Eighty Seconds of Development

There have been times in my life where facing fears has been difficult. I am mortified to admit this, but I was afraid of my shadow as a kid. I would walk by a light pole at night, see my shadow, and immediately think I was followed. I would sprint or walk in a different direction, but often, I could not shake my shadow. My siblings criticized me and had the time of their lives, making jokes about me and fearing my shadow. However, as a parent now, I am still afraid of my shadow. Not the one that reflects light but the literal shadow that mimics everything I perform, similar to my shadow reflection, my kids. Raising kids is difficult. I have fears and questions: am I developing my shadow for success? What are some things that I can do to help my kids succeed? I fear whether I am doing the right thing to prepare my shadow for a successful life. But, just as Susan David, the author of Emotional Agility, courage is not the absence of fear; courage is fear walking. So, as I know that fear is inevitable, as a parent, I allow courage to be the driving force, knowing that fear is still there. I embrace the shadow from the result of a light reflection that scared me as a kid to now; the light that reflects me that my kids will have an everlasting impact on society. Similarly, at work, we had shadows. Our colleagues and mentees follow us like the light reflection and my kids. There may be fear that we are not good enough to be shadowed. There may be doubt about the direction in which to lead your shadow. No matter the circumstance, know that you are prepared. The time is now to have courage and walk with fear. Allow courage to be the driving force, knowing that fear is imminent but not the zenith. That belongs to your courage. Support the show

When student-athletes decide to attend college, they leave the nest to start their journey as adults. They connect with peers and professors to help them grow as people and scholars. The institutional culture that they attend is also critical in this process. But, throughout my professional journey, I learned that parents can be the caveat to hindering this growth. Listen, I admit that I did not have a kid in college. But I once was a kid in college. I know that experience well and had to make a hard decision. That was to disconnect from my parents just enough so that I could grow as an individual. My parents never called my coach or professors. I would have been mortified. Because I did not have helicopter parents in these moments, it forced me to communicate, strategize, and think critically. Therefore, parents and athletes, growing with your community and institution are fine because that unlocks growth opportunities. Support the show

What makes you get up and go to that 5 AM workout? Is it health? What about staying up late to finish that work assignment? Is it perfectionism? Nevertheless, a "Why" is usually attached to a connection to something deeper. Some philosophers think that asking or saying why instead of what forces the other person to create a barrier or insert a defense mechanism, but I believe that answering your "Why" is important and will help uncover critical aspects of your work and personal life. Support the show

Leaders, how often have you dealt with staff and employees who did not agree with your decision? Many leaders need help with this conundrum, trying to please too many people. In these moments, it is critical to embrace the decision you made as a leader, and though many may not agree with it, their job is to support you. So, no matter what choices come your way, as the leader, be firm and confident in your final decision.Support the show

What happens at work when you are challenged? When someone asks you questions about your work, do you feel slighted? Do you become angry and annoyed? Or do you explain the situation in depth? I am guilty of asking for expansion on situations, but it is not due to a lack of trust or competency questioning. I am looking for an expert to explain the outcome. I do not have a background in sports medicine, psychology, nutrition, or many other areas in athletics. But I do like to learn, just like others. So when a leader asks why or what in a certain scenario, know they are not the expert. You are. They ask that you please expound on an instance where they are a novice. So don't get annoyed; know that as the expert, you must provide a layer of explanation that sometimes requires layperson's terms to help others understand. Support the show

The one thing that no one can defer or avoid is confrontation, whether this is as a player with a coach or a leader with an employee. At some point, there will be a difficult situation where one becomes irritated and leads to a confrontation. So, how do you handle these situations? Do you cool off and approach the situation later? Do you allow the berating that you are used to and just accept it? Or do you step right into it and communicate? I advise you to perform the latter. There is only one way to handle confrontation: step right into it. Lean into this situation with respect and honesty. Do not be passive-aggressive or demeaning. Stepping into it with honesty and respect will lead to clarity and build connection. So, step into confrontation and never lean away. Support the show

Have you ever found it challenging to delegate tasks? As a former wide receiver, I can relate. It’s like trying to catch, run, and block for yourself in a football game- seemingly impossible. Coaches, however, trust other players and delegate roles. I’ll be honest, I struggle with delegating due to my perfectionist nature. But, I’m actively working to improve in this area. So, I asked myself, ‘How can leaders learn to delegate when they’re used to doing everything themselves?’ I discovered that the first step is to define what can be delegated—starting with simple tasks or some marginally complex ones. Then, through this process, determine the right oversight, if needed, to ensure the project is completed orderly. In this scenario, as a leader, you’ll gain your followers’ trust and learn that they can be trusted too. Support the show

As a leader, are you aware of the intercultural competence in your organization? Some people in your organization may need help understanding how to engage with or interact with others who do not look like them. Or are you creating homogenous environments to avoid these situations? What type of training are you doing to allow your privileged workers to understand how to engage with and interact with people who don't look like them but don't come from similar backgrounds? As a leader, it is important to create training and other institutional protocols to educate individuals to engage and communicate with others from different racial or ethical backgrounds to improve organizational efficiency. But not just for your organization but for societal growth and wellness. Support the show

Many of my teammates and I discussed retirement each year during training camp. The stress and agony were defeating us. This mental fatigue is similar to workplace burnout. While we navigated training camp with the thought process of “one more year,” some employees approach their workplace with the “one more day” thought process due to burnout. Support the show

