Phil Andrews Of USA Fencing On How Leaders Make Difficult Decisions
An interview with Maria Angelova
LISTEN! — This is one of the most important skills a leader must have. Listen to different stakeholders who will be affected by the decision, and to experts who are removed from the actual decision but may have knowledge or related knowledge in the area.
As a leader, some things are just unavoidable. Being faced with hard choices is one of them. Leadership often entails making difficult decisions or hard choices between two apparently good paths. What’s the best way to go about this? Is there a “toolkit” or a skill set to help leaders sort out their feelings and make the best possible decisions? As part of our series about “How Leaders Make Difficult Decisions,” we had the pleasure of interviewing Phil Andrews.
Phil Andrews was appointed USA Fencing CEO in August 2022, and oversees the national governing body (NGB) for the Olympic and Paralympic sport of fencing in the United States.
In his role, Andrews is responsible for the growth and development of fencing with newcomers, collegiate athletes, Olympians, Paralympians, and everyone who connects with the sport of fencing. He leads the business operations, culture transformation, revenue generation, and member safety for USA Fencing, along with direction and oversight on more than 400 fencing events each year.
Since taking the helm, Andrews has been instrumental in guiding USA Fencing’s historic growth, including forming a six-figure partnership program with Avis, Bank of America, Naked Wines, and other well-known brands; changing the culture of the organization and sport; unveiling new membership products that have resulted in a nearly 20% increase in total memberships; and creating a dynamic CEO Advisory Group to fuel the continued growth of the sport.
Additionally, Andrews has launched a series of DEI initiatives at USA Fencing, including a Refurbishment program to make equipment more affordable, a Women’s Mentorship program, a series of Cultural Community Forums, and the GRACE Program offering financial relief for fencers. The GRACE Program received the 2023 USOPC Large NGB Diversity & Inclusion Award.
Prior to joining USA Fencing, Andrews served as the CEO of USA Weightlifting for nearly 10 years where he transformed the sport’s culture, instituted new governance reform, attracted record participation, and secured unprecedented sponsorship and fundraising levels.
In 2020, along with leading USA Weightlifting, he took on the interim crisis leadership role of the IWF (International Weightlifting Federation) becoming the only person in the sport’s history to oversee the International Federation and NGB at the same time, in the process earning a worldwide reputation in sports integrity.
Before USA Weightlifting, Andrews worked for the Coventry Blaze, a British professional ice hockey team competing in the Elite Ice Hockey League, that won back-to-back championships while he was there. During his career, he has had additional roles with Basingstoke Bison, Unite Group PLC, David Lloyd Leisure, and the University of East London.
Andrews currently sits on the board of the Sports Event & Tourism Association and Visit Salt Lake, and has been named to various USOPC, USADA and U.S. Center for SafeSport leadership groups.
Andrews grew up in England, and has triple citizenship (U.K., U.S., Canada). He currently resides in Denver CO with his wife and young daughter.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
I’ve had one of those careers that can be best described as “odd”, the unlikely story of the CEO of USA Fencing, who is, in fact, an ice hockey player from Great Britain, and indeed that’s where I started. After a cup of coffee in the music industry running street marketing teams when I was young; the NHL was on a lockout year and I got involved with a tour of lockout players coming to Great Britain, simply by asking. From there, I got a job in professional hockey, working with the Basingstoke Bison and the Coventry Blaze. After a stint in the corporate sector, I ended up at the University of East London, where I managed services for the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee amongst 33 other partners for the 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games in London. I was then brought back to the US as a souvenir.
Moral of the story — if you want to do something — ask!
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
There’s been many along the way, at various times people have been impactful in different ways. To this day though, I feel I wouldn’t be where I am without Andy Buxton and Paul Thompson. They were the Chairman and the Head Coach respectfully of Coventry Blaze. What I learned from both gentlemen I still use day-to-day in what I do. Andy was a fast-rising executive who managed a European logistics business and retired to run a pro hockey club, while Paul was coaching in an exceptionally innovative way for his time. What both taught me was making the most of what you have, how to work with limited resources and how to look impossible in the eye and say, “Bring it.”
Can you share with our readers a story from your own experience about how you lead your team during uncertain or difficult times?
Throughout my career, whether it was at USA Weightlifting, or now with USA Fencing, as the CEO and company leader, I have tried to lead with integrity, by doing what is right during challenging times. By leading with integrity, I was able to guide USA Weightlifting through a tumultuous time that ultimately led to a cultural transformation, governance reform, and record participation.
Since joining USA Fencing, I have sought to bring that same leadership and positive transformation. My key areas of focus include: Leading with integrity, servicing the community, creating a safe environment for everyone, and continuing to grow the sport.
Did you ever consider giving up? Where did you get the motivation to continue through challenges? What sustains your drive?
My love is doing things people consider impossible, that’s consistently been the most rewarding part about being in leadership and being able to point at impossible goals, and find the right talented individuals to help get us there and make it happen. That’s what happened in hockey, weightlifting, and now fencing. Secondarily, it’s the difference sports make in people’s lives, that’s familiar across sports, but it can fundamentally change the direction of someone’s life and the experience they have in life. That’s part of the mission of what we do at USA Fencing, and it keepsyou going in challenging times.
Leadership often entails making difficult decisions or hard choices between two apparently good paths. Can you share a story with us about a hard decision or choice you had to make as a leader?
