Podcasts about Servant leadership

     In this episode of WarDocs, we sit down with Dr. Franklin Sechriest, a former US Navy   Commander and orthopedic surgeon, to explore the high-stakes world of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) missions. Drawing from his extensive experience, Dr. Sechriest details the unique challenges of performing complex surgeries aboard naval vessels while responding to some of the most devastating natural disasters of the 21st century, including the 2004 Indonesian tsunami and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. He provides a fascinating comparison between the capabilities of massive hospital ships like the USNS Mercy—floating Level 1 trauma centers—and the tactical agility of amphibious assault ships like the USS Bataan.     Dr. Sechriest shares gripping personal anecdotes, including the life-saving resuscitation and surgery of a young Indonesian boy, which highlight the profound human impact of military medicine. Beyond the operating room, the conversation delves into the strategic importance of these missions. Dr. Sechriest explains how medical teams project "soft power," strengthening diplomatic ties and winning hearts and minds in regions where traditional military force is not the answer. He also discusses his collaboration with the Naval Health Research Center to analyze surgical data, revealing how past missions have reshaped current staffing models to better care for pediatric and geriatric populations often found in disaster zones.      Looking ahead, the discussion covers the potential of Artificial Intelligence to reduce provider burnout and the advent of smart orthopedic implants. Finally, Dr. Sechriest offers timeless advice on leadership, emphasizing that the most effective leaders in chaotic environments are those who view themselves primarily as servants to their team and their patients. This episode offers a comprehensive look at how Navy Medicine combines compassion, logistics, and surgical excellence to bring hope to the darkest corners of the globe.   Chapters (00:00-04:46) Introduction to Dr. Sechriest and the Path to Navy Orthopedics (04:46-14:55) Hospital Ships, Warships, and Life-Saving Stories from the Tsunami (14:55-27:14) Logistical Challenges, Ethical Dilemmas, and Data-Driven Improvements (27:14-36:12) Medical Diplomacy as Soft Power and Training for Future Conflicts (36:12-48:29) The Future of AI in Medicine and Leadership Advice for Aspiring Officers   Chapter Summaries (00:00-04:46) Introduction to Dr. Sechriest and the Path to Navy Orthopedics The episode begins with Dr. Sechriest explaining his motivation for combining a medical career with military service, viewing it as the ultimate form of servant leadership. He describes his journey from general surgery to becoming an "accidental orthopedic surgeon" and how he found himself deployed on major humanitarian missions shortly after joining the Navy. (04:46-14:55) Hospital Ships, Warships, and Life-Saving Stories from the Tsunami This section distinguishes the medical capabilities between the massive USNS Mercy hospital ship and the tactical USS Bataan amphibious assault ship. Dr. Sechriest shares a moving anecdote about a young Indonesian boy who was airlifted to the ship in critical condition, illustrating how Navy assets can provide hope and advanced trauma care where absolutely none existed. (14:55-27:14) Logistical Challenges, Ethical Dilemmas, and Data-Driven Improvements The conversation shifts to the complexities of operating in disaster zones, including language barriers, continuity of care, and resource allocation. Dr. Sechriest details his work with the Naval Health Research Center to analyze mission data, which helped transition staffing models from World War II-era combat configurations to robust teams capable of treating diverse pediatric and geriatric populations. (27:14-36:12) Medical Diplomacy as Soft Power and Training for Future Conflicts Dr. Sechriest explains how humanitarian missions serve as a vital tool for "soft power" in the post-9/11 era, using compassion to improve global security and international relations. He also discusses how the chaotic, resource-constrained environments of natural disasters provide unparalleled training for medical officers preparing for combat operations. (36:12-48:29) The Future of AI in Medicine and Leadership Advice for Aspiring Officers In the final segment, the discussion explores how Artificial Intelligence can reduce administrative burdens for physicians and how smart implants will revolutionize orthopedic recovery. Dr. Sechriest concludes with advice for the next generation of military medical professionals, encouraging them to seek out tough assignments and lead with humility. Take Home Messages Medical Diplomacy as Soft Power: Humanitarian assistance missions are a critical strategic tool that allows the military to project goodwill and strengthen international alliances without firing a shot. By providing high-level medical care to foreign populations during crises, military medicine acts as a stabilizing force that can improve global security and alter negative perceptions of the United States in sensitive geopolitical regions. Data-Driven Operational Readiness: The analysis of surgical logs and patient encounters from previous disaster relief missions is essential for modernizing military medical responses. Research has shown that historical staffing models based on combat trauma were often insufficient for natural disasters, leading to a new focus on deploying with the right mix of pediatric and geriatric resources to match the actual needs of the affected population. The Distinction Between Naval Medical Assets: Understanding the difference between Echelon 3 hospital ships and Echelon 2 casualty receiving and treatment ships is vital for logistical success. While hospital ships offer comprehensive, prolonged care similar to a land-based trauma center, amphibious warships provide essential damage control surgery and superior air and sea transport capabilities to move casualties efficiently. Servant Leadership in Chaos: Leading effectively in the high-stress, chaotic environment of a disaster zone requires a mindset of humility and service rather than authority. The most successful medical officers are those who maintain focus on the mission, prioritize the well-being of their team, and acknowledge that they must rely on the collective expertise of others to solve complex logistical and ethical problems. AI and the Future of Orthopedics: Advanced technologies, particularly Artificial Intelligence and smart implants, are poised to revolutionize military and federal medicine by improving efficiency and outcomes. AI has the potential to alleviate provider burnout by automating non-clinical tasks, while sensor-embedded implants will provide objective data on patient recovery, allowing for proactive interventions and better long-term care.   Episode Keywords WarDocs, Military Medicine, Navy Medicine, Orthopedic Surgery, Humanitarian Assistance, Disaster Relief, USNS Mercy, USS Bataan, Tsunami Relief, Haiti Earthquake, Medical Diplomacy, Naval Health Research Center, Trauma Surgery, Global Health, Military Leadership, Soft Power, Navy Doctor, Hospital Ship, Warship Medicine, AI in Healthcare, Disaster Medicine, Servant Leadership Hashtags #MilitaryMedicine, #NavyDoctor, #OrthopedicSurgery, #DisasterRelief, #HumanitarianAid, #USNavy, #MedicalLeadership, #WarDocs   Honoring the Legacy and Preserving the History of Military Medicine The WarDocs Mission is to honor the legacy, preserve the oral history, and showcase career opportunities, unique expeditionary experiences, and achievements of Military Medicine. We foster patriotism and pride in Who we are, What we do, and, most importantly, How we serve Our Patients, the DoD, and Our Nation.   Find out more and join Team WarDocs at https://www.wardocspodcast.com/ Check our list of previous guest episodes at https://www.wardocspodcast.com/our-guests Subscribe and Like our Videos on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@wardocspodcast Listen to the “What We Are For” Episode 47. https://bit.ly/3r87Afm   WarDocs- The Military Medicine Podcast is a Non-Profit, Tax-exempt-501(c)(3) Veteran Run Organization run by volunteers. All donations are tax-deductible and go to honoring and preserving the history, experiences, successes, and lessons learned in Military Medicine. A tax receipt will be sent to you. WARDOCS documents the experiences, contributions, and innovations of all military medicine Services, ranks, and Corps who are affectionately called "Docs" as a sign of respect, trust, and confidence on and off the battlefield, demonstrating dedication to the medical care of fellow comrades in arms.     Follow Us on Social Media Twitter: @wardocspodcast Facebook: WarDocs Podcast Instagram: @wardocspodcast LinkedIn: WarDocs-The Military Medicine Podcast YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@wardocspodcast

Servant leadership isn't soft—it's disciplined strength. Drawing from Jesus and Robert Greenleaf, this episode reframes greatness as stewardship, not status, and challenges leaders to measure success by the growth of others.You Got This,Ryan

Stepping into your first leadership role can feel overwhelming, and navigating autism services as a parent can feel even harder, even when you're already in the field.In this episode, I sat down with Rayni McMahon for a powerful conversation about leadership, advocacy, and what happens when your professional world and personal life collide. We talked about what it really feels like to move from clinician to administrator, why so many professionals feel unprepared for leadership roles, and the one thing that can make that transition feel more manageable. Rayni shared practical, honest insights about mentorship, managing people, setting boundaries, and learning to lead with both confidence and compassion.We also spent time talking about advocacy from a deeply personal lens. Rayni opened up about her experience as a BCBA navigating the system as a parent of an autistic child and how being “in the know” did not make accessing services easier. Her perspective highlights just how complex and exhausting the system can be, even for professionals, and why empathy, persistence, and advocacy matter so much for families.This conversation is thoughtful, relatable, and full of takeaways for anyone who is stepping into leadership, supporting teams, or advocating for children and families within our field.#autism #speechtherapyWhat's Inside:How to navigate the transition from clinician to leader without burning outWhy mentorship and leadership support are critical in growing organizationsThe realities of advocating for autism services, even as a professionalLessons on balancing leadership, boundaries, and empathyMentioned In This Episode:Virtue Healthcare ConsultingRayni Brindley McMahon on LinkedInEarn CEUs with a community of peers. Join the ABA Speech ConnectionABA Speech: Home

Juliana Stepanova: The 90-Minute Retrospective Disaster That Taught Me Servant Leadership Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes.   "It's not my job to find the points to improve. My job is to help the team find them, to interact their communication, to start thinking about the improvements, and not pushing them into my exercises." - Juliana Stepanova   Juliana shares a humbling experience from her first year as a Scrum Master that transformed how she approaches facilitation. She had meticulously prepared what she believed was a brilliant 90-minute retrospective—carefully designed exercises, content tailored to the sprint, everything by the book. Yet when she asked the team for feedback at the end, they delivered a crushing verdict: "It was the worst retro ever." The disconnect wasn't about the quality of preparation but about whose perspective drove the design. Juliana had crafted the session based on her observations and assumptions about what the team needed, rather than asking them what they actually wanted to discuss.  This experience crystallized a fundamental insight about servant leadership: the difference between leading and servant leading. Today, Juliana prepares at least twice as many tools and exercises as she needs for any workshop, ready to pivot based on the room's energy and the team's expressed needs. She opens sessions with questions about expectations, aligning with the team's mood while setting appropriate boundaries. The failure taught her that even the most carefully prepared facilitation can miss the mark when it doesn't serve what the team actually needs in that moment.   Self-reflection Question: When was the last time you asked your team what they wanted from a retrospective before you designed it, and how might their input change your approach?   [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

If it feels like you've lived a year inside of a month right now, you're not alone. The cycle of our times is relentless and demands more of our attention and emotional capacity than we were ever meant to carry.This disorientation makes us more prone to disengagement, burnout, cynicism, and the lure of certainty. We also risk what social psychologists call moral narrowing, where our moral attention and empathy constrict to a smaller set of people or issues—often those we identify with directly—while excluding or devaluing others outside that circle. We can become more rigid, less able to tolerate complexity, and more likely to simplify moral dilemmas into “us versus them.” Even the most caring people are susceptible to moral narrowing when they're constantly overwhelmed. But we can build skills that help us move through grief, tolerate uncertainty, and stay engaged without losing ourselves.We need to train for these times, not just intellectually, but relationally and somatically. We need to be able to stay in the room long enough to build lasting connections and coalitions.My guest today models what it looks like to think and lead with the long game in mind while also tending to present-day relationships and her own well-being. She reminds us that despair is not a strategy and that steady, relational, local action is how we keep the future from being decided by the loudest and most reckless forces in the room.A'shanti F. Gholar is the President & CEO of Emerge, the nation's largest network of women elected officials and candidates. A'shanti co-founded Emerge Nevada in 2006, was named Emerge's national policy director in 2016, and became the first Black woman to lead Emerge in February 2020. Under A'shanti's leadership, Emerge has experienced unprecedented growth and success. With affiliates in over two dozen states, more than 1,200 alums in office, and over 6,500 Democratic women trained to run for office and win, Emerge has become a force to be reckoned with in the political landscape. She is also the founder of The Brown Girls Guide to Politics and its award-winning podcast, which The Guardian recognized as a “practical guide to progressive activism.” Listen to the full episode to hear:How A'shanti learned early on the power of getting involved at the local levelHow Emerge helps women recognize the value of their skills and lived experiences in holding political positionsHow centering the “why” helps Emerge candidates get elected, fight through the hard days, and get re-elected at high ratesWhy servant leadership is at the core of how Emerge trains candidates to leadHow every day micro engagements in your community add up to make a difference and keep hope alive for the long haulWhy representation, visibility, and mentorship are vital to changing the narrative of who can run for and hold officeLearn more about A'shanti Gholar:EmergeThe Brown Girls Guide to Politics PodcastInstagram: @ashantigholarLearn more about Rebecca:rebeccaching.comWork With RebeccaThe Unburdened Leader on SubstackSign up for the weekly Unburdened Leader EmailResources:Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age, Shannon WattsNot My Type: One Woman vs. a President, E. Jean Carroll Stone Temple Pilots - Interstate Love SongStranger Things

Focus your intention to become the best that you can be.We finish our examination of the concept of Focus. You have to focus your attention where it needs to be in order to achieve what you want to achieve. Make sure to focus your attention on what will make you successful. You will hear 5 quotes in today's episode.As always, I am so grateful to all of you who support the podcast! I do this show because of you. While I enjoy the quotes myself, I do this podcast because many of you who are looking for inspiration and impact from these quotes come back and listen to it on a consistent basis. Thanks to all of you for being a huge part of this journey! In order to help me keep this journey going, please consider becoming a supporter of the show. You can donate to the show by clicking on the link below. Support the showFor more information to help you on your road to becoming your best, check us out at SlamDunkSuccess.com or email me at scott@slamdunksuccess.com.Our new background music, starting with Episode 300, is "Pulse of Time - Corporate Rock" by TunePocket. Our background music for the first 5 years of the podcast was "Dance in the Sun" by Krisztian Vass.

