Intentional Living and Leadership with Cal Walters

After graduating from West Point (where I'm pretty sure Doug was the #1 ranked cadet in our class in physical fitness, which is incredible, but I couldn't get a straight answer from Doug on that fact), Doug commissioned as an infantry officer, graduated from Ranger School, and then went on to leave at several different levels at home and in combat.  Doug was awarded multiple Bronze Star medals, including one for Valor that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld presented in 2011. In addition to being the Managing Principal for Cushman and Wakefield in Dallas, Doug also leads their Military and Veteran Programs. As you will see, it's no surprise that Doug has been trusted with significant leadership responsibilities at such a young age.  His mindset is something we can all learn from.  We dive into how we has dealt with moments of failure and setbacks, key habits he focuses on for self-leadership, his top leadership principles, and much more.  As a book recommendation, Doug also mentioned Patrick Lencioni's book The Motive.    

It's great to be back after taking a few months off!  I'm really excited about all we can learn together in 2023!   Today I have the privilege of sharing my interview with Simone Askew. In 2017, she became the first African American woman to earn the role of First Captain, the leader of the Corps of Cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point.  This is regarded as a major step in racial and gender equality within the United States military. She was also named by Glamour magazine as one of the top 10 College Women of the Year. She is also a Rhodes Scholar.  Askew earned a MSc with merit in refugee and forced migration studies from the Refugee Studies Centre and a MPP from the Blavatnik School of Government at University of Oxford. She also recently published her first book, Citizen Skyland, a compelling story of a young black woman finding herself, her courage and her legacy when the world needs it most.  If you'd like to learn more about Military Mentors and their upcoming event, The MMoment III, visit militarymentors.org.  

Download this free 12-page PDF to get 12 key ideas to make you a better leader today.   Cassie Mogilner Holmes is a Professor at UCLA's Anderson School of Management. Cassie is an expert on time and happiness. Her research examines such questions as how focusing on time (rather than money) increases happiness, how the meaning of happiness changes over the course of one's lifetime, and how much happiness people enjoy from extraordinary versus ordinary experiences. Across these inquiries, her findings highlight the joy that stems from interpersonal connection and paying attention to the present moment. Cassie's academic research on the role of time in cultivating well-being has been published in leading academic journals, including Psychological Science, the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and the Journal of Consumer Research, and earned her the Early Career Award from both the Association of Consumer Research and the Society of Consumer Psychology. Cassie was identified by Poets & Quants as one of the best 40 business professors under 40, and popular accounts of her research have been featured on NPR and in such publications as The Economist, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, and Scientific American.  Professor Cassie Holmes is the author of Happier Hour: How to Beat Distraction, Expand Your Time, and Focus on What Matters Most, which is based on her wildly popular MBA course, “Applying the Science of Happiness to Life Design.” Holmes is a faculty affiliate with The UCLA Bedari Kindness Institute, an interdisciplinary organization dedicated to the research, education, and practice of kindness. Previously, Holmes was a tenured faculty member and award-winning teacher at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She has a Ph.D. from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, and a B.A. from Columbia.

Commander of Special Operations Command of the Afghan National Army Haibatullah Alizai, took over as Afghanistan's Chief of General Staff (the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs equivalent) just days before the Taliban made a push into Kabul, after General Wali Mohammad Ahmadzai was removed from the post.  On this episode, he discusses his perspective on leading during the difficult moments in Afghanistan as the Taliban seized territory and the US troops withdrew from Afghanistan.  He reflects on lessons he learned as a leader and his hopes for the future of Afghanistan.  

On today's quick hit episode, Cal shares three keys to being a leader that's not about you.  If you're interested in growing in your leadership practice and being inspired to think differently and unlock greater personal potential, we want to give you a gift. Just click the link below and tell us where to send you 12 Ideas That Will Make You A Better Leader In 2022.

Ryan Gottfredson, Ph.D. is a cutting-edge mindset author, researcher, and consultant. He helps organizations vertically develop their leaders primarily through a focus on mindsets. He helps improve organizations, leaders, teams, and employees by improving their mindsets. Ryan is currently a leadership and management professor at the College of Business and Economics at California State University-Fullerton (CSUF). He holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Human Resources from Indiana University, and a B.A. from Brigham Young University Ryan is the author of “Success Mindsets: The Key to Unlocking Greater Success in Your Life, Work, & Leadership.” (Morgan James Publishing), and Wall Street Journal and USA Today Best Seller. He also works with organizations to develop their leaders and improve their culture (collective mindsets). He has worked with top leadership teams at CVS Health (top 130 leaders), Deutsche Telekom (500+ of their top 2,000 leaders), and dozens of other organizations. As a respected authority and researcher on topics related to leadership, management, and organizational behavior, Ryan has published over 15 articles across a variety of journals including: Journal of Management, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Business Horizons, Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, and Journal of Leadership Studies. His research has been cited over 2,000 times since 2014. Take the Mindset Assessment here: https://s.ryangottfredson.com/mindsetassessment Take the Vertical Development Assessment here: https://ryangottfredson.com/vertical-development-assessment

Garry Ridge has 25 years of experience as Chairman and CEO of WD-40 Company. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego, where he teaches the principles and practices of corporate culture in the Master of Science in Executive Leadership program. Garry's philosophy on company culture is based on Aristotle's quote – “Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.” Turning that into action, he believes that all leaders can create a workplace where you go to work each day, make a contribution to something bigger than yourself, learn something new, feel safe, are protected, and are provided freedom by a set of values and go home happy! He is passionate about the learning and empowering organizational culture he has helped establish at the WD-40 Company. In 2009, he co-authored a book with Ken Blanchard outlining his effective leadership techniques, titled “Helping People Win at Work: A Business Philosophy Called ‘Don't Mark My Paper, Help Me Get an A.” A native of Australia, Mr. Ridge holds a certificate in Modern Retailing and a Master of Science in Executive Leadership from the University of San Diego. Learn more about Garry's work at https://thelearningmoment.net His top book recommendations: All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten  Infinite Game To Be Honest  Helping People Win at Work The Unexpected Learning Moment  Follow Garry on LinkedIn here!  

Would you like to partner with us at Intentional Leader?  Consider becoming a monthly supporter on Patreon.  Sign up here!   If you're interested in growing in your leadership practice and being inspired to think differently and unlock greater personal potential, we want to give you a gift. Just click the link below and tell us where to send you 12 Ideas That Will Make You A Better Leader In 2022. Stephen Drum is a combat-tested Retired Navy SEAL Master Chief with 27 years of experience leading and developing high-performance teams.  He recently co-developed and taught “Warrior Toughness” training for The U.S. Navy, which fundamentally changed the culture of the Navy in how it trains and prepares young sailors and officers.  An in-demand speaker and consultant, who helps individuals and organizations develop leadership and performance strategies, so they can plan, prepare, and execute at the highest levels when it matters most.  He has trained and led U.S. and foreign partner special operations forces on high-risk and strategically vital missions across the globe, including combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.  During his Navy career, Stephen has personally trained thousands of elite military soldiers and Navy SEAL candidates, helping them succeed in severe training courses and overseas combat operations.

Sign up here to attend the MMoment II on July 23, 2022 in Alexandria, VA!  The MMoment is an intentional, purposeful investment in you by us, your team at Military Mentors, or MM for short (the spelling of the MMoment is a play on our name). Our version of an immersive experience, it is an intense, 1-day experience twice a year for ~50 national security professionals, both civilian and military. The MMoment is not just a conference or set of TED talks, but rather a reflective and interactive experience to inspire transformative leadership. Sabrina Dalton is the Director of Programs for Military Mentors. Military Mentors mission is to elevate, educate and facilitate mentorship for the military and beyond. In her capacity as the Director of Programs, she oversees the eMMissary Program, a leader development fellowship, and the MMoment, a one-day, intensive leadership conference in the DC area. Sabrina is a graduate of the University of Colorado, Denver and is currently pursuing a Legal Assistant certificate through the University of Oklahoma Law Center. Most importantly, Sabrina is a military spouse, homeschooler and a mother. She is married to Tyler, a US Space Force Officer, and together they have 3 children that bring light and joy to their lives. On this episode, we discuss: the MMoment II the backstory to her joining Military Mentors the inspirational leadership of Dr. Chevy Cook (the Executive Director of Military Mentors) her decision to be a stay at home mom some of the tough (and controversial decisions) that carry guilt and shame as a mom some of her key principles for success as a mom If you want to learn more about Command Sergeant Major (Retired) Bill Thetford (mentioned during this episode), you can read his bio here.   If you're interested in growing in your leadership practice and being inspired to think differently and unlock greater personal potential, we want to give you a gift. Just click the link below and tell us where to send you 12 Ideas That Will Make You A Better Leader In 2022.

