Advertise on podcast: The Take Home Podcast

This week I was so lucky to sit down with Rob Sender, Trinity University alumnus '09, for the Living Leadership Interview segment. After leaving Trinity he earned a Master's degree in Sports Sales from Baylor University which segued into a first job in Minor League Baseball. Following many years on the agency side, Rob has found a home as the Senior Brand and Marketing Director with the Dallas Cowboys. The conversation weaves from managing one of the most iconic brands in the world, his time and Trinity, and his thoughts on the Situational Leadership model, his leadership philosophy, and principles. He describes the impact of mentors he had at Trinity and those in his professional life since. Rob indicates that one can become a great leader through being exposed to lots of different leadership styles and leader personalities and at the end of the day curiosity should be the "coin of the realm." I truly appreciate how he describes the need to tinker, the need to "test and learn" and why all of us should manage our networks.  The episode concludes with my lecture on chapter 5 of the 10th edition of Peter G. Northouse's "Leadership: Theory and Practice." During the segment, I provide an overview of Hersey and Blanchard's Situational Leadership Model, discuss details about the connection between a leader's style and the follower's developmental level, and why it's essential that leaders engage in conversations with their team members. Let me know your reactions to my chat with Rob. Reach out to both of us on LinkedIn and let's keep the conversation going.

In this final episode of Season 6, I was joined by former student, long-time supporter of our sport management program, and outstanding Trinity University alumna (class of 2013), Veronica Oviedo. She is currently the Director of Marketing at Spurs Sports and Entertainment.  During our conversation Veronica spoke glowingly of mentors, of great leaders she's worked with, who shaped her outlook and approach to leadership. She "doesn't think titles matter" and the regular listeners will hear direct connections to The Leadership Challenge, and specific references to the DISC Behavioral tool and Hersey and Blanchard's Situational Leadership Model - all of which have been important elements of our class this year.  Veronica emphasizes that great leaders ask questions AND create space for others to ask questions. The way she describes her use of the job interview as a starting place to learn teammates' why and as the place where leadership development begins is truly inspiring - and quite frankly should be a model for leaders of all stripes and across any industry sector. She desribes her role as a leader who leads leaders and highlights that leaders must model vulnerability, self-awareness, and followership. Her people-centered approach to leadership is underscored when she describes that the leader and follower co-create the culture.  The conversation is high energy and so much fun for both Veronica and me. To conclude the episode, I lectured on chapter 13 of the 10th edition of Peter G. Northouse's "Leadership: Theory and Practice." During the segment, I discuss Followership and its significant role in the leadership process.  I normally encourage listeners who aren't in the class to skip the lecture, but this time I'm actually imploring you to listen. Followership is a topic that NEEDS to be discussed and there are places in the lecture that might be good starting points for those conversations!  I hope you enjoy the episode. Drop me a note; I'd love to hear your thoughts so I can bring them into our class.

In episode 7's Living Leadership segment, I was joined by my long time friend, partner of our sport management program, and outstanding Trinity University alumnus (class of 2000), Terris 'T' Tiller. T is the Director of Alumni Career Engagement at Trinity and returned back home after a distinguished career on the U.S. Modern Pentathlon team and long-time team member at the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee.  During our conversation Terris emphasizes the need for leaders to create spaces that allow others to be seen, spaces to know they are valued. He considers equity and inclusion work to be deeply embedded in his day-to-day life and sees it as a way to grow capacity for the entire organization, but he knows it starts with vulnerable leaders who seek to earn trust by being the first to trust. He models that vulnerability for us when he shares stories about his transition from life as a student to life as an Olympian and about the day he knew his competition days were over.  Terris' concluding advice, to stay curious, couldn't be more powerful and perhaps never more important in our current climate.  To conclude the episode, I lectured on chapter 15 of the 10th edition of Peter G. Northouse's "Leadership: Theory and Practice." During the segment, I discuss the Inclusive Leadership concepts described and designed by Donna Chrobot-Mason and Quinetta Roberson.  In the lecture I mention this research article. If you want to know about the reason inclusion and inclusive leadership matters, please read "Gendered Leadership Networks in the NCAA: Analyzing Affiliation Networks of Senior Woman Administrators and Athletic Directors" (request full text here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323505935_Gendered_Leadership_Networks_in_the_NCAA_Analyzing_Affiliation_Networks_of_Senior_Woman_Administrators_and_Athletic_Directors) I hope you enjoy the episode. Drop me a note; I'd love to hear your thoughts so I can bring them into our class.