Focus your intention to become the best that you can be.We continue our examination of the concept of Focus. You have to focus your attention where it needs to be in order to achieve what you want to achieve. However, at times, you should also figure out what NOT to focus your attention on. You will hear 5 quotes in today's episode.As always, I am so grateful to all of you who support the podcast! I do this show because of you. While I enjoy the quotes myself, I do this podcast because many of you who are looking for inspiration and impact from these quotes come back and listen to it on a consistent basis. Thanks to all of you for being a huge part of this journey! In order to help me keep this journey going, please consider becoming a supporter of the show. You can donate to the show by clicking on the link below. Support the showFor more information to help you on your road to becoming your best, check us out at SlamDunkSuccess.com or email me at scott@slamdunksuccess.com.Our new background music, starting with Episode 300, is "Pulse of Time - Corporate Rock" by TunePocket. Our background music for the first 5 years of the podcast was "Dance in the Sun" by Krisztian Vass.

Most entrepreneurs were trained to be great at their craft… but not trained to lead people. This series is here to bridge that gap!The #BossToLeader series is designed to help you shift from the overwhelmed, doing-everything-yourself boss… to a confident leader who knows how to delegate, create accountability, empower your team & lead with vision instead of stress.In each episode, you'll get practical tools, strategies & honest insight into the real-life obstacles entrepreneurs face like trusting your team, letting go of control & showing up as the leader your business actually needs.So, if you're ready to stop surviving in your business and start leading with clarity and confidence, this series is for you.In this episode, I'm sharing how you can get results from your team without babysitting them!    Need one-on-one help with navigating being a new leader? Schedule your complimentary clarity call with me here!  www.baproinc.com/ep183       Apply to join the New Leader, BIG IMPACT Coaching Program to level up your leadership & build an engaging team... even if the culture is toxic & without management's support! https://baproinc.com/newleaderbigimpact   Questions about this episode? Topic suggestions for future episodes? Send them to culture@businessadvocatespro.com  Let's chat about this episode on “X”: @BAPROINC or IG: @CultureBuildingPRO  The Culture Building like a PRO Podcast: Simple ways to transform your company culture... Today!| Company Culture | Culture Building | Organizational Culture | Employee Engagement | New Leaders | Effective Leadership | Servant Leadership |baproinc.com

On a cold January day in South Carolina, Jamie and Matt Staub unpack why focus is one of the most underrated leadership skills—especially in healthcare, where everything can feel urgent. They break down how leaders decide what deserves attention, how to “push pause” on non-emergencies, and why coaching people through problems is often more effective than absorbing them. The conversation also explores decision fatigue, the difference between being busy and being focused, the role of habits (including insights from Atomic Habits), and how boundaries protect the work that actually moves the mission forward. Along the way, they normalize attention struggles, reframe “failure” as part of growth, and offer practical ways to stay aligned to goals without losing empathy or accessibility.

Focus your intention to become the best that you can be.We start a new week of quotes by examining the concept of Focus. You have to focus your attention where it needs to be in order to achieve what you want to achieve. In order to do so, you must eliminate distractions, and that is what we are "focused" on today. You will hear 5 quotes on this concept in today's episode.As always, I am so grateful to all of you who support the podcast! I do this show because of you. While I enjoy the quotes myself, I do this podcast because many of you who are looking for inspiration and impact from these quotes come back and listen to it on a consistent basis. Thanks to all of you for being a huge part of this journey! In order to help me keep this journey going, please consider becoming a supporter of the show. You can donate to the show by clicking on the link below. Support the showFor more information to help you on your road to becoming your best, check us out at SlamDunkSuccess.com or email me at scott@slamdunksuccess.com.Our new background music, starting with Episode 300, is "Pulse of Time - Corporate Rock" by TunePocket. Our background music for the first 5 years of the podcast was "Dance in the Sun" by Krisztian Vass.

We all fail at times. It is a part of life. And yet, for some people, it is a crippling part of life. It shouldn't be. Failure is how we learn, grow, develop, and eventually succeed.Today, we finish our series of episodes devoted to quotes about failure and why it's a good thing. I have absolutely loved these quotes! They are so powerful and so spot on for those of us who coach or lead others. I hope you find great inspiration from the 8 quotes you will hear today, as well as the quotes you heard in the episodes on Monday and Wednesday. I know I did.As always, I am so grateful to all of you who support the podcast! I do this show because of you. While I enjoy the quotes myself, I do this podcast because many of you who are looking for inspiration and impact from these quotes come back and listen to it on a consistent basis. Thanks to all of you for being a huge part of this journey! In order to help me keep this journey going, please consider becoming a supporter of the show. You can donate to the show by clicking on the link below. Support the showFor more information to help you on your road to becoming your best, check us out at SlamDunkSuccess.com or email me at scott@slamdunksuccess.com.Our new background music, starting with Episode 300, is "Pulse of Time - Corporate Rock" by TunePocket. Our background music for the first 5 years of the podcast was "Dance in the Sun" by Krisztian Vass.

For more thoughts, clips, and updates, follow Avetis Antaplyan on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/avetisantaplyanIn this episode of The Tech Leader's Playbook, Avetis Antaplyan sits down with Kurt Uhlir, seasoned CMO, operator, and advisor to private equity-backed growth companies, for a no-BS breakdown of what modern marketing and real leadership look like at scale.Kurt challenges the mainstream playbook with sharp insight into why most CMOs aren't actually marketers, how obsession with attribution is damaging businesses, and why the real differentiator is trust, not clicks. From dismantling the myth of PPC-fueled growth to showing how brands win by building long-term category authority, Kurt shares hard-won lessons from the trenches of B2B SaaS and services.You'll hear how he thinks about short-term vs long-term growth horizons, why servant leadership isn't soft, and what companies miss when they separate marketing from customer success. This is a masterclass for any founder, CMO, or growth leader who wants to scale responsibly, attract vs. chase customers, and build teams that actually own outcomes.If you've ever felt like traditional marketing advice didn't match the reality of scaling a company, this one's for you.TakeawaysMost CMOs are actually salespeople afraid of making cold calls, not strategic marketers.Companies lose 70% of deals by not being one of the top 3 trusted brands in the buyer's mind.Short-term tactics (PPC, partnerships) drive revenue from 2–12 months, but trust drives revenue from 12–36+ months.Modern marketing must focus on contribution to outcomes, not just attribution metrics.Search Everywhere Optimization (not just SEO) is now essential, across YouTube, app stores, LLMs, and social.AI is a force multiplier for small teams, if used correctly to repurpose and amplify valuable content.Great marketing starts by mining product usage data, support tickets, and customer success conversations, not keyword tools.Servant leadership isn't about being soft, it's about owning outcomes and developing people.The best leaders are also great followers, especially when serving a strong brand-driven CEO.The cost of authoritative leadership is silent disengagement and missed opportunities for feedback.If every team member can't explain how their role connects to company outcomes, leadership has failed.The most honest marketing feedback comes from calling customers who canceled, and listening without selling.Chapters00:00 Intro & Kurt's Opening Shot at Modern Marketing02:00 Attribution vs. Contribution05:00 The 70% Rule: Brand Trust and B2B Decision-Making08:00 Should You Aim to Be a Top 3 Brand?10:00 The Three Horizons of Marketing ROI13:00 Search Everywhere Optimization and the New SEO Reality16:30 AI + Content Workflows: From Reels to Repurposing18:30 Content Strategy Starts with Customer Support Data20:00 Servant Leadership vs. Authoritative Leadership24:00 Following When It Matters: The Power of Deference26:00 Communication at Scale: Berkman Assessments and Team Alignment28:00 The Silent Cost of Authoritative Leadership30:00 Attribution Is Easy, But Contribution Builds Companies34:00 Why Marketing Should Own Customer Success Insights36:30 Managing Expectation Risk in Sales vs. Service38:30 Creating a Single View of the Customer40:00 Amplifying Referrals Without Getting in the Way42:00 The Ground Truth Lives With Canceled Customers43:30 Atomic Habits, Sticker Charts, and Showing Up44:30 The Billboard Test for Great Leadership Kurt Uhlir's Social Media Link:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurtuhlir/Kurt Uhlir's Website Link:https://kurtuhlir.com/Resources and Links:⁠https://www.hireclout.com⁠⁠https://www.podcast.hireclout.com⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/hirefasthireright

We all fail at times. It is a part of life. And yet, for some people, it is a crippling part of life. It shouldn't be. Failure is how we learn, grow, develop, and eventually succeed.Today, we continue our series of episodes devoted to quotes about failure and why it's a good thing. You will hear seven quotes in support of this concept in today's episode.As always, I am so grateful to all of you who support the podcast! I do this show because of you. While I enjoy the quotes myself, I do this podcast because many of you who are looking for inspiration and impact from these quotes come back and listen to it on a consistent basis. Thanks to all of you for being a huge part of this journey! In order to help me keep this journey going, please consider becoming a supporter of the show. You can donate to the show by clicking on the link below. Support the showFor more information to help you on your road to becoming your best, check us out at SlamDunkSuccess.com or email me at scott@slamdunksuccess.com.Our new background music, starting with Episode 300, is "Pulse of Time - Corporate Rock" by TunePocket. Our background music for the first 5 years of the podcast was "Dance in the Sun" by Krisztian Vass.

In this episode of the Your Health University Podcast, Jamie sits down with Matt Whitehead, Chief Ancillary Officer at Your Health, to unpack one of leadership's hardest realities: you rarely have all the information you want when decisions matter most.Drawing from decades of healthcare leadership experience, Matt explains how early decisions were driven almost entirely by gut, ethics, and urgency—long before real-time data existed. Together, they explore the balance between data and instinct, confidence and humility, decisiveness and recklessness.This conversation tackles real leadership tension: when waiting causes harm, when momentum matters more than perfection, and why doing nothing is often the most dangerous choice. Matt also shares a candid leadership failure, what it taught him, and how Your Health built a culture where mistakes are learning tools—not career-ending moments.If you lead people, teams, or systems—especially in healthcare—this episode reframes uncertainty not as a weakness, but as the proving ground of great leadership. www.YourHealth.Org