This episode with Patrick Lencioni is a great segue from the article released by Wes Cochrane last week titled, "Does Your Team Suck at Workplace Conflict?"  Read that article here.   Patrick Lencioni is one of the founders and president of The Table Group, a firm dedicated to providing organizations with ideas, products and services that improve teamwork, clarity and employee engagement. Patrick's passion for organizations and teams is reflected in his writing, speaking and executive consulting. He is the author of 11 best-selling books, which have sold over 6 million copies and been translated more than 30 languages. His capstone book, The Advantage, is the pre-eminent source on organizational health. After sixteen years in print, his classic book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, remains a weekly fixture on national best-seller lists. Released in 2016, The Ideal Team Player is a much-anticipated follow-up to his team book and also a Wall Street Journal best-seller. The wide-spread appeal of Lencioni's leadership models have yielded a diverse base of speaking and consulting clients, including a mix of Fortune 500 companies, professional sports organizations, the military, non-profits, schools and churches. Pat addresses thousands of leaders each year at world-class organizations and national conferences. Consistently the top rated keynote speaker at major events, Pat shares his insights and inspires his audiences through his accessibility, humor and story-telling. The Wall Street Journal said he is "one of the most in-demand business speakers." Named in Fortune magazine as one of the ‘ten new gurus you should know,' Pat and his work have been featured in USA TODAY, Bloomberg Businessweek, and Harvard Business Review, to name a few. Prior to founding his firm, he worked as a corporate executive for Sybase, Oracle and Bain & Company. Pat lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and four sons. Pat is really excited about a brand new concept he and his team are launching this week called the 6 Types of Working Genius. This is an incredible tool that helps you and I identify what we are really good at and those parts of work that make us most frustrated.  Pat had me take the assessment and we discuss my results and his results.  We also dive into the organizational health movement, how to create what he calls “vulnerability-based trust” on your team, why the right kind of conflict on a team is a sign of health, and much more.  To do The 6 Types of Working Genius Assessment, click here

Hello my friend! I wanted to share a very short message today… As many of you know, I'm a lawyer in the Army.  And part of being in the Army (at least for what I do), means we move every few years.  During the month of June, my family and I will be moving from the area around Fort Bragg, NC to Charlottesville, VA where I'll be teaching at the Army JAG School.  I'm really excited to get to work the teaching muscle and hopefully be a positive influence on the many Army leaders that flow through the JAG School.  So, if you have any must-do recommendations for Charlottesville or anywhere in Virginia, please let me know! You can shoot me an email to cal@calwalters.me. At least for the next episode (and perhaps more), I'll be re-airing some of this show's most popular episodes starting with my interview with Patrick Lencioni.  This episode with Patrick Lencioni is a great segue from the article released by Wes Cochrane last week titled, "Does Your Team Suck at Workplace Conflict?"  Read that article here.   Thanks for your patience while we're packing up and then unpacking, getting utilities setup, and settling into our new community.  Thanks for supporting this show, and I'll be back with some new episodes very soon.

If you're interested in growing in your leadership practice and being inspired to think differently and unlock greater personal potential, we want to give you a gift. Just click the link below and tell us where to send you 12 Ideas That Will Make You A Better Leader In 2022. Sign up to attend the MMoment II!  It will take place on Saturday, July 23, 2022 from 8am-3pm at ALX Community Waterfront, Alexandria, VA Join us for this intentional, purposeful investment in YOU; an intense and immersive, 1-day experience for ~50 national security professionals, both civilian and military. The MMoment is not just a conference or set of TED talks, but rather a reflective and interactive experience to inspire transformative leadership. Sign up here! In 2013, Joe Byerly thought something was missing in his journey to become a better leader. He wanted to create a place where leaders could share their hard-won lessons and help each other along the journey. He started looking in the place where he captured his own lessons, quotes from books, and ideas for the future –his green notebook. Today, From the Green Notebook is run by a team of passionate professionals who want to help others lead with the best version of themselves. Get a copy of Joe's new book, My Green Notebook: Know Thyself Before Changing Jobs.    

We're celebrating 3 years of podcasting!   Thank you to all of you that listen to and support this show!   I want to specifically thank two groups of supporters, our Patreon members and those that have left a rating/review on Apple Pocasts or Spotify.  Your support goes a long way! Want to become a Patron of Intentional Leader?  You can support the podcast by donating $1, $2, $5 (or whatever you like!) on Patreon.  Sign up here! Want to help us continue to get great guests and grow this community?  Please leave a rating or review on Apple Podcasts here or on Spotify here. Today I get the mic flipped on me by my good friend Wes Cochrane.  Wes joined me on Episode 84 when we interviewed his brother, Graham Cochrane, and as you'll hear during this conversation, Wes was part of the reason I started this show in the first place.  So why am I doing this unique format today?  Well, three main reasons.  First, I've had many of you ask when I was going to get behind the mic like I did the first 20+ episodes and share what I've been learning.  Second, this is a natural point of transition for me as my family and I are packing up to move in the next month and I'll be changing jobs.  It's a natural moment of reflection.  And, third, we're approaching the 3 year anniversary of this podcast starting, and it seemed appropriate to take a moment to celebrate and discuss highlights from the past 3 years.  On this episode, I get a bit vulnerable about some of my struggles over the past few years, some key lessons I've learned interviewing 65 or so leaders from all walks of life, I try to define what self-leadership means to me and how it's different than self-help, I answer some listener questions at the end, and much more.  I hope you enjoy this.  Let me know what you think please!  And whether you want more episodes in this format. 

If you're interested in growing in your leadership practice and being inspired to think differently and unlock greater personal potential, we want to give you a gift. Just click the link below and tell us where to send you 12 Ideas That Will Make You A Better Leader In 2022. I'm really excited to have Gino Wickman on the show today!   An entrepreneur since the age of 21, Gino has had an obsession for learning what makes businesses and entrepreneurs thrive. At 25 he took over the family business, which was deeply in debt and in need of help. After turning the company around and running it for seven years, he and his partners successfully sold the company. Gino then set out to help entrepreneurs and leaders get what they want from their businesses. Based on his years of real-world experience, he created the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), a practical method for helping companies achieve greatness. He has personally delivered more than 1,900 full-day sessions for more than 135 companies, helping them implement EOS. He is also the author of the award-winning, best-selling book Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business, which has sold over 1 million copies, as well as five other books in the Traction Library that have sold almost 2 million copies. Gino is the founder of EOS Worldwide, an organization that helps tens of thousands of businesses implement EOS with the aid of an international team of over 450 professional and certified EOS Implementers and online support. There are over 130,000 companies using the EOS tools worldwide. Gino is now devoting time and energy toward helping entrepreneurs-in-the-making get a huge jump-start on taking their entrepreneurial leap, which is why he created Entrepreneurial Leap. The  mission of Entrepreneurial Leap is to find all of the entrepreneurs-in-the-making, at any age,  wherever they are—to help them realize their purpose and live the life they were born to live. Entrepreneurial Leap: Do You Have What It Takes to Become an Entrepreneur? is available for purchase through all major retailers.  - Visit e-leap.com to Take the Free Entrepreneur-in-the-Making Assessment - Subscribe to the Entrepreneurial Leap YouTube Channel Other items discussed during the interview: 10 Lessons Gino Learned from His Dad 10 Disciplines to Maximize Your Energy 

If you're interested in growing in your leadership practice and being inspired to think differently and unlock greater personal potential, we want to give you a gift. Just click the link below and tell us where to send you 12 Ideas That Will Make You A Better Leader In 2022. Whitney Johnson is CEO of the tech-enabled talent development company Disruption Advisors, an Inc. 5000 fastest-growing private company in America (2020). One of the top ten business thinkers in the world as named by Thinkers50, Whitney is an expert at smart growth leadership. Whitney has worked at FORTUNE 100 companies, and as an award-winning equity analyst on Wall Street. She co-founded the Disruptive Innovation Fund with Harvard Business School's late Clayton Christensen. She has coached alongside the renowned Marshall Goldsmith, selected by Goldsmith in 2017 as a Top 15 Coach out of a pool of more than 17,000 candidates. Whitney understands how companies work, how investors think, and how the best coaches coach. An award-winning author, Johnson teaches the S Curve of Learning to managers and companies as both a keynote speaker and a frequent lecturer for Harvard Business School's Corporate Learning. She is a LinkedIn Top Voice (2020) with 1.8 million followers. Her course Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship has been viewed more than 1 million times. An innovation and disruption theorist, Whitney is a frequent contributor to Harvard Business Review and MIT Sloan Management Review. Author of the bestselling Build an A Team (a Financial Times Book of the Month), Disrupt Yourself (fittingly described by Publisher's Weekly as “Savvy . . . often counterintuitive . . . superb”), and Smart Growth. She hosts the weekly Disrupt Yourself podcast with guests including Brené Brown, Adam Grant, Susan Cain, and General Stanley McChrystal. Whitney was co-founder of the Disruptive Innovation Fund with Clayton Christensen. Her role included fund formation, strategy, and capital raising. They invested and led the $8 million seed round for South Korea's Coupang ecommerce platform, currently valued at $50 billion.

If you're interested in growing in your leadership practice and being inspired to think differently and unlock greater personal potential, we want to give you a gift. Just click the link below and tell us where to send you 12 Ideas That Will Make You A Better Leader In 2022. Chris Fussell is the President of McChrystal Group, a leadership consulting firm based in Alexandria, Virginia and London, England. He became President in 2018 after joining the firm as Partner in 2012. He left the US Navy in 2012 after serving 15-years as a Navy SEAL Officer. Chris is the author of 2017 WSJ Best Seller "One Mission: How Leaders Build a Team of Teams", and co-author of 2015 NYT Best Seller "Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World". He is a Senior Fellow at Yale University's Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, a Senior Fellow at New America, a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a member of the board of trustees with the Naval Postgraduate School Foundation. Chris co-hosts the weekly podcast "No Turning Back" with Stan McChrystal where they interview the world's most consequential leaders. I mentioned this episode of the Craig Groeschel Leadership podcast about Leading Out of a Crisis.  

