Leadership isn’t a title…
It’s a practice.
And for a long time, I was practicing the wrong things.
I thought I knew the game.
I’m a storyteller.
An indie film studio founder.
A multi-hyphenate artist.
But when I looked at the scoreboard of my own leadership at Siingle…
The numbers weren’t adding up.
I was exhausted.
My small team was confused.
And the vision felt like it was stuck in the mud.
I had to take a step back.
I had to own it.
No finger-pointing.
Just me.
The mirror.
And the lessons left behind by the giants of women in sports history.
Here are 10 reasons why my leadership strategy wasn’t working.
And the strengths you can add to your own arsenal today.
1. I was playing a solo game in a team sport.
I’m a creator.
I’m used to the “lone wolf” energy of writing.
But entrepreneurship?
That’s a relay race.
I was trying to run every leg myself.
Then I looked at the history of the 1996 U.S. Women’s Gymnastics team.
The Magnificent Seven.
They didn’t win because of one person.
They won because they knew when to step up…
And when to let their teammate take the floor.
The Strength to Build:
Trust your “team” (even if it’s AI agents or freelancers).
Hand off the baton.
2. I was afraid of the “Foul.”
I wanted everything to be perfect.
Every pitch.
Every episode of Of Music and Men.
If there was a hint of a mistake…
I’d freeze.
But then I thought about Alice Coachman.
The first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal.
She didn’t have fancy equipment.
She practiced jumping barefoot.
She didn’t wait for “perfect” conditions.
She jumped over whatever was in front of her.
Ideas to Add:
Mistakes are just data.
Take the jump.
Even if you’re “barefoot.”
3. I ignored the “Scout Report” on myself.
I wasn’t being honest about my own weaknesses.
I thought a leader had to be good at everything.
Accounting.
Marketing.
VFX.
Directing.
But women in sports history teach us about specialized greatness.
Look at Eileen Gu.
She knows exactly what she excels at.
She has self-knowledge.
She doesn’t try to be a speed skater when she’s a freestyle skier.
The Strength to Build:
Identify your zone of genius.
Outsource the rest.
At Siingle, I learned to focus on the story.
And let the experts handle the spreadsheets.
4. I was mismanaging the “Game Clock.”
I was rushing.
Always in a hurry to launch.
I felt like I was behind.
Behind who?
I don’t know.
The internet?
Then I remembered the patience of Althea Gibson.
She waited years for her chance to compete at the highest levels.
She didn’t rush the process.
She honed the craft.
Ideas to Add:
Sustainability is a strategy.
Don’t burn out in the first quarter.
Build a pace that lasts until the final whistle.
5. I forgot to “Watch the Film.”
In sports, they watch the film after every game.
They analyze the movements.
They see where the gaps were.
I was moving so fast I never looked back at my own performance.
I wasn’t reflecting.
I was just… doing.
The Strength to Build:
Schedule a weekly “film review.”
Look at your leadership.
Where did you hesitate?
Where did you shine?
Check out my Funny Stories Blueprint for a look at how I analyze narrative structure.
Apply that same analysis to your business.
6. I was “Directing” instead of “Coaching.”
There’s a difference.
A director tells people where to stand.
A coach helps people find their own strength.
My strategy was too top-down.
I needed more “Coach Quinn” energy.
(If you haven’t checked out COACH QUINN yet… you should. It’s a vibe.)
You can grab the book or audiobook on Gumroad, Amazon, or Audible.
It’s all about a woman leading in a world that wasn’t built for her.
The Strength to Build:
Ask more questions.
Give fewer orders.
Empower your collaborators to solve the problem.
7. I was playing for the “Name on the Back.”
I was focused on my personal brand.
My ego.
My credits.
But leadership at its best is about the “Name on the Front.”
The mission.
The company.
The community.
When Wilma Rudolph won her three gold medals…
She didn’t just win for Wilma.
She won for women, and especially every Black woman, who had been told “no.”
Ideas to Add:
Connect your leadership to a cause bigger than your paycheck.
At Siingle, we tell stories that matter.
That’s our “team jersey.”
8. I lacked “Mental Toughness” in the face of “No.”
The film industry is a sea of rejection.
As an indie founder, I took it personally.
It drained my leadership energy.
Then I studied the resilience of women in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
They played through the dirt.
Through the sexism.
Through the pain.
They had “grit.”
The Strength to Build:
Develop a thick skin.
A “no” is just a “not right now” or “not this way.”
Keep swinging.
9. I was “Over-Training” and “Under-Performing.”
I spent all my time in meetings.
Emails.
Planning.
I was “training” for the work…
But I wasn’t actually doing the work.
I wasn’t producing.
I was busy-being-busy.
Ideas to Add:
Focus on high-leverage actions.
What actually moves the ball down the field?
Do that first.
10. I didn’t celebrate the “Small Wins.”
I was waiting for the championship.
The Emmy.
The big deal.
I ignored the daily victories.
The great script session.
The successful podcast launch like OF MUSIC AND MEN.
But winning is a habit.
If you don’t celebrate the small stuff…
You won’t have the fuel for the big stuff.
The Strength to Build:
Acknowledge every yard gained.
High-five your team.
High-five yourself.
Owning these shifts changed everything for me.
It changed how I show up for Siingle.
It changed how I speak on stage.
It changed how I write.
Leadership isn’t about being the “boss.”
It’s about being the Player-Coach.
It’s about resilience.
It’s about knowing the history of those who paved the way.
Women in sports history didn’t just win games.
They changed the world.
And as entrepreneurs and storytellers…
We can do the same.
One play at a time.
Want more on how I’m building Siingle?
Check out some of our latest episodes and previews:
And don’t forget to grab your copy of COACH QUINN on Amazon or Audible.
It’s the ultimate “leadership manual” wrapped in a high-stakes story.
Stay in the game.
Keep building.