Official Caddying Story: Bill Stasior

William (Bill) F. Stasior is the former the chairman and CEO of Booz Allen Hamilton, one of the world’s largest consulting firms. Since his retirement, he’s remained active on the boards of the UNCF, the Western Golf Association, and Northwestern’s Kellogg School, as well as some private companies, including OPNET, later acquired by Riverbed Technology for over $1B. The first in his family to attend college, Bill got his start working as a caddie in Chicago, later becoming an Evans Scholar at Northwestern.

At which golf course did you first caddie, and how old were you when you started?

At age 11, my first job was at Shoreacres in Lake Bluff, but it didn’t take long for me and my friends to decide that life might be better in more ways than one down the road at Onwentsia Club. They had a tradition of throwing young caddies in the lake at Shoreacres. It wasn’t mean-spirited. It’s just what the older boys did when they got bored.

Why were you compelled to become a caddie?

My father was a steelworker, and he loved golf. I was 5 or 6 when he put a club in my hands for the first time. It was about the same time that he started telling me, “Bill, you’re going to go to college.” I didn’t even know what college was. No one in my family had ever gone to college… and, on top of that, my dad told me I was going to study engineering -- whatever that was.

A few years later, my dad encouraged me to get a job caddying, so I could start saving money for college. At least by that age, I knew what college was!

Take us through your first day on the job, who was your first loop?

I remember showing up at the caddie shack as an under-sized 11-year old. I’m sure the caddie master wondered what to do with me, and whether I’d survive. After sitting out that first day, he finally offered me a job to shag golf balls. And I said, “What’s shagging?” He said, “The member hits golf balls and you pick them up.” That sounded simple until I realized that the member was going to be hitting the balls at me… I was the target… and he had counted the balls… He said, “Son, there are 54 golf balls in that bag”…the message was clear... at the end of the day, there better be the same number of balls in that shag bag – OR ELSE.

There’s no question that the caddie shack at Onwentsia holds some of my fondest memories. It was an extraordinary learning experience – about people, responsibility and golf. I learned about life – how to get along with all types of people… how to deal with intimidation by the older boys… how to gain ‘mentors’ and ‘sponsors’… how to settle grievances.  And, I learned a lot out on the golf course as well. The main thing was: a caddie could never have a bad day – it’s our job to try, no matter how play is going, to make it a good day for the member. You learn to laugh at their jokes and to know when to talk and when to be quiet. You learn who you can be loose with and who you need to be buttoned down with. You learn the importance of being reliable, of showing up every day, no matter how badly you feel, and of course, you learn about golf.

What was the biggest mistake that you made during your caddying career?

Well, I have one that was a bit of doozy. I was caddying for Hubby and a lady during a teaching lesson. All of the sudden, a big thunderstorm came in when we were on the 9th hole, and Hubby told me to go get my car so that I could bring them in. I ran back to the parking lot and jumped in my mid-50s Pontiac. I drove onto the course trying to find the most direct route to them. Well, the 9th hole has a two-tiered fairway with a bunker separating the distinct levels. Of course, I drove my car right over the edge of the upper tier and planted the nose into the lower tier of the bunker. The car had to be towed, and I was lucky to walk away with only minor cuts. Hubby was so nice about it, saying something like “It’s OK, happens to the best of us!

What did you most enjoy about caddying?

Listening and learning from people who were successful, it was stepping into a different world but still being your own person. With my dad working in steel, my mom was a nurse but had to retire when she got tuberculosis, so we didn’t have a lot of money. By and large, the members were wonderful. Provided you did a good job, they took an interest in you. I loved to listen when they’d talk about their lives or their business. 

Equal to that but very different was my proximity to professional golfers. I was mentored by Hubby, a pro who would bring me around these guys. I got to hear how they thought about life, which might be the next drink or bet they could place. But they were athletes, and you got to hear how they felt physically or how their training was going. I liked the two very different perspectives.

Tell us about some of the people for whom you caddied, did any of them contribute to your career in a meaningful way?

After two years of caddying at Onwentsia, Hubby Habjan, the assistant pro, asked me if I would like a job after caddying in the pro shop -- cleaning clubs, racking bags, and doing other housekeeping chores. Hubby would become, along with my dad, one of the great influences in my life. Hubby was a perfectionist. He was very demanding but very fair and generous with his time, and he was quick to give you more responsibility if you earned it. He also had a wild sense of fun! (don’t worry, Hubby, I won’t divulge details). Hubby was an accomplished professional – he was named Club Pro of the Year in 1965. He was also a clubmaker, and he taught me the craft: how to fix clubs, re-shaft clubs, and wrap a leather grip. He also let me sit in on everything that went on in the golf shop, and, two years later, when I was 15, he offered me a job as assistant shop manager. A year later, I became shop manager. I worked with suppliers, ordered goods, kept the shop well-stocked, and, of course, served the members.   

