This week’s conversation is with Paul Rabil, a professional lacrosse player and co-founder of the Premier Lacrosse League – a new professional lacrosse league launched in October 2018, with 160 of the best players in the world and a major media rights deal with NBC Sports Group.

Paul has gone on to influence the sport at every level, winning championships and MVP’s twice in the NCAA’s, multiple times in professional outdoor and indoor lacrosse, as well as becoming a two-time World Lacrosse Champion with Team USA.

I wanted to speak with Paul to understand how he’s organized his inner world and his external life.

What was his childhood like? Did he want to be his best, or the best? Did his motivations change once he was recognized as being the best?

And most importantly, after all the success he’s had, why did he want take on the enormous challenge of building a professional sports league from scratch?

“Being an empathic individual makes you a superior athlete or executive.”

In This Episode:

• The trap of competing to be your best vs. the best
• Becoming depressed because his identity was solely tied to lacrosse
• What goes into building a league from scratch
• How his experience in business has increased his emotional intelligence and translated to lacrosse
• All journey start differently…why empathy is key for being a great leader
• How empathy and vulnerability differ
• Where pressure comes from
• What he’s noticed from his mindfulness practice
• Why trying to put on a “bandaid” on anxiety doesn’t work
• Finding the appropriate energy to match those around you in intense environments
• The tension between wanting to learn, wanting to get better vs. being here in this moment
• How his lacrosse career started: being fooled into believing he was great
• Why he thinks providing autonomy is the key to raising kids
• What he would ask another master