No Regrets: Lessons from One of the Greatest Leaders in Pro Hockey | Zdeno Chara

Zdeno Chara (0:01)

As much as you have a good heart and want to be a nice guy, it's a war. Losing that game seven, that's when I kind of went down on my knees and I just broke down. I think that you drive to be perfect.

Even in back of your mind, you know it's not going to be perfect. You're still driving for it.

Michael Gervais (0:22)

When you think about that commitment, like who set the standard, the world standard or your very best?

Zdeno Chara (0:28)

This is a great question, Michael.

Michael Gervais (0:35)

Okay, welcome back or welcome to the Finding Mastery podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Michael Gervais, by trade and training a high-performance psychologist. If you're familiar with professional hockey, you know the name Zdeno Chara, also known as Big Z.

He's the legendary 6'9, intimidating defenseman and enforcer who, as captain of the Boston Bruins, led his team to three Stanley Cup Finals and a win in 2011 And talk about longevity. Z played the game at the highest level for an incredible 24 seasons, not to mention representing his home country of Slovakia in numerous world championships and three Olympics.

It's really amazing. From all of those accomplishments, you might think you have a pretty clear picture of Z. Chara. And yet, he is so much more than the giant enforcer he was portrayed as in the league. It's his unique psychology and his commitment to himself and others that makes him one of the best in the world. In our conversation today, Z shares his personal regimen for mental imagery, his unique leadership philosophy, and the relentless positive attitude that created a culture of excellence during his championship runs with the Bruins. We also talk about how he's maintained those values in retirement as he dives deep into endurance events like the Boston Marathon and the Ironman Triathlon. Can you imagine 6'9, Boston Marathon runner and triathlete? It's amazing when you think about it.

For someone who is so intimidating on the ice, his ability to lead from the heart is remarkable. So with that, let's dive right into this incredible conversation with Zdeno Chara.

Zdeno, I am so stoked to have you on the Finding Mastery podcast. You are one of the best to ever step foot on the ice as a leader, as a defender, as a teammate. I know you won't say that, so I'm saying it for you, but countless have said it well before me. And needless to say, we are really excited to learn from you. And so the simple question I want to start with is like, how are you today?

Zdeno Chara (2:42)

No, thank you so much for having me. First of all, Michael, I'm very humbled by your kind words and welcoming.

Yeah, I'm doing great. It's a beautiful day in Boston. And yeah, I had a great workout this morning and very much looking forward to spend some time chatting with you about anything that comes up. So yeah, let's do this.

Michael Gervais (3:03)

All right, cool. So when you say a good day, interesting. And you talked about the weather.

You talked about doing something physically.

And then you talked about an optimistic framework of thinking about like what's coming. That's exciting.

Is that is that part of your operating system? Something physical, something to do with nature and something to look forward to?

Zdeno Chara (3:27)

Yes, absolutely. I think that, you know, we all talk about like when the day starts, right? But for me, it's kind of like leading up to do what's the day kind of prior or leading up to that new day. Right. So I think for me, it's kind of a continuous process where a lot of times people talking about like when they wake up and see how the weather is and see if they feel good and see if they've got this.

For me, it starts kind of like when you are actually going to bed and you are finishing your day, then you kind of prepare yourself mentally for that next day. And that's when it kind of starts.

Michael Gervais (4:06)

So one of the things I want to talk to you about is transitions because transitions in transitions out, whether it's in a career or it's a workday, are really important. You just dialed right into your transition from night, you know, from the evening into daytime. And if I have it right, it sounds like you don't think about discreet starts and stops, that there's a rolling experience throughout life for you. Evidence by at the end of the day, I think about how I want to show up, you know, tomorrow. And I use a mental imagery or visualization to do that.