12 O’Clock High, a podcast on business leadership brings together stories from history, the arts, sports and movies, research and current events to consider leadership lessons. In this episode, Tom is joined by Jennifer May, Director of Compliance Advisory at Broadcat to mine some leadership lessons from former Tennessee women’s basketball coach, Pat Summitt.

Pat Summitt was one of the most successful coaches in college basketball history. She is best known for her impressive record of 8 NCAA championships and 1,000 wins. Even more impressive than the wins, however, was the way she coached and led her teams: with an emphasis on servanthood. While this may sound counterintuitive, it can actually lead to great success — and it’s a lesson all leaders can learn from. 

In in this episode of the 12 O'Clock High podcast with host Tom Fox, guest Jennifer May described how Pat Summitt approached basketball: “It was all centered around one very important concept and idea–the idea of servanthood.”  For leaders, servanthood means recognizing the power of humility and the importance of putting others first. It means building teams that are driven to succeed not through domination but through service, even when that means honoring what others have to contribute and embracing their unique strengths. 

Leaders who demonstrate servanthood will create a workplace culture that encourages employees to bring out their best, be open to criticism, and find ways to work together for the collective good. 

To hear more of the conversation between Tom Fox and Jennifer May about leadership lessons from Pat Summitt, tune into episode twelve of the 12 O’Clock High podcast. 

Resources

Jennifer May on Linkedin

Blog post Don’t Stop the Madness 

Webinar on Ethics Ambassador

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