Dean’s Speaker Series People First Leadership: How Cynt Marshall Transformed Culture at Scale
Feb 17, 2026
Cynt Marshall, former CEO of the Dallas Mavericks and longtime DEI leader at AT&T, transformed cultures at scale with a people-first approach. She discusses leading through service, building inclusive teams, scaling values during growth, and why inclusion becomes a competitive advantage. Short, practical stories highlight timing, leadership development, and leaving organizations better than you found them.
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Three Ls Of Effective Leadership
- Listen, learn, and love people to lead effectively in any role.
- Learn the job deeply and treat employees as people, not just workers.
Turning Around The Mavericks
- Cynt agreed to lead the Dallas Mavericks during a crisis after listening to employees and assessing the problem.
- She ran one-on-ones with every employee in her first 90 days and built a values-driven 100-day plan.
Sports As A Complex Unifying Business
- Sports unites diverse audiences and creates a large ecosystem beyond players.
- Running a team requires blending entertainment, P&L focus, and coordination across many functions.
