Key traits to succeed in sports:

Izabella started working for the Fiesta Bowl with only an internship's worth of experience while working in warehouse operations. Although the job wasn't her dream, she recognized its importance in achieving her sports industry goals. This realization helped her stay motivated and focused on completing her job responsibilities to move on to the parts of her work that she genuinely loved. For Izabella, her passion was event planning. She was given many responsibilities that exceeded her job title, including preparing teams for the event in Phoenix. This experience taught her the importance of doing things that might not align with her job description or titles but are necessary to help the entire organization. The Fiesta Bowl had an "All Hands on Deck" mentality that encouraged team players in the workplace, which helped her avoid the "that's not my job" attitude. During this experience, Izabella discovered that seeking independent solutions allowed her to develop her own process and determine what worked best for her She quickly discovered that she had a bit of an obsession with Excel and PowerPoint. As a visual person, she presented in a way that was easy for others outside the event space to understand. Over-communication was another critical tool that she learned to value. She found it helpful to document all the necessary information for each role at every event and provide a quick reference sheet for people to consult as they executed their tasks.

Building success events:

The Fiesta Bowl is part of the College Football Playoffs and is part of the New Year’s Six, which represents six of the ten oldest bowl games at the FBS level. In the fast-paced world of event planning, flexibility and open-mindedness are essential tools. Izabella excels at navigating unexpected twists on event-day logistics or last-minute plan changes. She firmly believes that rigidity has no place in her line of work. Instead, she embraces a growth mindset, always seeking new ideas to enhance her skills and strategies. Her adaptability makes her a leader who confidently guides her team through ever-evolving events. Izabella reflected on how college football programs have their unique ways of handling travel arrangements and game-day operations. They prefer to maintain consistency in their methods throughout the season to benefit their players and staff. Leading up to the selection process, Izabella's team didn’t know which teams they'd be working with until Selection Sunday, which was only one month prior. This meant that her team had to be ready to adapt to each team’s unique needs and preferences quickly. Despite the challenges, Izabella and her team successfully executed the events, thanks to her leadership and her team's willingness to embrace change. Izabella has taken full advantage of her highly transferable skills, building her skillset at the Fiesta Bowl and now utilizing it at USA Pickleball.

Finding your leadership voice:

Throughout her career, Izabella has faced situations where she lacked the authority to make crucial decisions, but there were also times when she had the opportunity to take the lead. During such moments, seizing and running with the opportunity is essential. People tend to look up to those who can make decisions and lead when times are uncertain. Leadership is not determined by one's title but by character. Even if someone is just a coordinator, taking ownership of a project can lead to great success if done with determination. In her current role with USA Pickleball, Izabella has developed her leadership voice by managing hectic, labor-intensive, and stressful events. While discovering one's inner voice can be challenging, Izabella shares how she found her leadership voice. She underscores the importance of a clear vision and mission for inspiring others, emphasizing the need to articulate the following elements in an inspiring and memorable way:

1. Effective communication, including active listening, is critical for leadership success.

2. Empathy is essential for connecting with others on a deeper level and understanding team members' needs and concerns.

3. Self-love is necessary for effective leadership, enabling individuals to value themselves and their abilities.

4. Maintaining a growth mindset and embracing continuous learning are emphasized as qualities of successful leaders.

5. Mental health and balance for enhanced productivity and transparent decision-making.

It goes beyond just having a loud voice or being able to give orders. An authentic leadership voice is about communicating effectively, inspiring and motivating others, and making sound decisions that drive positive change.

Stay Tuned: This Week in Sports

All 32 teams will play during the 16-game Week 12 slate, with 3 Thanksgiving day matches (Lions-Packers, Cowboys-Commanders, Seahawks-49ers) and the league's first-ever Black Friday game featuring the Dolphins-Jets.

College football rankings: Ohio State climbs to No. 2, surpassing Michigan. Georgia No. 1 has been ranked first for 23 consecutive weeks. No.4 Washington and No.5 Florida State have swapped places.

College basketball rankings: Undefeated Miami jumps to No. 10 in AP Top 25 poll; Michigan State, FAU, and USC slip after losses.

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