Talent might get you noticed.
But resilience is what keeps you in the game.
In this episode of No Limits Leadership, I sit down with Ryan Lavarnway—MLB veteran, Olympian, and leadership speaker—to unpack what it really takes to lead, grow, and thrive over the long haul.
Ryan shares stories of being cut 26 times in his pro baseball career, choosing purpose over prestige, and how to lead people based on who they are, not just what they do.
🎯 In this episode, we cover:
- Why resilience is the real X-factor in performance
- How to lead role players and top performers differently
- What great managers do when delivering hard news
- The power of mission, identity, and playing the long game
- Leadership insights from fatherhood and Olympic baseball
🧭 Want weekly leadership insights like this?
Subscribe to the No Limits Leadership newsletter:
👉 https://nolimitsleadership.beehiiv.com/subscribe
🔗 Connect with Ryan Lavarnway:
Website: https://www.ryanlavarnway.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanlavarnway
🎧 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more real conversations on leadership, mindset, and purpose.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Resilience and Leadership
01:51 Mindset: Embracing Failure as a Starting Point
04:08 Identifying Success and the Power of Belief
06:16 Balancing Goals with Present Reality
10:13 The Importance of Process Over Outcome
12:44 Leadership Lessons from High-Performance Environments
21:32 The Need for a Mission
23:31 Understanding Individual Motivations
26:53 The Importance of Team Roles
27:41 Peer Leadership and Authenticity
30:24 Experiences in the Olympics
34:41 Leadership Lessons from Fatherhood
36:01 Choosing Your Tribe
38:37 Defining Success Beyond Sports
No Limit Leadership is the go-to podcast for growth-minded executives, middle managers, and team leaders who want more than surface-level leadership advice. Hosted by executive coach and former Special Forces commander Sean Patton, this show dives deep into modern leadership, self-leadership, and the real-world strategies that build high-performing teams. Whether you're focused on leadership development, building a coaching culture, improving leadership communication, or strengthening team accountability, each episode equips you with actionable insights to unlock leadership potential across your organization. From designing onboarding systems that retain talent to asking better questions that drive clarity and impact, No Limit Leadership helps you lead yourself first so you can lead others better. If you're ready to create a culture of ownership, resilience, and results, this leadership podcast is for you.
Popular Podcasts
New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce
Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!