SGT Joanne Fa’avesi Of U.S. Army: How My Experience in Athletics Trained Me to Become a Better Leader

An Interview With Vanessa Ogle

Authenticity — I have learned to embrace my own differences. I learned to be proud of my background and my culture, which makes me my own person. I bring something different and authentic to the table. As a leader, it helps you to stand out from others when you can be authentic and build relationships with those around you. Everything feels more genuine when you are your own person.

The world of sports is not just about physical prowess or competition; it’s an incubator for leadership qualities such as discipline, teamwork, strategic planning, and resilience. Athletes, from amateur levels to professional arenas, often encounter situations that test their limits and require them to step up in ways that mirror the challenges faced by leaders in various fields. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Sgt. Joanne Fa’avesi.

Sgt. Joanne Fa’avesi believes both the Army and rugby came into her life at just the right time. She grew up in Sacramento as the youngest of seven children in a large Polynesian family. With rugby having deep roots in Polynesian culture, as well as her father and siblings having played, she loves getting to compete in a sport that is, “in their DNA.” She dropped out of high school and decided to enlist in the Army; a first-generation American, Fa’avesi is also the first in her family to join the military. Supported by the World Class Athlete Program (WCAP), Fa’avesi went on to compete in the 2016 and 2020 Olympics and most recently took home gold at the 2023 Pan American Games. The Army and WCAP gave her a sense of security, belonging and confidence in her future that she didn’t have growing up and is now fueling her rugby and military career.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career in athletics?

My family and community are what brought me to my specific career in athletics. I grew up in a large Polynesian family, and the sport of rugby is in our DNA. Both my father and siblings have played, so I’ve been around the sport my whole life. I have played other sports, but nothing that compares to rugby.

I have competed at all levels of the sport and after joining the national women’s team, I was approached with the opportunity to join the Army under the World Class Athlete Program, which allows Soldier-athletes to train and compete at the elite level in their sports with teammates who share their mission of service. This opportunity allowed me to serve my country in uniform both off and on the pitch, and I became the first in my family to join the Army. I enlisted as a combat engineer, which allows me to stay active on the job and keeps me in shape for rugby.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

The most interesting thing that has happened since I started my career has to be having the opportunity to play rugby alongside my niece on the national team. That same niece was able to witness me graduating from basic training in the Army. It has been a milestone for me to be an example she can look up to and an inspiration for her to accomplish any goals she dreams of.

Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

Three character traits that were most instrumental to my success are resilience, adaptability, and generosity:

• Resilience has been the story of my life since I was born. I had a rough upbringing, but children are resilient, and it became second nature so that whenever training or selections got hard, I knew how to respond and react.
• As a professional athlete, I have learned to be adaptable in everything on and off the pitch because everything is not in my control. I had to be adaptable to control what I can control and focus on finding solutions.
• Growing up in a large family and not having much, I learned generosity at a young age. I was raised to serve others, and that generosity costs nothing and requires no talent. As a Soldier, you come across so many different walks of life and generosity goes a long way.

Can you share a pivotal moment in your athletic career that taught you a leadership lesson you’ve applied outside of sports?

A pivotal moment in my athletic career that taught me a leadership lesson came when I did not make rugby team selections for the first time. I had to learn how to be what the team needed me to be and how to maneuver the thoughts of not being good enough. I learned how to be a team player and how to accept that one person’s decision does not define my worth or value. As selections became harder to make, I worked harder and was able to enjoy the journey instead of trying to please anyone. I have applied this in my Army career, school, and personal life.

How has your experience in team dynamics within athletics influenced your approach to leadership in the workplace?

My experience in team dynamics within athletics has influenced my approach to leadership in the workplace tremendously. Being a part of a professional team is aligned with being an Army Soldier for the country. Team dynamics require you to work with others, find common ground, and reach a common goal.

While competing as a Soldier-athlete, I have used the support of the broader Army team in ways that hold me accountable, and I am able to learn from those who have experienced life as a Soldier and international competition firsthand. I am grateful to have amazing mentors in WCAP to coach me and keep me balanced as a Soldier-athlete, and now that I’ve been in the program for over five years, I’ve taken on a mentor role for some of the newer members.