In episode 6 of season 6, I lecture on chapter 6 from the 10th edition of Peter G. Northouse's "Leadership: Theory and Practice." During the segment, I describe the Path-Goal leadership approach, highlight the basics of how Path-Goal theory works, and conclude with strengths and criticisms of the model. Before the lecture, I was joined by Nick Cowell for the Living Leadership segment. Nick was the head women's soccer coach at Trinity from 1991-98 during which he lead the Tigers to an amazing record of 117-3-8  and developing six all-Americans. After leaving Trinity he coached at Baylor Unviersity and has been the head women's coach at St. Edward's University for 20 years. He is the winningest coach in NCAA Division II history among active coaches, with 465 total wins, and is third all-time. He ranks 14th all-time across all divisions of the NCAA, second all-time in NCAA Division II, and seventh all-time in NCAA Division III. Cowell ranks in the top 50 for winningest coaches of all-time as determined by winning percentage across all divisions, 15th all-time in NCAA Division II, and 25th all-time in NCAA Division III. But, whatever you do - don't talk to him about the numbers. As he says, "all of that doesn't help me win the next game." Nick played an important part in my growth and development as a college student, so speaking with him about his leadershp philosophy and how he employs the Path-Goal approach was meaningful. Nick is a great role model for leaders everywhere. I hope you enjoy our conversation. And please, drop us a note on LinkedIn - or send me a tweet (@TingleJK) - to let us know your Take Home.

In episode four's Living Leadership segment I'm joined by Josh Wollock a Trinity alumnus ('99) and Executive Vice President at SPORTFIVE. Before moving to SPORTFIVE, Josh had a long career at Genesco and has worked on sport marketing consulting for most of his post-Trinity life.  During our conversation, Josh details why relationships are key to a leader's success, that great leaders are first great followers, and the value of saying yes to opportunities. He cares deeply about role modeling, and surrounding himself with curious, life-long learners. Josh also emphasizes the power in seeking new opportunities and the value in becoming indispensable. We speak at length about authenticity and you can hear how he truly lives that mantra. And when he described winning the 50/50 ball as a metaphor for leadership (doing things with purpose, passion, and to set an example), I just knew it was going to be a great conversation!  The episode concludes with my lecture on chapter 4 of the 10th edition of Peter G. Northouse's "Leadership: Theory and Practice." During the segment, I discuss behavioral approaches to studying leadership, the DISC behavioral profile, and highlight the Blake-Mouton Leadership Grid.  There's so much leadership gold in the episode. Enjoy!

Episode 3 of Season 6 begins with the Living Leadership Interview segment. This week I had the joy to discuss leadership philosophy, the skills great leaders utilize, and the importance of lifelong learning with Trinity alumnus Kyle Porter.  Kyle is the Director of Player Performance with the Colorado Rapids who play in the Major League Soccer (MLS) Western Division. Before joining the Rapids in 2022, he worked as the Assistant Director of Sports Performance at Grand Canyon State University, the Director of Soccer Performance at FC Arizona, and owned and operated Porter Athletic Performance in which he worked with over six soccer academies and clubs. While at Trinity, Kyle was a two-year captain (2011 & 2012), won four Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Championships, and advanced to the NCAA Division III National Tournament four times with three Sweet Sixteen appearances, and one Elite Eight appearance in 2008. He details how his Trinity experience as a Finance and Marketing major shaped his professional trajectory and the importance of his men's soccer teammates and Coach Paul McGinlay in helping him develop his leadership philosophy and approach to relationship building.  During our conversation, Kyle spoke in great detail about why great leaders look first to develop relationships, paraphrasing the Teddy Roosevelt quote, "Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care." We also discussed individual and organizational trust, the importance of staying in observation mode as long as you can, and that great leaders practice empathy and compassion. Kyle also highlights the value of genuine curiosity, that the "only guarantee is that there are no guarantees," and how collaboration can lead to a positive team culture.   The episode concludes with my lecture on chapter 3 of the 10th edition of Peter G. Northouse's "Leadership: Theory and Practice." During the segment, I highlight the evolution of skills-based approaches to studying leadership and detail Mumford et al.'s Skills Model of Leadership. Send me your thoughts and let's keep the conversation going on Twitter / X (@TingleJK) or on LinkedIn.

