From Athletics to Engineering
8 Ways to Support Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for All
Johnnie Johnson, a successful entrepreneur and former All-Pro football player from the National Football League, and Dr. Michael E. Webber, a distinguished professor and corporate executive in charge of research at a global company, use decades of experience in coaching, mentoring and leadership to lay out 8 ways you can support diversity, equity, and inclusion for all at your workplace, in your community, and for everyday living.
Using clear, accessible examples from their experience, this easy-to-read book presents actions readers can take to make a positive contribution on diversity, equity and inclusion. Though many anecdotes are pulled from athletics and engineering, the lessons they offer are applicable to all sectors of society and can foster individual growth and collective harmony. With no-nonsense explanations and straightforward writing, this book is quick to read and simple to internalize.
Co-author Johnnie Johnson serves as President and CEO of World Class Coaches®, one of the world’s premier executive coaching companies. He spent nine years in real estate sales where he produced more than 100 transactions a year as one of the nation’s top producing real estate agents. As the team’s #1 draft pick, Johnnie excelled for ten years in the National Football League as an All-Pro safety for the Los Angeles Rams. He was a two-time consensus All-American at the University of Texas at Austin and is a member of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame.
Praise for From Athletics to Engineering: 8 Ways to Support Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for All
“I absolutely love the book. It is as well organized, written, researched and humanistically authored as any book I have read or listened to. I believe this book should be required reading for every school and college in America, every sports team, every police department (which you both support and call for change), and every corporation.”
—Gino Blefari, CEO, HomeServices of America, Inc. and Chairman, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Worldwide, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
“I have been searching for a book on diversity that would offer some commonsense guidance on how to do my part. This is the book I have been seeking! Michael and Johnnie have extended an inspiring and heartfelt invitation to all of us to roll up our sleeves and join them in learning how to put in the effort needed make our world a more inclusive, supportive, and loving place. I think this book is especially useful for teachers like me and recommend it for anyone looking to be an active partner in this space.”
—Alison Schnettler, preschool teacher, Louisville, Colorado, USA
“Johnnie and Michael deliver a book that goes beyond platitudes. Each chapter is jam-packed with actionable strategies that managers can use to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. Read it. Read it again. And then read it with your team.”
—Daron K. Roberts, author of Call an Audible and Director, Center for Sports Leadership & Innovation, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
“As a science teacher and someone who loves sports, I found the analogies in the book were a match made in heaven. The book was well organized, and the steps were carefully laid out so that even individuals as young as 15 would be able to understand the message the book was trying to convey. I found many of the stories relatable, powerful, and inspirational.”
—Rebecca Reyna Neal, Chemistry and Physics Teacher, Three Rivers Jr/Sr High School, Three Rivers, Texas, USA
“This book is incredibly relevant for the times. Johnnie and Michael were honest, tactful, and most importantly, empathetic in sharing why diversity and inclusion efforts are so important in the world today.”
—Eric Impraim, Insurance Marketing Portfolio Manager, Tucson, Arizona, USA
Finally! A book that puts forth steps we can take to solve biases and prejudices. The 8 Ways they recommend are powerful, each and every one. This book will become dinged up, dog-eared and post-it-noted on my desk as I put it to use EVERY DAY in my own journey to temper bias and stay focused on getting to the goal together.
—Bobbi Burke, Owner/Broker/REALTOR®, Envoy Real Estate Services, Phoenix Arizona, USA
“8 Ways is an outstandingly well-written book and provides a simple and practical roadmap—a game plan designed to support DEI in the workplace and in day-to-day life. Today, DEI is a fearful topic because, while society has a general sense of what a successful DEI implementation feels like, we previously did not have a specific game plan of how to get there. Now we do!”
—John Tortora, Attorney, Former President of the San Jose Sharks and National Hockey League Executive, Morgan Hill, California, USA
Buy the BookGenre: Self-Help, Inspirational Self-Help, Team building, Leadership, Parenting and Relationships, Diversity Equity & Inclusion
Target Audience: Presidents and CEOs, business leaders, educators, coaches, parents, and people of all ages and occupations.
Purpose and Need: The daily drumbeat of personal experience and news headlines make clear that there is a need for society to make real progress toward diversity, equity, and inclusion for all. But the topics are rife with nuance and many people and organizations don’t even know where to begin. While there are many terrific books written by experts that lay out the problem and suggest solutions, Johnnie and Michael provide a playbook for progress based on firsthand life experience. This book fills a need by presenting a unique, actionable approach for success in an accessible way to a wide audience.
Collaboration Opportunities: It is part of Johnnie’s and Michael’s mission to provide essential diversity, equity, and inclusion educational resources in a collaborative way. That way we can work together to strengthen our communities through stakeholder engagement and strategic community partnerships that drive meaningful change.