond well in his program. He also believed that you could not separate one area of your life from another. He would often remind us of this fact. If a person is arrogant at home, they will be arrogant in the locker room; if they are undisciplined in the classroom, they will be undisciplined on the field. Looking back, it was Coach Bowden’s values-based leadership, coupled with his recruitment philosophy to attract like-minded coaches and athletes, which enabled him to become one of the best coaches in college football history. 

Coach Bowden led the Florida State Seminoles from 1976 to 2009. In addition to winning two national championships, he won 12 ACC championships and held a “Top 5” national ranking for 14 years in a row (1987-2000). Today, Coach Bowden remains the second-most winningest coach in NCAA Division I history. His and Coach Wooden’s emphasis on integrity and their outstanding performance over time are not coincidental. 

We, at Weatherford Capital, don't necessarily visit candidates at their homes or meet their extended families. However, we do pay very close attention to people's behaviors during the interview process to ensure that their principles are in alignment with our virtues and values. We will listen to how candidates have dealt with adversity in the past, whether or not they have a “growth” mindset and the discipline to be the best they can be, day in and day out. We will assess whether or not they are kind in tone and respectful when speaking about others, and if they are team players with humility to praise others and admit their own mistakes. No interaction goes unnoticed. This is true whether it is with us, individually, our partners or our office manager or interns. We make sure there is consistency in the way candidates interact and treat everyone. 

Many companies will focus on a candidate's skills first and their values second, particularly in finance. At Weatherford Capital, we take the opposite approach. Our goal is to fill every position with individuals who are both equally virtuous and talented, and when forced to choose between the two, we prioritize virtue every time. Why? Because we've learned that talented people with the wrong values can do far more damage to an organization than virtuous people with less talent. We've also learned that it's much more difficult, if not impossible, to change someone's values than it is to help them improve their skillset.

At Weatherford Capital, we are driven to achieve success together. But the way we win matters. The ethos of our firm flows from a shared commitment to faith, family, community, and excellence. We walk in integrity by being humble, kind, and just. This is The Weatherford Way. 

These Guiding Principles, which we refer to as our Virtues and Values, are drawn from three different realms. The first is from our faith and upbringing. The second is from each of our unique life experiences. This involves working alongside and learning from all types of people in the context of our faith, sports, business, and politics. And the third is from mentors and other people, authors, and philosophers to each of us. We realize that building our business culture is a journey, not a destination. Although our Virtues and Values will continue to be refined over time, we will always be a values-based business that places more importance on a person's character and integrity than their talent.

-Drew Weatherford