Speakers:
- Mike Flood, Vice President of Outreach & External Affairs, Seattle Seahawks
- Moderator: Mark Dyce-Ryan, Murrow alumnus
Length of Lesson: 90 minutes
- 10 minute warm-up
- 55 minute video
- 15-30 minute discussion
- Optional classroom activities:
- Leadership Through Listening
- Community Impact Challenge
Learning Objectives
After completing this lesson, students will be able to:
- Explain how authentic communication builds trust in leadership and professional relationships.
- Analyze the importance of listening, empathy, and service in effective communication.
- Evaluate how organizations build community through genuine relationships rather than promotion alone.
- Recognize the role mentorship, networking, and curiosity play in long-term career success.
- Examine how leadership is demonstrated through actions rather than titles.
- Identify communication skills that strengthen collaboration across diverse teams and communities.
1: Pre-Video Warm-Up
Activity: “Who Made a Difference?”
Ask students to spend three minutes responding to the following prompt:
Think of someone who positively influenced your life – a teacher, coach, family member, mentor, employer, or friend.
Write down:
- What did they do that earned your trust?
- What communication habits made them an effective leader?
- What qualities would you like to emulate?
Invite several students to share.
Transition:
“Today’s conversation explores how authentic leadership isn’t built through titles or authority – it grows from relationships, service, and consistently caring about other people.”
2: Watch the Presentation
Teacher Note
Encourage students to listen for examples of:
- servant leadership
- active listening
- mentorship
- teamwork
- authenticity
- community engagement
- relationship building
- career development
3. Post-Viewing Discussion Questions
1. Mike Flood repeatedly emphasized that success begins with genuinely caring about people. Why can that mindset become a professional advantage rather than simply a personal value?
2. Throughout his Coast Guard career, Mike described listening as a critical safety skill. How can active listening improve communication in classrooms, workplaces, and organizations?
3. Mike shared that leadership means inviting others to challenge your thinking rather than simply following orders. Why is creating an environment where people feel comfortable speaking up important?
4. The Seahawks organization places significant emphasis on community outreach. Why do authentic community relationships strengthen an organization’s reputation more than advertising alone?
5. Mike described networking as building genuine relationships – not simply collecting contacts. What is the difference between networking and relationship-building?
6. Several stories highlighted the importance of mentors throughout Mike’s career. Why are mentors often able to change the direction of someone’s life?
7. Mike encouraged students to become involved through internships, clubs, and volunteer experiences. How can experiences outside the classroom sometimes teach as much as coursework?
8. The conversation emphasized finding common ground among people with different backgrounds and viewpoints. Why is this communication skill becoming increasingly important in today’s society?
9. Mike discussed responding thoughtfully – even when organizations must say “no.” How can difficult conversations be handled in ways that preserve trust and respect?
10. If you were applying for an internship with the Seahawks or another major organization, which personal qualities from today’s discussion would you want an employer to notice first? Why?
Optional Activity 1: Leadership Through Listening
Time: 15–20 minutes
Students pair up.
Partner A has three minutes to describe a meaningful experience (school, sports, work, or volunteer activity).
Partner B may only ask follow-up questions – they cannot interrupt with their own stories.
Afterward, Partner B summarizes:
- What mattered most to their partner.
- What emotions they heard.
- What strengths they observed.
Partners then switch roles.
Conclude with a class discussion:
- Was it difficult not to immediately share your own experiences?
- How did being fully listened to feel?
- Why do strong leaders often spend more time listening than speaking?
Optional Activity 2: Community Impact Challenge
Divide students into small groups.
Imagine your class has been hired by a professional sports organization to strengthen relationships within its local community.
Each group develops a community initiative by answering:
- What community need would you address?
- Who would benefit?
- How would athletes or employees participate?
- How would you communicate the initiative to the public?
- How would you measure whether the program actually made a difference?
Groups present a two-minute overview of their proposal.
Teacher Wrap-Up
Ask students to reflect:
What leadership quality demonstrated by Mike Flood do you believe is the hardest to consistently practice – and why?
Possible follow-up questions:
- How can listening become a competitive advantage?
- Why does service often lead to leadership?
- What relationship could you begin building today that might influence your future?
Key Takeaways
Students should leave understanding that:
- Authentic leadership begins with caring about people.
- Listening carefully often creates stronger communication than speaking first.
- Mentorship and meaningful relationships frequently shape career opportunities.
- Organizations earn trust through consistent service to their communities.
- Effective leaders focus on missions larger than themselves.
- Professional success is built through empathy, curiosity, reliability, and genuine human connection.
Teacher Notes
Media Literacy Connections
Although this conversation centers on leadership within professional sports, it reinforces several important media literacy concepts.
Students should recognize that:
- Authentic Storytelling: Organizations build credibility through meaningful actions that support the stories they tell about themselves.
- Community Relationships: Public trust grows through long-term engagement, responsiveness, and consistent communication—not simply promotional campaigns.
- Leadership Communication: Effective leaders create environments where people feel comfortable sharing ideas, asking questions, and expressing concerns.
- Audience Engagement: Strong organizations understand that every interaction contributes to public perception and brand reputation.
- Service and Reputation: Reputation is built over time through everyday communication, ethical decision-making, and genuine care for the communities an organization serves.
This lesson demonstrates that communication is ultimately about relationships. Whether working in sports, journalism, education, business, government, or nonprofit organizations, the most effective communicators earn trust by listening well, acting with integrity, and placing people at the center of every interaction.