Purpose, trust and laughter matter.  SUMMARY Dr. Heather Wilson '82, former secretary of the U.S. Air Force, and Gen. Dave Goldfein '83, former chief of staff of the Air Force, highlight the human side of leadership — honoring family, listening actively and using humility and humor to build strong teams. Their book, Get Back Up: Lessons in Servant Leadership, challenges leaders to serve first and lead with character.   SHARE THIS PODCAST LINKEDIN  |  FACEBOOK    TOP 10 LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE Leadership Is a Gift and a Burden – Leaders are entrusted with the well-being and development of others, but that privilege entails tough, sometimes lonely, responsibilities. Servant Leadership – True leadership is about enabling and supporting those you lead, not seeking personal advancement or recognition. Influence and Teamwork – Lasting change comes from pairing authority with influence and working collaboratively; no leader succeeds alone. Embrace Failure and Own Mistakes – Effective leaders accept institutional and personal failures and use them as learning and teaching moments. Family Matters – Great leaders recognize the significance of family (their own and their team's) and demonstrate respect and flexibility for personal commitments. Be Data-Driven and Strategic – Borrow frameworks that suit the mission, be clear about goals, and regularly follow up to ensure progress. Listening Is Active – Truly listening, then responding openly and honestly—even when you can't “fix” everything—builds trust and respect. Humility and Curiosity – Never stop learning or questioning; continual self-improvement is a hallmark of strong leaders. Celebrate and Share Credit – Spread praise to those working behind the scenes; leadership is not about personal glory, but lifting others. Resilience and Leading by Example – “Getting back up” after setbacks inspires teams; how a leader recovers can motivate others to do the same.   CHAPTERS 0:00:00 - Introduction and Welcome 0:00:21 - Guest Backgrounds and Family Legacies 0:02:57 - Inspiration for Writing the Book 0:05:00 - Defining Servant Leadership 0:07:46 - Role Models and Personal Examples   CONNECT WITH THE LONG BLUE LINE PODCAST NETWORK TEAM Ted Robertson | Producer and Editor:  Ted.Robertson@USAFA.org Send your feedback or nominate a guest: socialmedia@usafa.org   Ryan Hall | Director:  Ryan.Hall@USAFA.org  Bryan Grossman | Copy Editor:  Bryan.Grossman@USAFA.org Wyatt Hornsby | Executive Producer:  Wyatt.Hornsby@USAFA.org      ALL PAST LBL EPISODES  |  ALL LBLPN PRODUCTIONS AVAILABLE ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS     FULL TRANSCRIPT SPEAKERS Host: Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99 Guests: Dr. Heather Wilson '82, former Secretary of the U.S. Air Force, and former Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. (Ret.) Dave Goldfein '83  Naviere Walkewicz 0:09 Welcome to Focus on Leadership, our accelerated leadership series. I'm your host, Naviere Walkewicz, Class of '99. I'm honored to welcome two exceptional leaders whose careers and friendship have helped shape the modern Air Force, while inspiring thousands to serve with purpose and courage. Our guests today are Dr. Heather Wilson, USAFA Class of '82, the 24th secretary of the Air Force, now president at the University of Texas El Paso. And Gen. Dave Goldfein, Class of '83, the 21st chief of staff of the Air Force. Both are United States Air Force Academy distinguished graduates. Together, they've written Get Back Up: Lessons in Servant Leadership, a powerful reflection on resilience, humility and the courage to lead to adversity. And our conversation today will dive deeply into the lessons they learned at the highest levels of command and in public service, and what it means to serve others first. Thank you for being here. Gen. Dave Goldfein 1:08 Thank you for having us. Naviere Walkewicz 1:09 Absolutely. This is truly an honor. And I mentioned that I read this incredible book, and I'm so excited for us to jump into it, but before we do, I think it's really important for people to know you more than the secretary and the chief. I mean chief, so Gen. Goldfein, you came from an Air Force family. Your dad was a colonel, and ma'am, your grandpa was a civil aviator, but you really didn't have any other military ties. Dr. Heather Wilson 1:29 Well, my grandfather was one of the first pilots in the RAF in World War I, then came to America, and in World War II, flew for his new country in the Civil Air Patrol. My dad enlisted by that a high school and was a crew chief between the end of the Second World War and the start of Korea, and then he went back home and became a commercial aviator and a mechanic. Naviere Walkewicz 1:52 I love that. So your lines run deep. So maybe you can share more and let our listeners get to know you more personally. What would you like to share in this introduction of Gen. Goldfein and Dr. Wilson? Gen. Dave Goldfein 2:02 Well, I'll just tell you that if you know much about Air Force culture you know we all get call signs, right. Nicknames, right? I got a new one the day I retired, and you get to use it. It's JD, which stands for “Just Dave.” Naviere Walkewicz 2:17 Just Dave! Yes, sir. JD. I will do my best for that to roll off my tongue. Yes, sir. Gen. Dave Goldfein 2:25 And I will just say congratulations to you for your two sons who are currently at the Academy. How cool is that? Naviere Walkewicz 2:31 Thank you. We come from a Long Blue Line family. My dad was a grad, my uncle, my brother and sister, my two boys. So if I get my third son, he'll be class of 2037, so, we'll see. We've got some time. Gen. Dave Goldfein 2:41 We have grandchildren. Matter of fact, our book is dedicated to grandchildren and they don't know it yet, but at least on my side, they're Class of 2040 and 2043 at the Air Force Academy. Naviere Walkewicz 2:52 OK, so my youngest will be cadre for them. Excellent. Excellent. Dr. Heather Wilson 2:57 And my oldest granddaughter is 4, so I think we'll wait a little bit and see what she wants to do. Naviere Walkewicz 3:04 Yes, ma'am. All right. Well, let's jump in. You just mentioned that you wrote the book primarily for your film book. Is that correct? Gen. Dave Goldfein 3:09 Yes. Naviere Walkewicz 3:10 How did you decide to do this now together? Because you both have incredible stories. Dr. Heather Wilson 3:14 Well, two years ago, we were actually up in Montana with Barbara and Craig Barrett, who —  Barbara succeeded me as secretary of the Air Force. And our families, all six of us are quite close, and we were up there, and Dave was telling stories, and I said, “You know, you need to write some of these down.” And we talked about it a little bit, and he had tried to work with another co-author at one time and it just didn't work out really well. And I said, “Well, what if we do it together, and we focus it on young airmen, on lessons learned in leadership. And the other truth is, we were so tired of reading leadership books by Navy SEALs, you know, and so can we do something together? It turned out to be actually more work than I thought it would be for either of us, but it was also more fun.   Naviere Walkewicz 3:59 How long did it take you from start to finish? Dr. Heather Wilson 4:02 Two years. Naviere Walkewicz 4:03 Two years? Excellent. And are you — where it's landed? Are you just so proud? Is it what you envisioned when you started? Gen. Dave Goldfein 4:10 You know, I am, but I will also say that it's just come out, so the initial response has been fantastic, but I'm really eager to see what the longer term response looks like, right? Did it resonate with our intended tenant audience? Right? Did the young captains that we had a chance to spend time with at SOS at Maxwell last week, right? They lined up forever to get a copy. But the real question is, did the stories resonate? Right? Do they actually give them some tools that they can use in their tool bag? Same thing with the cadets that we were privileged to spend time with the day. You know, they energized us. I mean, because we're looking at the we're looking at the future of the leadership of this country. And if, if these lessons in servant leadership can fill their tool bag a little bit, then we'll have hit the mark. Naviere Walkewicz 5:07 Yes, sir, yes. Ma'am. Well, let's jump right in then. And you talked about servant leadership. How would you describe it? Each of you, in your own words, Dr. Heather Wilson 5:15 To me, one of the things, important things about servant leadership is it's from the bottom. As a leader, your job is to enable the people who are doing the work. So in some ways, you know, people think that the pyramid goes like this, that it's the pyramid with the point at the top, and in servant leadership, it really is the other way around. And as a leader, one of the most important questions I ask my direct reports — I have for years — is: What do you need from me that you're not getting? And I can't print money in the basement, but what do you need from me that you're not getting? How, as a leader, can I better enable you to accomplish your piece of the mission. And I think a good servant leader is constantly thinking about, how do I — what can I do to make it easier for the people who are doing the job to get the mission done? Gen. Dave Goldfein 6:08 And I'd offer that the journey to becoming an inspirational servant leader is the journey of a lifetime. I'm not sure that any of us actually ever arrive. I'm not the leader that I want to be, but I'm working on it. And I think if we ever get to a point where we feel like we got it all figured out right, that we know exactly what this whole leadership gig is, that may be a good time to think about retiring, because what that translates to is perhaps at that point, we're not listening, we're not learning, we're not growing, we're not curious — all the things that are so important. The first chapter in the book is titled, Am I worthy? And it's a mirror-check question that we both came to both individually and together as secretary and chief. It's a mere check that you look at and say, “All right, on this lifelong journey to become an inspirational servant leader, am I worthy of the trust and confidence of the parents who have shared their sons and daughters with the United States Air Force and expecting us to lead with character and courage and confidence? Am I worthy of the gift that followers give to leaders? Am I earning that gift and re-earning it every single day by how I act, how I treat others?” You know, that's the essence of servant leadership that we try to bring forward in the book. Naviere Walkewicz 7:38 Right? Can you recall when you first saw someone exhibiting servant leadership in your life? Dr. Heather Wilson 7:46 Good question. It's a question of role models. Maj. William S. Reeder was my first air officer commanding here. And while I think I can probably think of some leaders in my community, you know, people who were school principals or those kind of things, I think Maj. Reeder terrified me because they didn't want to disappoint him. And he had — he was an Army officer who had been shot down as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. He still had some lingering issues. Now, I think he had broken his leg or his back or something, and so you could tell that he still carried with him the impact of that, but he had very high expectations of us and we didn't want to disappoint him. And I think he was a pretty good role model. Gen. Dave Goldfein 8:47 You know, one of the things we say at the very end of the book is that we both married up. We both married incredible leaders, servant leaders in their own right. So in my case, I married my high school sweetheart, and we've now been together almost 43 years, coming up on 43. And when you talk about servant leadership, you know, very often we don't give military spouses enough credit for the enormous courage that they have when they deal with the separations, the long hours, very often not talked about enough, the loneliness that comes with being married to someone who's in the military. And so I just give a shout out to every military spouse that's out there and family to thank them for that very special kind of courage that equates to servant leadership on their part. Naviere Walkewicz 9:47 Excellent. Those are both really great examples, and I think, as our listeners are engaging with this, they're going to start to think about those people in their lives as well, through your descriptions. Early in the book, you make this statement: “Leadership is a gift and a burden.” Might you both expand on that?   Dr. Heather Wilson 10:03 So it's a gift in that it's a gift that's given to you by those whom you are privileged to lead, and it's not just an institution that, you know, it's not just the regents of the University of Texas who have said, “Yes, you're going to be the president of the University of Texas at El Paso.” It is those who follow me who have given me gift of their loyalty and their service and their time. It's a burden, because some days are hard days, and you have to make hard calls based on values to advance the mission and, as chief and service secretary, there are no easy decisions that come walking into that part of the Pentagon. The easy decisions are all made before it gets to the service secretary and chief and so. So there is that responsibility of trying to do well difficult things. And I think sometimes those are lonely decisions. Gen. Dave Goldfein 11:09 And I think as a leader of any organization, part of what can be the burden is if you care deeply about the institution, then you carry the burden of any failures of that institution, both individuals who fall short, or the institution itself. And we face some of those, and we talk about that in the book. One of our chapters is on Sutherland Springs and owning failure. There was no dodge in that. And there was, quite frankly, there was an opportunity for us to actually showcase and teach others how to take ownership when the institution falls short and fails, right? And you know, one of the interesting elements of the relationship between a secretary and a chief is that if you go back and look at the law and read the job description of the chief of staff of the Air Force, it basically says, “Run the air staff and do what the secretary tells you.” I'm not making that up. Because most of the decision authority of the institution resides in the civilian control, the military civilian secretary. So almost all authority and decision authority resides with the secretary. What the chief position brings is 30 years in the institution that very often can bring credibility and influence. And what we determined early in our tenure was that if we were going to move the ball, if we were going to actually move the service in a positive direction, neither of us could do it alone. We had to do it together. We had to use this combination of authority and influence to be able to move the institution forward. And so that was a — and we talked a lot about that, you know, in the book, and it sort of runs throughout our stories. You know, that that trust matters. Naviere Walkewicz 12:59 Absolutely. We're going to visit that towards the end of our conversation, because there's a particular time before you both — before you became the chief and before you became the service secretary, when you met up together. And I want to visit that a little bit. But before we do, Gen. Goldfein — JD — you shared a story in the book, and obviously we want everyone to read it, so I'm not going to go tell the whole story, but you know where you took off one more time than you landed, and you had to, you know, you were hit, you had to evade and then you had to be rescued. There was a particular statement you made to identify yourself. And many of our Long Blue Line members will know this: fast, neat, average, friendly, good, good. In that moment of watching the sun start to rise while you're waiting to be retrieved, how did that come to your mind? Of all the things you could be thinking of to identify yourself? Gen. Dave Goldfein 13:53 Well, you know, it's interesting. So, you know, for those who've never, you know, had gone through a high-speed ejection, people asked me, what was like? I said, “Well, I used to be 6-foot-3. This is all that's left, right?” And you know, my job once I was on the ground was, quite frankly, not to goof it up. To let the rescue team do what the rescue team needed to do, and to play my part, which was to put them at the least amount of risk and be able to get out before the sun came up. And at the very end of the rescue when the helicopters — where I was actually vectoring them towards my location. And I had a compass in my hand, and I had my eyes closed, and I was just listening to the chopper noise and then vectoring them based on noise. And then eventually we got them to come and land, you know, right in front of me. Well, they always teach you, and they taught me here at the Academy during SERE training, which I think has been retitled, but it was SERE when we went through it, survival training. Now, I believe they teach you, “Hey, listen, you need to be nonthreatening, because the rescue team needs to know that you're not — this is not an ambush, that you are actually who you say you are. Don't hold up a weapon, be submissive and authenticate yourself. Well, to authenticate myself required me to actually try my flashlight. And I could see the enemy just over the horizon. And as soon as the helicopter landed, the enemy knew exactly where we were, and they came and running, and they came shooting, and they were raking the tree line with bullets. And so, you know, what I needed to do was to figure out a way to do an authentication. And I just, what came to mind was that training all those years ago, right here at the Academy, and I just said, “I could use a fast, neat, average rescue,” and friendly, good, good was on the way. Naviere Walkewicz 15:53 Wow, I just got chill bumps. Dr. Wilson, have you ever had to use that same kind of term, or, you know, reaching out to a grad in your time frequently? Dr. Heather Wilson 16:04 Yes, ma'am. And, you know, even in the last week, funny — I had an issue that I had to, I won't go into the details, but where there was an issue that might affect the reputation, not only of the university, but of one of our major industry partners, and it wasn't caused by either of us, but there was kind of a, kind of a middle person that was known to us that may not have been entirely acting with integrity. And I just looked up the company. The CEO is an Academy grad. So I picked up the phone and I called the office and we had a conversation. And I said, “Hey, I'd like to have a conversation with you, grad to grad.” And I said, “There are some issues here that I don't need to go into the details, but where I think you and I need to be a little careful about our reputations and what matters is my relationship as the university with you and your company and what your company needs in terms of talent. But wanted to let you know something that happened and what we're doing about it, but I wanted to make sure that you and I are clear.” And it was foundation of values that we act with integrity and we don't tolerate people who won't. Naviere Walkewicz 17:30 Yes, ma'am, I love that. The Long Blue Line runs deep that way, and that's a great example. JD, you spoke about, in the book, after the rescue — by the way, the picture in there of that entire crew was amazing. I love that picture. But you talked about getting back up in the air as soon as possible, without any pomp and circumstance. “Just get me back in the air and into the action.” I'd like to visit two things. One, you debriefed with the — on the check ride, the debrief on the check ride and why that was important. And then also you spoke about the dilemma of being dad and squad comm. Can you talk about that as well? Gen. Dave Goldfein 18:06 Yeah, the check ride. So when I was in Desert Storm, an incredible squadron commander named Billy Diehl, and one of the things that he told us after he led all the missions in the first 30 days or so, he said, “Look, there will be a lot of medals, you know, from this war.” He goes, “But I'm going to do something for you that happened for me in Vietnam. I'm going to fly on your wing, and I'm going to give you a check ride, and you're going to have a documented check ride of a combat mission that you led in your flying record. I'm doing that for you.” OK, so fast forward 10 years, now I'm the squadron commander, and I basically followed his lead. Said, “Hey, I want…” So that night, when I was shot down, I was actually flying on the wing of one of my captains, “Jammer” Kavlick, giving him a check ride. And so, of course, the rescue turns out — I'm sitting here, so it turned out great. And so I called Jammer into a room, and I said, “Hey, man, we never did the check ride.” I said, “You know, you flew a formation right over the top of a surface enemy missile that took out your wingman. That's not a great start.” And he just sort of… “Yes, sir, I know.” I said, “And then you led an all-night rescue that returned him to his family. That's pretty good recovery.” And so it's been a joke between us ever since. But in his personal — his flying record, he has a form that says, “I'm exceptionally, exceptionally qualified.” So I got back and I thought about this when I was on the ground collecting rocks for my daughters, you know, as souvenirs from Serbia. I got back, and I looked at my wing commander, and I said, “Hey, sir, I know you probably had a chance to think about this, but I'm not your young captain that just got shot down. I'm the squadron commander, and I've got to get my squadron back on the horse, and the only way to do that is for me to get back in the air. So if it's OK with you, I'm gonna go home. I'm gonna get crew rest and I'm going to fly tonight.” And he looked at me, and he looked at my wife, Dawn, who was there, and he goes, “If it's OK with her, it's OK with me.” Great. Dawn, just a champion, she said, “I understand it. That's what you got to do.” Because we were flying combat missions with our families at home, which is, was not in the squadron commander handbook, right? Pretty unique. What I found, though, was that my oldest daughter was struggling a little bit with it, and so now you've got this, you know, OK, I owe it to my squad to get right back up in the air and lead that night. And I owe it to my daughter to make sure that she's OK. And so I chose to take one night, make sure that she and my youngest daughter, Diana, were both, you know, in a good place, that they knew that everything's going to be OK. And then I got back up the next night. And in some ways, I didn't talk about it with anybody in the media for a year, because my dad was a Vietnam vet, I'd met so many of his friends, and I'd met so many folks who had actually gotten shot down one and two and three times over Vietnam, in Laos, right? You know what they did after they got rescued? They got back up. They just went back up in the air, right? No fanfare, no book tours, no, you know, nothing, right? It was just get back to work. So for me, it was a way of very quietly honoring the Vietnam generation, to basically do what they did and get back in the air quietly. And so that was what it was all about. Naviere Walkewicz 21:25 Dr. Wilson, how about for you? Because I know — I remember reading in the book you had a — there was something you said where, if your children called, no matter what they could always get through. So how have you balanced family? Dr. Heather Wilson 21:36 Work and life. And so, when I was elected to the Congress, my son was 4 years old. My daughter was 18 months. First of all, I married well, just like Dave. But I also think my obligations to my family don't end at the front porch, and I want to make a better world for them. But I also knew that I was a better member of Congress because I had a family, and that in some ways, each gave richness and dimension to the other. We figured out how to make it work as a family. I mean, both my children have been to a White House Christmas ball and the State of the Union, but we always had a rule that you can call no matter what. And I remember there were some times that it confounded people and, like, there was one time when President Bush — W. Bush, 43 — was coming to New Mexico for the first time, and he was going to do some events in Albuquerque. And they called and they said, “Well, if the congresswoman wants to fly in with him from Texas, you know, she can get off the airplane in her district with the president. And the answer was, “That's the first day of school, and I always take my kids to school the first day, so I'll just meet him here.” And the staff was stunned by that, like, she turns down a ride on Air Force One to arrive in her district with the president of the United States to take her kids to school. Yes, George Bush understood it completely. And likewise, when the vice president came, and it was, you know, that the one thing leading up to another tough election — I never had an easy election — and the one thing I said to my staff all the way through October, leading — “There's one night I need off, and that's Halloween, because we're going trick or treating.” And wouldn't you know the vice president is flying into New Mexico on Halloween for some event in New Mexico, and we told them, “I will meet them at the stairs when they arrive in Albuquerque. I'll have my family with them, but I won't be going to the event because we're going trick or treating.” And in my house, I have this great picture of the vice president of the United States and his wife and my kids in costume meeting. So most senior people understood that my family was important to me and everybody's family, you know — most people work to put food on the table, and if, as a leader, you recognize that and you give them grace when they need it, you will also have wonderful people who will work for you sometimes when the pay is better somewhere else because you respect that their families matter to them and making room for that love is important. Naviere Walkewicz 24:36 May I ask a follow on to that? Because I think that what you said was really important. You had a leader that understood. What about some of our listeners that maybe have leaders that don't value the same things or family in the way that is important. How do they navigate that? Dr. Heather Wilson 24:52 Sometimes you look towards the next assignment, or you find a place where your values are the same. And if we have leaders out there who are not being cognizant of the importance of family — I mean, we may recruit airmen but we retain families, and if we are not paying attention to that, then we will lose exceptional people. So that means that sometimes, you know, I give a lot of flexibility to people who are very high performers and work with me. And I also know that if I call them at 10 o'clock at night, they're going to answer the phone, and that's OK. I understand what it's like to — I remember, you know, I was in New Mexico, I was a member of Congress, somebody was calling about an issue in the budget, and my daughter, who was probably 4 at the time, had an ear infection, and it was just miserable. And so I'm trying to get soup into her, and this guy is calling me, and she's got — and it was one of the few times I said — and it was the chairman of a committee — I said, “Can I just call you back? I've got a kid with an ear infection…” And he had five kids. He said, “Oh, absolutely, you call me back.” So you just be honest with people about the importance of family. Why are we in the service? We're here to protect our families and everybody else's family. And that's OK.   