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Leading with Competitive Character: Building Connected Teams That Perform and Care

The Athletics Of Business

Release Date: 03/27/2026

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More Episodes

In this episode of The Athletics of Business Podcast, host Ed Molitor is joined by Will Lumpkin, Vice President of Sales at Agios Pharmaceuticals.

In this encore episode, Will shares insights into his leadership philosophy, drawing from his experiences as a former football player at Indiana University and his current role leading a powerhouse team at Agios.

Throughout the episode, Will shares his core values of competitive character, which he defines as the ability to perform under pressure, ethically, and consistently. He dives into how these principles shape his approach to team culture, leadership, and achieving success in the pharmaceutical industry.

Will also highlights the power of resilience, mission-driven engagement, and stakeholder connection in his work, offering real-world advice for leaders facing high-pressure situations.

He reflects on his experience building and leading a team focused on improving the lives of patients facing rare and often underserved blood disorders, and how resilience plays a critical role in overcoming obstacles in their mission. Will talks about the lessons learned from his time at Indiana University under Coach Cig and how he applies those leadership teachings to his current role.

OUR GUEST

William A. Lumpkin is a devoted husband to Layla, a proud father to Ailey, Sage, and Liam, and a purpose-driven leader with a passion for delivering significant impact by cultivating high-performing teams.

Will serves as Vice President of Sales at Agios Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge, MA, where he leads a team dedicated to providing disease education and access to first and best-in-class therapeutic solutions for underserved patient populations affected by rare diseases, including Thalassemia, Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency, and Chronic Hemolytic Anemia.  

Prior to Agios, Will was Head of New Product Strategy and Business Development at Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Chief of Staff to the Chief Commercial and Global Operations Officer, and the Commercial Integration lead for Alexion into AstraZeneca's rare disease division. His innovative solutions earned him Guiding Star and Excellence Awards. 

With a diverse background spanning leadership across functional disciplines—including finance, sales, marketing, and strategy—Will has led within biopharmaceutical companies, including Baxter, Baxalta, Shire, and Takeda, and demonstrated his ability to build and lead teams that operate with a sense of urgency in service of others. His professional journey began in finance at Procter & Gamble and includes time as a lecturer at the UNC Kenan-Flagler School of Business.

Will holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Indiana University, where he excelled as a four-time letterman, senior captain of the Hoosier football team, and President of the Alpha Chapter, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Originally from Dayton, Ohio, Will and his family reside in Houston, where he remains actively engaged in community leadership roles, including serving on the Hermann Park Conservatory Board and as a Senior Fellow at the American Leadership Forum.

 

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE

  • Why elite leaders anchor in the process when outcomes are uncertain
  • How purpose becomes a competitive advantage in building resilience
  • Why communication and connection are the foundation of trust and team success
  • How to align individual motivations with a shared mission for sustained performance
  • How emerging leaders can leverage curiosity and people skills to accelerate their growth
  • How belief fuels the discipline, energy, and resilience required to lead at a high level
  • What it takes to build high-performing teams that are connected, accountable, and committed to something bigger than themselves

 

RESOURCES & LINKS

Will Lumpkin

Ed Molitor

Listen to Will’s  prior episodes on The Athletics of Business Podcast