If you're interested in growing in your leadership practice and being inspired to think differently and unlock greater personal potential, we want to give you a gift. Just click the link below and tell us where to send you 12 Ideas That Will Make You A Better Leader In 2022. Dr. Tim Elmore is founder and CEO of Growing Leaders (www.growingleaders.com), an Atlanta‐based non‐profit organization created to develop emerging leaders. Since founding Growing Leaders in 2003, Elmore has spoken to over 500,000 leaders in businesses, universities, athletic teams and non-profit organizations, including The Home Depot, Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated, American Eagle and Chick-Fil-A as well as the San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Ohio State University, Stanford University and the University of Alabama athletics. His work grew out of twenty years serving alongside Dr. John C. Maxwell where he focused on leadership for the emerging generations. Elmore has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, USA Today, Psychology Today and he's been featured on CNN's Headline News and Fox and Friends to talk about leading multiple generations in the marketplace. Tim was listed in the top 100 leadership speakers in America by Inc. magazine. He has written more than 35 books, including the best-selling Habitudes: Images That Form Leadership Habits and Attitudes. Tim and his wife, Pam, have two adult children, Bethany and Jonathan. He and Pam live outside of Atlanta. You can also find his work at: TimElmore.com

Sign Up Here to Win a Free Copy of Graham's Book! Cal Walters and Wes Cochrane interview Graham Cochrane (Wes's older brother) about this new book, "How to Get Paid for What You Know." Graham Cochrane is a business coach to over 3,500 premium customers worldwide. He founded The Recording Revolution, an online music business that generates 7 figures in revenue, in 2009. He now hosts over 80,000+ monthly followers on his podcast, YouTube channel, and blog, talking about business, mindset, productivity, and psychology. Graham has been featured in Business Insider, Yahoo!, and The Huffington Post. Even if you have no interest in online business or have never even considered it, stick around to hear this interview because it's packed with wisdom about life and self-leadership. We dive into how Graham went from living on food stamps to creating his first 7 figure business, The Recording Revolution. We discuss imposter syndrome, something we can all relate to, staying committed to a long term plan and how he remains so consistent, he gives us a critique of the hustle culture that is constantly promoting workaholism, why even after having two 7 figure businesses he has invested a lot of money in a high performance coach, and some keys to self-leadership that he shares at the end.  I highly recommend you get a copy of Graham's book!

If you're interested in growing in your leadership practice and being inspired to think differently and unlock greater personal potential, we want to give you a gift. Just click the link below and tell us where to send you 12 Ideas That Will Make You A Better Leader In 2022. Get Mike Bassett's new book, The Man in the Ditch: A Redemption Story for Today Mike is an Army veteran and a civil litigation attorney who has practiced law for nearly 4 decades.  He is the founder of the Bassett Firm, a highly sought-after national speaker, consultant, and mediator.  He is also the host of the fantastic Legal Grounds Podcast and the author of amazing book, The Man in the Ditch: A Redemption Story for Today. Mike Bassett shares with us a very vulnerable and difficult story in his life where he made some poor decisions that completely changed his life, he thought he would go to prison, lose his law license, and his story of navigating that bumpy road, dealing with his shame, and finding redemption on the other side.  Follow Mike on LinkedIn and at https://themanintheditch.com/ If you're interested in writing a book or need help finding your voice online, reach out to the person that helped Mike write his book, Alexandra Davis, at Davis Legal Media.  

Mike Erwin is a man that wears many important hats. He is the Founder and Executive Director of Team Red, White, and Blue (Team RWB)—a non-profit with a mission to enrich the lives of America's veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity. Team RWB is a growing organization with over 220,000 members. In addition to leading Team RWB, Mike is the CEO of the Character & Leadership Center and the Co-Founder & President of The Positivity Project—a non-profit organization with the mission to empower America's youth to build positive relationships. With 425 partner schools, the organization reaches 260,000 children daily. He is the also the author of Lead Yourself First: Inspiring Leadership through Solitude and his new book, Leadership is a Relationship: How to Put People First in a Digital World.  Mike is also a Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves, assigned to the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he serves as an Assistant Professor in Leadership & Psychology. He also serves as the founding Chairman of the Board for Father Vincent Capodanno High School, outside Fort Bragg, NC. Mike graduated from West Point in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics. He was commissioned as an Intelligence Officer, serving in three combat tours with the First Cavalry Division and 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne). His service includes deployment to Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004–2005 that involved the Battles of Fallujah and Najaf. Mike also deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2006–2007 and 2009. On those tours, he worked with NATO forces, to include serving as a lead intelligence planner for one of the largest NATO-led combat operation in history. Mike earned two Bronze Star Medals from these tours. Following his third deployment, Mike attended the University of Michigan from 2009–2011, where he studied positive psychology and leadership under the tutelage of the co-founder of Positive Psychology, Dr. Chris Peterson. He went on to serve as an Assistant Professor in Psychology & Leadership at the U.S. Military Academy from 2011–2014. While assigned to West Point as a Major, Mike served as a lead planner for the Bob McDonald Global Leadership Conference and was the aide-de-camp to the Class of 1951 Chair for the Study of Leadership, held by Jim Collins and then Tom Tierney. Connect with Mike and follow his awesome work at MikeErwin.net or on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter.

Adrian Perkins is the Mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana. He was born in the Cedar Grove neighborhood of Shreveport, attending Arthur Circle, Youree Drive Middle School, and Captain Shreve High School. In the wake of 9/11, Adrian Perkins accepted a nomination to the United States Military Academy.  There, he was the captain of the track team and the first African-American graduate elected Class President in West Point's history. Perkins deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan after graduating from West Point.  He achieved the rank of Captain and Company Commander in the United States Army and was awarded the Bronze Star for his service.  After three tours of duty, the Tillman Foundation accepted Perkins into their Tillman Scholar Program, enabling him to attend Harvard Law School, where he was again elected Student Body President. On April 26, 2018, he announced his candidacy for Mayor of Shreveport, and on December 29th, 2018, Adrian Perkins was installed as the  56th Mayor of Shreveport.

Want clarity in life?  Create your personal mission statement today!  Read our most recent article at Intentional Leader that walks you through the steps to creating your personal mission statement.   Read about creating a personal mission statement here I'm really excited to bring Ryan Hawk back on the show! Ryan created The Learning Leader Show in 2015 as a way to follow his curiosity about leadership and excellence with great rigor. It has since been listened to by millions of people in more than 150 countries. Forbes called it, “the most dynamic leadership podcast around.” Inc Magazine said, “it's one of the 5 podcasts to make you a smarter leader.” Apple named it an “all-time best seller” in 2020. He's the author of Welcome to Management: How To Grow From Top Performer To Excellent Leader. Book Authority recently named it to its 100 Best Management Audiobooks of all time (#25). Forbes called it, “the best leadership book of 2020.” He previously worked in corporate America for 12 years. He started as an entry-level telephonic sales rep and worked his way to manager, director, and ultimately VP of sales for a multi-billion dollar company. When he's not recording podcasts or writing books, he tries to help leaders be more effective. Some of the ways he does that: fascinating Leadership Circles, 1:1 advising, and teaching in The Learning Leader Academy. Finally, he regularly delivers keynote speeches on leadership and performance excellence and has spoken all over America and abroad in front of thousands of people. After a very successful first book, Ryan is out with his brand new book, The Pursuit of Excellence: The Uncommon Behaviors of the World's Most Productive Achievers! On this episode, we dive into: How his father and grandfather were incredible models of servant leadership How he stays so incredibly consistent How he stays motivated to do hard things What gratitude means to him How he and his wife, Miranda, intentionally surround themselves with positive people His experiences with writing a book and where that stacks up for him in terms of difficult pursuits The meaning of the words “excellence” and “pursuit” to Ryan How he intentionally pursues his wife The importance of being action oriented Why he loves his Leadership Circles During my conversation with Ryan, I mention Ryan's interview with his wife Miranda (Episode 375 of the Learning Leader Show). This is one of the most inspiring interviews out there for couples looking to create a supportive relationship. Check it out here!