Naviere Walkewicz 26:23 Yes, thank you for sharing that. Anything to add to that, JD? No? OK. Well, Dr. Wilson, I'd like to go into the book where you talk about your chapter on collecting tools, which is a wonderful chapter, and you talk about Malcolm Baldridge. I had to look him up — I'll be honest — to understand, as a businessman, his career and his legacy. But maybe share in particular why he has helped you. Or maybe you've leveraged his process in the way that you kind of think through and systematically approach things. Dr. Heather Wilson 26:49 Yeah, there was a movement in the, it would have been in the early '90s, on the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Awards. It came out of the Department of Commerce, but then it spread to many of the states and it was one of the better models I thought for how to run organizations strategically. And I learned about it when I was a small businessperson in Albuquerque, New Mexico. And I thought it was interesting. But the thing that I liked about it was it scaled. It was a little bit like broccoli, you know, it looks the same at the little flora as it does at the whole head, right? And so it kind of became a model for how I could use those tools about being data driven, strategically focused, process oriented that I could use in reforming a large and not very well functioning child welfare department when I became a cabinet secretary for children, youth and families, which was not on my how-to-run-my-career card. That was not in the plan, but again, it was a set of tools that I'd learned in one place that I brought with me and thought might work in another. Naviere Walkewicz 28:02 Excellent. And do you follow a similar approach, JD, in how you approach a big problem? Gen. Dave Goldfein 28:07 I think we're all lifelong students of different models and different frameworks that work. And there's not a one-size-fits-all for every organization. And the best leaders, I think, are able to tailor their approach based on what the mission — who the people are, what they're trying to accomplish. I had a chance to be a an aide de camp to a three-star, Mike Ryan, early in my career, and he went on to be chief of staff of the Air Force. And one of the frameworks that he taught me was he said, “If you really want to get anything done,” he said, “you've got to do three things.” He said, “First of all, you got to put a single person in charge.” He said, “Committees and groups solve very little. Someone's got to drive to work feeling like they've got the authority, the responsibility, the resources and everything they need to accomplish what it is that you want to accomplish. So get a single person in charge. Most important decision you will make as a leader, put the right person in charge. Second, that person owes you a plan in English. Not 15 PowerPoint slides, right, but something that clearly articulates in one to two pages, max, exactly what we're trying to accomplish. And the third is, you've got to have a way to follow up.” He said, “Because life gets in the way of any perfect plan. And what will happen is,” he goes, “I will tell you how many times,” he said, “that I would circle back with my team, you know, a couple months later and say, ‘How's it going?' And they would all look at each other and say, “Well, I thought you were in charge,” right? And then after that, once they figure out who was in charge, they said, “Well, we were working this plan, but we got, you know, we had to go left versus right, because we had this crisis, this alligator started circling the canoe, and therefore we had to, you know, take care of that,” right? He says, “As a leader, those are the three elements of any success. Put someone in charge. Build a plan that's understandable and readable, and always follow up. And I've used that as a framework, you know, throughout different organizations, even all the way as chief to find — to make sure that we had the right things. Dr. Heather Wilson 30:21 Even this morning, somebody came by who reminded us of a story that probably should have been in the book, where we had — it was a cyber vulnerability that was related to a particular piece of software widely deployed, and the CIO was having trouble getting the MAJCOMMS to kind of take it seriously. And they were saying, “Well, you know, we think maybe in 30, 60, 90 days, six months, we'll have it all done,” or whatever. So I said, “OK, let all the four-stars know. I want to be updated every 36 hours on how many of them, they still have, still have not updated.” I mean, this is a major cyber vulnerability that we knew was — could be exploited and wasn't some little thing. It was amazing; it got done faster. Naviere Walkewicz 31:11 No 90 days later. Oh, my goodness. Well, that was excellent and actually, I saw that in action in the story, in the book, after the attack on the Pentagon, and when you stood up and took charge, kind of the relief efforts, because many people were coming in that wanted to help, and they just needed someone to lead how that could happen. So you were putting into practice. Yes, sir. I'd like to get into where you talk about living your purpose, and that's a chapter in there. But you know, Gen. Goldfein, we have to get into this. You left the Academy as a cadet, and I think that's something that not many people are familiar with. You ride across the country on a bike with a guitar on your back for part of the time — and you sent it to Dawn after a little while — Mini-Bear in your shirt, to find your purpose. Was there a moment during the six months that you that hit you like lightning and you knew that this was your purpose, or was it a gradual meeting of those different Americans you kind of came across? Gen. Dave Goldfein 32:04 Definitely gradual. You know, it was something that just built up over time. I used to joke — we both knew Chairman John McCain and always had great respect for him. And I remember one time in his office, I said, “Chairman, I got to share with you that I lived in constant fear during every hearing that you were going to hold up a piece of paper on camera and say, ‘General, I got your transcript from the Air Force Academy. You got to be kidding me, right?' And he laughed, and he said, Trust me, if you looked at my transcript in Annapolis,” he goes, “I'm the last guy that would have ever asked that question.” But you know, the we made a mutual decision here, sometimes just things all come together. I'd written a paper on finding my purpose about the same time that there was a professor from Annapolis that was visiting and talking about a sabbatical program that Annapolis had started. And so they started talking about it, and then this paper made it and I got called in. They said, “Hey, we're thinking about starting this program, you know, called Stop Out, designed to stop people from getting out. We read your paper. What would you do if you could take a year off?” And I said, “Wow, you know, if I could do it, I'll tell you. I would start by going to Philmont Scout Ranch, you know, and be a backcountry Ranger,” because my passion was for the outdoors, and do that. “And then I would go join my musical hero, Harry Chapin.” Oh, by the way, he came to the United States Air Force Academy in the early '60s. Right? Left here, built a band and wrote the hit song Taxi. “So I would go join him as a roadie and just sort of see whether music and the outdoors, which my passions are, what, you know, what it's all about for me.” Well, we lost contact with the Chapin connection. So I ended up on this bicycle riding around the country. And so many families took me in, and so many towns that I rode into, you know, I found that if I just went to the library and said, “Hey, tell me a little bit about the history of this town,” the librarian would call, like, the last, you know, three or four of the seniors the town, they'd all rush over to tell me the story of, you know, this particular little town, right? And then someone would also say, “Hey, where are you staying tonight?” “I'm staying in my tent.” They said, “Oh, come stay with me.” So gradually, over time, I got to know America, and came to the conclusion when I had to make the decision to come back or not, that this country is really worth defending, that these people are hard-working, you know, that want to make the world better for their kids and their grandkids, and they deserve a United States Air Force, the best air force on the planet, to defend them. So, you know, when I came back my last two years, and I always love sharing this with cadets, because some of them are fighting it, some of them have embraced it. And all I tell them is, “Hey, I've done both. And all I can tell you is, the sooner you embrace it and find your purpose, this place is a lot more fun.” Naviere Walkewicz 35:13 Truth in that, yes, yes, well. And, Dr. Wilson, how did you know you were living your purpose? Dr. Heather Wilson 35:19 Well, I've had a lot of different chapters to my life. Yes, and we can intellectualize it on why we, you know, why I made a certain decision at a certain time, but there were doors that opened that I never even knew were there. But at each time and at each junction, there was a moment where somehow I just knew. And at South Dakota Mines is a good example. You know, I lost a race to the United States Senate. I actually had some interns — I benefited from a lousy job market, and I had fantastic interns, and we were helping them through the loss. You know, they're young. They were passionate. They, as Churchill said, “The blessing and the curse of representative government is one in the same. The people get what they choose.” And so I was helping them through that, and one of them said, “Well, Dr. Wilson, you're really great with students. You should be a college president somewhere. Texas Tech needs a president. You should apply there,” because that's where this kid was going to school. And I said, “Well, but I don't think they're looking for me.” But it did cause me to start thinking about it and I had come close. I had been asked about a college presidency once before, and I started looking at it and talking to headhunters and so forth. And initially, South Dakota Mines didn't seem like a great fit, because I'm a Bachelor of Science degree here, but my Ph.D. is in a nonscientific discipline, and it's all engineers and scientists. But as I went through the process, it just felt more and more right. And on the day of the final interviews, that evening, it was snowing in South Dakota, there was a concert in the old gym. I mean, this is an engineering school, and they had a faculty member there who had been there for 40 years, who taught choral music, and the students stood up, and they started singing their warm up, which starts out with just one voice, and eventually gets to a 16-part harmony and it's in Latin, and it's music is a gift from God, and they go through it once, and then this 40th anniversary concert, about 50 people from the audience stand up and start singing. It's like a flash mob, almost These were all alumni who came back. Forty years of alumni to be there for that concert for him. And they all went up on stage and sang together in this just stunning, beautiful concert by a bunch of engineers. And I thought, “There's something special going on here that's worth being part of,” and there are times when you just know. And the same with becoming cabinet secretary for children, youth and families — that was not in the plan and there's just a moment where I knew that was what I should do now. How I should use my gifts now? And you hope that you're right in making those decisions.   Naviere Walkewicz 38:43 Well, probably aligning with JD's point in the book of following your gut. Some of that's probably attached to you finding your purpose. Excellent. I'd like to visit the time Dr. Wilson, when you were helping President Bush with the State of the Union address, and in particular, you had grueling days, a lot of hours prepping, and when it was time for it to be delivered, you weren't there. You went home to your apartment in the dark. You were listening on the radio, and there was a moment when the Congress applauded and you felt proud, but something that you said really stuck with me. And he said, I really enjoy being the low-key staff member who gets stuff done. Can you talk more about that? Because I think sometimes we don't, you know, the unsung heroes are sometimes the ones that are really getting so many things done, but nobody knows. Dr. Heather Wilson 39:31 So, I'm something of an introvert and I've acquired extrovert characteristics in order to survive professionally. But when it comes to where I get my batteries recharged, I'm quite an introvert, and I really loved — and the same in international negotiations, being often the liaison, the back channel, and I did that in the conventional forces in Europe negotiations for the American ambassador. And in some ways, I think it might have been — in the case of the conventional forces in Europe negotiations, I was on the American delegation here. I was in Vienna. I ended up there because, for a bunch of weird reasons, then they asked me if I would go there for three months TDY. It's like, “Oh, three months TDY in Vienna, Austria. Sign me up.” But I became a very junior member on the delegation, but I was the office of the secretary of defense's representative, and walked into this palace where they were negotiating between what was then the 16 NATO nations and the seven Warsaw Pact countries. And the American ambassador turned to me, and he said during this several times, “I want you to sit behind me and to my right, and several times I'm going to turn and talk to you, and I just want you to lean in and answer.” I mean, he wasn't asking anything substantive, and I just, “Yes, sir.” But what he was doing was credentialing me in front of the other countries around that table. Now, I was very young, there were only two women in the room. The other one was from Iceland, and what he was doing was putting me in a position to be able to negotiate the back channel with several of our allies and with — this was six months or so now, maybe a year before the fall of the Berlin Wall. So things were changing in Eastern Europe, and so I really have always enjoyed just that quietly getting things done, building consensus, finding the common ground, figuring out a problem. Actually have several coffee mugs that just say GSD, and the other side does say, Get Stuff Done. And I like that, and I like people who do that. And I think those quiet — we probably don't say thank you enough to the quiet, hardworking people that just figure out how to get stuff done. Naviere Walkewicz 41:59 Well, I like how he credentialed you and actually brought that kind of credibility in that way as a leader. JD, how have you done that as a leader? Champion, some of those quiet, behind the scenes, unsung heroes. Gen. Dave Goldfein 42:11 I'm not sure where the quote comes from, but it's something to the effect of, “It's amazing what you can get done if you don't care who gets the credit.” There's so much truth to that. You know, in the in the sharing of success, right? As servant leaders, one of the things that I think both of us spend a lot of time on is to make sure that credit is shared with all the folks who, behind the scenes, you know, are doing the hard, hard work to make things happen, and very often, you know, we're the recipients of the thank yous, right? And the gratefulness of an organization or for somebody who's benefited from our work, but when you're at the very senior leaders, you know what you do is you lay out the vision, you create the environment to achieve that vision. But the hard, hard work is done by so many others around you. Today, in the audience when we were there at Polaris Hall, was Col. Dave Herndon. So Col. Dave Herndon, when he was Maj. Dave Herndon, was my aide de camp, and I can tell you that there are so many successes that his fingers are on that he got zero credit for, because he was quietly behind the scenes, making things happen, and that's just the nature of servant leadership, is making sure that when things go well, you share it, and when things go badly, you own it. Naviere Walkewicz 43:47 And you do share a really remarkable story in there about accountability. And so we won't spend so much time talking about that, but I do want to go to the point where you talk about listening, and you say, listening is not passive; it's active and transformative. As servant leaders, have you ever uncovered challenges that your team has experienced that you didn't have the ability to fix and you know, what action did you take in those instances? Dr. Heather Wilson 44:09 You mean this morning? All the time. And sometimes — and then people will give you grace, if you're honest about that. You don't make wild promises about what you can do, but then you sit and listen and work through and see all right, what is within the realm of the possible here. What can we get done? Or who can we bring to the table to help with a set of problems? But, there's no… You don't get a — when I was president of South Dakota Mines, one of the people who worked with me, actually gave me, from the toy store, a magic wand. But it doesn't work. But I keep it in my office, in case, you know… So there's no magic wands, but being out there listening to understand, not just listening to refute, right? And then seeing whether there are things that can be done, even if there's some things you just don't have the answers for, right? Gen. Dave Goldfein 45:11 The other thing I would offer is that as senior leadership and as a senior leadership team, you rarely actually completely solve anything. What you do is improve things and move the ball. You take the hand you're dealt, right, and you find creative solutions. You create the environment, lay out the vision and then make sure you follow up, move the ball, and if you get at the end of your tenure, it's time for you to move on, and you've got the ball moved 20, 30, yards down the field. That's actually not bad, because most of the things we were taking on together, right, were big, hard challenges that we needed to move the ball on, right? I If you said, “Hey, did you completely revitalize the squadrons across the United States Air Force?” I will tell you, absolutely not. Did we get the ball about 20, 30 yards down the field? And I hope so. I think we did. Did we take the overhaul that we did of officer development to be able to ensure that we were producing the senior leaders that the nation needs, not just the United States Air Force needs? I will tell you that we didn't solve it completely, but we moved the ball down the field, and we did it in a way that was able to stick. You know, very often you plant seeds as a leader, and you never know whether those seeds are going to, you know, these seeds are ideas, right? And you never know whether the seeds are going to hit fertile soil or rocks. And I would often tell, you know, young leaders too. I said, you know, in your last few months that you're privileged to be in the position of leadership, you've got two bottles on your hip. You're walking around with — one of them's got fertilizer and one of them's got Roundup. And your job in that final few months is to take a look at the seeds that you planted and truly determine whether they hit fertile soil and they've grown roots, and if they've grown roots, you pull out the fertilizer, and the fertilizer you're putting on it is to make it part of the institution not associated with you, right? You want somebody some years from now say, “Hey, how do we ever do that whole squadron thing?” The right answer is, “I have no idea, but look at how much better we are.” That's the right answer, right? That's the fertilizer you put on it. But it's just equally important to take a look at the ideas that, just for whatever reason, sometimes beyond your control — they just didn't stick right. Get out the Roundup. Because what you don't want to do is to pass on to your successor something that didn't work for you, because it probably ain't going to work for her. Dr. Heather Wilson 47:46 That's right, which is one of the rules of leadership is take the garbage out with you when you go. Naviere Walkewicz 47:51 I like that. I like that a lot. Well, we are — just a little bit of time left. I want to end this kind of together on a story that you shared in the book about laughter being one of the tools you share. And after we share this together, I would like to ask you, I know we talked about mirror checks, but what are some things that you guys are doing every day to be better as well, to continue learning. But to get to the laughter piece, you mentioned that laughter is an underappreciated tool and for leaders, something that you both share. I want to talk about the time when you got together for dinner before you began working as chief and service secretary, and I think you may have sung an AF pro song. We're not going to ask you to sing that today, unless you'd like to JD? But let's talk about laughter.   Gen. Dave Goldfein 48:31 The dean would throw me out. Naviere Walkewicz 48:33 OK, OK, we won't have you sing that today. But how have you found laughter — when you talk about — when the questions and the problems come up to you?   Dr. Heather Wilson 48:40 So I'm going to start this because I think Dave Goldfein has mastered this leadership skill of how to use humor, and self-deprecating humor, better than almost any leader I've ever met. And it's disarming, which is a great technique, because he's actually wicked smart. But it's also people walk in the room knowing if you're going to a town hall meeting or you're going to be around the table, at least sometime in that meeting, we're going to laugh. And it creates a warmth and people drop their guard a little bit. You get to the business a little bit earlier. You get beyond the standard PowerPoint slides, and people just get down to work. And it just — people relax. And I think Dave is very, very good at it. Now, my husband would tell you that I was raised in the home for the humor impaired, and I have been in therapy with him for almost 35 years.   Naviere Walkewicz 49:37 So have you improved? Dr. Heather Wilson 49:39 He thinks I've made some progress.   Naviere Walkewicz 49:41 You've moved the ball.   Dr. Heather Wilson 49:44 Yes. Made some progress. I still don't — I used to start out with saying the punch line and then explain why it was funny. Naviere Walkewicz 49:52 I'm in your camp a little bit. I try. My husband says, “Leave the humor to me.” Dr. Heather Wilson 49:54 Yeah, exactly. You understand. Gen. Dave Goldfein 49:58 I used to joke that I am a member of the Class of 1981['82 and '83]. I am the John Belushi of the United States Air Force Academy, a patron saint of late bloomers. But you know, honestly, Heather doesn't give herself enough credit for building an environment where, you know, folks can actually do their very best work. That's one of the things that we do, right? Because we have — the tools that we have available to be able to get things done very often, are the people that are we're privileged to lead and making sure that they are part of an organization where they feel valued, where we're squinting with our ears. We're actually listening to them. Where they're making a contribution, right? Where they believe that what they're being able to do as part of the institution or the organization is so much more than they could ever do on their own. That's what leadership is all about. Dr. Heather Wilson 51:05 You know, we try to — I think both of us see the humor in everyday life, and when people know that I have a desk plate that I got in South Dakota, and it doesn't say “President.” It doesn't say “Dr. Wilson.” It says, “You're kidding me, right?” Because once a week, more frequently as secretary and chief, but certainly frequently as a college president, somebody is going to walk in and say, “Chief, there's something you need to know.” And if they know they're going to get blasted out of the water or yelled at, people are going to be less likely to come in and tell you, right, what you need to know. But if you're at least willing to laugh at the absurdity of the — somebody thought that was a good idea, you know. My gosh, let's call the lawyers or whatever. But you know, you've just got to laugh, and if you laugh, people will know that you just put things in perspective and then deal with the problem. Naviere Walkewicz  52:06 Well, it connects us as humans. Yeah. Well, during my conversation today with Dr. Heather Wilson and Gen. Dave Goldfein — JD — two lessons really stood out to me. Leadership is not about avoiding the fall, but about how high you bounce back and how your recovery can inspire those you lead. It's also about service, showing up, doing the hard work and putting others before yourself with humility, integrity and working together. Dr. Wilson, Gen. Goldfein, thank you for showing us how courage, compassion and connection — they're not soft skills. They're actually the edge of hard leadership. And when you do that and you lead with service, you get back up after every fall. You encourage others to follow and do the same. Thank you for joining us for this powerful conversation. You can find Get Back Up: Lessons in Servant Leadership, wherever books are sold. And learn more at getbackupeadership.com. If today's episode inspired you, please share it with someone who can really benefit in their own leadership journey. As always, keep learning. Keep getting back up. Keep trying. I'm Naviere Walkewicz, Class of '99. This has been Focus On Leadership. Until next time. Producer This edition of Focus on Leadership, the accelerated leadership series, was recorded on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025.   KEYWORDS Leadership, servant leadership, resilience, humility, integrity, influence, teamwork, family, trust, listening, learning, purpose, growth, accountability, service, courage, compassion, balance, values, inspiration.     The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation  

