You Have to Learn to Follow First: How Humility, Mentorship, and Proximity Changed Everything (Part 3 of 7)

Before you can lead anyone — you have to learn to follow first.

In Part 3 of 7 of the Leadership Sovereignty Podcast's Speaking Truth to Power series, Phillip McKibbins opens with one of the most powerful mentorship stories in the series. He shares how his mentor Wendy Ong — a force of nature in the entertainment industry — called him out in a meeting, challenged him to fix his organization in 30 days, and then spent the next several years teaching him how to show up in rooms most technologists never enter. Including her hair salon.

Phillip also reveals that he is an introvert — and how Wendy taught him to hold a cranberry juice, make small talk, and build the proximity that eventually changed his entire career trajectory. He closes with the story of how Erin St. Marshall — the first Black woman CEO of a major sports franchise — interviewed him for the Dallas Mavericks role, and why who you are as a person matters more than what you know.

In Part 4 the conversation takes an unexpected and deeply personal turn — a brain tumor, a divine encounter on the operating table, and a faith that carried him through it all.

What you will learn in this episode:
- Why learning to follow is the foundation of every great leader's story
- How Wendy Ong used proximity and uncomfortable situations to build a future executive
- Why social presence and human connection are non-negotiable for C-suite advancement
- How introverts can build the executive presence required at the highest levels
- Why who you are as a person will always be the deciding factor in the rooms that matter

This episode is for you if:
- You are technically strong but struggle with the social side of leadership advancement
- You want to understand what real mentorship looks like at the executive level
- You are an introvert navigating rooms that reward extroversion
- You are ready to hear how following with humility produces leadership authority

👤 View Phillip McKibbins' guest profile, resources, and contact information

Chapters

00:00 Aligning Technology with Business Goals

01:04 Overcoming Social Anxiety

06:17 Embracing Discomfort in Social Situations

16:06 Confidence in Leadership

21:38 Faith and Relationships

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