One stroke.
That’s the margin by which Todd Penegor’s high school golf team lost the Upper Peninsula State Championship. On the final hole, the last player on the scorecard hit his shot out of bounds. Just like that, the championship was gone.
What made the loss even harder was how prepared they were. The night before, Todd and his four teammates were out under a streetlamp at 10 o’clock, pitching and putting on the second hole, doing everything they could to be ready. They did everything right — and still came up one stroke short.
That moment never left Todd. Not because of the heartbreak, but because of what happened next: two years later, they came back and won it.
Todd would go on to become CEO of Wendy’s, leading more than 7,000 restaurants worldwide. Today, he serves as CEO of Papa John’s — a role he stepped into after just five months of retirement because he couldn’t stay away from the work he loves most: building teams and developing people.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
RESOURCES
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As a Hall of Fame keynote speaker, longtime Associate Editor for Sports Illustrated, and 14-time New York Times Best-Selling author, Don Yaeger is one of America’s most provocative thought leaders. From walking into Afghanistan with the Mujahadeen to living with football legend Walter Payton, Don has spent three decades embedded with the world’s greatest "Greats." Now a sought-after executive coach and host of the Corporate Competitor Podcast, he translates the lessons of sports and business legends into actionable strategies for building a culture of greatness.
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“The ability for athletes to get hired is carried on through you because you are putting out the message that lessons learned from sports are important in life. It is embedded in this podcast, what you’re doing is significant.”
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“Many of the leaders I have worked with were excellent athletes, and I think there is a direct correlation. You’re one of the few people that really has pursued this study, Don. Keep up the great work. What you are doing really makes a difference.”
“Don, you have mastered the skill of interviewing and asking great questions. That is a great skill all leaders need in order to understand their team members’ thought processes.”
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