Most entrepreneurs were trained to be great at their craft… but not trained to lead people. This series is here to bridge that gap!The #BossToLeader series is designed to help you shift from the overwhelmed, doing-everything-yourself boss… to a confident leader who knows how to delegate, create accountability, empower your team & lead with vision instead of stress.In each episode, you'll get practical tools, strategies & honest insight into the real-life obstacles entrepreneurs face like trusting your team, letting go of control & showing up as the leader your business actually needs. So, if you're ready to stop surviving in your business and start leading with clarity and confidence, this series is for you.In this episode, I'm sharing actionable steps on how you can finally stop doing it all by yourself!    Need one-on-one help with navigating being a new leader? Schedule your complimentary clarity call with me here!  www.baproinc.com/ep182       Apply to join the New Leader, BIG IMPACT Coaching Program to level up your leadership & build an engaging team... even if the culture is toxic & without management's support!https://baproinc.com/newleaderbigimpact   Questions about this episode? Topic suggestions for future episodes? Send them to culture@businessadvocatespro.com  Let's chat about this episode on “X”: @BAPROINC or IG: @CultureBuildingPRO  The Culture Building like a PRO Podcast: Simple ways to transform your company culture... Today!| Company Culture | Culture Building | Organizational Culture | Employee Engagement | New Leaders | Effective Leadership | Servant Leadership |baproinc.com

