Good Leaders: What are you planning to celebrate?

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The entire state of Minnesota is planning a party: a huge, warm, wintery party in partnership with the National Football League called the 2018 Super Bowl. And like every other good party, someone has to be in charge; that’s why I’m so happy to introduce you to Maureen Bausch, CEO of the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee, who is our speaker at the Good Leadership Breakfast this Friday.

Nothing communicates American exuberance more than the Super Bowl. It’s the one event every year where sports junkies and indifferent observers huddle together for a TV cocktail of football, commercial entertainment, and a pop-star halftime show. In less than 22 months, this spectacle will be here – in Minnesota – and Maureen Bausch is the host.

How did she become our host?

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“I learned this job by doing everything I could think of to promote strawberries!” she laughed. After her first job as an elementary school teacher lost its funding, she returned to her family’s supermarket to develop a food sampling program for her father. It was a street-level education that honed her marketing and hospitality skills. Soon she was hired onto the marketing team at the Mall of America, where she thrived for 25 years. “I really got into football when the Mall of America decided to sponsor the Vikings at the Metrodome – we grew our sales more than $50M dollars during a recession because of that partnership. So I guess I was hooked!” she smiled.

What I’ve learned about Maureen is that she is scrappy, persistent, and magnetic in her approach. Along the journey to Super Bowl host, she raised three children as a single parent…and just two weeks ago she remarried. “I never thought I’d be planning a Superbowl and a wedding at the same!” she joked.

What’s her Super Bowl goal?

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“We have a country bumpkin reputation: cold and country…largely informed by things like the movie and TV show Fargo,” Maureen laughed. “But business executives and community leaders know we have smart people, beautiful land and water, world-class arts, and a great sports town. Our job is to celebrate everything that’s great about Minnesota, to help our economy thrive in years to come.”

Traditionally, the NFL owners have preferred to have their party in warmer, more exotic locations like Miami. But communities like Minneapolis/St. Paul have sweetened the offer with regional intrigue and impressive corporate support.

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“The US Bank Stadium is a game-changer for our region and for the NFL,” she explained. “Our corporate support has been amazingly generous. The pride we have in our community has helped us get off to a great start. It’s really fun to paint a picture of the hundreds of ways people can get involved as volunteers,” she said with a spark. At the breakfast Friday we will hear how 8,000-10,000 volunteers will be needed as ambassadors to help extend a warm, friendly welcome to the eyes of the world.

Good leaders throw big parties to celebrate what’s good about the world. And they build enduring partnerships to spread the goodness around.

Please share with me: what are you celebrating that’s good around you?

Tickets for the Good Leadership Breakfast this Friday are sold out. Email us if you wish to be on the waiting list.

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