Join us on Jan 22, 2022 at the MMoment in the Washington, DC area!  Register here.   I'm really excited to welcome Secretary Bob McDonald to the Intentional Leader podcast. We cover a lot of ground with Bob on this episode.  We dig into his upbringing, overcoming a fear of swimming at West Point and how he deals with fear in general, how he thinks we should measure success as a leader, what he was laser-focused on at Proctor & Gamble, how he stays motivated during tough moments, and much more.  Bob served Procter & Gamble for 33 years with the last four as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer.  During his tenure as CEO of P&G Bob helped to expand the footprint of the company brands such that one billion people became new customers of a company product. Following his career at P&G, Bob was selected by President Obama in 2014 to head the Department of Veterans Affairs.  While at the helm of the VA, Bob was able to help transform the agency into one that truly delivered better care for our Military veterans. Bob McDonald is the recipient of numerous leadership awards and Honorary Doctorate Degrees that include: Hampden Sydney College, University of Cincinnati, Xavier University, Robert Morris University, and Drexel University. In 2010, the University of Utah Alumni Association named Bob a Distinguished Graduate. The West Point Association of Graduates named McDonald for its admired Distinguished Graduate Award in 2017, recognition provided annually to “West Point graduates whose character, distinguished service and stature draw wholesome comparison to the qualities for which West Point strives.” With that distinction, Bob joins Academy graduates like Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway, Gen. William C. Westmoreland, Gen. Alexander M. Haig Jr., Dr. Buzz Aldrin, Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, Mr. R. James Nicholson, Gen. Eric K. Shinseki, among others. In 2014, The President of the Republic of Singapore awarded Bob the Public Service Star for his work helping shape Singapore's development as an international hub connecting global companies with Asian firms and enterprises. Lastly, Bob has received an award as Scout Leader from the Boy Scouts and Far East Council. Bob McDonald is personally and professionally committed to values-based leadership and to improving the lives of others. He is Chairman of the Board of RallyPoint Networks, Inc.—an online community of active duty military members and Veterans—and serves on the Board of Directors of the Partnership for Public Service, Audia International, Inc., the Association of Graduates of the United States Military Academy, the Boulder Crest Retreat Foundation, and the McCormick Research Institute in Orlando, Florida. Bob and his wife, Diane, are the founders of The McDonald Conference for Leaders of Character at West Point—an annual gathering that brings together the brightest young minds from the best universities around the world and partners them with senior business, nongovernmental organization, and government leaders in a multi-day interactive learning experience. In July, 2020 Bob became the April and Jay Graham Fellow of the George W. Bush Institute.  In this endowed role he serves as a key member of the Bush Institute's Military Service Initiative team, advocating for post-9/11 Veterans and building awareness for the issues that affect their successful transitions to civilian life including employment,  education, and health and wellbeing.  In September, 2020 Bob was appointed to the Biden Transition Advisory Board, to ensure a smooth administration transition if Vice President Biden is elected. Bob McDonald graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in the top 2 percent of the Class of 1975. He served as the Brigade Adjutant for the Corps of Cadets and was recognized by The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacturing, and Commerce as the most distinguished graduate in academics, leadership, and physical education. In 1978, Bob earned his MBA from the University of Utah. An Army Veteran, Bob served with the 82nd Airborne Division. He completed Jungle, Arctic, and Desert Warfare training. And he earned the Ranger tab, the Expert Infantryman Badge, and Senior Parachutist wings. Upon leaving military service, then-Captain McDonald was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal.

Please register for the MMoment, a live event by Military Mentors on Saturday, January 22, 2022 in Washington, D.C.  Intentional Leader is partnering with Military Mentors to put on this event.  As a former F-15 pilot, Thor has flown over 2,500 missions. He provided escort for the President, protected our nation's borders, and was named the Top Instructor Pilot at the Air Force Flight Training Headquarters, training thousands of pilots for the United States and 25 allied countries around the world. He was the tactical leader of 300 of the most senior combat pilots in the Air Force and he oversaw the execution of a $150M/year flight program. In 2010, Thor was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer and given about a 15% chance to live. Instead of giving up, Thor decided to give back. He started a youth outreach program in San Antonio that has grown to help more than 15,000 at-risk kids. Their efforts have been featured on every news channel for 100 miles and one national media outlet. In 2012, he was selected out of 62,000 people to receive the Air Education and Training Command National Public Service Award. Thor completed the New Zealand Ironman Triathlon in March of 2015 to commemorate the five-year anniversary of his Stage IV cancer diagnosis and to raise awareness for the rare and deadly cancer that he battled. Thor has also competed in American Ninja Warrior. For most of 2015, Thor led a team of Afterburner consultants that was embedded in Silicon Valley with one of the top-five largest software companies in the world. While there, Thor supported the successful completion of more than 50 projects created from the CEO's key strategic objectives. As Afterburner's CEO, Thor currently leads a team of more than 70 former fighter pilots, Navy SEALs, and other Special Forces members. For the past two decades, Afterburner has shown corporations around the world how to utilize the same techniques that created leaders and developed elite teams in the high-stakes environment of combat. Over those 20 years, the Afterburner client roster has included 85% of the Fortune 50 Companies and 11 NFL teams. They have offices in Atlanta, Australia, and Brazil. Thor received his Bachelor's Degree at the Air Force Academy and is a summa cum laude graduate of the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas. He also sits on the board of several national organizations and is the co-founder of a military support corporation. In this interview, we discuss: His battle with cancer The meaning of “survivor's obligation” How he lives his life differently after surviving cancer Practical ways all of us can live a more intentional life The concept of post-traumatic growth His top advice for transitioning veterans, His top marriage and parenting advice. Connect with Thor on LinkedIn. Learn more about Afterburner at Afterburner.com and by following their LinkedIn page.

I'm really excited to bring you an interview with Jon Gordon! Jon Gordon's best-selling books and talks have inspired readers and audiences around the world. His principles have been put to the test by numerous Fortune 500 companies, professional and college sports teams, school districts, hospitals, and non-profits. He is the author of 20 books including 8 best-sellers: The Energy Bus, The Carpenter, Training Camp, You Win in the Locker Room First, The Power of Positive Leadership, The Power of a Positive Team, The Coffee Bean and his latest Stay Positive. Jon and his tips have been featured on The Today Show, CNN, CNBC, The Golf Channel, Fox and Friends and in numerous magazines and newspapers. His clients include The Los Angeles Dodgers, Campbell's Soup, Dell, Publix, Southwest Airlines, Miami Heat, The Los Angeles Rams, Snapchat, BB&T Bank, Clemson Football, Northwestern Mutual, West Point Academy and more. Jon is a graduate of Cornell University and holds a Masters in Teaching from Emory University. He and his training/consulting company are passionate about developing positive leaders, organizations and teams. For full show notes, visit www.calwalters.me

Zebrina has spent nearly two decades designing impactful and transformative educational experiences for senior executives in the defense sector for the Department of Defense, U.S. military services, and the private sector. As a civilian with no relationship with the military prior to her tenure at an education and research non-profit, the Institute for Defense and Business, she developed a close understanding and appreciation of military leadership and how the military invests in their greatest weapon and asset, their people. After spending her career educating the government and military about business and innovation, she saw value in flipping the script to bring the best in military to the nonmilitary world. As a former battalion commander and combat veteran, Jason believes that the military experience is part of a larger journey to prepare leaders for a more impactful and meaningful life beyond the military. He has more than 25 years' experience building, managing, and developing high performance teams, including negotiating policy measures with international partners at NATO Headquarters in Belgium. Jason is also a Certified Professional Coach, master practitioner for the Energy Leadership Index assessment, and founder of Ordinary Hero Coaching helping military professionals bridge the civil-military cultural gap.

A legend and leader in the hotel world, Horst Schulze's teachings and vision have reshaped the concepts of service and hospitality across industries. Mr. Schulze's professional life began more than 65 years ago as a server's assistant in a German resort town. Throughout the years he worked for both Hilton Hotels and Hyatt Hotels Corporation before becoming one of the founding members of The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company in 1983. There Mr. Schulze created the operating and service standards that have become world famous. During his tenure at The Ritz Carlton, Mr. Schulze served as President and COO responsible for the $2 billion operations worldwide. It was under his leadership that The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company became the first service-based company to be awarded the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award — twice. In 1991, Mr. Schulze was recognized as "corporate hotelier of the world" by HOTELS magazine. In 1995, he was awarded the Ishikawa Medal for his personal contributions to the quality movement. In 1999, Johnson & Wales University gave him an honorary Doctor of Business Administration degree in Hospitality Management. Most recently, Mr. Schulze has been honored as a “Leader in Luxury” by Travel Agent magazine and its sister publication Luxury Travel Advisor. After leaving The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company, Mr. Schulze went on to found The Capella Hotel Group. This luxury hotel company managed some of the most elite properties worldwide, and gave Mr. Schulze the opportunity to further define the luxury hotel industry, receiving countless awards and recognitions. Today, Mr. Schulze serves on various boards and acts as a consultant across industries. In his book, Excellence Wins: A No-Nonsense Guide to Becoming the Best in a World of Compromise, he captures a lifetime of wisdom on life and leadership. You can connect with Mr. Schulze on his website - HorstSchulze.com. His book, Excellence Wins, is available wherever books can be purchased. Additional leadership content can be purchased and viewed at NeedToLead.com where the content can be licensed for a larger audience.

A former general officer in the U.S. Army, Dana Pittard earned the Hero Award for Suicide Prevention from the Matthew Silverman Memorial Foundation in 2017. The following year, Dana Pittard became one of Savoy Magazine's Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America for his leadership in the defense industry as vice president at Allison Defense. Alongside leading Allison Defense into five straight years of increasing revenue and growth since joining the company in 2015, Dana Pittard took an executive financial management course at the Wharton School of Business and a corporate executive leadership course at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. Previously, he attended Harvard University as a senior fellow for a year. He earned a master's degree from the School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS), and a bachelor's from the United States Military Academy. He has recently held interviews across national major news networks and is a regular contributor on CNN, Fox News, PBS, CBS, ABC and NPR on race relations, diversity and inclusion, military issues, Middle East policy, ISIS, and veteran's issues. Pittard has been published and interviewed in the Washington Post, New York Times, LA Times, Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy Magazine, Military Times, Task & Purpose, Politico, Insider, and many other news outlets. Dana Pittard has also become known for his writing on military subjects. He coauthored a highly acclaimed book titled “Hunting the Caliphate - America's War on ISIS” in 2019. He was a contributing author to the book, “By Their Deeds Alone - America's Combat Commanders on the Art of War.” He also wrote articles such as “The Armor Task Force in Mountainous Terrain,””13th Century Mongol Operational Art,” and “Genghis Khan & 13th Century Airland Battle.”

