With the eyes of the world on Italy for the 25th edition of the Winter Olympics, which events are you looking forward to? In the spirit of previous leadership series here on my blog, I've asked a dozen leadership and marketing experts to respond to five questions with the hope that both the questions and answers lead you to think about leadership, personal branding, and the Olympics in new and interesting ways.
For today's post, I'd like to introduce Michelle Redfern, a globally-recognized gender equality, diversity, and inclusion strategist based in Australia. She advises organizations in the business and sporting sectors on DEI strategy development and implementation and works directly with women leaders to advance their careers. She has been recognized as one of Australia's Top 100 Women of Influence and has won awards for her contributions to women's advancement. She is passionate about what sets her soul on fire, closing the global leadership gender gap, and enabling women to have a career that soars!
SHARE THIS: The Olympic Games have the power to unite us because we can all find something inspirational or something we can relate to in each athlete’s story, whether it’s a story of success or of disappointment. –Tatjana Schoenmaker (South Africa’s most decorated Olympian) #OlympicsLeadershipSeries2026 #DebbieLaskeysBlog
QUESTION: What is your favorite WINTER Olympics sport, and why?
MICHELLE REDFERN: I love the Luge (because I watched and love the movie "Cool Runnings") and the freestyle snowboarding because its a close relative of surfing. I grew up in mid-west regional Western Australia and never even saw snow until my mid-30's!
QUESTION: What WINTER Olympics sport most “visually” demonstrates teamwork, and why?
MICHELLE REDFERN: No matter whether it's an individual sport or a team sport. There's always a team in the playing arena and outside of it. So I think any Olympic sport, whether it's winter or summer, demonstrates that there's always a team that makes things happen.
SHARE THIS: There's always a team that makes things happen. ~Michelle Redfern #OlympicsLeadershipSeries2026 #DebbieLaskeysBlog
QUESTION: According to Suzanne Robb, COO of Alloy, “Define what victory means to you, and keep that vision in mind. You’re the one who gets to determine when you’re making progress, what success means, and what your focus should be. When you get a win, take time to celebrate. In business as if life, you’ve got to run your own race.” With this quote in mind, which Winter Olympics event or result stands out in your memory, and why?
MICHELLE REDFERN: Well, I'm Australian, so you know the dude who won the gold medal in the speed skating because everyone else fell over? Steven Bradbury is his name. That is part of our history and our folklore - so much so that Australians say, "If you hang in there long enough, you'll do a Bradbury." (Talk about the power of personal branding!) He ran his own race and kept running it even when everyone else fell over - then he won the gold medal. That's got to be a lesson in sticking to the plan, perseverance, and not getting distracted.
QUESTION: During the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, entertainer and businessman Snoop Dogg used the hashtag #FollowTheDogg and shared his Olympic experiences on social media. My favorite story and related photos were when he and friend Martha Stewart dressed in equestrian clothing and attended the dressage competition. According to reports, Snoop’s involvement was intended to attract a new audience to the Olympics. If you were in charge of the Winter Olympics, who would you invite to attract a new audience, and why?
MICHELLE REDFERN: I can certainly say I would never invite Snoop Dogg. His past views around women were very misogynistic, and his current views around transgender people and the LGBTI community in general are problematic. So whoever I chose, I'd make sure that they were representative of and inclusive of all humans.
QUESTION: The 2026 Winter Olympics will be the first Olympic Games under the leadership of International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry. She is a former Zimbabwean politician, sports administrator, and former Olympic swimmer and world record holder. She is also the first woman, first Zimbabwean, and the first African to serve as IOC President. According to Reuters, “Kirsty Coventry smashed through the IOC’s glass ceiling in March 2025 to become the organization’s first female President in its 130-year history.” What are your thoughts about this development for the world’s biggest multi-sport organization – and its future?
MICHELLE REDFERN: Thoughts are: "It's about time" and "Why has it taken this long?" My advice to Kirsty Coventry not that she'll listen is: "What is she doing as the first to make sure that she's not the last?"
A final reminder, as you watch the competitions, make a note on your calendar to swing by #DebbieLaskeysBlog each day through February 22nd for leadership and marketing inspiration. A small interruption to the series will take place on February 20th to celebrate "National Leadership Day," then the Olympics series returns on February 21st. A series recap will be featured on February 22nd. Enjoy the Olympics!
Image Credit: Olympics.
Read Michelle's previous appearance here on my blog:
SPRING LEADERSHIP SERIES 2025 – Featuring Michelle Redfern (June 6, 2025)
https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2025/06/spring-leadership-series-2025-featuring_01162482550.html
Meet Michelle at this link:
https://www.michelleredfern.com/
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