Corporate Competitor Podcast

Target's CEO, Brian Cornell, shares how his sports background shaped his leadership style, emphasizing humility and teamwork. He discusses the importance of effective communication, retail fundamentals, and clear roadmaps for business success. Cornell also highlights the benefits of team immersion trips and strategic shifts for business growth.

Ep. 181: Colgate Football shaped this leader whose family of companies serves more than 38.5 million people. You will learn how to model calm presence and total responsibility to your team when these qualities are needed most. Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes Don’s favorite quotes from today’s episode and a reflection question so you can apply Pat’s insights.  --- Looking for a speaker for your next event? From more than 30 years of interviewing and studying the greatest winners of all time Don offers these live and virtual presentations built to inspire your team towards personal and professional greatness.  Special thanks to Hannah Edwards and Catherine Pattillo for making this episode possible.

Netflix Co-Founder Marc Randolph shares insights on leadership development, no vacation policy, and developing excellent talent evaluators. The podcast delves into the impact of sports on leadership, startup challenges, overcoming doubt in entrepreneurship, empowering employees, building high-performing teams, navigating momentum in business and sports, and Netflix's unique culture.

Ep. 179: Field Hockey at the University of Pennsylvania shaped this non-profit leader. Good Sports – “a food bank for sporting goods” – just hit their $100 million donation milestone.   If you are a leader who wants to learn how to make a larger impact through your clearly defined mission, you have much to learn from Melissa’s experience building Good Sports! Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes Don’s favorite quotes from today’s episode and a reflection question so you can apply Melissa’s insights.   Looking for a speaker for your next event? From more than 30 years of interviewing and studying the greatest winners of all time, Don offers these live and virtual presentations built to inspire your team toward personal and professional greatness. Special thanks to Libby Klemeyer and Francisco Nunez for making this episode possible.

Ep. 178: Baseball and basketball shaped Jeff who leads 60,000 global tax professionals. While he doesn’t do his own taxes, Jeff does “file” several practical tips in this episode including: The best way to begin team meetings by “checking in” and “checking out” How to frame questions that are “provocative” but also productive rather than aggressive or alienating.  How to rescue an unproductive meeting by figuratively getting everyone on your leadership “out on the balcony” to get some distance on what’s going sideways. The important difference between the “failing fast” and “learning more” mindsets. Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes fill-in-the-blank notes and reflection questions. Looking for a speaker for your next event? From more than 30 years of interviewing and studying the greatest winners of all time, Don offers these live and virtual presentations built to inspire your team towards personal and professional greatness.  Special thanks to T.J. Percell and Nicklas Urban for making this episode possible.

Ep. 177: Baseball, football, and fencing in college shaped this leader who has received 30 promotions during his decades-long career—showcasing his determination to equip those around him with a team-first mindset that produced an impact across the company. You will learn: The critical business lesson he learned from taking a called third strike during a Little League All-Star. The difference between leading a team and transforming a team. Why risk-taking is essential to swing momentum in your favor. Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes fill-in-the-blank notes and reflection questions. --- Looking for a speaker for your next event? From more than 30 years of interviewing and studying the greatest winners of all time Don offers these live and virtual presentations built to inspire your team towards personal and professional greatness. Special thanks to Francisco Nunez and Samantha Clark for making this episode possible.

Ep. 176: Steve found himself on the basketball court with Barack Obama growing up in Hawaii! His competitive spirit was on display when he co-founded AOL and lead the second largest merger of all time with the blending of new media AOL and old media Time Warner. Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes fill-in-the-blank notes and reflection questions. Click here to download the bonus resource. Looking for a speaker for your next event? From more than 30 years of interviewing and studying the greatest winners of all time Don offers these live and virtual presentations built to inspire your team towards personal and professional greatness.  Special thanks to Ethan Salzberg and Francisco Nunez for making this episode possible.

Ep. 175: Soccer shaped this leader who joined StretchLab when there were three franchise locations. Today, there are more than 400 studios across North America and 900 licensed locations globally, making them the global leader in assisted stretching. He offers numerous tips including: How to use the first minute of every meeting to “humanize” the context and put everyone in a more open and collaborative mindset. Creating daily, weekly, and monthly meeting rhythms that provide timely and relevant contexts for decision-making. Why your organization’s vision, purpose, and values need to come down off the wall and into your personal and team day-to-day conversations. Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes fill-in-the-blank notes and reflection questions. Click here to download the bonus resource. Looking for a speaker for your next event? From more than 30 years of interviewing and studying the greatest winners of all time, Don offers these live and virtual presentations built to inspire your team toward personal and professional greatness. Special thanks to Libby Klemeyer and Meredith Grimm for making this episode possible.

Ep. 174: Cornell Lacrosse shaped Jon Gordon who recently released The One Truth: Elevate Your Mind, Unlock Your Power, Heal Your Soul. We discuss ways to keep your team connected, including specific techniques. Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes fill-in-the-blank notes and a leadership activity for your team to connect by sharing a hero, hardship, highlight, hope, and something hilarious. Click here to download the bonus resource. +Looking for a speaker for your next event? From more than 30 years of interviewing and studying the greatest winners of all time Don offers these live and virtual presentations built to inspire your team towards personal and professional greatness.  ++Special thanks to Samantha Clark and Vince Jones for making this episode possible

Ep. 173: Field hockey at the University of Delaware and Team USA shaped Rachel’s competitive spirit and teamwork skills that help her lead a dynamic team across 17 countries. You will learn:  Four questions she asks employees to foster positive learning conversations with her team. The best way to identify a “diamond in the rough” who may be hiding in your business. How to implement and maintain an open door policy in a hybrid work environment. “Make it super clear you want them to reach out to you … then actually get back to them,” said Barger. Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes fill-in-the-blank notes and reflection questions. Click here to download the bonus resource. --- Looking for a speaker for your next event? From more than 30 years of interviewing and studying the greatest winners of all time Don offers these live and virtual presentations built to inspire your team towards personal and professional greatness.  Special thanks to Ethan Salzberg and Francisco Nunez for making this episode possible.