Join our first LIVE interview on Tuesday, September 28th at 7:30 pm (ET) with Major General (Ret.) Dana Pittard.  We will be broadcasting live on Facebook and YouTube.  Join here! Taylor Justice is the Co-Founder and President of Unite Us, Unite Us standardizes how health and social care providers communicate and track outcomes together. They align all stakeholders from healthcare, government, and the community around a shared goal to improve health. Their proven infrastructure provides both a person-centered care coordination platform and a hands-on community engagement process; they work hand-in-hand with communities to ensure services are seamlessly delivered to the people who need them most. In March 2021, Unite Us raised its largest funding to date, a $150 million Series C round, to value the technology company at more than $1.6 billion. Taylor began his entrepreneurial journey shortly after he left the military in 2007. He is often evangelizing the need for collaboration technology within most industries. Taylor holds academic allegiance to West Point and Columbia (MBA). He enjoys the company of innovative thinkers and witty minds, has an abnormal obsession with documentaries, and loves reading the histories of successful leaders. Taylor lives in New York City with his wife Meghan.

Carey Nieuwhof is a best-selling author, leadership expert, podcaster, attorney and non-profit leader. As the host of the top-rated Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast and curator of one of the most widely-read leadership blogs, Carey is uniquely positioned to help leaders thrive in all areas of their life. His content is accessed over 1.5 million times a month. Carey's 20+ years in leadership are heavily focused on teamwork, leadership in change and personal growth. In his keynotes, he explores the challenges and provides solutions for leaders at all levels of an organization. His books include Didn't See It Coming: Overcoming the Seven Greatest Challenges That No One Expects But Everyone Experiences, Lasting Impact: 7 Powerful Conversations That Will Help Your Church Grow, Leading Change Without Losing It and Parenting Beyond Your Capacity, co-authored with Reggie Joiner. His newest book, At Your Best: How to Get Time, Energy & Priorities Working in Your Favor, releases September 2021. Carey and his wife Toni live north of Toronto, Ontario and have two grown sons. In his spare time, you'll catch him barbecuing on his Big Green Egg, cycling or boating.   For show notes, visit https://calwalters.me/ 

As the founder of People Launching, John Fooshee spends his time launching others! He has coached over 300 people into their personal calling and consulted over 150 organizations. John, and his associate Elaine Webb, are also the co-founders of Gospel Enneagram, a spiritual assessment and training initiative.  John is also the Executive Pastor of Oak City Church in Raleigh, NC. He has been a pastor for twenty-five years and has started two churches. He has served in the Acts 29 Network since 2006 as a pastor, trainer of church planting coaches, coached church planters in three countries. He received his coach training from CoachNet in 2008 and has biblical studies degrees from Dallas Theological Seminary and King University.  He has been married to Lindsay for twenty-five years, has four kids and one daughter-in-law. For show notes, visit https://calwalters.me/

A retired four-star general, Stan McChrystal is the former commander of US and International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) Afghanistan and the former commander of the nation's premier military counter-terrorism force, Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). He is best known for developing and implementing a comprehensive counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan, and for creating a cohesive counter-terrorism organization that revolutionized the interagency operating culture. Throughout his military career, Stan commanded a number of elite organizations, including the 75th Ranger Regiment. After 9/11 until his retirement in 2010, he spent more than 6 years deployed to combat in a variety of leadership positions. In June 2009, the President of the United States and the Secretary General of NATO appointed him to be the Commander of US Forces Afghanistan and NATO ISAF. His command included more than 150,000 troops from 45 allied countries. On August 1, 2010 he retired from the US Army. Stan is a senior fellow at Yale University's Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, where he teaches a course on Leadership. He also sits on the boards of Navistar International Corporation, Siemens Government Technology, and JetBlue Airways. He is a sought-after speaker, giving speeches on leadership to organizations around the country. In 2013, Stan published his memoir, My Share of the Task, which was a New York Times bestseller; and is an author of Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World, which was a New York Times bestseller in 2015. Stan also co-authored Leaders: Myth and Reality, a Wall Street Journal Bestseller based on the epochal Parallel Lives by Plutarch. A passionate advocate for national service and veterans' issues, Stan is the Chair of the Board of Service Year Alliance. In this capacity, he advocates for a future in which a year of full-time service—a service year—is a common expectation and opportunity for all young Americans. Stan is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and the Naval War College. He also completed year-long fellowships at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and the Council on Foreign Relations.

After graduating from West Point, Sarah Roberts served for five years in the Army. In those five years, Roberts served in Germany where she collaborated with both military and civilian professionals to handle garrison finance. Then, in 2009, she deployed to Iraq for 15 months. There, she helped establish three autonomous Iraqi finance offices while also working with the Iraqi government to improve its banking system. When Roberts left the Army in 2010, she charged hard into the civilian workforce, much as she had while in uniform. Her unique skillset and accomplishments led her to stints at Amazon, Nordstrom, Team Red, White, & Blue, and Microsoft. At each stop, Roberts's work highlighted the important and lasting contributions that Veterans can make in the civilian workforce. She also advocated for her fellow Veterans, leading each of her employers to make better hiring connections with Veterans. At Amazon, Roberts helped create Veteran-based employment programs and marketing strategies that promoted Amazon as a preferred employer for military transition. During her time with Microsoft, she focused on establishing and improving an internal networking program for Veterans. And at Nordstrom and Team Red, White, & Blue, she championed employment and expanded accessibility opportunities for Veterans. She is now the head of Military and Veteran Programs for LinkedIn. In this position, she educates and encourages Veterans on using LinkedIn to expand their connections on the site. On this episode, we covered a lot of ground. We discuss what life was like at West Point as a female cadet, what she learned most from West Point, how she landed her current job at LinkedIn, how she gained over 100,000 followers on LinkedIn, how her view of leadership has changed, some wonderful examples of leadership she witnessed at Microsoft, and much more. During the episode, Sarah also coaches me on my LinkedIn profile!

For show notes, visit https://calwalters.me/  It is an honor and pleasure to welcome back Lieutenant General (Ret.) Robert Caslen, who recently served as the 29th President of the University of South Carolina. On this episode, General Caslen discusses his time at the University of South Carolina and recent controversy surrounding a speech he made at their graduation ceremony. General Caslen served 43 years in the United States Army. His military career culminated in 2018 as the 59th Superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point. Under his direction as Superintendent, West Point was recognized as the number one public college in the Nation by Forbes Magazine and the number one public college by U.S. News and World Report. Through the establishment of Centers of Excellence at West Point, General Caslen connected the operational Army with West Point research and intellectual capital. He refined West Point's leadership program by making professional ethics a priority and essential part of leadership and character development. He worked tirelessly to expand the diversity of cadets and faculty alike, and he dramatically expanded West Point's minority and women populations to reflect the demographics of the Army that West Point's graduates help lead. Working with the Director of Athletics, he revamped the athletic program, made it self-sustaining, and fielded 25 competitive intercollegiate teams. He created partnerships with the NCAA and Department of Defense to conduct research into preventing and treating concussions and traumatic brain injury that have led to significant improvements in prevention and care. He stood up the Army Cyber Institute to build expertise and Army leaders prepared for the new cyber fight. And, fulfilling a pledge he made soon after becoming Superintendent, he led a sweeping reversal of Army's football program and developed a culture of excellence through winning with character, culminating in Army defeating Navy in 2016 for the first time in 14 years, and beating both Air Force and Navy in 2017 to win the Commander-in-Chief's trophy for the first time in 21 years. Before becoming the West Point Superintendent, General Caslen served as the Chief of the Office of Security Cooperation in Iraq, where he served as the senior military commander in Iraq after the drawdown of U.S. and allied forces in 2011. Caslen held several other notable positions including commanding general of Multi National Division-North during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Chief of Staff of both the 101st Airborne Division (AASLT) and the 10th Mountain Division, where he also served as the Division's Chief of Staff during Operation Enduring Freedom. He also has served in combat and overseas deployments in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Joint Task Force Bravo in Honduras, and Operation Uphold Democracy and the United Nations Mission in Haiti. Connect with Lieutenant General (Ret.) Caslen on his website or follow him on LinkedIn or Twitter

I'm really excited to bring you this conversation with Dr. Gavin Adams. I first learned about Gavin when he appeared on the Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast to discuss his framework for delegation. Over the past 12 years, Gavin took over a struggling church with around 250 attendees and grew it to over 8,000 weekly attendees. On this episode, we dive into how he was able to turn around an underperforming organization, create a clear vision, and help it get to a better place. Of all the episodes we have done so far, this one has to be at the top in terms of practical takeaways for leaders—things you can begin implementing TODAY to improve your leadership and your organization. Gavin is a leadership coach and change agent focused on supporting leaders through change, transition, and transformation. In addition to encouraging leaders through Transformation Solutions, he is the lead pastor at Woodstock City Church, a campus location of North Point Ministries. Prior to ministry, Gavin spent over a decade in the marketplace working as a business strategy and marketing consultant. Over the past 15 years of ministry, Gavin helped plant a church, revitalize a church, pastor a rapidly growing church, lead a mega-church, and serve in a multi-site church. This breadth of experience gives Gavin a fundamental understanding of virtually every leadership challenge. Gavin has an M.B.A. from Georgia State University and a Masters of Theology and Doctorate of Ministry from Liberty University.