Back in 2016, we’d stalled out as an organization, our culture was a little stale, and I knew we didn’t have the right people in the right seats. That didn’t mean they were bad people, quite the opposite. These were friends I’d come through the organization with. So I had a choice, stick with the group I had who were good people, or make a challenging choice to re-structure to address the challenges we would have going towards the 2016–2020 quadrennial (Olympic & Paralympic sport works in quadrennials, so we tend to think of things in 4 year increments). I chose the latter, and we all had a horrible day parting ways with close colleagues. But in the end, it was worth it for the organization, and I believe some of those colleagues ended up happier too.
What process or toolset can a leader use to make a choice between two difficult paths?
Tried and trusted techniques are sometimes the best way to go — comparison tables, for and against — going to talk to experts in the space you are looking at, sometimes those you may not even know. More than once, I’ve simply sent a cold email to an expert in a given space to gain insights into an area before making a decision. I’ve been surprised how many times I’ve not only engaged in a conversation but gained a contact and friend.
Do you have a mentor or someone you can turn to for support and advice? How does this help? When can a mentor be helpful? When is this not helpful?
Officially no — but I do have a collection and/or network of fellow leaders in both the business and sports worlds that I can turn to. I prefer the approach of a network or committee of mentors because not every situation is the same and requires different skill sets to solve. In return, of course, I try to operate in a similar role for anyone who reaches out. At USA Fencing, I created a CEO Advisory Council of exceptionally well-qualified business and community leaders from across the sport, who have been invaluable in different situations that we’ve run into, as well as for connectivity.
What would you say is the most critical role of a leader when faced with a difficult decision?
Empathy and honesty with those who will be affected, and acting as quickly as you can. If the decision is going to negatively affect one or more members of the team, don’t hide. Talk to those people and if possible, share in that pain.
Do you ever look back at your decisions and wish you had done things differently? How can a leader remain positive and motivated despite past mistakes?
Always! Even with good outcomes, there are always lessons to be learned from every situation. To the second part of the question, remembering you are always learning, and no-one is perfect is very reasonable. The willingness to raise your hand and accept responsibility in these times can also drive buy-in from your employees, board, and stakeholders too. Frankly, I still make mistakes every year, every month — and certainly try to learn from every one of those.
What is the best way to boost morale when the future seems uncertain? What can a leader do to inspire, motivate and engage their team during uncertain times?
Honesty — it’s important in uncertain times to be transparent with your team. When you don’t communicate what you do and more importantly, what you don’t know, people will fill in their own gaps. This is especially important in remote team environments because people are less able to ask clarifying questions on an immediate basis. For example, we are currently considering relocation — which is a challenging process to go through and is uncertain for everyone. That honesty can drive buy-in and in extreme circumstances, can drive a “us vs. everybody” atmosphere to get things moving!
Not considering the empathic view of the stakeholders that a decision may affect, and where it may negatively affect them consider how. How can a stakeholder see themselves in each decision?
Not considering the communication of a decision. If one assumes most people are reasonable, then communicating how a decision works out.
Procrastination, one of the hallmarks of good leadership is the velocity of good decision-making, particularly as you get into more complex organizations.
Based on your experience and success, what are the five most important things a leader should do when making difficult decisions?
1. LISTEN! — This is one of the most important skills a leader must have. Listen to different stakeholders who will be affected by the decision, and to experts who are removed from the actual decision but may have knowledge or related knowledge in the area.
2. Empathize — Think through the decision and how it will negatively, if any, impact an individual or collection of individuals. What can be done to mitigate those issues if anything? If nothing, how can one best explain it in a way which is relatable to that group?
3. Benchmark — What have others done in similar or related situations, are there OKRs/KPIs that can be assessed on the success of a given strategy from that? Did someone do this wrong, what can be learned from that?
4. Communicate — This is perhaps the most important item of all. Communicate openly and honestly about the decision — and even your doubts around the decision. Transparency will always win buy in.
5. Synthesize — It’s unlikely one person, data point, or voice will give you the full picture you need. It’s a good idea to think about all the information and perspectives you have at hand and pick out the common themes.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Progress not Perfection” — Sir David Brailsford, British Cycling.
This was shared with us by Sir David and British Cycling and is one of a few quotes that I live by. This means that we need to always keep finding ways to improve every area of what we do rather than focusing on getting to perfection in one area, perfection is certainly an aspirational target, but you can get blinded by perfection.
How can our readers further follow your work?
Follow USA Fencing and/or myself on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or X, or head over to usafencing.org
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
About The Interviewer: Maria Angelova, MBA is a disruptor, author, motivational speaker, body-mind expert, Pilates teacher, and founder and CEO of Rebellious Intl. As a disruptor, Maria is on a mission to change the face of the wellness industry by shifting the self-care mindset for consumers and providers alike. As a mind-body coach, Maria’s superpower is alignment which helps clients create a strong body and a calm mind so they can live a life of freedom, happiness, and fulfillment. Prior to founding Rebellious Intl, Maria was a Finance Director and a professional with 17+ years of progressive corporate experience in the Telecommunications, Finance, and Insurance industries. Born in Bulgaria, Maria moved to the United States in 1992. She graduated summa cum laude from both Georgia State University (MBA, Finance) and the University of Georgia (BBA, Finance). Maria’s favorite job is being a mom. Maria enjoys learning, coaching, creating authentic connections, working out, Latin dancing, traveling, and spending time with her tribe. To contact Maria, email her at angelova@rebellious-intl.com. To schedule a free consultation, click here.
