The Signature Keynote
What's Your MVP?
Leadership lessons from the coach who inspired Ted Lasso
A simple, powerful framework to help leaders and teams think clearer, make better decisions, and create a lasting impact.
Check availabilityDonnie's first season as a head coach, he chased one thing: winning. His team went 3 and 18.
What changed everything was a line he read from John Wooden, that success is peace of mind that comes from knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming. Success was not about winning. It was about developing his players into the best people they could be.
Two years after he moved on, that program won a state title. That is the whole keynote in one idea: when you create better people, you create winning teams.
The framework your people take home.
Mission
Your why. Donnie's was simple: create better people, who then become better players. A clear mission tells everyone on the team what matters most, before a single decision gets made.
Values
Your non-negotiables. On Donnie's teams there were three. Trust, which comes from dependability and consistency. Accountability, where the leader holds himself to the standard first. Commitment to the team ahead of yourself. Those three decided who made the team and how everyone treated each other.
Principles
Your plan. Without a plan, it is just a dream. Donnie built practices that were mentally hard rather than physically punishing, with four players guarding five so his team had to talk, handle chaos and fail safely. Game nights felt easier than practice.
The stories he tells
- The mentor who refused to scream at officials, and what he said on the bus ride home after they lost because of it
- The night that mentor cut the best player at tryouts, and the reason: you need people you can count on
- The player Donnie had to remove from the team, the meeting with his father that followed, and the wedding invitation that came after
- The transfer from Chicago who was failing five of seven classes, the two senior leaders who asked Donnie to keep him, and the state runner-up season and Division I scholarship that followed
- The game Donnie lost by one, the things he said in the locker room, and the burger lunch where he apologized to two of his players
- The 5 a.m. Saturday practices Jason Sudeikis never missed, and the assist record he was quietly chasing
- The state championship, and what his principal said mattered more than the trophy
What your audience leaves with
- Know how to establish your own MVP, so you are clear on your purpose and focus and can make better decisions
- Recognize what each person brings to the team, so you can motivate them individually while they work toward a shared goal
- Support future leaders as they form their own set of values, knowing that confidence takes years to build
- Lead with humility, which shows up in character and in how you treat people, not in big words
- Develop people first through character and trust, because that produces long-term success beyond short-term wins
- Use purposeful, challenging practice to build communication, resilience and improvement through managed failure
- Start accountability at the top: admit mistakes, learn from them, and improve together
- Build a culture of respect, hard work and teamwork where people value and support one another
Who it fits: leadership teams, sales organizations, associations and conferences. Donnie has delivered this keynote for groups from a few dozen people to a ballroom of 540 business leaders.