Jen Baker on leadership lessons, earning ADOY honors for 2023-2024, and who the real leader is in her household
We interviewed Jen Baker, Athletics Director at Johns Hopkins University (who won the DIII Director’s Cup two years in a row), to glean some insights from her mindset after she found out she won Athletic Director of the Year in Division III.
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Congrats on Athletic Director of the Year. It’s a testament to your efforts, of course, but also to the success and hard work of those in your department. Can you speak to what your ethos is in fostering success in your department? And, conversely, how does your team help create your success as leader of the group?
When I first took over as AD, I laid out a set of “operating standards” which essentially outlined how I wanted us to work together as a team. They are similar to “core values”, but I really wanted to emphasize the how — the operationalization of values.
Soon thereafter, we outlined our strategic priorities, which we translated into a set of aspirational goals to accomplish from 2021 to 2025. Most importantly, this work gave us a simple framework through which to make decisions. Everything we have done has been anchored in our mission to “Be More” and with the intent to advance our competitive excellence, our student-athlete experience, and/or our community building efforts.
There is no perfect formula for creating success, but getting everyone on the team aligned in terms of what we’re working toward, and how we will get there, definitely sets a strong foundation.
While I’m incredibly honored to have been named one of this year’s NACDA Athletics Directors of the Year, it has always felt a little uncomfortable for me because the reality is that everything we do is a team effort — it’s never about one person, and certainly not me!
I have a team — coaches, support staff, and student-athletes — who are truly giving all of themselves (and then some) in support of our strategic priorities, and I’m just doing what I can to tackle any obstacles and ensure they have as smooth a runway as possible to success. What I appreciate about the award is that it’s an acknowledgement that great things are happening at Hopkins — and the team deserves that recognition!
What do you think a leader’s role is when it comes to fostering high performance? Do you have any good examples from your coaching staff and how they handle their own teams?
I think a leader has to establish a vision, set the standards for an organization, and then be willing to hold the members of a team accountable for both.
Such things can certainly be crowdsourced, and buy-in is far more likely if the team has the chance to participate in that process. Once the direction and the path have been set, the leader must be willing to support everyone along the way, to challenge them, and to let go of any ego that may be embedded in an outcome. To that end, it’s important that the leader be an equal contributor, and be willing to accept feedback/criticism, as well as new ideas, from the members of the team. The focus must always be on we > me.
Each of my coaches leads a bit differently, but I think the themes above remain the same. There are certain things a coach must do in terms of scouting opponents, recruiting, and strategizing. But there are a lot of opportunities to involve student-athletes as equals in terms of setting standards, establishing goals, and creating opportunities for feedback/accountability. The most successful teams are athlete-led, which requires coaches to empower their student-athletes as leaders while they take a supporting role. In addition, I think our coaches do an excellent job of fostering meaningful 1:1 connections with each of their student-athletes. It’s important that as leaders — if we are going to ask a lot of others — that we are doing so from a place of relationship, and not transaction.
Tell me about some of the most successful team dynamics that you have seen and cultivated over the years. What about them worked, and why?
I have been a part of a number of different teams over the years — athletic, professional, and personal.
There are some fundamental basics which cannot be overstated: mutual respect must exist, there must be trust among the team members, and there must be a willingness to sacrifice in some way for the good of the group.
The most successful teams I’ve seen are less hierarchical, and more egalitarian; individual egos are subjugated by the team identity. Everyone takes turns leading, and everyone takes turns following, regardless of whether or not they have a designated title. To that end, there is space created for everyone to contribute; the goals are clear, and the value of the role that each team member plays in advancing those goals is equally clear.
I think, in general, people need to feel like they matter and that they have some connected identity within the team. That opens up the space for difficult conversations and feedback, which frankly, are just part of the formula for creating success. The best teammates are able to hold themselves and others accountable, and can illuminate blindspots for their peers which unlock a greater capacity for each individual to contribute.
I know you love accountability. If you had to choose one thing to emphasize to your teams, would that be it? How does that manifest at JHU?
That’s an interesting question. I think there’s an interconnectedness that’s worth considering here — it’s hard to look at just one thing in isolation. Accountability is certainly important — but why?
