The discipline and teammindedness necessary in sports has helped numerous athletes transition to the business world over the years. That has certainly been the case for Jonathan Pixley, owner of Train Lead Win (TLW) Coaching, who made the leap to business owner after decades of coaching championship basketball teams. His teams at The Dunham School went to five consecutive state finals from 2017-21, and won state championships in 2018, 2020 and 2021.
Pixley’s background as both player and coach, combined with his real-world business experience as director of operations at Team Sportsplex, a multi-court indoor athletic facility, have given him a unique skill set.
AT A GLANCE
Top executives: Jonathan Pixley, President/Founder
Phone: 225.938.0838
Address: 17639 Five Oaks Dr., Baton Rouge, La. 70810
Website: trainleadwin.com
A chance encounter with a former player prompted him to put that experience to work. “He asked if I provided any leadership or executive coaching,” Pixley says. “I wasn’t at the time, but it got me thinking. I literally began to put together a template of what a leadership program might look like.”
He then tested the waters by offering leadership and executive coaching at a friend’s Memphis-based installation company. After two years, the results were hard to ignore. The company experienced a significant surge in revenue and doubled its employee retention rate.
Since then, TLW Coaching has gained traction throughout the business world as an effective way to take leadership teams from good to great. During his year-long coaching program, Pixley works with existing and potential leaders to “up their game.” Each year-long, tailored program typically includes 16 bi-weekly meetings and four monthly meetings, either in person or via Zoom.
At the end of the year, the client then has the option to participate in Pixley’s ongoing support program. “One of my strengths is taking people who are self-motivated but are looking to fill in the gaps,” he adds. “In the process, I draw upon my 30 years of experience in developing leaders on a team, while addressing issues such as accountability, specific strategies, avoiding complacency, persistence, building trust within a team, etc.”
His unique approach to executive training has been hugely successful. Pixley now speaks at sales meetings and corporate events, and his book 11 … Because Everyone Else Does 10 has become a must read.
Pixley credits his success to simply taking what he’s done with team after team, player after player, and applying those same principles to corporate America.
“At the end of the day, true leadership is more than helping individuals reach their self-imposed ceilings. It’s about showing those same individuals how to push through that initial wall and create new ceilings for themselves, both professionally and personally. That’s what I’m trying to do every day.”
