A Maverick in Life and Basketball: Cynthia Marshall
A front office scandal beget by years of a hostile environment, workplace harassment, and a Boys’ Club culture; There’s no coincidence that when owner Mark Cuban and his Dallas Mavericks were facing the most challenging time in their organization’s history they turn to a woman who’s perseverance through adversity is just second nature. Armed with an infectious personality, an energizing laugh, and unparalleled preparation and determination Cynthia Marshall can capture any audience and chop it up with anyone, but her impact reverberates much deeper into society. Not only is she tasked with overseeing the day-to-day operations of a $1.9 Billion sports enterprise, but also implementing a first of its kind (in the sports industry) workplace diversity and inclusion program. The program focuses on hiring, training, and cultivating a diverse office culture that brings women and minorities to the table to encourage constructive conversations with all different types of experience and perspectives. Less than a year into Cynthia’s tenure with the Mavs her work has already been highlighted by NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver, as the NBA work-place gold standard.
Cynthia’s hometown of Richmond, CA is the featured setting in the movie ‘Coach Carter’ – a biographical sports drama on the true story of Richmond High School basketball coach Ken Carter who made headlines for suspending his undefeated high school basketball team due to poor academic results. Now at the top of the basketball world Cynthia is also committing to an uncompromising code of ethics and values to overcome adversity and right the ship. A first generation college grad and the first African-American cheerleader at UC-Berkeley, Cynthia has always held strong in her values, and work ethic to rise through the ranks of AT&T over 30 years to lead as a Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer after first joining the organization as a control room operator. A Maverick in basketball and in business Cynthia has enjoyed a plethora of corporate success; an embodiment of the open. mindset that just an ordinary person can make a major social impact by following their dreams, acting on their passions, and being open to the possibilities.
What is your process? How do you balance your routine to handle the day-to-day while staying focused on your stretch goals?
“I tend to rely upon four words and I have for years, so no matter what part of my life. Those four words are Dream, Focus, Pray, Act.”
Dream
“So, in this part of my life I still have dreams. When I retired from AT&T I had this big dream of starting a consulting company, that was actually at someone’s request, then I was a President at a college and people were talking to me about that, but I knew I was going into phase two or three. Then of course, I get the phone call that has me in the job I’m in now (Dallas Mavs CEO), so I have big dreams about making a contribution in life. That keeps me going everyday, just this dream I have to leave something better than I found it. So no matter what part of life I’m in – that’s my big dream. I don’t have dreams of being famous I just want to leave it better.”
Focus
“I have a tremendous sense of focus and that is how I can pay attention to the details. I focus on whatever the goal is, whatever part of the business plan I’m particularly working on (there’s always a business plan whether that’s a work business plan or personal). I have a process in place to keep my finger on what I need to while also giving people autonomy. I’m very structured in terms of my monthly staff meetings, one on one, certain weekly things, certain reports I have to have, and I size that up early on in whatever my initiative is. What is my basic infrastructure that I need to be successful – and everyone has something different – it just depends on how you’re wired, how you operate, just the way you like to handle your business. At 58 years old I know what that is for me so I need to make sure that infrastructure is in place.”
Pray
“I pray about everything. I want to know exactly what the Lord wants me to do. There are two things I ask the Lord when I go into a job: What is it you want me to do and who is it you want me to touch? Once that is clear to me I’m on my way.”
Act
“Act is my last word. I take a lot of action. There is a phrase that says ‘Don’t talk about it, be about it’. Well, I’m about it. I tell my team a lot, I would rather for us to juggle a hundred things because we know what we are trying to get done and we know the business plan. Once we have those things in place we need to act. My mother taught me that things are not just going to show up at the door. You need to make things happen and so that is how I handle my business.”
What does being open. mean to you?
“I love the message of open and I love the way it starts with ‘ordinary people expecting nothing more out of life to freely live our dreams, pursue our passions, and make a difference for others’. I love how it starts because most of us would consider ourselves ordinary people. Now there are some people who are extraordinary and they will tell you they are extraordinary, and they are, we all are. Just thinking about the average person, who I think I am, an average person who came from humbling beginnings, like most people. Most people have a story somewhat similar to mine in some fashion. Where they started out humble beginnings and had to work through adversity and all that. That is most of our story, that is the American story.”
“We are ordinary people and truly all we want is a shot at life, a shot at living out our passions, to make a difference, to leave the place better than we found it. So, to me that is not a lot to ask. Let’s create an environment and a world where everybody can do that. Where ordinary people have no agenda, they are not expecting anything other than to be able to live freely, and live out their dreams, and that is what I’m all about! When you think about what you all are doing and what the difference you are trying to make just for ordinary people, I am all about that. That’s what I do everyday, in my non-profit world we have these ordinary kids who landed in these circumstances, at no fault of their own, ended up in foster care and we have to try and figure out how to help these kids navigate a complex social welfare system. These are some of the most vulnerable kids in society and so they are just ordinary little people who are expecting nothing more out of life than for the big people to take care of them. When I think about my job, we have just ordinary fans coming in there. We have some of the best entertainment prices in the world and so you can come to a game for little to nothing and they are expecting just a good entertainment experience and so we are blessed we get to do that.“
“I like what you all are about because it is not about celebrity status, it’s not about fame or fortune, but it’s about letting people be open. And to open up your hearts and open up your mind and open up your thinking to new ways of doing things. It’s about innovation, it’s about opening up to new cultures which is something the world could really stand to focus on right now instead of going backwards. We are trying to open ourselves up to be better as a country, as a society.”