In episode 2, of Season 6, after the Living Leadership segment, I provide a brief lecture on Kouzes and Posner's "The Leadership Challenge," during which I describe the fundamentals of leadership, the characteristics of admired leaders, and highlight the Five Practices (or behaviors) of Exemplary Leaders. In the Living Leadership Interview segment, I discuss leadership philosophy with Libby Kruse, the Vice President of Partnership Sales at Minnesota Timberwolves & Lynx and Trinity University alumna ('14).  Libby describes her personal leadership journey, coming from Minnesota to play college basketball at Trinity, a transformational coaching change, an exercising outsight in as many ways possible. She details the importance of mentors and why being curious is a key personal trait for emerging leaders to develop and refine.   She emphasizes that leadership is earned, not given - and can be accomplished by building relationships, developing trust, and being curious. Libby cares deeply about being a role model, inspiring others, challenging (with a purpose), allowing others to be their best, and why she relishes being "the hype woman."  Libby also describes how her experience as an athlete and self-awareness, developed partially through using the DISC profile, allowed her to see two or three steps into the future. It was so much fun to catch up with my former student -- I hope you love the Spring Break story as much as I do!!!  Send me your thoughts and let's keep the conversation going on Twitter (@TingleJK) or on LinkedIn.

Season 6 kicks off with the Living Leadership Interview. In the segment, I was lucky to sit down with Marco Ferruzzi to discuss his leadership philosophy and how he sees it playing out in his day-to-day.  Marco is the Sporting Director for San Antonio Futbol Club (SAFC) and is also the parent of a Trinity sport management alumna! He is a San Antonio native and after graduating from Keystone High School, we attended the University of North Carolina to play soccer. After a long professional playing career, Marco obtained his USSF coaching 'A' license and got the opportunity to join the coaching staff at FC Dallas. After two decades in Dallas, Marco came home to San Antonio to assume his current role with SAFC in November 2023.  During our conversation, he highlights the importance of mentors and how leaders (mentors) have the vision to support followers and to help them recognize gifts they might not even see that they possess. Marco talks at length about why it's important for leaders to be great listeners, to have a clear vision, and create inclusive environments in which employees feel safe to make mistakes and be innovative.  Listen for how Marco talks about emergent leadership and how people can BE leaders even without the title.  After my conversation with Marco, I lecture on chapter 1 of Peter G. Northouse's "Leadership: Theory and Practice." General concepts of leadership are discussed, the term is defined, and there's a special focus on the connection between leadership and power. Send me your thoughts and let's keep the conversation going on Twitter / X (@TingleJK) or on LinkedIn.

This spring I'm releasing bonus episodes of The Take Home. No new lectures on leadership, instead I'm sharing the amazing podcasts created by the students in my Leadership for Sport Professionals class. This final bonus episode of Season 5 features "Leadership in Motion" which was produced and created by Luke Pfeiffer, River Rocha, Jordan Arce. Here are their liner notes: Lou Simon, an entertainment industry veteran and former collegiate baseball player, is the founder of Game Ready Enterprises and the creator of the Game Ready Softball Series. In 2021, he launched The League, a nonprofit collegiate softball summer league that continues to thrive and expand across Southern California. Lou is deeply passionate about promoting fastpitch softball and increasing positive awareness for the sport. In this episode, Lou shares insights on perseverance during challenging times and the importance of advocating for others. He highlights the value of reflection, giving back to the community, and supporting the goals of those around him. Lou also shares compelling stories, from the creation of his softball league to his journey in the entertainment industry Louis Simon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louis-simon-a3b124a/ GameReady Enterprises: http://www.youtube.com/@gamereadyenterprises1542

