CEO Life

Bank Of America CEO Brian Moynihan On The Lessons Of Rugby: New Corporate Competitor Podcast

Our CEO of the Year, Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan, sat down with longtime Sports Illustrated Associate Editor Don Yaeger on his Corporate Competitor Podcast to discuss how sports shaped Moynihan’s professional trajectory.

As one of eight children, competition was woven into the fabric of Moynihan’s childhood. Whether it was determining who had to do the dishes or a race to solve a mathematic equation, his family taught him to compete and cooperate. In high school, he channeled that competitive energy into football and track.

In college, he joined the rugby team at Brown University. “The sport may look brutal, but it is really one of finesse,” Moynihan said on the podcast. “And everybody had a role. To be successful, you had to be in sync…just as we have to be today at Bank of America. When you’re a CEO watching your talented team perform, that’s the same feeling I had playing rugby when the team is moving in sync.”

Today as Chairman and CEO, he leads a team of more than 200,000 employees—  or “teammates” as he affectionately calls them. And when a young person asks him how to be successful, his advice: “Remain curious.” In this podcast episode, you will learn how to spark curiosity so you can plot your own Journey to Greatness.

In Brian Moynihan’s episode, you will learn…

  • 2:30 How his childhood shaped his competitive nature.
  • 6:30 Why you should spend time developing the weakest link.
  • 16:00 The #1 lesson Brian learned from his rugby coach, Jay Fluck.
  • 22:00  How teams in business can operate like athletic teams.
  • 29:00 How to scale a simple idea with process and contact.
  • 31:00 How to find great mentors even when you’re at the top of your industry.

Check out the full Corporate Competitor Podcast interview archive.


Dan Bigman

Dan Bigman is Editor and Chief Content Officer of Chief Executive Group, publishers of Chief Executive, Corporate Board Member, ChiefExecutive.net, Boardmember.com and StrategicCFO360. Previously he was Managing Editor at Forbes and the founding business editor of NYTimes.com.

Share
Published by
Dan Bigman

Recent Posts

Toyota NA’s Tetsuo Ogawa On Leading: ‘No Such Thing As Perfection’

While rival automakers struggle against the currents of a complex market, Tetsuo Ogawa, CEO of…

6 hours ago

Marshall Goldsmith: Before Speaking, Ask ‘Is It Worth It?’

What you say matters—and that’s not always a good thing.

1 day ago

Tech-Savvy CFOs Reveal How To Spend Wisely

Which technologies have captured the interest of CFOs immersed in the tech industry, and how…

1 day ago

The Fallacy of Waiting: PE’s Overestimation Of Interest Rate Cut Impact

With or without the psychological boost of an interest rate cut, PE investors need to…

1 day ago

Guild CTO Rohan Chandran Makes His Own Momentum 

In this edition of our Corporate Competitor Podcast, Chandran shares how leaders can tap into…

1 day ago

CEO Optimism Weakens In July

America’s CEOs are reforecasting their outlook for the year ahead, as consumer demand begins to…

3 days ago