General (US Army, Ret.) David H. Petraeus is a Partner and Chairman of the KKR Global Institute, which he established in May 2013. He is also a member of the boards of directors of Optiv and FirstStream, a venture investor in more than 15 startups, and engaged in a variety of academic endeavors. Prior to joining KKR, General Petraeus served over 37 years in the U.S. military, culminating his career with six consecutive commands, five of which were in combat, including command of the Surge in Iraq, command of U.S. Central Command, and command of coalition forces in Afghanistan. Following retirement from the military and after Senate confirmation by a vote of 94-0, he served as Director of the CIA during a period of significant achievements in the global war on terror, the establishment of important Agency digital initiatives, and significant investments in the Agency's most important asset, its human capital. General Petraeus graduated with distinction from the U.S. Military Academy, and he is the only person in Army history to be the top graduate of both the demanding U.S. Army Ranger School and the U.S. Army's Command and General Staff College. He also earned a Ph.D. from Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs. General Petraeus taught international relations and economics at the U.S. Military Academy in the mid-1980s, he was a Visiting Professor of Public Policy at the Honors College of the City University of New York from 2013 through 2016, and he was for 6 years a Judge Widney Professor at the University of Southern California and a Senior Fellow at Harvard University's Belfer Center. He is currently a Visiting Fellow at Yale University's Jackson Institute, Co-Chairman of the Global Advisory Council of the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, Senior Vice President of the Royal United Services Institute, and a Member of the Trilateral Commission, as well as a member of the boards of the Atlantic Council, the Institute for the Study of War, and over a dozen veterans service organizations. Over the past 15 years, General Petraeus was named one of America's 25 Best Leaders by U.S. News and World Report, a runner-up for Time magazine's Person of the Year, the Daily Telegraph man of the year, a Time 100 selectee, Princeton University's Madison Medalist, and one of Foreign Policy magazine's top 100 public intellectuals in three different years. General Petraeus has earned numerous honors, awards, and decorations, including four Defense Distinguished Service Medals, the Bronze Star Medal for Valor, two NATO Meritorious Service Medals, the Combat Action Badge, the Ranger Tab, and Master Parachutist and Air Assault Badges. He has also been decorated by 13 foreign countries and is believed to be the only person who, while in uniform, threw out the first pitch of a World Series game and did the coin toss for a Super Bowl. On this episode, General Petraeus and I discuss how to find the right mentors, how to cultivate a great mentor/mentee relationship, how to build a highly functioning team, what he looks for in team members, and much more!

Join the Intentional Leader Lab Facebook group.  Support our efforts to close the gap in leadership education by becoming a Patron!   Dee Ann Turner understands the importance of stewarding talent.  A 33-year veteran of Chick-fil-A, Inc, she was selected as the company's first female officer in 2001 and served as the Vice President, Talent and Vice President, Sustainability. During her long career, she worked closely with Chick-fil-A's founder, S. Truett Cathy, and other key leaders as an architect of their organizational culture. Additionally, she led Staff Learning and Development, Diversity and Inclusion, and Culture and Engagement, and Talent Management. More recently, Dee Ann launched and led Chick-fil-A's sustainability function focusing on a strategy to implement sustainable practices at the then $10.5 billion company. Dee Ann was instrumental in building and growing Chick-fil-A's well-known culture and talent systems, responsible for selecting thousands of Chick-fil-A franchisees and corporate staff members. Under her leadership, Chick-fil-A enjoyed industry-leading employee engagement scores and became known for selecting the best talent in the hospitality business, maintaining a 95% retention rate for corporate staff and franchisees. She has also mentored and championed hundreds of people to discover their unique vocational callings and build careers they love. Today, she leads her own organization, Dee Ann Turner & Associates, LLC, focused on writing books and speaking to audiences both virtually and in-person on how to steward extraordinary talent. She's the author of two best-selling books covering the topics of corporate culture, customer service and career success. It's My Pleasure and its newer version, Bet on Talent, teaches leaders how to find and keep extraordinary talent. Her latest book, Crush Your Career, teaches talent how to be extraordinary. Additionally, Dee Ann serves as Executive in Residence at High Point University teaching students career development skills and serving in the Access to Innovators Program. Through her books and keynotes, she leverages her experience to help you steward the extraordinary talent entrusted to you, whether you are responsible for creating a remarkable organizational culture or focused on building your own exceptional career. She is a graduate of Clayton State University with a degree in Management. She also completed executive education courses at Emory University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Virginia's Darden Business School. She is a 2009 alumnus of the prestigious Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program. Dee Ann has been married to her husband, Ashley for 37 years and they are the parents of three grown sons. She has served numerous non-profit boards in the past including The Kenya Project, Eagle Ranch and Proverbs 31 Ministries. She has also served on the board of advisors for Lubbock Christian University and First Care Clinics. Currently, she serves on the board of advisors for Unconventional Business Network Women and the advisory board for the Pure Hope Foundation. When she is not traveling, she can often be found on her Peloton bike in her home outside of Atlanta or on her stand up paddleboard at Lake Hartwell in northeast Georgia. On this episode, we cover a lot of ground, including: The key ingredients to building an incredible culture like they have at Chick-fil-A How to activate the key elements of culture in your organization The story behind how Chick-fil-A created their meaningful purpose The differences between a rules-based culture and a principles-based culture The story behind “My Pleasure” at Chick-fil-A How Chick-fil-A keeps such a high level of employee engagement and high retention of talent After conducting thousands of interviews, how Dee Ann is able to choose the best talent Commonalities between those that make it through the highly competitive process to become a Chick-fil-A franchisee The one habit, routine, or ritual that has made the biggest positive difference for Dee Ann Her top marriage/relationship advice Her top parenting advice One leader she really admires Her top leadership book: Dr. Henry Cloud's book, Integrity

The views expressed on this podcast and page are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or endorsement of the US Army, DoD, or the US Government. Join the Intentional Leader Lab Facebook group.  Support our efforts to close the gap in leadership education by becoming a Patron!   Brigadier General (BG) James "Pat" Work graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1995 and was commissioned a Lieutenant of Infantry. He currently serves as the Deputy Commanding General for Support of the 82nd Airborne Division. His initial assignments were rifle platoon leader, and later heavy weapons platoon leader, in 3rd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). He then served as rifle platoon leader and Headquarters and Headquarters Company executive officer in 3d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. Following the Infantry Officers Advanced Course, BG Work commanded Company B, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. He subsequently served as the S3 Air Operations Officer and commander, Company C, 2d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. Between 2002 and 2005, he deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan six times with 2d Ranger Battalion. Following the Command and General Staff Officers Course, BG Work reported to 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. He deployed to Iraq with the Red Falcons for 15 months between 2006 to 2007. He then served as Aide de Camp to the 20th Secretary of the Army from 2008 until 2009. In 2010, BG Work deployed to Afghanistan with a Special Operations Task Force, serving in Kabul as the Task Force Commander's liaison officer to Commander, ISAF-Joint Command. In 2011, BG Work took command of 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), leading the battalion in Afghanistan from 2012 to 2013. BG Work reported to the Joint Staff in 2013, serving with the J3 Directorate's Deputy Director for Regional Operations where he was Orders Branch Chief and SecDef Orders Book Briefer from 2014 to 2015. He commanded 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, from 2016 to 2018, guiding a portion of the coalition adviser effort in Iraq and Operation INHERENT RESOLVE. He served as Executive Officer to the 39th Chief of Staff of the Army from 2018 to 2019, followed by service as the Military Deputy Director for Program Analysis and Evaluation, Army Deputy Chief of Staff, G-8. BG Work attended Watsonville High School in Watsonville, California. He has been married to the former Mara Leigh Shwedo for 20 years. They have two children, JP (18) and Sally Ann (16). BG Work’s hobbies include reading, enjoying football, and working out. BG Work earned a Master of Public Policy degree from Georgetown University and a Master of Strategic Studies from the Marine Corps War College. On this episode, we cover a lot of ground. We discuss lessons Brigadier General Work learned from playing football, his views of mission command (an organizational leadership philosophy in the military), how you build competent people, the power of mantras (including many of BG Work’s life and leadership mantras), lessons he’s learned from combat, and much more!

Today, I’m really excited to have Ben Kotwica join the show for Episode 63! Ben is a West Point graduate, former Apache helicopter pilot, and former NFL coach for the New York Jets, the Washington Football Team, and the Atlanta Falcons. On this episode he shares with us what makes a really great coach, the difference between the good and great players at the NFL level, his experience with Coach Rex Ryan, and some awesome habits that he has picked up along the way. Please let us know what you think! Would you like to join a community to help you grow as a leader?  Consider joining the Intentional Leader Lab on Facebook.  We will help each other solve problems, work through friction points, share resources, and grow as leaders!   For more episodes, visit our website!  