This spring I'm releasing bonus episodes of The Take Home. No new lectures on leadership, instead I'm sharing the amazing podcasts created by the students in my Leadership for Sport Professionals class. In this bonus episode of Season 5, I'm sharing "Outside the Lines" which was created and produced by Harrison Durow, Christian Green, and Zander Guckian. Here are their liner notes: In this episode of Outside the Lines, we interviewed Maryellen Durow, a Hall of Fame volleyball player at the University of Northern Iowa and a varsity coach and athletic director in her own right, about how her experiences shape her outlook on leadership. Maryellen narrates her journey from growing up in Milwaukee, to being a successful athlete at Pius High School, where she helped her teams compete for state championships. She explains how being an athlete helped her develop resilience, teamwork, and the potential to change a team culture when things go south. The discussion explores gender expectations in leadership, changing opportunities for women in athletics, and the balancing act of being assertive versus likable. Inspired by her high school coach, Mr. Fisher, and the great UCLA Coach John Wooden, Maryellen teaches the fighting values of hard work, trust, and teamwork. She also discusses the significance of setting goals, building strong relationships, and adapting a leadership approach to individual and team needs. Her advice for aspiring coaches and athletes centers around being vulnerable, honing people skills, and valuing team success over individual accolades. The lessons from this episode go beyond lessons we can learn on the court and in administration, and they also show how we live our day-to-day lives around building a culture of trust and growth. Maryellen's wisdom offers concrete advice for all who want to lead with authenticity and purpose. Podcast Music- https://freemusicarchive.org/music/daynigthmorning/business/for-podcast/ "For Podcast" by DayNigthMorning

This spring I'm releasing bonus episodes of The Take Home. No new lectures on leadership, instead I'm sharing the amazing podcasts created by the students in my Leadership for Sport Professionals class. In this bonus episode of Season 5, I'm sharing "Game Changers: Leadership in Sports" which was created and produced by Abby Miller and Trey Green. Here are their liner notes: In this episode of Game Changer: Leadership in Sport, we talk with Olympians Conor McCullough and Conor McCullough Jr to discuss situational approaches, followership, and gender in sports which are found in chapters 5, 13, and 14 from the 9th edition of Peter G. Northouse's "Leadership: Theory and Practice." Conor McCullough is an Irish athlete who competed in the men's hammer throw. He studied at Kent State and Boston University. Eventually, he went on to compete at the 1984 and 1988 Summer Olympic Games. Later, he welcomed his son Conor McCollough Jr. into the world. Conor Jr. studied at Princeton University and the University of Southern California. In 2016, he competed in the 2016 Olympic Games, following in the footsteps of his father. They both mention the importance of adjusting leadership styles to match an athletes preferred style. They both referred to this approach as meeting people where they are at. Preferences and needs of the athletes change daily, and a good leader has to be able to adapt. Conor Jr. also talks about his experience being coached by different coaching styles. They also mention how women in sports have come a long way. Conor Jr. always felt that having women and men practicing with each other pushes everybody to work harder and created a space for women to achieve great things and avoid the labyrinth they often face. They part with words of wisdom on how to be an elite athlete. In their advice, Conor and Conor Jr. mention trying a variety of sports growing up to become a well rounded athlete. Music: "Inspire Me" by PianoPassion (https://prosearch.tribeofnoise.com/artists/show/41169/19379/Inspire%20Me) "Dive (Instrumental)" staticinverona https://prosearch.tribeofnoise.com/artists/show/33324/42267

