Shari Ballard Returns, Kyndra de St. Aubin Joins for Speaker Series

On October 24th, Shari Ballard and Kyndra de St. Aubin joined Gopher Athletics for a Leadership U Speaker Series event. Shari Ballard is our first returning Speaker Series guest and joined us in a new role as the CEO of Minnesota United FC. Kyndra de St. Aubin, former Gopher Soccer student-athlete and current Minnesota United Color Commentator, moderated the conversation. Together, the two trailblazers showcased their powerful dynamic and Shari provided insights on her leadership journey with an emphasis on her experiences navigating change.

Kyndra's broadcasting career started with ESPN Radio where she covered NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, and collegiate athletics in Wisconsin and Arizona. In addition to her work with Fox Sports, Big Ten, and Pac-12 Networks, she has covered two Women's World Cups and was the lead analyst for the National Women's Soccer League. In 2017, Kyndra joined Minnesota United as the only female lead analyst for a Major League Soccer team.

Shari began her career in 1993 at a local Best Buy store as the assistant store manager. Over the next several years, Shari assumed a variety of leadership roles at Best Buy before holding the position of President of Multichannel Retail making her responsible for all U.S. Best Buy stores, e-commerce, Best Buy Mexico, and the company's real estate strategy. In 2021, Shari made the career change and became the CEO of Minnesota United FC.

Given Shari's unique journey and having been influenced by various leadership styles throughout her career, she spoke to the power and impact leadership has on individuals and organizations. Shari describes leadership as "Identifying each individual's skill set and putting them in a position to learn and grow." She goes on to highlight the key component of leading others as "ensuring they feel seen, heard, and valued." Shari experienced firsthand the positive influence those leadership practices can have as she saw increased motivation and productivity, as well as improved team culture. To this day, Shari and Kyndra continue to prioritize the recognition and celebration of team members when they do something well. These qualities contribute to the incredible respect both Shari and Kyndra receive in their fields.

Being in a position of leadership that requires difficult decision making and bringing groups of people together to reach one common goal, much of the discussion was centered around how to meet accountability with compassion. When Kyndra asked Shari, "How do you navigate expectations with others?" she stated, "One of the most disrespectful things that a leader can do is allow someone to get away with less than they are capable of." Throughout the event, Shari's vision and passion for helping others develop a stronger understanding of themselves and the impact they can have was clear. For both Shari and Kyndra, developing relationships and creating a culture of empowerment is what inspires them most.

Shari Ballard & Kyndra de St. Aubin's collaboration for this Speaker Series event provided many valuable insights on leadership that led to a meaningful discussion and reflection. Leadership U is looking forward to hosting more Speaker Series events throughout the 2022-23 academic year.

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Shari Ballard Returns, Kyndra de St. Aubin Joins for Speaker Series

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