Jim Citrin Leadership by Example

I'm on a quest to find leadership examples that prove that you don't need to be Tiger Woods or Steve Jobs to achieve extraordinary things and have a significant impact on the lives of others. I truly believe that everyone has the capacity to be successful in business and to make a difference.

If you don't share this belief, I'm sure you'll find ample supporting evidence in the seemingly unending barriers, disparity of skills and resources, and general unfairness of the world. But if you can suspend your disbelief and are willing to embrace opportunity, focus your efforts, and work hard and steadfastly, you can become a positive force and benefit others for years to come.

Reaching for Greatness

The truth is that everyone, no matter how successful, started out as an ordinary person. At some point, the paths of the great leaders and champions diverged from others when they recognized and honed their skills, established their goals, and decided -- either explicitly or implicitly -- that they would do important things that would add value to the lives of others.

Let me introduce you to one such "ordinary" individual who found that magical meaning to his work. Unless you happen to live in the Detroit area, you've probably never heard of Bernie Fratto. Based in Novi, Mich., Bernie is a sports journalist and radio host. By taking initiative, cleverly figuring out a way through various doors, and delivering a high-quality product once he was given the opportunity, Bernie has been able to develop his interests into meaningful work by following and leveraging his passions and strengths.

"I tell stories," Bernie told me in a recent interview. "People love to hear motivational, real-life stories that are thought-provoking." He credits sports with the most important things he's learned about life, and the lessons he gleaned as an athlete resonate today more than ever -- and he loves to share them.

A Sports Angle

After a brief stint in the Cincinnati Reds organization, Bernie graduated from California State University, Fullerton, with a degree in communications. But after 13 years of working his way up the corporate ladder, he had the profound need to pursue a passion he'd harbored since he was 10. An ardent sports fan with a penchant to entertain people, Bernie picked up the phone on July 30, 1994, and called legendary journalist Dick Schaap.

"Mr. Schaap," Bernie said without hesitation, "I'm a huge fan of yours and I'd like to ghost-write some of those 'Parting Shots' features you deliver Sunday mornings on 'The Sports Reporters.'" Surprisingly, Schaap said "OK, why not?"

With this entree, Bernie wrote material for Schaap's ESPN show. They became friends and went on to collaborate on many projects before Schaap's untimely death in 2001. Buoyed by Schaap's endorsement and the credibility it provided, Bernie approached WTKA in Ann Arbor and began writing, producing, and recording a nightly one-minute sports feature called "The Sports Angle," which caught on right away.

Soon he was covering baseball for the station, and in 1998 he created his own sports talk show, "The View from the Cheap Seats." It aired every Sunday for two hours. The first guest he signed for the inaugural episode? Dick Schaap.

In Print and On the Air

From there Bernie gravitated to other opportunities, including writing for such publications as the Real Detroit Weekly and the Novi Information Network, where his weekly column "Inside the Frattohouse" gets over 100,000 visits per month.

In July 2004, he asked for and was offered a tryout on CBS radio on the popular "Parker and the Man" sports talk show; he was an immediate hit. Since then, Bernie has appeared as a guest host on over 250 shows and has become a popular radio personality in the Detroit area. He's become known for his wit, passion, and high sports-IQ.

Most important, he seems to have a natural ability to package his communicative abilities, concise analysis, and playful sense of humor in a way that people really enjoy. His efforts have earned him the right to broadcast the Detroit Lions post-game show beginning in 2005 on the flagship station for Lions broadcasts. Bernie is completing his third season in that role. Along the way he's also covered the 2006 World Series, the NBA Finals, the Major League Baseball All-Star game in 2005, and Super Bowl XL for the station.

Plain Speaking

Perhaps Bernie's favorite work is as a motivational speaker. He's delivered his presentation "Playing to Win the Game of Life" at corporate functions, athletic award ceremonies, conventions, and the University of Michigan's School of Business.

He uses sport as metaphor to teach life lessons, and says, "In addition to providing thrills and the vision to dream, sports can teach us how to deal with failure, the importance of respecting and providing leadership, and the understanding that you're capable of accomplishing more than you think."

After logging thousands of hours on the radio, publishing many articles, and speaking in dozens of venues, Bernie feels his work is just beginning. "I have a voice now and a modestly recognizable name to go along with a body of work, and I'm truly humbled by that phenomenon," he reflects. "My goal is to continue producing high-quality material on the radio, in print, and in front of audiences with the ultimate objective to know unequivocally that I have in some way added value to the lives of others."

Sharing the Success

In terms of how he could have more impact on others, Bernie says that his near-term goal is to package his sports feature, "Inside the Frattohouse," to align the motivational message with a national sponsor and generate revenue that will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Children's Miracle Network, two causes about which he feels passionately.

"Today, every time I get behind the microphone, write a column, or speak in front of an audience, I have the feeling that I'm blessed," he says. "And I want my listeners and readers, especially kids and young adults, to have the incredible feeling of possibility that they can do it, too. That's my mission."

An ordinary guy, Bernie Fratto nevertheless has grand aspirations. But he also knows that they're truly validated only when they positively affect the lives of others.

If you know of an inspiring "ordinary" leader like Bernie Fratto, send it to me at dynamicpath@spencerstuart.com.