I’m really excited to have Greg McKeown back on the show.  If you want to listen to my first interview of him, check out Episode 39.  Greg  is the author of the new book Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most and a previous book, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, which hit The New York Times bestseller list and has sold more than a million copies. Like many of you, that book has had a tremendous impact on me.  He is also a speaker and the host of the popular podcast What’s Essential.  Greg McKeown has dedicated his career to discovering why some people and teams break through to the next level—and others don’t. Greg is the CEO of McKeown Inc. Clients include Adobe, Apple, Google, Facebook, Pixar, Salesforce.com, Symantec, Twitter, VMware and Yahoo!. His writing has appeared or been covered by The New York Times, Fast Company, Fortune, HuffPost, Politico, and Inc. Magazine. He is among the most popular bloggers for the Harvard Business Review and LinkedIn’s Influencers group: averaging a million views a month. McKeown has been interviewed on numerous television and radio shows including NPR, NBC, FOX, and as a regular guest on The Steve Harvey Show. Entrepreneur voted his interview at Stanford University the #1 Must-See Video on Business, Creativity and Success. Essentialism was voted by Goodread as the #1 Leadership and Success Book to Read in a Lifetime. McKeown is an accomplished public speaker. He has spoken to hundreds of audiences around the world including in Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, China, England, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan and Singapore. Highlights include speaking at SXSW, interviewing Al Gore at the Annual Conference of the World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland and receiving a personal invitation from Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway, to speak to his Annual Innovation Conference. McKeown challenges conventional wisdom in a unique and engaging style from the first moment to the last instant. As the event organizer at Greater Public said after McKeown addressed their 1,000-person conference, “I have been part of this event for 16 years and McKeown is the best speaker we have ever had!” McKeown is an active Social Innovator. Serving as a Board Member for Washington D.C. policy group Resolve and as a mentor with 2 Seeds, a non-profit incubator for agricultural projects in Africa. He has also been a speaker at non-profit groups including The Kauffman Fellows, Net Impact and Stanford University: he recently gave back to Stanford University by co-creating a popular class called, Designing Life, Essentially. He serves as a Young Global Leader for the World Economic Forum.  He recently moderated a session at the “Summer Davos” in China called, “Unpacking Social Innovation Models for Maximum Impact”, served as a panelist at the “Sharpening Your Creative Edge” working session at the Forum. Prior to this, McKeown collaborated in the research and writing of Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter and worked for Heidrick & Struggles’ Global Leadership Practice assessing senior executives. Originally from London, England, McKeown now lives in California with his wife, Anna, and their four children. He did his graduate work at Stanford University.

It’s truly an honor to bring General (Ret.) Joseph Votel on the Intentional Leader podcast for episode 61. On this episode, he gives us a masterclass on personal management and organizational leadership. General Votel currently serves as President and CEO of Business Executives for National Security (BENS) – a national, nonprofit composed of senior business and industry executives who volunteer their time and expertise to assist the U.S. national security community. He retired in 2019 after 39 years of military service. His last assignment was as the commander of United States Central Command (CENTCOM) from March 2016 to March 2019. As CENTCOM commander, Votel oversaw the United States' continued War on Terrorism in the Middle East, particularly the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve's fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant terror organization, which rose to prominence in 2014. General Votel officially retired on March 28, 2019, five days after the decisive Battle of Baghuz Fawqani, which saw the territorial collapse of the Islamic State in Syria. Before that, he served as commander of the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM). Votel's initial assignments were to the 3rd Infantry Division in Germany, where he served as a rifle platoon leader, executive officer, battalion adjutant, and rifle company commander. Following this tour, he was assigned to Headquarters, Allied Forces Southern Europe – Naples, Italy, and the NATO Peace Implementation Force (IFOR) in Sarajevo. He commanded the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry (Light) at Fort Drum, New York, and afterward, he commanded the 1st Ranger Battalion. Later he commanded the 75th Ranger Regiment, during Operation Enduring Freedom. On 19 October 2001, Votel led 200 Rangers from 3rd Battalion, who parachuted towards an airfield south of Kandahar in an operation known as Operation Rhino and attacked several Taliban targets. As a general officer, Votel served in the Pentagon as the Director of the Army and Joint Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Defeat Task Force and subsequently as the Deputy Director of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization established under the Deputy Secretary of Defense. He also served as the Deputy Commanding General (Operations), 82nd Airborne Division / CJTF-82, Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan, and was subsequently assigned as the Deputy Commanding General of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). He next served as the Commanding General of the Joint Special Operations Command. On this episode, we cover a lot of ground. We discuss the leaders he admires the most, some of the most important leadership lessons he learned from working with Secretary Jim Mattis, General (Ret.) Stanley McChrystal, and Admiral (Ret.) William McRaven, what he most looks for when hiring someone to join his team or organization, what is most unique about the Special Operations community that he has worked in for so long, how he stayed sharp over his 40 year career, and a lightning round of questions at the end. For more episodes, visit https://calwalters.me/ 

My dear friend, Rajiv Srinivasan, is back by popular demand after inspiring all of us to read more on Episode 23. Rajiv is a Global Client Director at LinkedIn and the Chief Reading Officer at 99pages, which we get into on this episode. Rajiv was on the Dean’s List at West Point and graduated in the Top 5% of his class in 2008. He also earned an MS in Applied Mathematics from Columbia University and his MBA from Wharton.  His amazing wife Chelsea is also a Wharton graduate. After graduating from West Point in 2008, Rajiv deployed to Afghanistan as a platoon leader.  In Afghanistan, Rajiv did over 300 combat patrols and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and received the Combat Action Badge.  Rajiv transitioned out of the military in 2013 and moved to Silicon Valley, where he was part of the Founding Team at Morta Security, a cyber security company that was acquired by Palo Alto Networks in 2013.  After Morta was acquired, Rajiv became a Enterprise & SLED Account Manager at MobileIron. In 2016, Rajiv became a Global Account Manager at VMWare. Rajiv is also an Eagle Scout, avid snow skier (you’ll hear him talk about a scary incident he had in Lake Tahoe), musician (he plays guitar, ukulele, piano, and is a vocalist), he has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, has completed the NYC Marathon, the Marine Corps Marathon, and the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon.  Rajiv has also been a contributor for the New York Times and TIME on military and veteran issues.  Rajiv is someone that has inspired me ever since we met at West Point in 2005.  In this interview, we dive into what Rajiv has been reading, his motivation for starting 99pages and what it is all about, his views on leadership, and we finish with a fun lightning round of questions. I really enjoyed this conversation, just like every conversation I have with Rajiv, and I think you will, too. 

John L. Gronski, Major General (U.S. Army Retired) is founder and CEO of Leader Grove LLC, a keynote speaker, leadership seminar facilitator, executive coach, author, and director of the leadership academy for student-athletes at Lebanon Valley College. John is a Certified DISC Practitioner and he serves on the Academic Advisory Council for Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies. John has earned a superb reputation as a leadership and peak performance expert, a motivational storyteller, and a much sought-after speaker and leadership seminar facilitator. His presentations feature inspirational stories and wisdom gained from his own leadership experience and the experience of others. John has provided leadership assessments, training and/or keynote addresses to many large organizations and companies including NATO, General Dynamics, Nutanix, PNC Bank, the United States Army, the National Conference on Ethics in America at West Point, Pennsylvania National Guard, Greater Philadelphia Veterans Network, PECO Energy, Exelon, Comcast, the YMCA, the Freedom Alliance, Penn State University, Drexel University, Widener University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh, Wilkes University, Lebanon Valley College, Albert Einstein Health Network, Buckman’s Inc., Delaware Valley Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, Schlouch Inc., Boy Scouts of America, Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce, the Kulski Foundation, the USO, Rotary International, VFW, and the Young Presidents Organization. John is the author of the inspirational leadership book, “The Ride of Our Lives – Lessons on Life, Leadership, and Love”. The book tells the inspiring story about a family on a transformational journey as they bicycled across the USA. For full show notes, visit calwalters.me.  

Today’s episode is very special.  According to the Department of Veteran’s Affair, 20 veterans a day commit suicide.  Mental health doesn’t just affect veterans.  It is an epidemic, and my guest today, Adam Carr, has dedicated his life to helping returning warriors find a better path.  Adam is the Executive Director of Save a Warrior.  Save A Warrior is an original, Warrior-led, well-grounded and timeless journey for active duty military, returning veterans and first responders who feel desperately alone. They say: “give us a week and you will change the way you see - and live - your life.”  As a Special Forces Green Beret, Adam hunted Al Qaeda operatives, developed intelligence networks, conducted diplomatic relations, and briefed Ambassadors and Generals on Geopolitical environments.  Through his many years of service, Adam has been profoundly affected over the loss of his teammates, mentors, and close friends to suicide. He currently speaks to students, corporations, and a wide variety of audiences all over the country. He has over 20 years of leadership and managerial experience and is a Business Coach for MBA Students at The Ohio State University. Adam is a graduate of the Ignite Program at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Adam earned his MBA at The Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business and was selected as the Most Outstanding Student of his 2019 MBA Cohort. Adam lives in Dublin, OH with his wife Tarah and their three children, Noah, Jonah, and Norah. On this episode, we dive into Adam’s story of struggle after transitioning out of the military and how he came to discover Save a Warrior.  We talk about transformative approach Adam and his team take to change the lives of warriors and first responders through their retreats and pull out some of the practical tools that all of us can use to become more resilient and healthy leaders.  We also discuss the power of vulnerability and community.  