Hubby sponsored me for the Evans Scholarship, and introduced me to club members involved with the program. I remember going with my dad to WGA headquarters to interview with a dozen WGA directors, all sitting around a conference table. They asked me who was the most important person in my life, and I talked about my dad and Hubby. A week later I received a letter offering me the scholarship. I don’t know who was happier – my dad, Hubby, or me – but it was incredible. 

And while I had no clue at the time, one member in particular ended up making a big difference in my life. His name was Soloman Smith, known as S.A. Smith. He’d show up in the early evenings, around 4PM, and would play nine holes with Hubby, getting a lesson. He was a bit older, 77 when we met, and he was known to be rather firm. Most of the caddies still in the yard would run for the hills if asked to caddie for him. So Hubby said to me, “If you could caddie for him during our lessons, that would really help.” It sort of became a weekly thing; I’d caddie for Hubby and Mr. Smith, who turned out to be a very kind spirit. I didn’t know who he was but knew that he was important. He was very dedicated to the game, still trying to be a champion golfer at his age. I was paid $1.25, and there was no tipping. And I think he came to appreciate my effort, especially after Hubby told him that I hitchhiked some 25 miles to get home and didn’t arrive there until 7 or 8 at night. When I got my Evans Scholarship, Hubby exclaimed, “You had a very powerful sponsor!” It turns out that S.A. Smith and his family owned Northern Trust Bank, which was a large supporter of the WGA! It was a great lesson to be respectful and generous with whatever you can offer, to work with people and to enjoy what they’re enjoying. I could only offer my caddie services, but it evidently made an impression on Mr. Smith.

Can you expand on your experience as an Evans Scholar at Northwestern?

The Evans Scholars house at Northwestern was another life-shaping experience, and Mac McGuigan, who was the Evans Scholars Foundation educational director at the time, was a tremendous force in shaping our outlook and values. He made us feel special, and inspired us to excel. We were a group the campus took notice of.  Evans Scholars were tops in intramural sports and won academic honors. We worked hard at everything – our studies and maintaining the house --  and took great pride in all of it. And, I gained something else very important at Northwestern – one of my upper-class housemates introduced me to Joan, my wife of almost 60 years. When I finished my masters in electrical engineering, I interviewed with Booz Allen Hamilton, a consulting company. For a lot of people,  consulting is a stepping stone, but I was captivated by consulting as a profession and by Booz Allen as a firm.

The single most profound “small world” experience for me happened shortly after I was elected Chairman & CEO of Booz Allen in 1991. Our founding partner, Jim Allen was still alive and though long-since retired from active leadership with the firm, he remained very much our spiritual leader. I went to Florida to visit Jim after my election – he was the firm’s second chairman and I was the sixth. We talked about Booz Allen, clients, and our alma mater – since we both attended Northwestern. And, we talked about our shared passion for golf. I told Jim about getting an Evans scholarship to attend Northwestern, and found out that he was one of the founding contributors to the Evans Scholars Foundation. He said, “You’re an Evans Scholar.” And then, he sat back and reflected for a moment and added, “Well, I guess my investment really paid off!” I was struck by what an incredibly small world this really is, and how, without Jim Allen’s generosity, I might not have gone to college – or certainly not a college of Northwestern’s stature.

What was the biggest lesson that you learned from caddying that helped you succeed as you progressed in life?

Starting with what was inside those shag bags was a sphere that has the power to transform a life. It’s what I came to call “Sphere Power,” which was given to me and to so many others who caddied. By “sphere power,” I mean the interconnections, the unbroken circle, of a person’s life and his or her sphere of influence. I mean the way relationships, leadership, good deeds, and success build on each other – and create a positive ripple effect that benefits others. To me, “sphere power” is a spin on the “what goes around, comes around” proverb – shaped around values, leadership, family, and community – and, of course, golf. It started for me at a very young age. 

Above all, being a caddie teaches you that the world is not about you. These were invaluable lessons for business and life – about hard work, responsibility, client service, and treating others with courtesy and respect.