Every time I talk about organizational culture to companies in Canada, I make reference to the amazing culture that has emerged in the province of Saskatchewan, the culture that surrounds the Saskatchewan Roughrider football team. You can’t go to very many cities in Canada and not see some piece of Saskatchewan Roughrider merchandise. The Saskatchewan Roughriders have infiltrated Canada’s consumer market with their logo branded on just about anything you can think of. Some statistics suggest that the Roughriders sell as much merchandise as all the other CFL teams combined! And then there are the fans. At any CFL game on any given day, half of the stands are green!
What is it about this phenomenon called “Rider Nation?” I’m going to give you my perspective (as an uniformed outsider from Alberta and Calgary Stampeder fan). These reflections were inspired by a conversation yesterday with my good friends and colleagues, Bernie Novokowsky and Murray Hiebert.
There is, first and foremost, resonance between the values of the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the values of their customers: Saskatchewan Roughrider fans. Saskatchewan, like their football team, has always taken pride in being different. Historically, they have been underdogs to the rest of the country who perceived them as the “poor cousin.” In Saskatchewan they value hard work and producing results by working together. Football players who come to Saskatchewan have historically been told, “this is not a place where you’ll get paid well, and this is not a place where you will shine as a superstar. This is a place where we work as a team and where we will take good care of you.” They have, up until now, replaced financial benefits with pride, especially in being the underdogs – hardworking men committed to putting the team before their own ego, and who are known for their strength of character rather than their personal achievements on the field. There is pride in a team with owners who value community over greed and their own self-interest.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are an integral part of the fabric of an agricultural province with a “next year” attitude of hope amidst adversity, the genesis of greatness. The Roughriders reside in a province where historically, one looked out for their neighbor, picked up hitchhikers, and sacrificed self-interest for the sake of the community. During years of only two or three wins in the season, there was pride in being the underdogs and pride in believing that in football, like in the droughts and other adversities of farming, “next year” was going to be different. And the fans kept coming because they wouldn’t dare miss a game in case it was one of the rare wins! A “hundred years of pride!”
In the 2009 Grey Cup, when the 13th man on the field destroyed their Grey Cup victory party, it was likely the best thing that ever happened to the team – and their fans. It rallied their energy, reignited their pride, and instilled hope that “next year” it will be different. Months later, Roughrider fans were still talking about that play with the same passion and fury that was felt on that dreadful Sunday evening. This team means something to Saskatchewan because it’s more than football. It’s life as people from Saskatchewan know it.
How do you explain this kind of magic? This Roughrider culture was not designed or strategized by a marketing or organizational development department. It emerged out of a group of leaders – from every level – who were true to their values. It’s an inspiring story, to say the least. It shows us that while culture can be defined, shaped, and nurtured, it is not a machine that can be built with business process improvement or procedures. Culture is a living, breathing entity with many variables beyond our control.
The real challenge that now faces this “Rider Nation” is how the team and their fans will handle success. What happens to a team who has built its reputation and character on the pride of being an underdog when they have a winning record? What happens if the underdogs become a dynasty? What happens when there is enough money to pay players to come to Saskatchewan? What happens when there is an expectation from fans that the team doesn’t just “show up” and “put their heart in the game” but actually wins? And what happens to the fans of a team that has a consistent winning record? Like the citizens of a country that goes from “hard times” to extraordinary “good times,” how do you not breed entitlement, greed, and self-indulgence? How do you keep from turning the exuberance into stupidity? Within the answer to these questions lies the true test of the character of a team, the character of a “Rider Nation,” and the character of all who are students of life.