This spring I'm releasing bonus episodes of The Take Home. No new lectures on leadership, instead I'm sharing the amazing podcasts created by the students in my Leadership for Sport Professionals class. In this bonus episode of Season 5, I'm sharing "Beyond the Arc" which was created and produced by Jacob Harvey and Halle Hamilton. Here are their liner notes: In season 2, episode 1, Jacob and I explore Northouse's ethical leadership style as detailed in chapter 15 of the 9th edition of Peter G. Northouse's "Leadership: Theory and Practice." During this segment, we highlight the importance of mentoring through observation, speak about humility's role in a collaborative and flexible coaching style and why people should always come first, discuss connections to Trinity, and end with a few valuable bits of wisdom to carry into the future. We also touch on the leadership challenge and the five components of leadership that we discuss in class, competence, benevolence, reliability, trust, and honesty, and how Jay naturally utilizes these practices as a leader in the Sports Industry. For this episode, we are joined by Jay Demings, the 3x3 national teams director of basketball for Team USA. Before arriving in Colorado Springs, Jay coached AAU basketball teams and fostered many youth basketball events. Jay earned his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from UMass Amherst and later pursued graduate studies in Sport Leadership at Northeastern University in Boston. Jay Demings joined USA Basketball as the Youth & Sport Development Director at the end of 2013. After expanding the division to include youth and coach development initiatives, 3x3, and E-Sports, Demings officially transitioned his full-time focus to 3x3 men's and women's national teams. Jacob first met Jay when he toured the USA Basketball headquarters in Colorado Springs during his freshman basketball season. From there, he got to know him by being a practice player at training camps for 3x3 world cups and competing in 3x3 events. Jay speaks very passionately about having a collaborative style when coaching. He believes that most of his early success as a coach came from his ability to admit when something went wrong and having the humility to tweak it with the help of his player's input. He drives home that, as leaders, it is extremely important to show people that you care about them more than the results and how far that truly goes. When we spoke about leadership philosophy, Jay stated his was: "Stay as flexible as you possibly can while maintaining your values, standards, and ethics." He highlights the importance of implementing standards in place of rules and that these standards should be agreed upon collaboratively. When we dove into specific values of leadership, Jay believed trustworthiness was above all else. We loved how he consistently emphasized the importance of prioritizing people, particularly athletes, over the game itself. Jay wraps this conversation up by encouraging listeners to look for roles that allow them to expand their skills and emphasizes the importance of doing a multitude of skills, even the unfavorable ones, to the best of your ability. This is an excellent conversation to introduce season 2, and we thoroughly hope you take this conversation beyond the arc! Music by: Beat Mekanik

This spring I'm releasing bonus episodes of The Take Home. No new lectures on leadership, instead I'm sharing the amazing podcasts created by the students in my Leadership for Sport Professionals class. In this bonus episode of Season 5, I'm sharing "Shaping Champions" which was created and produced by Seth Jacobs and Joe Mehary. Here are their liner notes: Shaping Champions is a podcast formed by Seth Jacobs and Joe Mehary; the objective of the podcast is to interview sport industry leaders seeking insight about their perspectives on developing leadership skills. In Season 1 Episode 1, Seth and Joe look at the textbook "Leadership: Theory and Practice," to draw inspiration from the Leader Membership Exchange (LMX) and chapter 16, team leadership. More specifically, Seth and Joe, talk about the dyadic relationships and building trust between players and coaches, and how heterarchical (lateral) oriented teams can have advantages compared to hierarchical teams. In this episode, Seth and Joe are joined by Todd Wildman. Todd is a Trinity University alumni who is a multiple time national champion, competing numerous events, including multis. Todd graduated from Trinity with a double major in finance and accounting, receiving a masters degree in accounting from Trinity as well. Todd now owns a real estate company along with his wife, a fellow Trinity alumni. In his spare time, Todd raises his two boys, and coaches for the Trinity track and field team. Specifically coaching hurdlers and supplementing in other areas when needed. In the episode Todd discusses his time at Trinity, being a leader on the Track team, a student, a professional, and lastly, a coach. Todd puts an emphasis on the discipline that being a high performing athlete taught him, as well as, the organizational skills that being a student at a rigorous university taught him, and how these skills were a catalyst for a successful professional career. Being a coach, Todd tries to build relationships with his athletes to the point where it feels like a mutual respect between both parties. He also believes effective team leaders are those who are committed to the team and approach each day with a purpose, it is not about vocalness or popularity, it is simply about one's will to success for themselves and their teammates. We hope that our conversation with Todd will give you some useful insight on leadership within sports and the application of those same skills in the professional and academic environments. We really enjoyed our conversation and hope that you will as well. Music Credits: Getting Wild Instrumental by jonworthymusic

