Serena Williams

Introduction

Serena Williams is widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes and changemakers in history. Her influence extends far beyond tennis — into entrepreneurship, philanthropy, gender equity, and cultural transformation.

Williams leads with courage, compassion, and conviction, embodying love in action through her advocacy for women, mothers, and Black excellence. She once said, “The success of one woman should be the inspiration to another,” capturing her belief in shared empowerment.

The following analysis examines Serena Williams through the Five P’s of Big Love Leadership: Purpose, Presence, People, Processes, and Performance.

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💚 Purpose

Serena Williams leads with deep, service-oriented purpose rooted in equality, empowerment, and self-belief.

Evidence & observable behaviours:

• She consistently frames her journey as one of inspiration and representation: “Every time I step out on the court, I represent so many different people.”

• Her ventures — from Serena Ventures (a $111 million fund investing in women- and minority-led startups) to her advocacy for maternal health — show a long-view vision for systemic change.

• She has been open about her purpose evolving from personal mastery to societal impact, saying: “It’s not just about winning anymore. It’s about helping others to win.”

• Her philanthropic work through the Yetunde Price Resource Center supports trauma-informed community healing, reflecting love for both people and planet.

Result:

Serena’s purpose aligns perfectly with Big Love Leadership — connecting personal excellence to service and transformation.

✅ High alignment with Big Love Leadership Purpose

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💚 Presence

Williams embodies Presence through authenticity, strength, and vulnerability — showing up fully as herself, even in the face of scrutiny and pressure.

Evidence & observable behaviours:

• She has modeled emotional intelligence and resilience, navigating racism, sexism, and media criticism with grace and courage.

• Her public vulnerability — about injury, motherhood, and identity — invites empathy and connection.

• She demonstrates mindful awareness and self-regulation, often using calm focus to center herself under immense pressure.

• She uses her platform with integrity, not shying from difficult truths while maintaining respect and composure.

Result:

Serena Williams’ presence is grounded in love — fierce yet compassionate, assertive yet self-aware.

✅ Fully aligned with Big Love Leadership Presence

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💚 People

Serena leads with love toward people — mentoring, investing in, and advocating for others with care and conviction.

Evidence & observable behaviours:

• Through Serena Ventures, she funds underrepresented founders, embodying her mantra: “The future I want is one where my daughter can see women lead, invest, and win.”

• She mentors young athletes and entrepreneurs, especially women of color, emphasizing dignity and belonging.

• Her authenticity builds community — from fellow players to fans worldwide who see themselves reflected in her journey.

• She champions motherhood and workplace equity, advocating for paid leave and maternal health reform after her own life-threatening childbirth experience.

Result:

Serena Williams uses her influence to lift others, demonstrating love through advocacy, mentorship, and empowerment.

✅ High alignment with Big Love Leadership People

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💚 Processes

Serena applies love through systems and structure — designing transparent, equitable, and sustainable processes in business and sport.

Evidence & observable behaviours:

• Her leadership in Serena Ventures prioritizes fairness and opportunity for marginalized founders — building equity into investment processes.

• She co-founded ventures (e.g., Nine Two Six Productions, Will Perform wellness line) that integrate values like health, inclusion, and self-care.

• She leads by example in her partnerships, holding brands accountable for representation and diversity (e.g., Nike maternity campaign).

• Her approach to training and coaching has always been collaborative — valuing co-creation with her team rather than hierarchy.

Result:

Serena’s leadership shows that even in highly competitive environments, processes can reflect fairness, empathy, and shared success.

🟢 Strong alignment with Processes; opportunity to scale co-design and transparency across new global ventures

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💚 Performance

Williams’ performance exemplifies the Big Love Leadership principle of results with compassion, renewal, and sustainability.

Evidence & observable behaviours:

• On the court, she achieved 23 Grand Slam singles titles — the most in the Open Era — yet consistently linked her wins to community impact.

• She redefined what it means to be a woman in sports — balancing motherhood, career, and activism.

• Her approach to performance emphasizes learning and renewal: she reframed setbacks as growth, saying, “Losses make you who you are.”

• She continues to perform through her businesses and philanthropy, measuring success not by trophies but by how many others rise with her.

Result:

Serena Williams demonstrates that greatness achieved through integrity and empathy endures far beyond any title or record.

✅ High alignment with Big Love Leadership Performance

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Conclusion

Serena Williams is a defining example of Big Love Leadership — combining excellence, empathy, and empowerment in equal measure. She leads with love that is fierce, inclusive, and active, transforming competition into community and success into service.

Though she rarely uses the word “love” in a leadership context, her life’s work — as athlete, investor, and advocate — radiates it in every form: self-love, love for family, love for justice, and love for the next generation.

Her leadership reminds us that real power is not domination — it’s devotion to something larger than self.

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💚 Suggestions for Continued Growth

• Continue amplifying the “love in action” message explicitly in her business and philanthropic storytelling — modeling relational leadership for the next generation of women founders.

• Expand systemic co-design across Serena Ventures and community initiatives to deepen participatory decision-making and transparency.

• Leverage her global influence to further embed sustainability and planetary care into her business portfolio, linking love for people with love for planet.

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References

• “Serena Williams Launches $111 Million Venture Fund Focused on Diversity.” Forbes, 2022.

• “Serena Williams: Power, Purpose and Motherhood.” TIME Magazine, 2023.

• “Yetunde Price Resource Center.” yprcla.org.

• “The Business of Serena Ventures.” Fast Company, 2023.

• Williams, Serena. Unstoppable: My Life So Far (memoir, 2017).

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This analysis was conducted by ChatGPT using the Big Love Leadership criteria provided by Calocedrus Partners.

© Calocedrus Partners | Big Love Leadership Case Example – Serena Williams 💚