Troy Barnett, Future Strong Hero, tells us how

Troy Barnett, Future Strong Hero

Troy Barnett is Senior Director, Corporate Services Technology at

Under Armour. He was a defensive tackle for the New England Patriots, and was suddenly forced into a career transition…



Future Strong Hero Series: Insights from top leaders,

change makers and thought leaders who are creating better,

bolder tomorrows.

• • • • • • • • • • •

I had three surgeries in two weeks that ended my NFL career. It was time to

get a ‘real’ job. Fortunately, every summer I had interned in the IT

department at Reebok, honing my IT skills, and their CIO offered

me a job.



After multiple roles there, I got a call from Under Armour. I am employee

number 992, so I joined while we were still in our infancy.



In February 2012, we implemented five new HR systems globally. Since then,

my focus is on the strategic side — planning for the next three-plus years

and taking everything to new levels.



The Moment of Acceptance and Transition

Realizing that my NFL career was over was scary. I was angry. I pictured

my career heading to the Hall of Fame, and it didn’t happen that way.

It was over pretty quick. It took my five years before I could enjoy

football again as a fan.



It was hard. I talked to a lot of players trying to make that transition.

The statistics are that close to 80% of players will end up in bankruptcy

at some point after leaving football, divorce rates are close to 75%

after leaving. Drug and alcohol abuse is through the roof. Because

transitioning out of that intense environment is hard.



Most people won’t have to face that intense of a transition. But what

everyone will have to face is many transitions and restarts throughout

their careers. We all have to prepare ourselves for that, and keep

investing in ourselves.



What Makes You Future Strong?

First, never take yourself so seriously, that you can’t enjoy life.

Enjoy the simple things. Family. Friends. Find your passion!

It’s not work when you love what you do, baby!



Everyone’s life is about change, transitions, about going after

new challenges, and making a difference.



Focus on what’s important. I look at my daughters and I remember

thinking that when they were young, that I had plenty of time.

My oldest is now a senior in college. The time with them has gone

by so fast!



We all need to be able to reinvent ourselves. We die inside when

we accept the status quo. Never be stagnant. Hone your skills.

Meet people.



What Tough Choices Do Leaders Need to Make

to Keep Their Companies Strong?

Thinking about talent. Attracting, retaining, and investing

in the talent they already have. It costs so much to bring in

somebody new.



Train them and guide them to be the tomorrow’s leaders. It’s so

easy to rip out a system, or move a person, or make a change

instead of understanding each individual and their needs. It seems

like each time a new leader comes in, so few take the time to

really know who’s on their bench, and how to best utilize them.



Leaders who are able to ignite people’s passions, and invest in

the people they have, and push them to grow — those will be the

companies who will come up with innovations faster than the

competition. Everybody’s trying to do more with less… So it

becomes crucial to invest in your talent to do that.



What’s Different About Tomorrow’s Workforce?

They’ve grown up interconnected and connected from birth. They’re

expecting that kind of experience at their jobs, on their computer

platforms, on their teams, in their careers and in their lives.



Especially here at Under Armour: Average age at corporate is 32.

In our stores, it’s 21. We need to ignite our business by igniting

each and every employee. We need leaders who can do that.



Kevin Plank, our CEO, wakes up every day fired up…with the

mentality of a football player, a great coach: ‘Today I am

accountable for my day. I can make it great. Or I can make it

mediocre and just coast.’ He chooses to make every day great.



Being Future Strong: The Precious Few Things

You’re the CEO of your life. You’ve got to make decisions that

are best for you, best for your family. And you’ve got to put

the time and energy into what matters to you.



That is part of your personal brand. When people see you, when

you walk into the room, how do you want to be perceived?

What value do you create, and want to be known for?

Branding — good or bad — is contagious. So you want to be

sure that your personal brand reflects who you are and

where you’re trying to go.



Also: You always have to your teammates’ backs. If we do

something great, they did it. If we mess up, the first person

who has to take accountability is me. I’ve gotten that from my

playing days — if you can build a strong team, if they know

you have their back… man, they will run through walls for you.



Barnett Strongisms

• Prepare yourself for tough transitions BEFORE they happen

• We die inside when we settle for the status quo

• Wake up every day accountable for your day… Choose to make it great