A pair of former athletes share perspectives on some of the key topics in communications, relating them to lessons they learned from sports. 

Talent. “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” (Michael Jordan)

Dale: Somewhere along the line in corporate America, “human resources” became “talent.” While the new name is more appealing to everyone, it does allude to some inherent challenges. Just as a coach recruits and develops talent to fill a winning lineup, organizations must evaluate and upskill talent to succeed. Amassing talent is difficult, but leaders must also ensure their teams work cohesively and can respond rapidly to dynamic and competitive markets. 

Aanal: Corporate PR is a fantasy league where only the best of the best are recruited. The others are replaced by AI. The best teams always give their culture-building responsibilities to the rookies, like Doc Rivers did with the 2007 Boston Celtics. My job is to focus on the basics — be on time, speak your research, unload the dishwasher, and get the job done. Earning your team’s trust and respect is the prequel. The fun starts when you’ve proven yourself. Forget the ladder and enjoy the process of mastery

Culture. “We were trying to create a brand but also a culture.” (Phil Knight)

Dale: Why have we seen so many “super teams” flame out fantastically? The usual culprit is culture. Just as athletes can spit out cliches in interviews, organizations can virtue signal, but talk is cheap. Mission statements are well and good, but what is the underlying value system that guides critical decisions? That invisible layer is its culture, which can be most visible with leadership but is pervasive throughout. No amount of external communication can prop up an organization that has lost it. 

Aanal: Gen-Z isn’t thinking about mission statements or healthy workplace environments — that’s the norm now. We’re thinking about thought leadership. We’re thinking about becoming LinkedIn influencers, sitting on panels with veterans, and reposting our company’s posts on Instagram. But, this isn’t about fame, it’s about staying relevant. Doc Rivers’ philosophy of Ubuntu became part of the team’s culture, and in many ways, Gen-Z is looking for philosophies that feel fresh, provide more autonomy and embody empathetic leadership. That’s the type of culture I will stay loyal to.

Success. “You can’t do the same thing the same way and be successful for a long period of time.” (Billy Beane)

Dale: Baseball is famous for advanced statistical analysis (i.e. the quote above), but while Billy Beane’s Oakland A’s teams were immensely successful despite being small-market, they never won it all. The stats that drove success over 162 games did not play out the same way in a 5- or 7-game series because metrics are not created equally. The right ones at the right time determine who wins. Context is important, and we need to constantly revisit measurement accordingly.

Aanal: Success looks different to different people, but there are two parts that always overlap– preparedness and relationships. I can guarantee that anyone who consistently shows up to a room prepared will be successful in their chosen field sooner or later, regardless of inequities. Secondly, cultivate those relationships– grab coffee with journalists and walk into your MD’s room just to ask about their son’s vacation. Be interested in your people, and pay the way forward.

Adaptability. “Flexibility is the key to stability.” (John Wooden)

Dale: Technological advancement is redefining communications processes. While we cannot control the speed or magnitude of disruption, we must avoid spending cycles trying. Today, that means getting in front of generative AI, which has evolved from copilots we prompt to agents we deploy to handle tasks autonomously. As a result, we are all managers now — regardless of seniority level. Existing people managers, though, must arm our junior colleagues to ensure they are not being automated out of their jobs.

Aanal: Quantum is going to replace AI, AI is replacing the job market, and Snapchat is now a thing of the past. Moonshots are business-as-usual now. Gen Alpha values experiences over aesthetics. AI can predict when you will get cancer, and whether this new guy you’re talking to is “the one”. The more things change, the more they stay the same, or something like that. It may be a scary time for those of us just entering the workforce, but we’re in charge of this new digital revolution. We can be content creators (or create AI influencers), do mock interviews with veterans on Reddit, or navigate agency life by having AI polish our portfolios. The world is our oyster.

Nine innings, four quarters, three periods, two halves, launch date, election day, fiscal year end…it doesn’t matter. Winning begins way before the game even starts. As strategic communicators, it is always on us to serve as the eyes and ears for the organizations we represent, but positioning everyone for success requires the right team working toward the right goals and objectives. The rest is remaining focused and filtering out noise. 

Dale Legaspi is a 15-year PR veteran and former USC baseball player. He has built a career on lessons he learned from his time as a student-athlete and, later, a coach. He now leads multiple corporate technology accounts at Zeno Group and serves as an adjunct professor at USC Annenberg.

Aanal Doshi, a former collegiate basketball player, is entering the PR world with fresh eyes, a global perspective and the kind of Gen Z mindset that questions everything, even the status quo. She is a second-year PR and advertising graduate student at USC Annenberg. With over 2.5 years of agency experience overseas and now part of the Tech PR team at Zeno Group, Aanal is deeply passionate (obsessed) with AI, product innovation and Euroleague basketball.