with Pastor Cory Henderson from Christian Life ChurchSunday 1-18-26https://www.bible.com/events/49551423

Craig Lawson [‘13] is the program director at Ironwood Christian Camp in Newberry Springs, California. Craig met and married his wife, Emily, while at Maranatha and then worked at MBU for a year following graduation. Summer ministry at Ironwood led them to join the resident staff in 2015. The Lawsons have two children who, by camp tradition, are dubbed “desert pygmies.”

In this episode, Ajay Gnanasekaran, Senior Program Director for Battery Workforce Development at Argonne National Labs, shares his experiences leading large technical teams in high-growth manufacturing environments, including the build-out of Panasonic's Gigafactory in Nevada. He discusses strategies for workforce development, overcoming challenges in recruiting and retaining talent, and the importance of cultivating a high-performance culture through servant leadership and accountability. Ajay Gnanasekaran explores how clear processes, technical education, and leadership training are vital for scaling operations and supporting rapid industry innovation. Practical examples and lessons highlight the need for adaptability and people-focused leadership to drive success in today's evolving manufacturing landscape.

What is the biblical purpose of marriage? Is marriage meant for happiness and companionship, or something more?In this episode of the One Degree Podcast, we walk through Ephesians 5 and Genesis 2 to explore what it looks like to not waste your marriage. We unpack servant leadership, biblical submission, and why Scripture calls you to focus on becoming a better spouse rather than wishing for a different one.Ultimately, marriage isn't just about having a healthy relationship. It's about becoming faithful followers of Jesus who live on mission together and make disciples... starting in your home.RESOURCES MENTIONED:Don't Waste Your Life by John PiperConnect with us on Instagram!Grab your Weekly Marriage Meeting Journal

Your greatest treasure isn’t your career, your possessions, or your achievements — it’s the people God has placed in your life. In this episode of the Unhurried Living Podcast, Gem Fadling talks with Christian Mungai, global movement pastor at Mariners Church, native Kenyan, and co-creator of the influential Rooted discipleship process. Drawing from his African heritage and years of ministry experience, Christian offers a powerful vision for Christian living that puts relationships at the center of our faith. Discover how valuing people over accomplishments can transform your life, deepen your faith, and strengthen your community. Learn what the American church can gain from the African church’s approach to discipleship, missions, and servant leadership — and how to shift from a results-driven mindset to a relational, Kingdom-focused way of living. If you’re longing for deeper community, richer relationships, and a faith that truly impacts the world, this conversation will inspire you to see people as your true wealth. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why people are your greatest wealth in God’s eyes Lessons from the African church that can transform your faith How the Rooted discipleship process changes lives Practical ways to focus on relationships over results The power of servant leadership in building lasting change Christian's book is People Are the Wealth. ______________________________________________________ Connect with Gem on Instagram and learn more on the Unhurried Living website and her new book, Hold That Thought: Sorting Through the Voices in Our Heads Learn about PACE: Certificate in Leadership and Soul Care Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We all fail at times. It is a part of life. And yet, for some people, it is a crippling part of life. It shouldn't be. Failure is how we learn, grow, develop, and eventually succeed.Today, we start a series of three episodes devoted to quotes about failure and why it's a good thing. You will hear four quotes in support of this concept in today's episode.As always, I am so grateful to all of you who support the podcast! I do this show because of you. While I enjoy the quotes myself, I do this podcast because many of you who are looking for inspiration and impact from these quotes come back and listen to it on a consistent basis. Thanks to all of you for being a huge part of this journey! In order to help me keep this journey going, please consider becoming a supporter of the show. You can donate to the show by clicking on the link below. Support the showFor more information to help you on your road to becoming your best, check us out at SlamDunkSuccess.com or email me at scott@slamdunksuccess.com.Our new background music, starting with Episode 300, is "Pulse of Time - Corporate Rock" by TunePocket. Our background music for the first 5 years of the podcast was "Dance in the Sun" by Krisztian Vass.

If you want to succeed in life, you need to plan and prepare for how you're going to achieve that success.We finish up this week's theme of "Planning & Preparation" with 7 quotes to help you understand the importance of planning and preparing for the success you are seeking. We also talk about the types of plans you should be making.As always, I am so grateful to all of you who support the podcast! I do this show because of you. While I enjoy the quotes myself, I do this podcast because many of you who are looking for inspiration and impact from these quotes come back and listen to it on a consistent basis. Thanks to all of you for being a huge part of this journey! In order to help me keep this journey going, please consider becoming a supporter of the show. You can donate to the show by clicking on the link below. Support the showFor more information to help you on your road to becoming your best, check us out at SlamDunkSuccess.com or email me at scott@slamdunksuccess.com.Our new background music, starting with Episode 300, is "Pulse of Time - Corporate Rock" by TunePocket. Our background music for the first 5 years of the podcast was "Dance in the Sun" by Krisztian Vass.

If you want to succeed in life, you need to plan and prepare for how you're going to achieve that success.We continue this week's theme of "Planning & Preparation" with 6 quotes to help you understand the importance of planning and preparing for the success you are seeking.As always, I am so grateful to all of you who support the podcast! I do this show because of you. While I enjoy the quotes myself, I do this podcast because many of you who are looking for inspiration and impact from these quotes come back and listen to it on a consistent basis. Thanks to all of you for being a huge part of this journey! In order to help me keep this journey going, please consider becoming a supporter of the show. You can donate to the show by clicking on the link below. Support the showFor more information to help you on your road to becoming your best, check us out at SlamDunkSuccess.com or email me at scott@slamdunksuccess.com.Our new background music, starting with Episode 300, is "Pulse of Time - Corporate Rock" by TunePocket. Our background music for the first 5 years of the podcast was "Dance in the Sun" by Krisztian Vass.

Adam Coffey is the Chairman and CEO of The Chairman Group, a high-level peer network for business leaders. Over his 25-year career as a CEO, he has built four companies for nine private equity firms, completed 58 acquisitions, and led exits totaling billions of dollars. A #1 best-selling author, US Army veteran, and international speaker, Adam shares actionable strategies in private equity, M&A, and building high-performance cultures, blending military discipline with cutting-edge business expertise. In this episode… Scaling a company to a billion-dollar empire requires strategy, discipline, and execution. Many entrepreneurs struggle to know which levers to pull, which pitfalls to avoid, or how to adapt under pressure. How can leaders combine strong leadership, operational excellence, and smart acquisitions to achieve lasting growth? According to Adam Coffey, a seasoned CEO and private equity expert, scaling a company requires disciplined leadership, operational rigor, and strategic acquisitions. He explains how mastering profit levers like pricing, margin expansion, and M&A strategy drives growth while avoiding pitfalls such as impatience or chasing "fixer-uppers." By applying lessons from his military service and GE experience, Adam shows how humility, adaptability, and relentless execution create lasting value, offering entrepreneurs and executives a clear blueprint for building and selling high-performing companies. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Adam Coffey, Chairman and CEO of The Chairman Group, to discuss scaling businesses through private equity and strategic acquisitions. They explore growth playbooks, high-stakes deal execution, and the frameworks Adam uses to help founders and leadership teams multiply company value. Adam also shares insights on team culture, disciplined leadership, and navigating mergers and acquisitions for extraordinary exits.

David Stever is the former CEO and CMO of beloved ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's. David started with the company back in the early 80's, working as a tour guide at their factory in Waterbury, Vermont. Over time, David ascended within Ben & Jerry's, helping to grow the then start-up into an iconic, multinational corporation. Over the course of his decades-long career there, David led marketing initiatives, drove massive brand growth, expanded global market share, and helped facilitate reinvention and product innovation, all while keeping Ben & Jerry's social mission front and center. He joins Roy to discuss his journey from tour guide to C-Suite, the many learnings he took from founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, the profound effect of pursuing a triple bottom line, and much more.        Highlights from our conversation include: David's initial interest in the ice cream industry and how it evolved into his career (1:32)Working with Ben and Jerry in the early days (3:50)Leadership lessons learned through periods of massive growth and scaling (6:13)David's strengths and keys to success as Ben & Jerry's CMO (8:48)What surprised him the most when he transitioned from CMO to CEO (13:48)What it means to do “business as unusual” (15:29)The influence of Ben & Jerry's blend of activism and commerce on his leadership (18:12)How David defines Ben & Jerry's unique culture and how he helped sustain it through the years and through acquisition (20:26)Successful hiring throughout Ben & Jerry's different phases (22:48)Qualities David sought in his top leadership team (27:40)What he believes is often overlooked when assessing prospective talent (28:47)David's next chapter and what he's most excited about in looking ahead (31:00)Visit HowIHire.com for transcripts and more on this episode.Follow Roy Notowitz and Noto Group Executive Search on LinkedIn for updates and featured career opportunities.Subscribe to How I Hire:AppleSpotifyAmazon

Most entrepreneurs were trained to be great at their craft… but not trained to lead people. This series is here to bridge that gap!The #BossToLeader series is designed to help you shift from the overwhelmed, doing-everything-yourself boss… to a confident leader who knows how to delegate, create accountability, empower your team & lead with vision instead of stress.In each episode, you'll get practical tools, strategies & honest insight about the real-life obstacles entrepreneurs face like trusting your team, letting go of control & showing up as the leader your business actually needs.So, if you're ready to stop surviving in your business and start leading with clarity and confidence, this series is for you.In this episode, I'm sharing the truth behind why being good at your craft isn't good enough & how you become a great leader for better results!    Need one-on-one help with navigating being a new leader? Schedule your complimentary clarity call with me here!  www.baproinc.com/ep181       Apply to join the New Leader, BIG IMPACT Coaching Program to level up your leadership & build an engaging team... even if the culture is toxic & without management's support! https://baproinc.com/newleaderbigimpact   Questions about this episode? Topic suggestions for future episodes? Send them to culture@businessadvocatespro.com  Let's chat about this episode on “X”: @BAPROINC or IG: @CultureBuildingPRO  The Culture Building like a PRO Podcast: Simple ways to transform your company culture... Today!| Company Culture | Culture Building | Organizational Culture | Employee Engagement | New Leaders | Effective Leadership | Servant Leadership |baproinc.com

If you want to succeed in life, you need to plan and prepare for how you're going to achieve that success.We have a major irony with this week's episodes. I'll let you listen to the episode to hear for yourself what that irony is. However, irony or not, over the next three days, you're going to hear some great quotes about the concept of planning and preparing to achieve your goals and the other things you want in life.As always, I am so grateful to all of you who support the podcast! I do this show because of you. While I enjoy the quotes myself, I do this podcast because many of you who are looking for inspiration and impact from these quotes come back and listen to it on a consistent basis. Thanks to all of you for being a huge part of this journey! In order to help me keep this journey going, please consider becoming a supporter of the show. You can donate to the show by clicking on the link below. Support the showFor more information to help you on your road to becoming your best, check us out at SlamDunkSuccess.com or email me at scott@slamdunksuccess.com.Our new background music, starting with Episode 300, is "Pulse of Time - Corporate Rock" by TunePocket. Our background music for the first 5 years of the podcast was "Dance in the Sun" by Krisztian Vass.

When You Serve First, Business Follows How a Servant's Heart Builds Trust, Teams, and Sustainable Sales Episode 287 (Jim is based in Arizona) In this conversation with Jim Hardwick we explore: why serving others builds trust faster than traditional selling how servant leadership strengthens teams without weakening authority the role of vulnerability in effective leadership why intentional service creates long-term business growth how listening to employees improves motivation and retention the difference between serving from obligation versus passion why giving time and advice often returns greater value than money how service creates personal fulfillment beyond financial success the connection between trust, sales, and sustainable growth practical ways leaders can serve locally without grand gestures ----- About our guest: Jim welcomes your questions about sales. Enjoy a no-charge conversation with him.  Call him - 623-451-1080 Email - jhardwick@salesxceleration.com Jim Hardwick on Linkedin ----- Key lessons from this podcast: serving others builds trust, which is the foundation of sustainable business growth a servant's heart shifts leadership from taking to giving without weakening authority intentional service creates stronger relationships with employees, clients, and communities vulnerability from leaders encourages honesty, loyalty, and higher engagement serving employees' personal goals increases motivation and performance trust grows when leaders focus on helping rather than selling service must come from genuine passion, not obligation giving time, advice, or attention often creates greater long-term value than money servant leadership improves sales by focusing on solving real problems meaningful service creates personal fulfillment beyond financial success ----- ----more---- Your Intended Message is the podcast about how you can boost your career and business success by honing your communication skills. We'll examine the aspects of how we communicate one-to-one, one to few and one to many – plus that important conversation, one to self. In these interviews we will explore presentation skills, public speaking, conversation, persuasion, negotiation, sales conversations, marketing, team meetings, social media, branding, self talk and more.   Your host is George Torok George is a specialist in communication skills. Especially presentation. He's fascinated by the links between communication and influencing behaviors. He delivers training and coaching programs to help leaders and promising professionals deliver the intended message for greater success.   Connect with George www.SpeechCoachforExecutives.com https://superiorpresentations.net/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgetorokpresentations/ https://www.youtube.com/user/presentationskills  

It doesn't matter how great your goal and your plan are if you don't take action on them! We finish up our episodes on taking action by talking about having NO FEAR! You will hear 8 quotes today about this concept. Once again, I am so grateful to all of you who support the podcast! I do this show because of you. While I enjoy the quotes myself, I do this podcast because many of you who are looking for inspiration and impact from these quotes come back and listen to it on a consistent basis. Thanks to all of you for being a huge part of this journey! In order to help me keep this journey going, please consider becoming a supporter of the show. You can donate to the show by clicking on the link below. Support the showFor more information to help you on your road to becoming your best, check us out at SlamDunkSuccess.com or email me at scott@slamdunksuccess.com.Our new background music, starting with Episode 300, is "Pulse of Time - Corporate Rock" by TunePocket. Our background music for the first 5 years of the podcast was "Dance in the Sun" by Krisztian Vass.

