# 358 - Former NBA President/GM Tommy Sheppard drops some leadership NUGGETS!

- Show: [People of Packaging](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging)
- Published: 2026-09-09
- Length: 39m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-09-09-358-former-nba-president-gm-tommy-sheppard-drops-some-leadership-nuggets
- Listen: https://encase.substack.com/p/358-former-nba-presidentgm-tommy

## Summary

Tommy Sheppard, former President and GM of the Washington Wizards, discusses his 32-year career in the NBA, his transition to executive leadership coaching, and the importance of servant leadership. He shares anecdotes from his time with the Denver Nuggets, including the franchise's historic 11-71 season and the legacy of Joe Wolf, while emphasizing the value of building relational equity over transactional interactions. Sheppard also offers advice to young athletes and parents on maintaining a love for the game amidst increasing commercialization and stress.

## Chapters

- [0:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-09-09-358-former-nba-president-gm-tommy-sheppard-drops-some-leadership-nuggets#t=1) Introduction and Career Overview
- [1:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-09-09-358-former-nba-president-gm-tommy-sheppard-drops-some-leadership-nuggets#t=119) Early Career and the Denver Nuggets Era
- [5:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-09-09-358-former-nba-president-gm-tommy-sheppard-drops-some-leadership-nuggets#t=307) The 11-71 Season and Joe Wolf's Legacy
- [11:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-09-09-358-former-nba-president-gm-tommy-sheppard-drops-some-leadership-nuggets#t=707) Transition to Washington Wizards and Leadership Philosophy
- [17:57](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-09-09-358-former-nba-president-gm-tommy-sheppard-drops-some-leadership-nuggets#t=1077) Relational Equity and Servant Leadership
- [29:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-09-09-358-former-nba-president-gm-tommy-sheppard-drops-some-leadership-nuggets#t=1740) Executive Coaching and Mental Performance
- [33:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-09-09-358-former-nba-president-gm-tommy-sheppard-drops-some-leadership-nuggets#t=2035) Advice for Young Athletes and the Future of Basketball

## Topics

- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)

## Most relevant to

large enterprises

## Mentioned

- Denver Nuggets (company)
- Washington Wizards (company)
- Joe Wolf (other)
- UNLV (other)
- Jerry Tarkanian (other)
- TommySheppard.com (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [S6E21 Ron Higgs | Systems Thinking, People Skills, & Executive Leadership](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-05-23-s6e21-ron-higgs-systems-thinking-people-skills-executive-leadership) (Being an Engineer)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-09-09-358-former-nba-president-gm-tommy-sheppard-drops-some-leadership-nuggets. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to People of Packaging.