You Can’t Please Everyone—and Why That’s a Relief
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Thanks to my son, Alan, his good friend, Chandler McKinney, and their days as starting pitchers in college, our firm began a partnership with the Indianapolis Indians baseball team. Chandler, now a Corporate Sales Executive for the team, introduced us to their leadership, and it evolved into one of the most enriching experiences of my 45-year career. It’s a story of vulnerability, humility, and revitalization. And it also illustrates that trying to please everyone is impossible. Once we realized that, the floodgates of creativity and opportunity flowed.
The Indians team was established over 100 years ago. It is Indianapolis’ original home team, and that’s saying a lot when you consider the city’s rich professional sports history—the Colts, Pacers, and Fever—and, of course, the Indianapolis 500. Over 600,000 fans attend Indians baseball games annually, as it’s the family-friendly sports experience in Indy.
They faced a challenge when there was backlash against their name. Some in the region felt it was “wrong” to be named the Indians, while others loved it. The temptation was to follow what other franchises had done in Cleveland and Washington, D.C., and change names, effectively erasing their heritage.
Team leaders Bruce Schumacher, Chairman of the Board, and Randy Lewandowski, President and CEO, chose LABOV as their partner to help them navigate this challenge. VP, Chief Commercial Officer, Joel Zawacki, became our day-to-day contact and cheerleader, supporting us as we carried out our process, which included rallying their employees first, then listening to community leaders, shareholders, fans, and, most importantly, the Native American community.
Randy shares this fascinating story on our Difference Talks podcast.
Kudos to Randy for supporting our efforts to connect with so many people about the team’s name. That’s what a brave leader does. I remember feeling like a ping-pong ball batted back and forth as we interviewed local leaders. Some were very emotional about how wrong the team name was, while others were equally emotional about how they loved it and felt it would be a tragedy to eliminate it.
When Alan, our firm’s Native American outreach leader, and I met with dozens of Native Americans, we got an education. Each person we met with was respectful and open. Many told us, “This is a political issue, so I cannot support you officially, but on a personal level, I love what you are trying to accomplish.”
One tribal leader told us, “I hate terms like Native American, Indians, and First Peoples. I tell people I’m from the Delaware tribe.” Yet others told us they grew up being called an Indian and were comfortable with the term.
At first, Alan and I felt stuck, realizing we had no chance of pleasing everyone. That’s when we pivoted to something we could control: educating the 600,000 fans who attended the team’s games annually about the rich and proud heritage of our Native American tribes. Led by Chief Brian Buchanan, one tribe stepped up to embrace this: the Miami Indians of Indiana. They played a key role in all that was—and will be—accomplished.
Throughout this journey, knowing we could not please everyone, we chose instead to focus on what could be accomplished to celebrate their heritage. That gave birth to the creation of a new Native American Heritage team uniform. It proudly and accurately portrayed the imagery of the Eastern Woodlands tribes who have inhabited the Indianapolis region for centuries. Here’s a video showcasing it.
Yes, the team is committed to educating their hundreds of thousands of fans, but the learning began with all of us who were personally involved in this effort. Forever, we will better understand and appreciate our region’s Native heritage and the fact that we can’t please everyone, but we can make a difference by educating others and raising awareness.
Difference-Maker #1: Stereotyping, even when well-intentioned, is a mistake.
The wonderful Native Americans we met represented their tribes, but not all Native Americans. Our country boasts over 500 tribes. Each has its own leadership and laws. They are sovereign and unique and, by the way, do not agree with each other on all issues.
Difference-Maker #2: Focus on what you can control.
After we were set free from hoping to please everyone, we turned to educating and celebrating the proud heritage we have in Indiana. Every tribal member we met said they deeply appreciated that, and on that one topic, we did please. Major League Baseball reviewed our work and said, “It’s brilliant for you to utilize Victory Field, the team’s ballpark, as a launching pad to educate the region on Native American heritage.”
Difference-Maker #3: Great leadership requires vulnerability.
Joel was our partner throughout the process, but without Bruce, Randy, and Adam Pintar (Senior Director of Brand, Marketing, and Communications) being willing to listen, it would have all been a waste of time and effort. We tackled a few critical areas that made an immense difference, such as changing the current—now former—team logo. It turns out the logo design was inaccurate; it was more of a Southwest style. We studied the tribes who live here and their imagery to develop, in conjunction with Native Americans, a logo that proudly displays their ribbonwork, which is one of their hallmarks.
Difference-Maker #4: Education begins internally.
Before the team started educating fans, we created a Native American Heritage Awareness training program for the team’s staff to complete and earn certification. Numerous Native Americans reviewed and contributed to the content. In the future, it will be introduced to fans and the general public.
You can’t please everyone. And that’s such a freeing observation because it unlocks opportunities elsewhere. Learn more about how the Indianapolis Indians tackled this challenge with openness, candor, and passion to help educate an entire region and millions of people.
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