At six-foot-five inches tall, the Pensacola native commands a sweeping view of the impact sports can have on business leadership. Among the most memorable of the lessons she learned came while she played basketball at the University of Tennessee, where legendary coach Pat Summitt prepared a generation of young women to succeed in basketball and life.
“The biggest things Pat taught us were, first, that if you’re on the basketball court, it should never be silent,” Michelle explained. “She was talking about communication. Things are always moving fast on the court, so you have to be constantly communicating to leverage each moment. The second lesson was not to dictate to other people, but rather to empower them.”
In the corporate world, says Michelle, things move just as quickly and can take a turn for the highly unexpected just as quickly as in sports. The COVID pandemic illustrated this. With a touch of irony, perhaps, Michelle says that the best way to empower people and ensure a noisy court full of communicating teammates is for leaders to be quiet, at least at first. So, when she holds her routine “huddles” with her Nike team, the woman with a voice used to shouting over the din of opposing players and cheering crowds remains quiet, allowing others to speak.
“People want to be valued, seen, and heard,” she noted. “Your job as a leader is to give them this opportunity and find alignment with their thoughts and dreams and those of the organization.” In the podcast, Michelle shows her agility at applying the habits of successful athletic competition to the conference table.
Michelle knows she owes her success to a combination of effort and perseverance and the network of people who brought her along on their own journies. “As you progress in your life, you’ll only be alone if you don’t bring someone along with you,” she observed. Michelle has been mentored by some of the best and she constantly reaches back to make sure that she is bringing others along. “They say birds of a feather flock together, right?” noted Michelle. “I’m meeting all of these people who are extraordinary in their own ways, and who have a viewpoint that everything is limitless, and anything is possible. It’s just a matter of connecting yourself with those types of individuals.”
5:00 The secret to changing your next “what if” statement.
12:00 The lesson boxing great Roy Jones, Jr. taught her about mentorship.
Connect with Michelle on her website.
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.
DISC personality test referenced.
"Don is one of the best storytellers I’ve ever met. I’ve known him for a long time and every time we talk I walk away wiser and more inspired. He is the best in the business at teaching you a skill – storytelling – that will last you a lifetime.”
“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.”
We speak the same language. I am inspired by the stories you tell, the people you have met, and the things you’ve done. Those of us that are competitors like to follow others that have been down that journey, so it is always fun talking to you!”
“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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