Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova.

This week I am very excited to bring back my first episode with an NFL coach, Michael Lombardi!

Michael is an American Football Executive and Media Analyst with over 30 years of experience who enjoyed front-row access to football titans Bill Walsh, Al Davis, and Bill Belichick. He was an assistant to the coaching staff of the New England Patriots and is a former Analyst for the NFL network. He previously served as an NFL executive for the San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, Philidelphia Eagles, and Oakland Raiders.

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… anyone who loves football and wants a masterclass in leadership and culture building.

TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… culture is key. In an organization like football, the role of the Head Coach goes beyond making calls, training players, or winning games. It’s the culture that the Head Coach develops that will ultimately determine how successful that team is. The same is true of business; it starts with your leadership and the culture set by that leadership. But, you can’t sit around and wait for it to develop, you have to be deliberate about building your team’s culture if you expect to be successful.

You have to figure out and know who you are as a person, as a team, as a business, and develop a plan to establish that culture as a leader. It starts with self-evaluation and planning. Whether you are 18 or 80, being self-aware and knowledgeable in your craft will make you a leader worth following, because you can develop a culture worth being a part of.

WHAT I LOVE MOST… Michael talks about the importance of self-evaluation in culture-building and working at the things that make you struggle, not merely following the “best light.” When you are good at self-evaluating, you are better prepared to grow and change with your industry and your craft.

Running Time: 36:32

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Find Michael Online:

Michael on The Ringer

15: International Retreat setup starting at Taraloka