She Showed Me That Great Leaders Don't Build Alone

Some people encourage your dreams.

Others help you build them.

Jan Wilking has been that person for me.

While I can't remember the exact moment we first met, I do remember how quickly she became one of my strongest advocates. She believed in me, she believed in the vision behind the Global Community of Women in High School Sports, and she immediately became someone I knew I could trust.

As our friendship grew, so did my appreciation for the way Jan thinks.

Where I naturally lead with vision and big ideas, Jan brings strategy, organization, and thoughtful planning. She has an incredible ability to take a complicated challenge, separate emotion from fact, and help me see the next step with clarity. Time and time again, she has helped me move from asking, "What if?" to confidently saying, "Here's how."

She has become one of my most trusted thought partners.

Whenever I'm wrestling with a difficult decision, questioning a new idea, or simply feeling overwhelmed, I know Jan is only a phone call away. She listens carefully, asks thoughtful questions, and then tells me exactly what I need to hear. Not what is easiest to hear, but what is true. That honesty, paired with her unwavering encouragement, has been an incredible gift.

One of Jan's greatest contributions has been helping transform the Global Community from an exciting vision into a sustainable organization. When we began the journey of becoming a nonprofit, she helped guide us through decisions I never could have navigated on my own. She brought business experience, financial insight, and practical wisdom to every step of the process.

I'll be the first to admit that numbers are not my strength.

Fortunately, they're one of Jan's.

She has faithfully managed the financial side of our organization, allowing me to focus on our mission with complete confidence that the foundation of the Global Community is strong. That kind of partnership is priceless.

Jan's ability to build organizations extends far beyond the Global Community. After an outstanding career as a coach and athletic administrator, she co-founded Coaches' Tool Chest, an organization dedicated to helping coaches become better leaders while providing practical resources and professional development for schools across the country.

What makes me smile is that I use Coaches' Tool Chest with my own coaching staff.

That says everything.

I trust the work because I trust the person behind it.

Jan has an incredible ability to see a need, develop a thoughtful solution, and generously share it with others. She isn't interested in recognition. She is interested in making coaches better, helping athletic directors succeed, and ultimately creating better experiences for student-athletes.

We've also lived many of the same experiences throughout our careers. We've celebrated victories together, worked through disappointments, and supported one another during seasons when leadership felt especially heavy. She understands this profession because she has lived it, and that shared experience has created a level of trust that is difficult to describe but impossible to overstate.

Looking back, I realize every leader needs someone like Jan.

Someone who believes in your vision.

Someone who helps organize the chaos.

Someone who celebrates your victories.

Someone who tells you the truth.

Someone who is still standing beside you when the work becomes difficult.

I'm incredibly grateful that person has been Jan.

What She Taught Me

Vision may inspire people.

But trusted partnerships are what turn vision into reality.

Jan has reminded me that none of us is meant to build something meaningful alone.

The strongest organizations are built by people who trust one another, challenge one another, and carry the mission together.

I couldn't have built the Global Community without women like Jan.

And I'm grateful every day that I don't have to.