Shift Out Loud with Tracy Spears
Hosted by Tracy Spears, speaker, co-author of two best selling leadership books, founder of The Leader Lab, coach, and head cheerleader for anyone trying to play bigger. Shift Out Loud is a podcast designed to inspire you to play bigger. You'll hear from real live people sharing what their shift was, when it happened, and why it was out loud. What you think is true, and when you move from the external locus of control to the internal locus of control, your shift can happen and anything becomes possible. This podcast is your invitation to listen to others who have made the shift, and also serve as a catalyst for you to play bigger.
Shift Out Loud with Tracy Spears
Lead Your Team to Victory With Authenticity with Kirk Walker
True leadership requires more than knowledge and expertise. Being vulnerable and authentic can have a huge impact on the connections you build with your team, and enable your entire organization to play bigger!
Among his achievements as an athlete and coach, Kirk Walker has helped UCLA to seven NCAA Championships and 18 Women's College World Series appearances, earning the title of the “winningest” coach in UCLA history. In this episode of Shift Out Loud, Kirk and I discuss how he learned to play bigger while living authentically, and how this challenging shift transformed his leadership. Tune in as we explore his incredible career and his work to promote inclusivity in sports.
Ready to play bigger? Listen now to discover:
- How Kirk navigated coming out in the world of sport and how it sparked his shift into advocacy
- How he embraced the challenge of returning to UCLA in an assistant coaching role
- How he partnered with Nike to raise the profile of LGBTQ+ athletes — and why trans issues need more attention!
Guest bio: Kirk Walker just finished his 23rd season on the UCLA coaching staff where he is the Associate Head Coach. He was honored as part of the NFCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, and 2021. He is the Bruins' third base coach and also plays at a highly competitive level. He is a visible and vocal advocate for diversity and inclusion in sports.
Timestamps:
01:47 Intro
04:34 Meet Kirk Walker
08:46 Meeting Kirk
10:58 Umpiring
13:04 Shift to coaching & Oregon State
18:44 Coming out & Outsports
22:50 Strengthening leadership
25:31 Shift to UCLA
29:21 Guiding the transition & leaving the team
34:05 Embracing the challenge
39:35 Shift to advocacy
44:45 Sports Equality Foundation
49:06 Political climate
52:38 Get involved
54:28 Oklahoma Sooners
56:45 Mantra & next shifts
Links:
Kirk Walker
uclabruins.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/kirk-walker/3957
Instagram: @kirkwalker23
Outsports
Sports Equality Foundation
I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times by Mónica Guzmán
penguinrandomhouse.com/books/691561/i-never-thought-of-it-that-way-by-monica-guzman
Discover your tactical leadership toolkit: exceptionalleaderslab.com
Interested in working with me or having me speak at your event? Find more information at tracyspears.com
For insights that will help you play bigger in your life, work, and community, visit my resource library: tracyspears.com/blog
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Connect with me:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tracylspears
Facebook: facebook.com/TracySpearsSpeaker
Twitter: @tracylspears
Instagram: @tracylspears
If you love the podcast, please consider leaving a rating and review — this will help others discover how to play a bigger game and step into their fullest potential! Watch these episodes on Youtube! Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel, and ring the bell for notifica
