Ashley Lynn Priore Featured on “Adeptus On-Air” with Mike Hoffman
What does chess have to do with leadership? More than most people think.
In a recent episode of Adeptus On-Air, host Mike Hoffman sat down with Ashley Lynn Priore for a conversation on strategic thinking, decision-making under pressure, and how chess became the foundation for her work across business, sports, and leadership development.
In “Thinking Three Moves Ahead: Chess as a Blueprint for Leadership,” Ashley shares how learning chess at a young age shaped the way she approaches leadership, adaptability, and long-term thinking. What started as competition eventually evolved into something much larger: a framework now used through Queenside Ventures and Queens Gambit to help executives, athletes, students, and organizations make clearer, more intentional decisions.
Throughout the conversation, Ashley discusses the connection between chess and high-performance environments, particularly why so many athletes and leaders are drawn to the game. From reading pressure to recognizing patterns and balancing patience with decisive action, the episode explores how strategic thinking extends far beyond the chessboard.
Listeners will also hear Ashley discuss:
The founding of Queens Gambit at age fourteen and the vision behind the organization
How chess helps leaders balance preparation with adaptability
Why overthinking and strategic thinking are not the same thing
The role emotional discipline plays in decision-making
How chess frameworks are being applied within professional sports organizations and executive leadership spaces
At its core, the conversation is about more than chess. It is about learning how to navigate complexity without becoming reactive.
At Queenside Ventures, strategy is not just about planning ahead. It is about understanding position, recognizing patterns early, and making decisions with clarity even in uncertain environments. Because leadership is rarely defined by a single move. It is shaped by the ability to understand what that move changes next.