Our personal lives and professional lives. Two areas typically kept completely separate, never to see one another.In reality, who we are, what we've been through and what we “do” for a living are all inextricably linked. Failure informs what we do in the future. Adversity helps build us stronger. Mistakes are what make us.. well, human.These aren't things to be ignored, but experiences to be embraced for the true growth potential they provide.Today's guest and episode focuses on this very fact. Michael Stephenson is a community leader and marketing expert with over 20 years of experience driving significant change. His company, Brim and Brand is a full-service marketing and advertising agency. His focus on fostering meaningful progress and his leadership is second to none but most importantly, is informed by the challenges and obstacles he faced in his own life as a young man – which we examine in this episode.Additionally Michael shares his blueprint for others, what inspires him to “give back” and enrich his community, his 3 big takeaways from someone starting over and more great nuggets of wisdom!Interested in Launching a Podcast?https://calendly.com/podcastprinciples/discoverInterested in learning more about Michael? Website: https://brimxbrand.com/Discount Code: LTS2026 Episode Highlights:0:00 - Introduction1:47 - Meet Michael Stevenson3:18 - Favorite genre and how it informs Michael6:24 - Michael's early days16:01 - Moving to now: Starting the company and how Michael runs it29:16 - Letting go of bitterness and resentment31:00 - Michael's 3 Takeaways33:22 - Where you can find Michael CONNECT WITH JAHMAALLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahmaalmarshall/Website: https://listenthenspeak.com/If you're ready to get measured results for both personally and professionally, schedule an appointment with Jahmaal Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It doesn't matter how great your goal and your plan are if you don't take action on them! We continue our episodes with the theme of taking action by talking about Starting Now! You will hear 5 quotes today about this concept. Once again, I am so grateful to all of you who support the podcast! I do this show because of you. While I enjoy the quotes myself, I do this podcast because many of you who are looking for inspiration and impact from these quotes come back and listen to it on a consistent basis. Thanks to all of you for being a huge part of this journey! In order to help me keep this journey going, please consider becoming a supporter of the show. You can donate to the show by clicking on the link below. Support the showFor more information to help you on your road to becoming your best, check us out at SlamDunkSuccess.com or email me at scott@slamdunksuccess.com.Our new background music, starting with Episode 300, is "Pulse of Time - Corporate Rock" by TunePocket. Our background music for the first 5 years of the podcast was "Dance in the Sun" by Krisztian Vass.

In this episode, we welcome Steve Rog, CRO at Cyera, one of the fastest-growing technology companies in the world. Steve opens up about his journey from a technical networking background to becoming a high-impact leader in cybersecurity. We unpick how he landed one of the industry's most sought-after CRO roles and why Cyera's culture of humility and teamwork keeps them winning. Steve shares profound lessons on seeking out mentors, the critical importance of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) in delivery, and why he views leadership as a responsibility to help others reach their "ceiling".

Most entrepreneurs were trained to be great at their craft… but not trained to lead people. This series is here to bridge that gap! The #BossToLeader series is designed to help you shift from the overwhelmed, doing-everything-yourself boss… to a confident leader who knows how to delegate, create accountability, empower your team & lead with vision instead of stress. In each episode, you'll get practical tools, strategies & honest insight about the real-life obstacles entrepreneurs face like trusting your team, letting go of control, handling accountability & showing up as the leader your business actually needs. So, if you're ready to stop surviving in your business and start leading with clarity and confidence, this series is for you. In this episode, I'm sharing how you can make the shift from being an overwhelmed entrepreneur to being an impactful business leader!     Need one-on-one help with navigating being a new leader? https://app.acuityscheduling.c...!  http://www.baproinc.com/ep180        Apply to join the New Leader, BIG IMPACT Coaching Program to level up your leadership & build an engaging team... even if the culture is toxic & without management's support! https://baproinc.com/newleaderbigimpact    Questions about this episode? Topic suggestions for future episodes? Send them to mailto:culture@businessadvocatespro.com   Let's chat about this episode on “X”: @BAPROINC or IG: @CultureBuildingPRO  The Culture Building like a PRO Podcast: Simple ways to transform your company culture... Today! | Company Culture | Culture Building | Organizational Culture | Employee Engagement | New Leaders | Effective Leadership | Servant Leadership | baproinc.com

It doesn't matter how great your goal and your plan are if you don't take action on them!Today, we kick off a new week (and the first full week of 2026) with the theme of "Take Action"! Last week, we focused on goals and goal setting, which are extremely important. But if you don't take action on the goals and plans you have, who cares what your goals and plans were? The key to your success is going to be the actions that you take to make it happen! You will hear 5 quotes today about this concept. Once again, I am so grateful to all of you who support the podcast! I do this show because of you. While I enjoy the quotes myself, I do this podcast because many of you who are looking for inspiration and impact from these quotes come back and listen to it on a consistent basis. Thanks to all of you for being a huge part of this journey! In order to help me keep this journey going, please consider becoming a supporter of the show. You can donate to the show by clicking on the link below. Support the showFor more information to help you on your road to becoming your best, check us out at SlamDunkSuccess.com or email me at scott@slamdunksuccess.com.Our new background music, starting with Episode 300, is "Pulse of Time - Corporate Rock" by TunePocket. Our background music for the first 5 years of the podcast was "Dance in the Sun" by Krisztian Vass.

Happy New Year's Eve!Our first episode of 2026 continues our look at quotes devoted to the concepts of goals and goal-setting. I have been a huge believer in goal-setting for a long time, and I have talked about it before on the podcast, usually during this week of the year.In today's episode, I focus a bit more on making sure you are setting your goals for the new year. You will hear five quotes today in support of these ideas.As we begin a new year, let me say again that I am grateful to all of you who support the podcast! I do this show because of you. While I enjoy the quotes myself, I do this podcast because many of you who are looking for inspiration and impact from these quotes come back and listen to it on a consistent basis. Thanks to all of you for being a huge part of this journey! In order to help me keep this journey going, please consider becoming a supporter of the show. You can donate to the show by clicking on the link below. Support the showFor more information to help you on your road to becoming your best, check us out at SlamDunkSuccess.com or email me at scott@slamdunksuccess.com.Our new background music, starting with Episode 300, is "Pulse of Time - Corporate Rock" by TunePocket. Our background music for the first 5 years of the podcast was "Dance in the Sun" by Krisztian Vass.

Happy New Year's Eve!Our final episode of 2025 continues our look at quotes devoted to the concepts of goals and goal-setting. I have been a huge believer in goal-setting for a long time, and I have talked about it before on the podcast, usually during this week of the year.In today's episode, I focus a bit more on making sure you are setting your goals for the new year. You will hear five quotes today in support of these ideas.As we finish off the year 2025, let me say again that I am grateful to all of you who support the podcast! I do this show because of you. While I enjoy the quotes myself, I do this podcast because many of you who are looking for inspiration and impact from these quotes come back and listen to it on a consistent basis. Thanks to all of you for being a huge part of this journey! In order to help me keep this journey going, please consider becoming a supporter of the show. You can donate to the show by clicking on the link below. Support the showFor more information to help you on your road to becoming your best, check us out at SlamDunkSuccess.com or email me at scott@slamdunksuccess.com.Our new background music, starting with Episode 300, is "Pulse of Time - Corporate Rock" by TunePocket. Our background music for the first 5 years of the podcast was "Dance in the Sun" by Krisztian Vass.

We're continuing with the #LeaderSHIFT series on the podcast this week. These episodes are very direct & to the point, where we'll talk about the different challenges leaders tend to face & how to shift into becoming an influential leader who leads a healthy culture & engaged team!In this episode, I'm sharing how you can shift from operating like a boss who manages tasks to an influential leader who builds trust!Mentioned in the Episode:Episode 178: #LeaderSHIFT from DIY to Delegation:  www.baproinc.com/ep178       Need one-on-one help with navigating being a new leader? Schedule your complimentary clarity call with me here!  www.baproinc.com/ep179       Apply to join the New Leader, BIG IMPACT Coaching Program to level up your leadership & build an engaging team... even if the culture is toxic & without management's support! https://baproinc.com/newleaderbigimpact   Questions about this episode? Topic suggestions for future episodes? Send them to culture@businessadvocatespro.com  Let's chat about this episode on “X”: @BAPROINC or IG: @CultureBuildingPRO   The Culture Building like a PRO Podcast: Simple ways to transform your company culture... Today!| Company Culture | Culture Building | Organizational Culture | Employee Engagement | New Leaders | Effective Leadership | Servant Leadership |baproinc.com

In this episode of the Business as Mission Podcast, host Mike Baer sits down with Andrew Steier, founder of Always Going and author of Always Going: The Joyful Overflow of Everyday Evangelism. Andrew shares his personal journey from "faking" Christianity to discovering a vibrant, overflowing faith that naturally reaches others in everyday life—including the business world.Whether you are a business owner, a founder in a cross-cultural setting, or an employee in a corporate environment, this conversation provides a refreshing and practical framework for "Overflow Evangelism."

Happy Almost New Year!We kick off the final few days of the year with the first of three episodes devoted to the concepts of goals and goal-setting. I have been a huge believer in goal-setting for a long time, and I have talked about it before on the podcast, usually during this week.In today's episode, you'll hear me talk about the power of looking back to move forward and then setting goals for the new year and then going out and working to achieve them. You will hear five quotes today in support of these ideas.As we finish off the year 2025, let me say again that I am grateful to all of you who support the podcast! I do this show because of you. While I enjoy the quotes myself, I do this podcast because many of you who are looking for inspiration and impact from these quotes come back and listen to it on a consistent basis. Thanks to all of you for being a huge part of this journey! In order to help me keep this journey going, please consider becoming a supporter of the show. You can donate to the show by clicking on the link below. Support the showFor more information to help you on your road to becoming your best, check us out at SlamDunkSuccess.com or email me at scott@slamdunksuccess.com.Our new background music, starting with Episode 300, is "Pulse of Time - Corporate Rock" by TunePocket. Our background music for the first 5 years of the podcast was "Dance in the Sun" by Krisztian Vass.

We are back with the conclusion of our high-impact series on the people side of business value. This week, Dave Casey and Level-C Solutions CEO Brad Stevens pick up right where they left off, exploring the nuances of the recruiting and staffing industry. As your company's #1 expense, your workforce requires a strategic design; Brad shares his unique veteran perspective on transforming HR hurdles into competitive advantages that drive long-term sustainability. Tune in weekly to hear more from Mastery Partners and to receive relevant key content on your journey to maximizing your business value!#maximizebusinessvalue #masterypartners #BradStevens #LevelCSolutions #LeadershipGET THE BOOKS: Start with Maximizing Business Value by Tom BronsonLearn More about Dave CaseyDave Casey is a seasoned business owner with deep expertise in all aspects of organizational behavior and a passion for helping entrepreneurs reap the full rewards of building their companies. He understands that a truly valuable business isn't just profitable—it's secure, scalable, and transferable. In addition to his work with Mastery Partners, Dave actively gives back to the entrepreneurial community through leadership roles with organizations like Business Navigators, Biz Owners Ed, and Liberty Ministry. Whether advising on strategic growth or mentoring the next generation of business leaders, Dave brings clarity, integrity, and decades of real-world experience to every interaction. His mission goes beyond exit planning—he's committed to helping owners build lasting legacies.Learn More about Brad StevensBrad Stevens is an entrepreneurial executive with over 35 years of leadership in recruiting and staffing. As President of Level-C Solutions, he solves complex people problems to drive strategic growth and profitability. Brad also serves as VP of Signature, overseeing national Back Office and Employer of Record solutions. A proven turnaround expert, Brad previously scaled his own firm to a "Top 25" Dallas service firm and provides staffing industry insights to the Dallas Federal Reserve. He holds a Bachelor's from Texas Tech and an MBA from the University of Dallas, bringing strategic clarity and high-quality service operations to every partnership.Mastery Partners Elevating Businesses to Achieve The Business Owner's Dream Exit The unfortunate reality is that for every business that comes on the market (for whatever reason), only 17% of them achieve a successful exit. You read that right. 83% of attempted business transitions never reach the closing table. Mastery Partners is on a mission to change that. We ELEVATE businesses to achieve maximum value and reach that dream exit. Our objectives are simple - understand where the business is today, identify opportunities for dramatic improvement, and offer solutions to enhance the business, making it more marketable and valuable. And that all starts with understanding the business owner's definition of his or her dream exit. Mastery has developed a 4-Step Process to help business owners achieve their dreams. STEP 1: Transition Readiness Assessment STEP 2: Roadmap for Value Acceleration STEP 3: Relentless Execution STEP 4: Decision: Now that desired results are achieved, the business is ready for the next step in the journey! CONNECT WITH MASTERY PARTNERS TO LEARN MORELinkedInWebsite© 2025 Mastery Partners, LLC.

We finish off our holiday week with the final of three episodes dealing with the concept of "Giving." This holiday time of year is the time when we focus on giving more than at any other time of year, so it's a perfect week for us to hear some quotes on giving. Today, you will hear 6 more quotes that deal with giving.I am grateful to all of you who support the podcast! I do this show because of you. While I enjoy the quotes myself, I do this podcast because many of you who are looking for inspiration and impact from these quotes come back and listen to it on a consistent basis. Thanks to all of you for being a huge part of this journey! In order to help me keep this journey going, please consider becoming a supporter of the show. You can donate to the show by clicking on the link below. Support the showFor more information to help you on your road to becoming your best, check us out at SlamDunkSuccess.com or email me at scott@slamdunksuccess.com.Our new background music, starting with Episode 300, is "Pulse of Time - Corporate Rock" by TunePocket. Our background music for the first 5 years of the podcast was "Dance in the Sun" by Krisztian Vass.