The definition of hope is “to expect with confidence,” but what do you do when you’ve lost confidence in everything? When you’ve watched your dreams go up in smoke? When you feel isolated from those you love and you start to question the God you’ve built your life around? How do you find confidence when all the things you had confidence in lay shattered all around you? Blindness became Major Scotty Smiley’s journey of supreme testing. As he lay helpless in the hospital, he resented the theft of his dreams—becoming a CEO, a Delta Force operator, or a four-star general. With his wife Tiffany’s love and the support of his family and friends, Scotty’s response became God’s transforming moment. Scotty Smiley is from from Pasco, a small city in Washington State. After high school he attended the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. After four great years, he graduated and moved to Fort Benning, Georgia and attended Infantry Officer Basic Course and Ranger School. Soon after he moved to Fort Lewis, Washington where he led a 45 man Platoon.   In 2005 while leading his Platoon in Mosul, Iraq, Scotty found himself in front of a suicide car bomb.  After the man blew himself up, shrapnel blew through Scotty’s eyes leaving him blinded and temporarily paralyzed, he woke up in Walter Reed Army Medical Center a week later. Though questioning his faith, Scotty made a decision to forgive and rebuild his life and continue to serve in the Army, becoming the first blind active-duty officer in military history. The Army Times named Scotty “Soldier of the Year” in 2007 and in 2008 he won an ESPY as the world’s Best Outdoor Athlete. After receiving a Master of Business Administration from Duke University, Scotty taught the core course in leadership at West Point and then commanded the Warrior Transition Unit at West Point’s Keller Army Medical Center. Scotty is a recipient of the Army’s prestigious MacArthur Leadership Award and holds an honorary PhD from Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, NY.  In 2010, Scotty received a Father of the Year award in New York and in 2011 received the Christopher Award for all he has given and continues to give. Since then, Scotty attended the Maneuver Captain Career Course in Fort Benning, Georgia, and then moved to Spokane, Washington where he held a position with the Gonzaga University ROTC Department, teaching and mentoring America’s future leaders.   After many years of service, Scotty retired from the military in 2015. Over his military career Major (Retired) Smiley received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart; Combat Infantry Badge, Ranger Tab, Airborne Wings and Combat Diver Qualification Badge. He currently works with the capital markets department at Drexel Hamilton out of New York as an investment banker for corporations and banks around the world. With a passion for using his story to build hope in this world, Scotty authored Hope Unseen in 2010 and now travels all over the country speaking and sharing his message of perseverance, courage and hope. He is an avid adventurer and has completed the Coeur d’Alene Iron Man, climbed Mt Rainer, gone skydiving, surfing and is always looking for his next chance to try something new. Scotty is married to his high school sweetheart, Tiffany and the couple lives in Spokane and are the proud parents of three wonderful children.   For show notes, visit calwalters.me.   

Trudy Bourgeois is one of America's leading experts on transformational leadership and a highly regarded leader in the field of leadership and diversity and inclusion. An expert at developing managers and leaders on how to unleash the greatest potential of every employee, Bourgeois is a highly sought-out resource. She is the founder and CEO of the Center for Workforce Excellence and has been leading the organization for nearly two decades. Dollars and Sense Magazine honored Bourgeois as one of the "Best and Brightest Women Leaders”. In her various roles as author, speaker, teacher and researcher, Bourgeois continues to utilize her superb management and interpersonal skills. Known as the “truth teller”, Bourgeois has a rare ability to tackle very difficult subjects such as race and bias without triggering negative emotions. She operates from a principle that “everyone has something to learn” on the journey to accepting each other across differences and building workplaces that are truly inclusive. Trudy has authored four leadership books, HER CORNER OFFICE: A Guide to Help Women Find a Place and a Voice in Corporate America and Her Corner Office (2nd Edition) and THE HYBRID LEADER: Blending the Best of Male and Female Leadership Styles, and has just released her latest book entitled, EQUALITY: Courageous Conversations About Women, Men, and Race To Spark a Diversity and Inclusion Breakthrough available now. She has also written numerous articles and white papers, and she contributes regularly to educational materials for corporations, associations and trade groups. She is a frequent Huffington Post blogger. Trudy serves on a CEO Roundtable Board in Europe in the Consumer Package Goods industry as an advisor to drive gender equality over the next decade in conjunction with the nonprofit group- LEAD. Trudy is also on the board of advisors of two nonprofit organizations - Women of Color in Pharma and Conscious Capitalism. These organizations are focused on closing the gender and representation gaps. She also serves on the Advisory Board for Conscious Capitalism. Trudy has served as an advisor to the creation of multiple studies produced by CTI including the “Being Black in Corporate America: An Intersectional Exploration” research study. She is the consultant of record to design the 2020 Executive Leadership Council’s Game Changer Conference and advancing Black leaders initiative. In 2016 The Network of Executive Women honored Bourgeois for her tireless efforts in advancing women’s leadership in the consumer goods, retail and service industries. She will be married to her husband (Mike) for 40 years this year and is the mother of Adam and MaryEllen. The family embraced Ryan Brence as their son in law in 2017. MaryEllen and Ryan blessed the family on March 8 with the birth of Grace Elizabeth Brence. Trudy resides in Prosper Texas. During this conversation, we discuss what life was like for her as an elementary school student in Alabama during school integration, how she overcomes self-doubt, the importance of affirmations, how she started the Center for Workforce Excellence, coaching, leadership, how to create a diverse and inclusive team, and much more.

General (Ret.) David H. Petraeus served over 37 years in the U.S. military, culminating his career with six consecutive commands, five of which were in combat, including command of the Surge in Iraq, command of U.S. Central Command, and command of coalition forces in Afghanistan.  Following retirement from the military and a unanimous confirmation vote in the Senate, he served as Director of the CIA.  General Petraeus graduated with distinction from the West Point, and, get this, he is the only person in Army history to be the top graduate of both the demanding U.S. Army Ranger School and the U.S. Army’s Command and General Staff College. He also earned a Ph.D. from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs.  General Petraeus was named one of America’s 25 Best Leaders by U.S. News and World Report, a runner-up for Time magazine’s Person of the Year, the Daily Telegraph man of the year, a Time 100 selectee, Princeton University’s Madison Medalist, and one of Foreign Policy magazine’s top 100 public intellectuals in three different years. General Petraeus hasn’t slowed down in retirement.  He now serves as a Partner and Chairman of the KKR Global Institute.  He is also a member of the boards of directors of Optiv and FirstStream, a venture investor in more than 15 startups, and engaged in a variety of academic endeavors. On this episode, General Petraeus was very kind to let me explore what life was like for him growing up and how his parents shaped him.  We also discuss how he met his wife, what it’s like to be a grandparent, his time at West Point, Ranger School, his impressions of President Bush, President Obama, and President-elect Biden, the role of mentors in his life, and much more. For show notes, visit https://www.calwalters.me/  

Today, I’m super pumped to bring you an interview on goal setting I did with the first person to ever introduce me to the concept of high performance at West Point, Dr. Joe Ross (Retired, US Army). Joe has a Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Walden University and a Masters of Education in Psychology and Athletic Counseling from Springfield College. Dr. Ross is also a 1995 West Point graduate, where he was a three-year letter winner and co-captain of the 1994 Army Football team. As an Infantry Officer, Joe led 144 soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division and deployed to Kosovo in 2001. The Secretary of the Army commended Joe’s unit for capturing two insurgents on the Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) top ten most wanted list and bringing the Serbian and Albanian leadership together to start a dialogue of reconciliation. Joe also managed all logistics for over 1,000 personnel, directed human resources for over 4,000 personnel, and helped write the Soldier’s Creed. In 2009, Joe joined the Army Football coaching staff as the Special Teams and Fullback Coach, where he helped lead Army Football to the 2010 Armed Forces Bowl victory. At West Point, Joe also served as the Director of the Military Enhancement Program and was asked to collaborate on a Presidential committee to review and design procedures for wounded warriors in transition. Joe is now the President and Co-Founder of HigherEchelon, Inc., an Organizational Performance consulting firm with offerings in leadership, technology, and engineering to both public and private sector clients. Joe has consulted with Fortune 100 companies, college and professional sports teams, top tier Universities, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Defense. Joe led the creation of Higher Echelon’s flagship program, The Resilient and Adaptable Leader ©.

Today, I’m really excited to share my conversation with Josh Bowen, Founder of 3x5 Leadership, an incredible platform for leadership development.  As you will see during our conversation, Josh is genuinely passionate about making people and organizations better through leader development.  His website has had over 330,000 visits and impacts over 8,000 leaders on a consistent basis.  Josh is a graduate of West Point and earned his Masters in Organizational Psychology and Leadership from Columbia University.   He is member of the 2020 DoD Reads Board of Advisors and a co-host of the DoDReads podcast.  He’s also a husband, father, and active duty Army Officer.  On this episode we discuss his passion for leadership development, how 3x5 Leadership started from humble beginnings, his process for reflection and capturing lessons, some of his crucible leadership moments, feedback, his favorite books and much more.  For show notes, go to calwalters.me, where you will find links to the books he mentions and the 3x5 leadership material we discuss during this episode. 

Today, I’m very excited to share a special conversation I had with my pastor, Chris Atwell.  Chris Atwell is the Lead Pastor of Vision and Instruction at Portico Church in Charlottesville, Virginia, which he planted in 2004. Chris is also an area leader in Acts 29’s U.S. North Atlantic Network. He serves as the Dean of Students at Grimké Seminary. Chris is married to Jenn, and they have three daughters. This is my first time sitting down with a pastor or religious leader on this show, but it was really special for me.  No matter what your faith background, I hope you’ll enjoy this conversation about a faith that has really had a big impact on my life and worldview. Chris gets quite vulnerable with us and shares his battle with cancer, how he dealt with suffering, his perspective on leadership in the non-profit space, and his views on peacemaking—something that is always relevant but certainly relevant right now in the US.  For show notes, visit calwalters.me 

Today, I am so privileged and honored to bring you insights from two great leadership minds, Lieutenant General (Ret.) Robert Caslen, who currently serves as the 29th President of the University of South Carolina, and Dr. Mike Matthews, Professor of Engineering Psychology at the United States Military Academy. President Caslen and Dr. Matthews bring over 80 years of combined experience to their brand new book, The Character Edge: Leading and Winning with Integrity. This was such a fun conversation for me.  The amount of collective wisdom and knowledge between these two men is amazing.  We talk about their book, how someone can develop character and recover from setbacks, the difference between resume and eulogy virtues, the first servant leader President Caslen encountered, positive psychology, my results from the Values-in-Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS), the work Dr. Matthews did with Angela Duckworth on grit, Coach Popovich, and the amazing example of 1LT Daniel Hyde.  For show notes, visit https://www.calwalters.me/