# BONUS Why a Former Chess Champion Thinks Your Leadership Is Stuck in the Opening Game With John Whitt

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/scrum-master-toolbox-podcast-agile-storytelling-from-the-trenches-445588/bonus-why-a-former-chess-champion-thinks-your-leadership-is-stuck-in-the-opening-game-with-john-whitt
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/scrum-master-toolbox-podcast-agile-storytelling-from-the-trenches-445588/bonus-why-a-former-chess-champion-thinks-your-leadership-is-stuck-in-the-opening-game-with-john-whitt.md
Podcast: [Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches](https://stenobird.com/podcast/scrum-master-toolbox-podcast-agile-storytelling-from-the-trenches-445588)
Published: 2026-06-09T10:05:00+00:00
Episode link: https://scrummastertoolbox.libsyn.com/bonus-why-a-former-chess-champion-thinks-your-leadership-is-stuck-in-the-opening-game-with-john-whitt
Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/scrummastertoolbox/20260609_John_Whitt_Tue.mp3?dest-id=246429
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Duration seconds: 1873

## Resource

BONUS: Why a Former Chess Champion Thinks Your Leadership Is Stuck in the Opening Game John Whitt spent 30 years managing billion-dollar construction portfolios in corporate America — sleeping five or six nights a week in hotel beds, traveling the country, winning at someone else's game. Then he walked away. In this episode, he breaks down what chess taught him about business phases, why generosity outperforms hustle in the long run, and how the "pause factor" keeps leaders from burning out while scaling their impact. From Corporate Construction to Coaching — The Move That Changed Everything "I spent 5, sometimes 6 nights a week, sleeping in a hotel bed, traveling around the country, and it really wasn't good for my sanity, it wasn't good for my family. And then the company decided to move from Southern California to Dallas, and so that was like the — I'm not going to Dallas move, and it's time to start something else." John's corporate career was successful by every external measure — managing $500 million construction portfolios at companies like CB Richard Ellis. But the lifestyle was hollowing him out. He'd been thinking about leaving for a while when the relocation to Dallas forced his hand. Through behavioral assessment work, he discovered coaching was where his strengths naturally pointed — it had been his primary leadership style all along. In 2010, he invested in a Focal Point coaching franchise, which gave him the tools and training without having to reinvent the wheel. Combined with 30 years of corporate relationships, it was enough to launch. His reflection on the transition is simple: "The cool thing about coaching is that we're just helping people." The Chess Game of Business — Opening, Middle, and End "The way the chess game is played at the higher level…

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