1522: Master Your Playbook: Unlock Personal Potential and Build High-Performing Teams with Larry Dodd

Friday, January 2, 2026

Larry Dodd is an executive coach and founder of Open Playbook with more than 35 years of experience helping leaders and teams reconnect to what drives real performance. His journey includes navigating career choices that were initially misaligned with his natural strengths, an experience that forced him to work harder than necessary and ultimately sparked deeper self-examination. Through setbacks, reflection, and disciplined personal growth, he developed a strengths-based methodology rooted in understanding innate talents, building confidence, and turning self-awareness into effective leadership. His career includes high-impact roles such as working with the San Francisco Giants, where a pivotal opportunity reinforced the importance of confidence, preparation, and offering value without fear of failure.

In this episode of Marketer of the Day, Larry Dodd explains how Open Playbook helps individuals and organizations rebuild connection in a disconnected, post-pandemic world. His work centers on three core concepts: the playbook you are given, the playbook you develop, and the playbook you give away. By using tools such as CliftonStrengths alongside deep, human-centered coaching, he helps people align roles with strengths, build engaged teams, and create cultures where leaders invest in others rather than operate in isolation. Key takeaways include the importance of connection over convenience, confidence built through repetition and guided reflection, and viewing setbacks as catalysts for growth. His current work focuses on developing strengths-based leaders who create lasting impact by sharing their experiences, mentoring others, and building teams that thrive rather than merely perform.

Quotes:

“Everybody has inherent talents, but if we never stop to understand what we actually have, we end up working twice as hard just to play even.”

“Nothing replaces connection. You can get information faster than ever, but developing people still requires time, trust, and human presence.”

“As you do the work, you build confidence. As you build confidence, you take risks. And when you repeat that cycle enough times, people start asking how you got there.”

“Success is not a straight line. It is a series of setbacks and breakthroughs, and those setbacks are often where the real strength is built.”