Coach Dana Cavalea works with elite athletes and CEOs, describing coaching high performers as "wrestling an alligator." She uses the same aggressive, direct style with both groups, though CEOs resist being told what to do differently than athletes do.
When you're working with a high-level, high-performing alpha athlete, it's like wrestling an alligator.
Did you know that it was going to become that next big massive phase in your life in that moment? Or were you already kind of like, okay, I know where I'm gonna head, I know where I'm gonna— like, you know, was there that foreshadowing of like, I know this will eventually transition into something else, or I always want to stay with the baseball team, Was there an out for you that you were already planning?
Yeah, it's an interesting question. I always love, like, I love development and I love coaching. So for me, it was less about sort of, you know, is it in baseball, is it in business? Like, I even now, I go in between sports and business all day long. And I like that because you're taking lessons from both and, you know, almost cross-pollinating between both. So when I go in and work with a company and/or I go in and work with a CEO, it's a very different language. Than they're used to. Like, I, I get— I can get aggressive with them, and they're not used to that because nobody tells CEOs what to do. Their own people lie to them all day. And for me, I always say, listen, when you're working with a, with a high-level, high-performing alpha athlete, it's like wrestling an alligator, and you can't be afraid to jump in there and wrestle that thing. So it's the same with these CEOs. And ultimately, you know, I've always enjoyed it. But to know like, hey, I'm, you know, this is going to lead to what I do in the future. No, I didn't fully know that, but I always knew that developing, development and coaching would be a part of my future. And I see it being there for quite a long time.