Accountability is our willingness to do the right things, and to ensure our teammates are doing the same. It is a prerequisite for trust, and without trust among teammates, I think there’s little chance of success. Accountability is your way of communicating to your teammates that you understand the goals, you understand the role you need to play in advancing those goals, and you’re committed to doing that. And we’re all imperfect — we will never get it 100% right — so in those moments, we need our teammates to be willing to help us course correct for the good of the team.
We also need to be willing to proactively own our own shortcomings. The best teams have clear standards, meaning “how they do things” together. I’ve heard it wisely said that “the standard is what you allow in your presence”. So if we ourselves don’t uphold a standard — or if we let our teammate slip, even with good reason — we are negatively impacting the team and resetting the standards lower for everyone, without any input. That’s not a formula for sustainable success.
So, yes, I think accountability is critical, and it’s something that I greatly value because it’s a show of commitment to the success of the team, and it means I can trust my teammates.
How about a time when someone held you accountable? Can you tell us about that?
Certainly when I was in the military, there were many times when I was very directly held accountable (it builds character)! In my current role, I rely on my team to reflect my own blind spots back to me, and I encourage them to offer me feedback directly.
It’s part of why I think our department culture is strong. We are all committed, and we are always working to be open to feedback. Honestly, nothing makes me prouder than when someone tells me they think I could have done something better. That takes courage on their part, and it gives me an opportunity to earn their trust by owning a mistake and/or trying to improve something where I may have fallen short.
And it’s not just my staff either — I’ve had student-athletes who have done it, too. Sometimes it’s tough to hear because I don’t ever want to feel like you’ve let an athlete down, but it’s important to hear it so that I can be better in the future.
You have a very loyal supporter we haven’t yet discussed: Sailor, your delightful Golden Retriever. In your home, who is the leader and who is the follower? What insights have you gleaned from your dynamic with Sailor that have helped you run an Athletics Department?
Well this is an existential question if ever there was one. Is there a better illustration of the leader-follower dynamic than dog-parent and dog?
On its face, surely I am the leader — she relies on me for basic survival. But I’d say she follows my lead when there is reward for her. There are times when she appears to make a very conscious decision to go her own way, evidenced whenever we encounter one of her neighborhood dog friends out on a walk, or my mother comes to pick her up.
But the reality is that I love her so much that I’d basically do anything for her. Since I feel like I am constantly trying to accommodate her every desire, clearly, she is the real boss. But she’s very cute and exceptionally sweet…so I willingly accept my role.
In terms of how my relationship with her helps me run an Athletics Department, upon reflection I think there is a lot we can take from our relationship with dogs (or any pets) that can help a leader in any organization.
(1) Morale and mental health are important, and the days she is in the office with me and takes herself around the building to greet her Blue Jays, morale is high and everyone’s mental health improves. I’m convinced that leads to elevated outcomes!
(2) Dogs watch our every move. They are looking for consistency and stability. They want things to work according to their expectations, and our behavior sets those expectations. When something happens at home that Sailor is not expecting – she gets anxious and is reactive. That is no different than any leader/follower relationship. As leaders, we are always being watched – and our people want to see us set a standard, uphold that standard, and act with consistency. When we don’t – it creates anxiety for them. No one can deliver their best under those circumstances.
(3) If I speak to Sailor in anger or frustration, she becomes fearful. If I speak the same words but do so calmly – she maintains her positive demeanor. When we communicate with our teams, we must choose our tone appropriately.
(4) When Sailor does something right, she gets a cookie! She lives for cookies. We should reward great work within our teams (cookies can also be good for morale…). People deserve to know when they’ve performed well, and to be recognized and celebrated for their efforts. It’s motivating!
(5) Pet ownership is the essence of servant leadership. We do all that we can for them, and in return, we get all that they have. It is no different when leading a team. As leaders, we must support our people and do all that we can in service of their development, support, and well-being. In return they will give their very best back to the team.
(6) Sailor keeps me HUMBLE. She has a mind of her own and isn’t afraid to use it! She does not care that I buy the dog food, or have a fun job. The only way I get her best is by meeting her needs, positively rewarding her, and showing love. I think when followers choose to follow a leader because they know how much a leader is invested in and cares for them, all teams are better!
Dynamic leadership duo