This spring I'm releasing bonus episodes of The Take Home. No new lectures on leadership, instead I'm sharing the amazing podcasts created by the students in my Leadership for Sport Professionals class. In this bonus episode of Season 5, I'm sharing "Tower Talk" which was created and produced by JonConnor Rule and Samuel Colombowala. Here are their liner notes: "Tower Talks" is a podcast hosted by JonConnor and Samuel, dedicated to exploring the insights and experiences of leaders in the sports industry. The podcast's mission is to provide valuable perspectives on cultivating leadership skills and fostering personal and professional growth within the world of sports. In Season 1, Episode 1 of "Tower Talks," JonConnor and Samuel draw on Peter Northouse's Leadership: Theory and Practice to explore the Situational Leadership Model and its practical application in sports management. Specifically, they focus on the importance of the supporting style, which emphasizes stepping while remaining available to guide and assist—especially when things go wrong. They also reflect on leadership practices from The Student Leadership Challenge, particularly the concept of "Enabling Others to Act", which focuses on empowering individuals through trust, collaboration, and mutual respect. Marco discusses how he integrates these principles, ensuring that every team member feels valued and equipped to succeed. In this episode, JonConnor and Samuel are joined by Marco Ferruzzi, the Director of San Antonio FC (SAFC). Marco brings a wealth of experience, having transitioned from a successful ten-year professional playing career to key leadership roles in Major League Soccer and beyond. During this conversation, we explore Marco's journey in sports management, starting from his early days as a professional soccer player to his current role at SAFC. We discuss the intricacies of managing a team, building a winning culture, and fostering a deep connection between a team and its community. Marco shares insights into his leadership philosophy, emphasizing collaboration, communication, and trust. Importantly, Marco dives into how he builds a strong team culture by fostering an inclusive and positive atmosphere for players and staff, ensuring everyone feels connected and valued. He highlights the importance of community engagement in creating a deeper bond between SAFC and its passionate supporters in San Antonio, emphasizing that teams thrive when the community is part of their identity. When discussing leadership under pressure, Marco shares his decision-making strategies for handling situations, offering valuable insights on creating a comfort system that surrounds employees, players, and fans when things go wrong. As the episode concludes, Marco offers advice to young professionals aiming for a career in sports management. He emphasizes the importance of versatility, a willingness to embrace challenges, and building meaningful relationships in the industry. This episode is packed with actionable insights for sports enthusiasts, aspiring managers, and anyone looking to improve their leadership skills. Marco's passion for prioritizing people over results and creating a culture of empowerment is both inspiring and practical for listeners across all fields. Song: Breaking the Rules, Thesieryj

This spring I'm releasing bonus episodes of The Take Home. No new lectures on leadership, instead I'm sharing the amazing podcasts created by the students in my Leadership for Sport Professionals class. In this bonus episode of Season 5, I'm sharing "Leading on All Fronts" which was created and produced by Eric Liao and Kathryn Detweiler. Here are their liner notes: In the premiere and only episode of Leading on All Fronts, hosts Eric and Kathryn explore the critical themes of Inclusive Leadership and Team Leadership from chapters 12 and 16 of Peter G. Northouse's Leadership: Theory and Practice (9th Edition). They discuss key leadership strategies such as embracing responsibility, mastering clear and consistent communication, fostering a collective "bought-in" mentality, and exemplifying qualities that inspire others to follow. Their guest, Jeff Mueller, brings a wealth of experience and insight to the conversation. As a partner at Polen Capital and co-portfolio manager of the firm's Global Growth strategy, Mueller combines deep expertise in finance with a disciplined approach to leadership. He also serves as an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School, where he teaches Compounders in the renowned Value Investing Program. Mueller's path to leadership is both dynamic and inspiring. Over a decade of service in the U.S. Marine Corps, he flew more than 200 combat missions in F/A-18 aircraft, honing his skills in high-pressure, mission-critical environments. He later transitioned to finance, earning his M.B.A. with honors and distinction from Columbia Business School while being recognized as a Tillman Scholar. Before that, he graduated from Trinity University with a Bachelor of Arts in communication and business administration, captaining the men's tennis team, achieving All-American status, and contributing to a national championship victory. Today, he resides in Florida with his wife and two children. In this episode, Mueller reflects on the lessons learned throughout his career, emphasizing the importance of continuous growth and embracing the question, "What's next?" He also shares a powerful insight from his Marine Corps experience: the motto, "Mission first, Marines always." This guiding principle underscores the need to prioritize team cohesion as the foundation for achieving a shared mission—wisdom that resonates far beyond military service. Through engaging dialogue and actionable insights, this episode provides a thoughtful exploration of leadership and its impact. It's a fitting way to both introduce and conclude Leading on All Fronts. Music Credits: ● Intro: "Epic" by BlackTrendMusic ● Outro: "Epic" by Lite Saturation