✨ Eighty Seconds of Development: Career Ascension✨In society, we hear the term self-made, but I often find that at some point, someone was willing to provide an opportunity for an individual career to ascend. It may not have been a huge assistance, such as teaching or showing you the way, but like Murphy and Rock, they provide an opportunity for you to showcase your talents. Leaders who want to see their organization grow and thrive must be resilient similarly. Leaders should adopt a Murphy mindset to help individuals under their purview to ascend. By design or default, the lever of support to drastically improve one's career is at your fingertips as a leader. Are you prepared to execute a plan to help someone in your organization’s career ascend? Are you prepared to be the jolt they need to reach their optimal level? Be the catalyst and be the reason they succeed. Support the show

As a kid living in poverty, I defined success with wealth. The lavish lifestyles shown on TV were critical to my definition of success. I was a big fan of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." The wealthy uncle lived in a mansion with his kids, and eventually, his nephew from poverty came to be a part of the family. I have an uncle who played professional baseball. I dreamed he would come and bring me into his affluent lifestyle. That dream never manifested. But at an early age, success was defined by external motivating factors. That was a critical driving motivating factor to be successful and play in the NFL. That was, in part, that my definition of success was not mine. My definition of success was fictitious because it did not reflect my values. Leaders should do a great job helping their colleagues allow values, not external motivators, to drive their success. Leaders can have performance assessments at the end of each year. During those assessments, leaders should ask bold questions about what success looks like for employees and consider asking about values and how they can help define success. Because knowledge is transferred, it is critical to help others define their success through values. Support the show

Leaders, coaches, and athletes can become far more effective if they begin to appreciate who they are as people and not measure themselves to others. Because the reality is that their uniqueness and intersections are critical to growth. Just think of the swimming photo as Michale Phelps edges Chad le Clos. As Phelps gains the lead, le Clos takes a peep to see how far ahead Phelps is. In hindsight, will not looking at Phelps help him win? We do not know, but the beauty in the photo is that self-acceptance and not measuring yourself against the other person can be costly at a critical time. Support the show

Reflecting on my NFL career, meditation was foreign to me. I rarely paused to focus on my breath, let alone comprehend the depth of equanimity. However, as I delved into an article, I realized that casual meditation and mindfulness are mere stepping stones to equanimity. This state of calm and balance requires a longer, more dedicated journey than sporadic mindfulness practices. Mindfulness is a short-term practice, while equanimity is a lifelong pursuit. I express transparency during these short podcasts. I struggled in the mindfulness phase early in my career as a professional in college athletics. I think that equanimity is essential to everyone and that it can have a profound impact on organizations. Are you willing to be the catalyst for change? Are you willing to start meditation or mindfulness groups that can extend the undisturbed balance of the mind to your colleagues? If you are a leader who knows how important your people are to your organization, now is the time to insert tactics as such and strive for equanimity.Support the show

Mentorship can provide grooming that leads to professional development and the gaining of critical knowledge. During my research on mentorship, a participant stated, "My mentor saw something in me and gave me opportunities to continue to grow." The participant would find success and become hired as one of the first Black women in college athletics. As a leader, examine your own organization. Who are you mentoring? There is someone in your organization in dire need of mentoring that could lead to an expansion of other opportunities. Mentoring is available to all leaders who make the competitive decision to step into advancing people. If leaders fail to address the need for mentorship, the more costly failures of advancing others in society will take a toll. Coincidentally, their organizations become stagnant, and the growth of people halts, which will be detrimental to the people and the organization.  Support the show

Episode 8 discusses the importance of culture. For this eighty-second podcast, culture is defined as an underlying system of shared values, beliefs, and assumptions about how things are done in organizations. We know that culture is not singular. A person is not a culture. Instead, culture is affected and shaped by the people who participate in it. Leaders should intentionally develop and grow people that are critical to the culture. Not only that, but the people you bring into your organization will either fit, add, or push against the overall culture. Therefore, understanding your culture is critical for hiring, promoting, and firing purposes. Placing a high level of care around culture is vital because you always want to advance and not strain the culture. Because culture is real and important to your organization.  Support the show

Episode 6 examines allowing failure to launch you into creativity. As leaders, when an employee fails, working alongside them can help them generate creativity and become more productive in the future.Support the show

Episode 6 examines leaders providing empathy to employees for doing the work to know themselves better. Employees work daily to navigate life while still trying to perform as employees, sons, daughters, football players, or students. In the midst of them trying to Know Thyself, leaders must provide empathy and compassion to help mitigate any further uneasiness. When leaders show compassion, followers gain trust and induce loyalty. So, similar to the people of ancient Greece visiting the temple of Apollo, someone you are leading is scheduling counseling sessions with therapists and other outlets to Know Themselves better. They are making a conscious effort to improve as a person. All they need now is empathy from their leader from time to time. Support the show

Eminem's "Lose Yourself" song is a great example of how self-reflection and criticism can catalyze growth. We must learn to embrace our failures, lose ourselves, and step right into the next opportunity. Do not dwell in the past. Instead, prepare yourself to step into what is next unwaveringly and intentionally. Because the next opportunity may be all that you have. Support the show

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As humans, we tend to be afraid of our stories. We cannot acknowledge the power that they have and how they are motivating factors that usually induce success. We avoid our stories in the workplace, school, or social events because they may not be as glamorous as others. Embrace your stories and allow them to help you prepare for a better future. Support the show

Episode two of Eighty Seconds of Development emphasizes the importance of embracing your authenticity. Support the show

Introduction of the Podcast Combined with life, work experience, and educational studies, the “Eighty Seconds of Development” message aims to impact and advance the lives of others.Join us each week to develop as a leader professionally and personally. Learn to lead authentically, utilize the power of transparency through stories, and set the vision and mission of your organization by building a culture that embraces differences. 🤗Support the show