In Episode 26, Max Rooke, Pepperdine University Women’s Soccer Associate Head Coach, Founder of Life to the Max, and former Reading FC Youth Academy footballer, talks with Phil about working with others wired differently from us, the importance of collaboration, getting players to put their own agenda aside, servant leadership, Pepperdine’s unorthodox recruiting tactics, and his leadership coaching philosophy. Specifically, Max discusses:

• His story and how he developed his passion for soccer and leadership, and how he got to where he is today (2:22)
• The benefits of coaching and partnering in other arenas with people who are wired differently than you (13:27)
• What the game of soccer teaches us about collaboration, why it’s important, and how it applies to life outside the pitch (18:53)
• How we can get our players to set their own agenda aside and buy into the team mission, vision, and values (23:54)
• How his Pepperdine has shifted focus, what he has learned from the shift, how it has impacted the program, and what we can learn from the shift (26:37)
• The power of servant leadership (33:39)
• How Pepperdine does recruiting differently, and what their approach can teach us off the pitch (43:29)
• How his program vets the players’ character and motives in the recruiting process (51:29)
• His “Life 2 the Max” work coaching leadership and more (56:17)
• Lessons he has learned directly from the beautiful game that he uses in his marriage and other areas of life off the pitch (1:01:11)

• Max’s Recommendations (1:05:15)

Resources and Links from this Episode

• Max’s Website
• Uncut Video of the Episode
• HSEL Facebook Group
• Phil and HSEL on Clubhouse -- @phildarke
• Legacy: What the All Blacks Can Teach Us About the Business of Life, by James Kerr
• Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence for Every Believer, by Oswald Sanders
• Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill
• Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, by Carol S. Dweck