Use your perch wisely
McLane bought the Astros in 1993. At the time, the team hadn’t
made the playoffs in seven years and was facing sluggish attendance figures in the obsolete Astrodome.
McLane took the reins of the Astros with an eye toward
improving its fortunes on the field and at the gate. To that end,
his ownership regime has had some success, winning division
titles in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2001 and a National League pennant in 2005, marking the franchise’s first World Series appearance. He also worked with city and county officials to fund and
build Minute Maid Park, the club’s home since 2000. Since moving to their new digs, the Astros have topped 3 million in season
attendance four times, placing them among the top draws in
Major League Baseball.
But the prospect of on-the-field success isn’t the only thing that
attracted McLane to the Astros. McLane also wanted to affect the
community at large, and the highly visible perch of Astros ownership provided him the perfect opportunity to increase his involvement in community programs.
“We bought the Astros to make them a champion but also to get
equally as involved in community programs,” he says. “We have
one of the most extensive community involvement programs in
professional sports. They go to over 3,000 events in the Houston
area every year. That kind of involvement ignited everybody.”
The importance of community involvement as a business leader
is something that McLane learned from his father, who partnered
his business with the United Way, the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts,
and with American Red Cross blood drives.
“It’s really one of the great features of America and American
business, getting involved in philanthropy and giving back, both
financially and with services,” McLane says. “I saw my father do it,
and as we were in business, I found it makes you feel great about
yourself and your fellow employees in the company when you get
really involved.”
McLane says community involvement should be an extension
of your commitment to running your business the right way
and not taking shortcuts. You must decide what you want your
business to embrace as its core values, and then drive those
values to every person.
“I learned early in my business career that the most important things in business are honesty and integrity,” he says. “So
set your values, hold everybody — and yourself in particular —
accountable for integrity and honesty. That’s where most businesses go wrong. They try to cut corners and not do the right
thing.
“But if you dedicate yourself to your job, if you are really
excited about your job, your company, the people you work
with and your customers, it will show. You can overcome
almost any problem when you have a feel for what you do, a
passion for what you do, and you want to be the best.”
HOW TO REACH: Houston Astros, www.astros.com; McLane Group, www.mclanegroup.com
