In this episode of Purpose Tracks powered by Executive Presence, I sit down with Lea Taylor — former collegiate volleyball player and coach, now a trusted advisor to Fortune 500 C-suite leaders — to unpack what grit really looks like when the pressure is real and the cameras are on. Together, we examine how sports forge the kind of leadership that boardrooms demand but rarely teach: emotional intelligence under fire, cultural fluency, and the self-awareness to lead without losing yourself.

We name what too many conversations leave out — the distinct weight carried by women, when visibility meets vulnerability.

The episode is both a challenge and an invitation: to stop editing your story and start leading from it.

We dive into the Coco Gauff moment at the 2026 Australian Open, and what happens when emotions meet public ...