Get ready for the leadership conversation you didn't know you needed. In this special 2-part series, you will meet Anton Gunn, former senior advisor to President Barack Obama, and one of the world's leading authorities on socially conscious leadership.
Part 1 dives into Anton's raw and unfiltered story, from college football disappointments and careers dead ends to moments of powerlessness that nearly broke him. What unfolds is a masterclass in perseverance, humility and the mentor that changed Anton's life for years to come.
We talk about service, career pivots and the beautiful way life reroutes us to our calling, if we're paying attention. Anton generously shares moments of darkness behind incredible success and impact, with a determination to defeat all the odds.
Anton Gunn has a Masters Degree in Social Work from University of South Carolina and was a resident Fellow at Harvard. He is the bestselling author of 'The Presidential Principles' and has been featured in TIME Magazine, Forbes, BBC, NPR and on Good Morning America. Recently, Anton was named by Fierce Healthcare as one of the Most Influential Minority Executives in Healthcare.
As an international speaker and consultant, he has worked with organizations like Mercedes Benz, T-Mobile, Entrepreneurs' Organization Sodexo, KPMG, Verizon Wireless, Aetna, Blue Shield of California, American College of Surgeons, FINRA, and the Boeing Company.
From playing SEC Football and being the first African American in history elected to the SC legislature from his district early in his career, to now serving on multiple boards, he has spent his life helping people build diverse high performing teams and world class leadership culture.
Episode Highlights:
A college football dream became a catalyst for leadership and inner strength.
The power of mentorship, generosity and not blocking your blessings.
Finding purpose in pain and learning how to lead from a place of power.
Quotables:
[00:07:09] - Anton
"One of the cornerstones of my philosophy in life is to be useful to the people around you, because we can't control everything."
[00:15:46] - Anton
"I lost focus on the goals that I wanted, the things that I wanted. I was in what I call a hostile environment, that I threw what I wanted to do out of the window, and my only point was to survive. To me, surviving was, how do I get a college degree as fast as possible to get away from these coaches and to get away from this school?"
[00:42:28] - Anton
"Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain that it takes to change."
Anton's Links and Resources:
The Presidential Principles Book
Tosca’s Links and Resources:
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Giving Flowers To:
Theme music by: Adrian DiMatteo
Podcast edited by: Landis Podcast Editing