Stay True to Your Values: Interview with Dr. Bernie Mullin, Former Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Thrashers CEO

I recently went one-on-one with Dr. Bernie Mullin. Bernie is the first immigrant CEO of a U.S. major league sports team, having served as CEO of Atlanta Spirit, the parent company of the Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Thrashers. Bernie has also worked for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Colorado Rockies, and the NBA. Bernie is the author of the new book Reimagining America’s Dream: Making It Attainable for All.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?

Bernie: My American journey began with meeting a young American student at the English Language Tour of the Heineken Brewery in Amsterdam as an 18-year-old Englishman, hitchhiking around Europe with two close friends. I pen-palled (as we called it in those days) with Elizabeth from Michigan, and she eventually sent me a book of summer camp counselor jobs in the USA.

I took a job as a soccer counselor at Camp Takajo in Maine and after coming back for my senior year of college to be the head soccer counselor, the Owner of the Camp gave me a job as Warrior Head Counselor and a scholarship for me to go to Graduate School and pursue an MBA degree. I then came to live in the USA in 1973 and have never left.

Adam: What experiences, failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth? 

Bernie: There are many – I have been blessed to have many wonderful experiences and incredible challenges. One of the biggest was the Pittsburgh Pirates who were absolutely awful when I joined them in 1986 with hardly any fans attending games. My biggest lesson was to ask good questions and really listen to what the fans wanted, and don’t make any assumptions. One really bad assumption I made was to take the 1 million “Home Run Sweepstakes Contest” entries from Ginat Eagle Grocery markets and assume they were filled out by ticket buying fans. I initiated a direct mail campaign designed to sell tickets that cost $250,000 and failed miserably. I later learned that the majority of the entries were from older women who listened to our games on radio. We reworked it as a holiday merchandise campaign which sold over $1 Million in merchandise they purchased for their children and grandkids – so I kept my job!

Adam: What is the most surprising thing about life as an executive in professional sports? 

Bernie: How isolated you feel at the top and how hard it is to get your staff to tell you the truth, not what they think you want to hear.

Adam: What is something that would shock fans? 

Bernie: When I found out how prevalent cheating by pitchers using Emory boards to scuff the baseball was.

Adam: What advice do you have for anyone interested in pursuing a career on the business side of sports? 

Bernie: Start at the bottom doing whatever job is available even if that is selling hot dogs and work your way up by delivering more than is expected of you.

Adam: What are the best lessons you have learned through your leadership roles in sports teams and leagues?  

Bernie: Be yourself, do not try to imitate anyone else. Although watching successful leaders and doing what they do is a good idea. Come in early, stay late, and when you walk the concourses pick up any trash to demonstrate your pride in your club and the venue. Talk to everyone with respect.

Adam: What do you believe are the defining qualities of an effective leader? 

Bernie: Honesty and integrity first and foremost; hard work; be authentic and genuine; put your staff first; communicate a clear vision; treat everyone with the same respect; lead by example and bring people together, united as one.

Adam: How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level? 

Bernie: Read everything on leadership, communication, and motivation – be a sponge, absorb all the right stuff, and reject the wrong stuff.

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders? 

Bernie: Stay positive. Stay true to your values and never compromise them. Set high standards and help staff to achieve them.

Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading, and managing teams? 

Bernie: Use my “aspire WHOPPPPER approach” to hiring: only “A’s” on your staff – W = Work Ethic; H = Honesty and Integrity; O = Openness to learning; P = Passion; P = Productivity (Getting stuff done); P = Potential for Leadership; P = Professionalism. A team full of “a’s” fly high like Eagles and achieve super results.

Adam: What are your best tips on the topics of sales, marketing, and branding? 

Bernie: Wow – that is an incredibly broad question. I hardly know where to start – spend time building your mission, vision, and values by involving all your staff in that process. Then stick to the essence of your brand – eg Nike “Just Do It”.

What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received? 

Bernie: My first boss in the UK always said “Never believe your own B.S.”


Adam Mendler is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, educator, and nationally recognized authority on leadership. Adam is the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one-on-one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal-winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities, and non-profit organizations. Adam has written extensively on leadership and related topics, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders. A Los Angeles native, Adam is a lifelong Angels fan and an avid backgammon player.

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