Stay ConnectedWhat do most Fortune 500 executives have in common? They learned important lessons on the fields and courts of their high school and collegiate sports teams. This is true for both men and women. Ernst & Young found that a whopping 94% of women holding a C-suite position, played sports.
Join 13-time New York Times Best-Selling Author Don Yaeger on his journey to sit with some of the brightest executives in the world as we discuss how sports shaped their professional trajectory in life.
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Ep. 114: Denver Bronco legend Karl Mecklenburg reveals the best goal-line defense against "big egos" on your team. Download the fill-in-the-blank notes and reflection questions so you can create powerful, positive change in your organization. Click here to download the bonus resource.
Karl retired from professional football with more than 1,000 tackles and is now tackling public speaking, inspiring organizations, and their leaders to make long-term positive changes. In this episode, Karl proves himself to be as versatile a storyteller as he was a football player when he once played seven different defensive positions in a single game.
Connect with Karl: https://karlmecklenburg.com
Special thanks to Samantha Clark and Kai Patricelli for making this episode possible.
Ep. 113: Lafayette College Football shaped this Harvard Business School grad. Tony shows how attention to the "human side" of competing in the global technology sector fosters resilient teams and more trusting customer relationships.
Our BONUS resource for this episode is "4 Questions Every Leader Needs to Ask" which includes fill-in-the-blank notes and reflection questions so you can create powerful, positive change in your organization. Click here to download the bonus resource.
Special thanks to Lauren Hafner and Julia Monkarsh for making this episode possible.
Ep. 112: Dan Cathy reveals the rewards of "leaving everything on the mat" as a state champion wrestler and member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He is proudest of his service ethic, which has carried him for 40 years at the helm of the family business where he still welcomes guests with a firm handshake and the greeting, "Hi, I"m Dan. I work in customer service."
As delicious as Chick-fil-A food is, that's not people's greatest need, avers Cathy. "Their greatest need is being encouraged. Chick-fil-A's purpose is that customers leave better and more encouraged than when they came in."
Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes fill-in-the-blank notes and reflection questions so you can create powerful, positive change in your organization.
Special thanks to Julia Monkarsh, Brett Rutherford, and Francisco Nunez for making this episode possible.
Ep. 111: Lesley was the first woman inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the first woman to broadcast the NBA Finals, World Series, and Final Four, and named as one of GQ's "five ideal dinner guests," an honor which reflects her expert listening skills as well as storytelling prowess and remarkable experiences.
In this episode, she shares the simple yet powerful philosophy that has steered her trailblazing career.
Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode is "Never Save Your Best for Last" which includes fill-in-the-blank notes and reflection questions so you can make every at-bat a quality at-bat. Click here to download the bonus resource.
Special thanks to Kai Patricelli and Caitlin Wilkey for making this episode possible.
Ep. 110: Harvard Football taught Spencer that the best leaders are simplifiers. Do you track hundreds of metrics, assuming that more is always better? Or do you boil it down to the two or three that really matter?
Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode is "Developing Discipline" which includes fill-in-the-blank notes and reflection questions so you can create margin in your life. Click here to download the bonus resource.
Special thanks to Brian Schnorr and Brett Rutherford for making this episode possible.
Ep. 109: Few things will make you more competitive than growing up with an identical sister in a small town. Amy applied her competitive spirit to gymnastics and cheerleading in high school, to business degrees from Cornell and The Wharton School, and then to executive roles, including COO of Ticketmaster and CEO of FanDuel.
Our BONUS resource for this episode is "Control Your Calendar" which includes fill-in-the-blank notes and reflection questions so you can create powerful, positive change in your organization.
Special thanks to Julia Monkarsh and Chase Crews for making this episode possible.
Ep. 108: When you spend 15 years working as a basketball performance coach alongside Kevin Durant, Steph Curry and Kobe Bryant, you gather incredible stories about the dedication required to be the best in your business. One of Alan Stein Jr.'s favorite stories involved Curry who, even as a young and unknown player, would not leave the court until he swished five free throws in a row.
"The first step of raising your game is to raise your standard. Curry did not accept the baskets that hit the rim in those moments when nobody was watching him. He took complete responsibility for his own development to guide him in becoming one of the greatest shooters of all time."
Visit CorporateCompetitorpodcast.com/108 to download the free resource that includes a fill-in-the-blank outline and reflection questions to help you combat stress and burnout.
Special thanks to Brian Schnorr and Samantha Clark for making this episode possible.
Ep. 107: New Jersey's EY Entrepreneur of the Year shares 3 questions every leader needs to ask their employees weekly – a lesson he learned from his Hall of Fame Hockey Coach Jacques Lemaire.
Visit CorporateCompetitorpodcast.com/107 for Don's episode notes and reflection questions.
9:00 How to be a consummate learner, not only from your industry but also from others.
13:30 How to better communicate to your internal team.
14:30 Three questions every leader needs to ask their teams weekly.
18:30 How to determine if your culture is "Hug-Worthy?"
21:30 How to increase the level of belief within a team.
Special thanks to Samantha Clark and Kai Patricelli for making this episode possible.
Ep. 106: The former marine sergeant was a three-sport athlete and looks every bit like the owner of a fitness franchise, but he recognizes that it's not about the weight on the barbell, it's about going in and recognizing who you are there to serve.
"I have a technique," he said. "If I feel like the team is too focused on goals or KPIs, I get us out on the floor. And I'll ask my team, 'Who's that on treadmill one? Tell me about him.' You have to know your customers, not only their name but their story, their goals, and what they do in your community. The success of the business doesn't come from the managers, it comes from the member base."
Visit https://donyaeger.com/corporate-competitor-podcast/episode-106/ for a free gift and today's show notes!
Special thanks to Samantha Clark and Savannah Hill for making this episode possible.
Ep. 105: Tim Ryan is a lifelong hockey guy and current running enthusiast, but the sports metaphor he reaches for to describe his role as the US Chair & Senior Partner of global financial powerhouse PwC is football.
"Too often in corporate America, we go into the huddle where we agree on a pass play but not on what routes everybody is running," he said. "In our case, we came into the huddle and decided we would be more diverse. But we never explored the best-in-class opportunities for executing this goal. It's up to the quarterback, or in the case of a business, the leader, to be responsible for implementing such a process."
Tim took this responsibility so seriously that he co-founded CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion™, where CEOs can gather to share best practices and ideas on equity. What started as a few CEOs collaborating in 2017 has turned into 2,200 leaders representing 21 million employees.
Visit CorporateCompetitorpodcast.com/105 for a free gift and today's show notes!
Special thanks to Lauren Hafner and Brian Schnor for making this episode possible.
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