Cigna’s Mike Triplett says: As you advance, reach back and bring someone with you.
Episode 132
Download Free Bonus Resource
Some people view corporate success as climbing a ladder; Cigna’s Mike Triplett views it as crossing a bridge, and Triplett takes special care never to cross a bridge without bringing someone along who contributed to his success. That’s good news for Triplett’s colleagues at Cigna because he has crossed a lot of bridges en route to becoming the man in charge of the company’s U.S. employer group business market strategy, sales, and local community engagement initiatives.
“My college coach once said that as a manager, you always want to build a bridge,” said Triplett, who played football at South Carolina State. “That means as you are moving along in an organization, you are walking across that bridge. You want to make sure that the people who are working with you and for you are crossing that bridge with you. You want to have a full bridge because, if it’s empty and you’re standing on the other side all by yourself, it’s only been about you. It hasn’t been about the team.”
The leader’s responsibility, notes Triplett, is to mentor and sponsor others so that they are prepared to advance along with you. Triplett’s dedication to those concepts has earned him four national recognitions from Savoy Magazine as one of the Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America and a seat on the National Corporate Council for the National Forum for Black Public Administrators.
Triplett likens great business leaders to great coaches. For example, when evaluating the most successful NFL coaches of all time, Triplett is less impressed by those who won a bunch of Super Bowls than he is by those who developed many other coaches who went on to win even more Super Bowls.
In other words, Triplett is a mentor’s mentor, and in the podcast, he offers lessons and tips that anyone with aspirations to improve their own leadership skills can benefit from. These include:
- The difference between a mentor and sponsor and why leaders should be “someone to learn and grow from” as well as “that person who can move you through an organization.”
- How to practice gratitude in the workplace. “What my mom went through to put me through college constantly reminds me how blessed I am to come to work,” he said in an emotional moment.
- How to deepen your preparation by knowing a little bit more than the competition—a practice he developed scouting college football opponents.
“The difference between high school and college football was watching film versus studying film,” Triplett observed. Triplett takes that difference with him today. “When you watch film in college, you actually study it, and you become a master of understanding your opponent, your competitor. It’s an important part of the process of continuous improvement that you have to take to heart in business.”
You will learn:
- 8:00 How to inspire determination in others.
- 15:00 How to encourage employees to live out company values.
- 22:00 How to hire and train the right people.
- 25:00 How to next-level your interview questions.
- 26:00 Stephen’s experience coaching future NBA players.
Resources:
View All Episodes
-
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian: Lessons learned leading through the darkest hour
Episode 66 | Baseball, Basketball
-
FanDuel CEO Amy Howe asks: Do you schedule time to think?
Episode 108 | Gymnastics
-
Carla Vernon, Amazon Vice President of Consumables, asks: Athletes have a warm-up routine, does your corporate team?
Episode 94 | Dance
-
Dolf Berle, Topgolf CEO, asks: Do you practice courage?
Episode 1 | Track & Field
-
Amicus Therapeutics CEO John Crowley teaches how to be purpose-driven.
Episode 69 | Football
-
Condoleezza Rice encourages you to build bridges as a leader.
Episode 82 | College Football Playoff Committee
-
Chick-fil-A Chairman Dan Cathy reflects on the most exhilarating moment of his life.
Episode 112 | National Wrestling Hall of Fame
-
Netflix CFO Spencer Neumann asks: Are you good at saying no to protect your priorities?
Episode 110 | Harvard Football
-
Brian Moynihan, Chairman and CEO of Bank of America, asks: Do you have a curious mind?
Episode 22 | Rugby
-
Broadcast Legend Lesley Visser says: Treat every opportunity like it’s the Super Bowl.
Episode 111
-
Longtime Waffle House President & COO Bert Thornton teaches how to engage your team in conversation
Episode 57 | Football
-
ESPN’s Jay Bilas says: Leaders should be demanding not demeaning.
Episode 88 | Basketball
-
Warrick Dunn, Atlanta Falcons Part Owner and Former NFL Running Back, Asks: Will You Choose to Be Bitter or Better?
Episode 37 | Football
-
Simon Sinek, Team Building Expert, asks: How do we win a game that has no end?
Episode 34 | Special Edition
-
Rick Hendrick, NASCAR Hall of Famer, asks: Are you valuing your people over profits?
Episode 27 | Baseball
-
Louis Carr, President of BET Media, asks: Can you overcome two pandemics?
Episode 2 | Track & Field
-
Chick-Fil-A Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility Rodney Bullard shares a leader’s need for grace and forgiveness
Episode 45 | Football
-
David Ross, Chicago Cubs Manager, Joins Us For a World Series Special Edition
Episode 14 | Baseball
-
Dawn Hudson, longtime NFL Chief Marketing Officer and Pepsi NA President, asks: Do you look at your company from the outside?
Episode 21 | Tennis
-
John C. Maxwell, Leadership Expert, Asks: Do You Know The Top Time-Waster In Leaders’ Lives?
Episode 8 | Basketball
-
Fred Perpall, CEO of The Beck Group, asks: Do you have a deep understanding of your teammates?
Episode 20 | Basketball
-
Dr. Kent Thielen, CEO of Mayo Clinic Florida, asks: Are You Willing to Go Off-Script When the Situation Calls for it?
Episode 18 | Basketball
-
CEO of Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux Brandon Landry asks: What is your underdog story?
Episode 39 | Basketball
-
Xavier Williams, CEO of American Virtual Cloud Technologies, Asks: Does The Content You Read Expand Your Thinking?
Episode 9 | Basketball
-
Carl Eschenbach, Sequoia Capital Partner, Asks: Do You Hate To Lose Or Love To Win?
Episode 6 | Wrestling
-
Savannah Bananas Owner Jesse Cole says: Stop doing what your customers hate.
Episode 85 | Baseball