S7 E7: Slam Dunk Leadership: What Basketball Taught Me About HR with Chris Henrichs

There's so much we can learn from the sports that we love.

So lace up your sneakers and pull up your socks, because this episode is a full-court press of insights, laughs, and way too many basketball metaphors!

Today, Chris Henrichs is giving a masterclass on how the lessons from the court can transform the way we think about HR, leadership, and building a workplace that doesn’t just survive, but thrives.

From Michael Jordan’s killer competitiveness to the art of drafting the right players (or employees), Chris breaks down all the interesting parallels between basketball and HR. 

We’re talking leadership styles, creating a winning culture, handling competition, and why HR is basically the coach, GM, and referee of the workplace.

Whether you’re a die-hard sports fan or someone who thinks a “pick-and-roll” is a bakery order, you’ll still hae actionable takeaways that’ll make you rethink how you lead, collaborate, and bounce back from setbacks.

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00:03:45 - One Topic Chris is Really Interested in Right Now

00:06:00 - The Connection Between Basketball and HR

00:08:07 - How Competition Helped Shape Chris’s Career 

00:13:22 - Who Inspires Chris in Sports, and How it Translates to HR Leadership

00:18:31 - How This Famous Michael Jordan Quote Plays Out in the Workplace

00:21:22 - Lessons Chris Learned About People Ops From Playing Basketball

00:27:26 - Different Leadership Styles and How They Compare to Leaders on the Court

00:31:24 - Balancing Top Perfomers With the Rest of the Team

00:34:45 - HR’s Equivalent of Drafting the Right Players

00:42:02 - Creating a Workplace Where People Challenge Each Other But Still Collaborate

00:43:57 - Bouncing Back From a Rough Patch

00:46:57 - Creating a Competitive But Healthy Work Environment

00:53:13 - Chris’s Dream Basketball Team Roster

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Follow Chris:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrishenrichs/

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