In what ways has facing defeat or challenges in sports prepared you for handling failure and setbacks in your professional life?

Facing defeat and challenges in sports has prepared me in ways I would never have imagined possible. Sports can be so unforgiving because I can do everything right and still can’t control the outcome. There is always another opportunity, and there will always be another challenge. This has prepared me to handle failure and setbacks in my professional life by remembering that when one door closes, another opens, and what is meant for me will be.

How do you apply the discipline and training regimen from your athletic pursuits to your current leadership role?

The discipline and regimen from my athletic pursuits to my current leadership role go hand in hand and are applicable both ways. Training as a Soldier taught me how to be comfortable being a leader in something I was not familiar with.

I grew up playing rugby so being a leader in my athletic career came naturally. I have had the blessing of being able to train at the Olympic training center for the past ten years and have been able to pick the brains of coaches who have helped push me further in my career and pushed me to limits that I did not see were possible.

Reflecting on your journey, what specific skills or attributes developed through athletics do you believe are most essential for effective leadership?

Specific skills and attributes developed through athletics that have been most essential for effective leadership are integrity, compassion, and communication.

Based on your experience, can you please share “5 Ways That Athletics Can Help Train Great Leaders?”

1. Teamwork — Working in a team environment for over 10 years has made me more understanding of those around me and taught me so much about myself as well as my teammates. Being a leader requires the ability to work well with others and see things from different perspectives while trying to find ways to meet a common goal.
2. Adaptability — Things rarely go your way in a competitive team sport. I learned ways to focus on what I can control and be adaptable to the things I cannot control. Instead of seeing it as a roadblock, I learned to move with the flow and use it to grow. As a leader, you will have to make hard decisions and adapt to changes in plans, and sometimes it happens quickly.
3. Composure — In athletics things can move at a pace that seems impossible to manage. I have learned to stay calm under pressure and move forward with composure by focusing on the present and the moment at hand. As a leader, you will have those around you who look to you for direction, and it is up to you to do that in a manner where they feel comfortable to execute.
4. Authenticity — I have learned to embrace my own differences. I learned to be proud of my background and my culture, which makes me my own person. I bring something different and authentic to the table. As a leader, it helps you to stand out from others when you can be authentic and build relationships with those around you. Everything feels more genuine when you are your own person.
5. Comradery — Athletics has built a community around me that supports me and encourages me at all times. The Army and WCAP also give me a sense of belonging that I have never experienced before. I want to give this same comradery feeling to those around me because it helps build trust and cohesion.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

I would make it so that youth sports cost nothing to participate. This would get kids involved in team sports and keep them off the streets. I have learned so much from playing a team sport that I apply to my everyday life as a Soldier-athlete.

How can our readers further follow you online?

I currently do not have any social media. I really just want to focus on my journey to Paris 2024. However, for more information on the many possibilities available in the Army, go to GoArmy.com.

Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!

About The Interviewer: Vanessa Ogle is a mom, entrepreneur, inventor, writer, and singer/songwriter. Vanessa’s talent in building world-class leadership teams focused on diversity, a culture of service, and innovation through inclusion allowed her to be one of the most acclaimed Latina CEO’s in the last 30 years. She collaborated with the world’s leading technology and content companies such as Netflix, Amazon, HBO, and Broadcom to bring innovative solutions to travelers and hotels around the world. Vanessa is the lead inventor on 120+ U.S. Patents. Accolades include: FAST 100, Entrepreneur 360 Best Companies, Inc. 500 and then another six times on the Inc. 5000. Vanessa was personally honored with Inc. 100 Female Founder’s Award, Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and Enterprising Women of the Year among others. Vanessa now spends her time sharing stories to inspire and give hope through articles, speaking engagements and music. In her spare time she writes and plays music in the Amazon best selling new band HigherHill, teaches surfing clinics, trains dogs, and cheers on her children.

Please connect with Vanessa here on linkedin and subscribe to her newsletter Unplugged as well as follow her on Substack, Instagram, Facebook, and X and of course on her website VanessaOgle.