Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
BEDFORD – Doug Boles always knew he wanted a career in auto racing, so when an opportunity to work an NHRA race at Indianapolis Raceway Park came his way when he was a student at Butler University, he said yes before knowing what the job was.
The job? Clean the restrooms and keep them clean for the entire event.
He was so embarrassed, he didn’t tell his friends, but a few days after the race, he received a call from National Hot Rod Association President Wally Parks thanking him for doing a great job.
As demeaning as the job seemed at the time, Boles later realized taking a job and doing it well was the beginning of understanding leadership.
“If you truly want to lead, you have to take every opportunity, whatever it is,” he said.
Boles has made the most of numerous other opportunities since then.
Boles is president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a job he’s held since 2013. He was one of two keynote speakers Tuesday at the Becky Skillman Leadership Institute, held at the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence County. Kicking off the institute was retired Indiana Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard, who served from 1987 to 2012, making him the longest serving chief justice in Indiana history.
‘An Indiana asset’
Boles regaled the audience with stories and perks of working at the IMS that included turning laps on the track to getting to drive a six-speed manual Camaro when traveling the state. He also shared what the iconic racing venue means to Indiana.
He shared the goals and the commitment of IMS leadership, in particular, owner Roger Penske, to make the Speedway a place all Hoosiers can be proud of, whether or not they are race fans or ever attend an Indy 500.
“The one thing we take pride in is we really are an Indiana asset,” he said. “It doesn’t exist today if not for all the towns and counties that support it.”
One of his objectives as IMS president is to expand business opportunities for the Speedway. During a normal year, the track hosts more than 275 days of activity.
An Indiana native, he worked for 15 years in executive-level motorsports in team operations, marking, sponsorship and public relations before joining IMS.
Penske became his boss in 2019 when he bought IMS and Indy Car from the Hulman George family. Boles said Penske always has “an unbelievably positive attitude” and gives his full attention to all aspects of the IMS, no matter how small. He is known to bring in IMS employees from all aspects of the operation when considering facility improvements that will enhance the fan experience.
“He’s an amazing man and he will outdetail you,” Boles said. “The way he leads is from top to bottom.”
Boles said Penske is thrilled to be a corporate citizen in Indiana and as evidenced by a $50 million investment in infrastructure and other improvements at the IMS. The IMS has about 200 full-time employees and that number balloons to more than 10,000 on race day.
For him, leadership is about leading by example, not telling people what to do.
So instead of sitting in a suite on race day, he’s working the track.
“At the end of the day, I pick up trash, clean restrooms and I solve problems. That’s the heart of the job. If I’m not willing to go out with my team and do exactly that, we’re not going to succeed,” he said.
People often ask him what’s his favorite thing during the month of May. It might have surprised some in the audience that it isn’t the roar of the 33-car field taking the first turn or the spectacle of more than 300,000 fans in the stands. It’s not standing on the bricks or having a front row seat when the winner gulps the ice cold milk.
“Without a doubt, it’s the roughly 90 seconds of ‘Back Home Again in Indiana.’ It’s one of those moments you can’t help but cry. And you know that for the 330,000 in the stadium, no matter where they’re from, when that song happens, everybody in there is a Hoosier,” Boles said. “It’s an amazing reminder we do amazing things in this state and we have an opportunity with the Indy 500 to remind people we do amazing things in this state.”
‘The determined 12%’
A seventh-generation Hoosier from Evansville, Shepard spent his career shaping how the courts carry out their duties in Indiana. Although he retired from the Indiana Supreme Court, he remains active in law and was recently appointed by US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to the US Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on Civil Rules.
During his address, Shepard imparted qualities he believes are key to leadership.
- The role of a leader is not solely to be a leader. Shepard said a leader’s role is to lead others somewhere and to use the opportunity for a greater purpose.
- Cadre of partners. Shepard said in any group, “the determined 12%” will step up to take on tasks to move a project forward, but the cadre must not step on the other 88% of the group along the way.
- Encourage and protect the doers. A leader should let those doing the work know that he or she will stand behind them.
- Be open and new to ideas. “They won’t all be your ideas,” he said of leaders. “Be willing to listen to other ideas.”
- Keep your eyes open to what the rest of the country is doing and look into those best practices. “Your ambition should be to do things so well that people elsewhere will say, ‘What’s Indiana doing?’”
- Pay attention to how people approach leadership. Shepard said observe effective leaders and learn how they form relationships with others, their treatment of people around them and how they maneuver their day.
Tuesday’s luncheon was the ninth Becky Skillman Leadership Institute. The event is a fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence County. Youth attending the club’s summer camp made the table centerpieces, which featured the BGC logo and the name of the child who made it.
Past speakers have included US Rep. Lee Hamilton, former Indiana Governor and Purdue President Mitch Daniels, Indiana University President Pamela Whitten and former Indiana first lady and United States second lady Karen Pence.
