Transforming Your Career Like an Elite Athlete: Insights from Joe Drygas
Joe Drygas, Vice President of AT&T’s Global Enterprise Business, plays a pivotal role in connecting diverse industries—from healthcare and retail to sports and energy. With over 25 years at AT&T, Drygas attributes his success across multiple sectors to a mindset similar to that of elite athletes. “If you’re a quarterback, your career evolution often changes how you play the game,” he explained to Entrepreneur. This means adjusting your focus on speed, strength, flexibility, and shifting your role from starter to mentor. His core message is clear: “Every new role requires a new version of you.”
Reinventing Yourself Within the Same Company
When asked about the keys to successfully navigating new roles without changing companies, Drygas emphasized mindset. He noted that top employees consistently reinvent themselves by refreshing their skills, expanding their networks, and adapting their operating rhythms. “It’s the same way an NFL quarterback evolves his game and role within the team,” Drygas said. Starting in inside sales and steadily advancing, his journey demonstrates the power of embracing transformation to stay relevant and effective.
The Power of Small Routine Changes
Drygas shared a simple yet impactful habit that has enhanced his leadership and performance: dedicating an extra minute or two daily to organizing his schedule, including personal activities like workouts, meals, and sleep. This practice reduces uncertainty—such as wondering if a run will fit in or when bedtime will occur—and lowers cognitive overload by creating clear boundaries between work and personal life. The result is a calmer, more confident mindset with a clear daily arc, especially beneficial during frequent travel.
Driving Adoption of New Technologies
In an era increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence, Drygas highlighted the importance of a top-down approach to change management. “Transformation isn’t a memo—it’s a pattern of visible behaviors that start at the top,” he said. To foster genuine adoption, he conducts skip-level sessions where he demonstrates using new tools live, showing managers exactly how he leverages them to run the business and hold himself accountable. This “pace car” strategy models the desired pace and behaviors for the entire team, setting a clear example for embracing innovation.
AI’s Impact on Healthcare and Beyond
Drygas envisions AI as a critical tool for closing care gaps in healthcare by lowering costs and enhancing patient understanding across settings—from hospitals and clinics to home care and mobile environments. AI enables remote training and care delivery, overcoming geographic barriers and expanding access to specialized services such as remote surgery. This approach underscores the broader entrepreneurial lesson that heuristics, when transformed into scalable “rails,” can extend the reach of any business globally.
Customer-Centric Problem Solving
On the customer front, Drygas stresses the importance of active listening and prioritizing client concerns. He structures meetings around customer feedback and improvement opportunities, revisiting previous requests and industry trends to ensure ongoing relevance. Rather than overpromising solutions on the spot, he commits to follow-up plans, demonstrating attentiveness without being constrained by a fixed agenda. This approach builds trust and shows customers they are genuinely heard.
Joe Drygas’s experience and insights offer a compelling blueprint for professionals aiming to evolve continuously within their careers. By adopting an athlete’s mindset, prioritizing clear routines, leading by example in technology adoption, and centering customer needs, employees can thrive in complex and changing environments.
Here is the full source of this insightful interview.
