Coaching-Led Leadership: From High School Basketball to the Boardroom with Michael Rady of Swisher

Today, we’re joined by Michael Rady, Executive Vice President of People and Culture at Swisher, whose career spans senior leadership roles at PepsiCo, United Parks & Resorts, and Ingersoll Rand. He brings a lifetime of coaching influence, a world-class talent mindset, and deep experience leading organizations through transformation. Michael shares how his athletic upbringing shaped his leadership philosophy, why coaching is central to every manager’s job, and how he’s helping modernize a legacy brand through culture, care, and capability.

Key Takeaways:

00:00 Introduction.
03:33 An employee motivation class shaped Michael’s entire HR career and business philosophy.
09:11 Care, not trust, is the foundation for building high-performing cultures.
14:49 Capability, culture, and pace are the three pillars of effective leadership.
19:05 Getting cut reinforced humility, resilience, and commitment to improvement.
24:59 Leaders must invest in coaching and developing strong followership within organizations.
35:43 Most hiring mistakes come from missing cultural fit, not assessing technical skills.
39:40 Build authentic networks by connecting with talented people on quality work projects.
44:28 Evolving leadership blends old-school toughness with modern intentional growth.
49:55 Recognizing meaningful impact inspires continued innovation and collective growth.

Resources Mentioned:

Michael Rady
  / michael-rady-65396b10  

Swisher | LinkedIn
  / swishercompany  

Swisher | Website
https://swisher.com/




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Connect with our host, Oz Rashid, on LinkedIn:   / ozrashid  .

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