In this episode of Acta Non Verba, host Marcus Aurelius Anderson sits down with Scott Sypniewskie, co-owner of SSLC Plumbing, to discuss leadership, redemption, and the journey from adversity to success. Scott shares his deeply personal story of overcoming challenges, building a thriving business with his wife, and the importance of leading by example. Listeners will gain insights into the philosophies and practices that have shaped Scott’s life and company, emphasizing the ethos of actions over words. Episode Highlights: The 80/80 Rule and Company Culture (4:30)Scott explains the evolution of SSLC’s mission, focusing on building relationships and making decisions that prioritize both customers and employees. Personal Redemption and Family Support (10:50)Scott recounts his struggles with addiction, the turning point in his life, and the unwavering support of his wife, Kathleen, which became the foundation for his transformation. Extreme Ownership and Leadership Development (13:50)The impact of attending leadership events, embracing the principles of extreme ownership, and fostering a culture of continuous growth within SSLC. The Power of Reframing and Giving Space (48:30)Scott and Marcus discuss the importance of reframing adversity, creating space for others to grow, and the ripple effect of authentic leadership on teams and families. Scott Sypniewskie is the co-owner of SSLC Plumbing in Colorado. After overcoming personal struggles, he has dedicated himself to building a business rooted in strong relationships, leadership, and the success of others. Scott is known for his humility, commitment to personal growth, and his ability to inspire those around him to lead by example. Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're continuing with the #LeaderSHIFT series on the podcast this week. These episodes are very direct & to the point, where we'll talk about the different challenges leaders tend to face & how to shift into becoming an influential leader who leads a healthy culture & engaged team!In this episode, I'm sharing how you can shift from being a DIY leader to a delegating leader!Mentioned in the Episode: Download your free D.E.E.P. Delegation Framework + Decision Rights Matrix Template here! Article: https://landerchamber.org/delegation-done-right-free-yourself-and-empower-your-team/  Need one-on-one help with navigating being a new leader? Schedule your complimentary clarity call with me here!  www.baproinc.com/ep178       Apply to join the New Leader, BIG IMPACT Coaching Program to level up your leadership & build an engaging team... even if the culture is toxic & without management's support! https://baproinc.com/newleaderbigimpact   Questions about this episode? Topic suggestions for future episodes? Send them to culture@businessadvocatespro.com  Let's chat about this episode on “X”: @BAPROINC or IG: @CultureBuildingPRO  The Culture Building like a PRO Podcast: Simple ways to transform your company culture... Today!| Company Culture | Culture Building | Organizational Culture | Employee Engagement | New Leaders | Effective Leadership | Servant Leadership |baproinc.com

Happy Holidays!We continue our holiday episodes with the second of three episodes this week, dealing with the concept of "Giving." This holiday time of year is the time when we focus on giving more than at any other time of year, so it's a perfect week for us to hear some quotes on giving. Today, you will hear 6 quotes that deal with giving.I am grateful to all of you who support the podcast! I do this show because of you. While I enjoy the quotes myself, I do this podcast because many of you who are looking for inspiration and impact from these quotes come back and listen to it on a consistent basis. Thanks to all of you for being a huge part of this journey! In order to help me keep this journey going, please consider becoming a supporter of the show. You can donate to the show by clicking on the link below. Support the showFor more information to help you on your road to becoming your best, check us out at SlamDunkSuccess.com or email me at scott@slamdunksuccess.com.Our new background music, starting with Episode 300, is "Pulse of Time - Corporate Rock" by TunePocket. Our background music for the first 5 years of the podcast was "Dance in the Sun" by Krisztian Vass.

What if the most game-changing shift in your life is a three-letter word you've been afraid to use?In this episode of Men Talking Mindfulness, hosts Will Schneider and Jon Macaskill sit down with Jim Alling—former President of Starbucks, COO of T-Mobile USA, and CEO of TOMS—to explore how the simple word yes, paired with gritty gratitude and servant leadership, can transform the way men lead, live, and relate.Jim shares how saying yes to the right things—family, values, service, and curiosity—helped him navigate massive responsibility: tens of thousands of employees, billions in revenue, and the pressure of leading globally recognized brands. He also gets honest about the real cost of hustle culture, what burnout feels like at the top, and why the most effective leaders are often the most human.In this conversation, you'll hear:• How one mentor at Starbucks taught Jim the “power of yes”• Why he chose family and his child's health over a secure corporate path• What gritty gratitude looks like when life is hard—not polished• The difference between performative leadership and servant leadership• Why men who “have it all together” often feel empty inside• How to say yes without becoming a doormat (values, boundaries, clarity)• How humility, humor, and service kept Jim grounded across Nestlé, Starbucks, T-Mobile, and TOMSIf you're a man caught between success and burnout—or you lead people and want to make a real difference without losing your soul—this episode is for you.You'll walk away with:✅ A new understanding of yes as a doorway to purpose✅ A servant-leadership blueprint that still delivers results✅ Tools to integrate gratitude into pressure and responsibility✅ Encouragement to lead as your whole self—not just your titleSponsorPeptides for Health by Mark L. Gordon, M.D. is a new two-volume series exploring the science and clinical application of therapeutic peptides.Release Dates• Medical Edition Vol. 1: December 22, 2025• Consumer Edition Vol. 1: January 20, 2026Discount Code: PFH25Offer Windows• Medical Edition: Dec 20, 2025 – Jan 31, 2026• Consumer Edition: Jan 20 – Feb 20, 2026Proceeds support the development of the Children of Veterans Program.Preview both editions:https://tbihelpnow.org/biohack-yourselfLinks & Resources

Bobby Bosler shares a simple Christmas challenge from Mark 10:45: Jesus came not to be served, but to serve. With Christmas break and “time off,” it's easy to drift into an entitlement mindset, but Jesus' coming calls us to a different posture. This episode urges young people to make Christmas break a season of joyful, intentional ministry at home, in the church, and in the community.Topics DiscussedSnow culture shock: Wisconsin vs. the mountains of West VirginiaWhy Mark 10:45 is a “Christmas verse” in contextThe temptation of “me-first” living during breaks and holidaysEntitlement at home (parents, siblings, routines, expectations)Serving practically in your local church during Christmas events“Don't be a jerk this Christmas”: choosing humility and helpfulnessTotal surrender expressed through ministry that benefits “many”Key TakeawaysJesus had every right to be served, yet He chose to serve. Follow His example.Christmas break is a gift, not a license to drift into selfish patterns.The most encouraging thing you can bring home is a servant spirit.Serving your family and church is not “extra,” it's part of living surrendered.A Christ-centered Christmas looks like giving yourself for the good of others. If you've been encouraged by this podcast, please take the time to give us a five-star rating and write a brief review. That would help tremendously in getting the word out and raising the visibility of the Thee Generation for others. For more faith inspiring resources and information about joining Thee Generation, please visit theegeneration.org.

In this inspiring episode of the Build A Vibrant Culture Podcast, host Nicole Greer sits down with Martha Lawrence, veteran editor, author, and long-time collaborator of leadership icon Ken Blanchard.Martha shares behind-the-scenes stories from more than two decades working alongside Blanchard, revealing how The One Minute Manager and the philosophy of “catching people doing things right” transformed leadership from command-and-control to connection, trust, and service.This episode is a masterclass in leadership with heart—perfect for executives, managers, HR professionals, and anyone passionate about building a culture where people thrive.Vibrant Highlights:00:02:28 – Martha Lawrence shares the life-altering experiences that led her from mystery writing to purpose-driven leadership work and a deep commitment to kindness, resilience, and meaning.00:06:18 – A powerful reflection on why The One Minute Manager became a timeless classic and how it fundamentally changed leadership from command-and-control to people-centered development.00:13:14 – A formative childhood story from Ken Blanchard's life reveals why trust, not titles, is the foundation of true leadership.00:28:48 – The origin of the philosophy “Catch People Doing Things Right” and how adapting leadership to individual needs unlocks performance and potential.00:44:21 – A defining example of ethical leadership in action, showing how transparency, values, and collective problem-solving carried an organization through crisis.Buy Martha's book: Catch People Doing Things RightConnect with Martha:Website: https://marthalawrence.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marthaclawrence/IG: https://www.instagram.com/marthaclawrence/X: https://x.com/mysmarthaFor more on Ken Blanchard or any of the topics discussed in this episode, visit https://www.blanchard.com/Also mentioned in this episode:The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard & Spencer Johnson Trust Works! by K Blanchard, C Olmstead, M Lawrence Nicole's TEDX Talk  Peter F. Drucker books  King: A Life by Jonathan EigThe Situational Leader by Paul HerseyWho Moved My Cheese? by Spencer JohnsonThe Power of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman Vincent PealeThe Power of Ethical Management by K Blanchard & N V PealeListen at vibrantculture.com/podcast or wherever you get your podcasts!Book Nicole to help your organization ignite clarity, accountability, and energy through her SHINE™ Coaching Methodology.Visit vibrantculture.comEmail: nicole@vibrantculture.comNicole's TEDX Talk

In this inspiring and educational episode of The Big Bid Theory, host Bill Culhane engages in a powerful conversation with procurement thought leader Chris Smith about the evolving role of public procurement and what it means to lead with purpose in 2026 and beyond. Public procurement professionals, leadership‑minded listeners, and anyone passionate about ethical impact will discover fresh perspectives on how the field is transforming from a compliance‑driven function into a strategic engine of trust, innovation, and measurable outcomes. Together, Bill and Chris explore:Why public procurement is a tremendous opportunity for professionals driven by ethics and meaningful impact.The core principles of servant leadership and how putting people first builds more effective teams and sustainable results in government procurement.The role of AI and strategic thinking in optimizing procurement processes while safeguarding integrity and accountability.How professional certification, including the NIGP Certified Public Procurement (CPP) credential, boosts credibility, career growth, and elevates procurement as a respected profession.Real‑world insights on leadership, career development, and the future of public procurement that will inspire you to think differently about your role and opportunities ahead.Appropriate to this episode, Bill shares a reminder that the 2025 David and Beverly Nash Leadership Award recipient will be named this week!Whether you're a seasoned Chief Procurement Officer, an emerging leader in public procurement, or someone curious about the intersection of leadership and public service, this episode delivers compelling insights, practical advice, and strategic inspiration to fuel your professional journey.If you believe public procurement should be more than a checkbox, you want to build trust, drive impact, and lead with purpose, this episode of The Big Bid Theory is made for you.Rick Jennings shares the final Crazy Bids You Can Win of season 11. Don't miss it!

“We are transformed more through our trials than our triumphs.” – Wendy Gunn Today's featured #1 best-selling author is mom, wife, keynote speaker, empowerment coach, and Christian entrepreneur, Wendy Gunn. Wendy and I had a fun on a bun chat about her book, “Serving From The Heart: Faith-Driven Stories and Transformative Strategies for Servant Leadership and Lasting Impact”, her inspiring journey of overcoming ovarian cancer, the importance of embracing one's unique story, and more!Key Things You'll Learn:Wendy's journey from obesity and ovarian cancer to healing and achieving major life goals after 60Why you should share your storyWhat she learned about herself through the writing process to having a bestselling bookHow God uses trials to shape us into leadersWendy's Site: https://www.yourhomeforgod.com/Wendy's Book: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0DYZ1HB82/allbooksThe opening track is titled, “Unknown From M.E. | Sonic Adventure 2 ~ City Pop Remix” by Iridium Beats. To listen to and download the full track, click the following link. https://www.patreon.com/posts/sonic-adventure-136084016 Please support today's podcast to keep this content coming! CashApp: $DomBrightmonDonate on PayPal: @DBrightmonBuy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dombrightmonGet Going North T-Shirts, Stickers, and More: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/dom-brightmonThe Going North Advancement Compass: https://a.co/d/bA9awotYou May Also Like…Ep. 309 – Home Worthy with Sandra Rinomato (@SandraRinomato): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-309-home-worthy-with-sandra-rinomato-sandrarinomato/Ep. 694 – “Every Body Holds a Story” with Marsha Vanwynsberghe (@Marsha_vanw): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-694-every-body-holds-a-story-with-marsha-vanwynsberghe-marsha_vanw/Ep. 680 – “The Influence Lottery Ticket for Having High Impact” with Kelly Swanson (@motivationspkr): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-680-the-influence-lottery-ticket-for-having-high-impact-with-kelly-swanson-motivationspkr/Ep. 936 – What the Bible Says About Clutter with Angie Hyche: https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-936-what-the-bible-says-about-clutter-with-angie-hyche/Ep. 712 – “When Your Heart Says to Leave a Legacy” with Bridget Cook-Burch (@inspiritwriter): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-712-when-your-heart-says-to-leave-a-legacy-with-bridget-cook-burch-inspiritwriter/Ep. 480 – “Applying Your God-given Passions to Everyday Life” with Marnie Swedberg (@MentorMarnie): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-480-applying-your-god-given-passions-to-everyday-life-with-marnie-swedberg-mentormarnie/Ep. 471 – “How to Turn Suffering Into Something Good” with Darci Steiner (@DarciJSteiner): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-471-how-to-turn-suffering-into-something-good-with-darci-steiner-darcijsteiner/Ep. 889 – Every Day Is A New Day with Jenny Teeters, MBA (@JennyTeeters): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-889-every-day-is-a-new-day-with-jenny-teeters-mba-jennyteeters/Ep. 667 – “Pursuing Success God's Way” with Erin Harrigan (@ErinHCoach): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-667-pursuing-success-gods-way-with-erin-harrigan-erinhcoach/Ep. 1013 – Fabricating Forgotten Treasures Into A Life Of Adventure, Purpose, & Profit with Kira Hartley Klinger: https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-1013-fabricating-forgotten-treasures-into-a-life-of-adventure-purpose-profit-with-kira-har/Ep. 934 – Taking the Holy Spirit to Work with Mary Boza Crimmins: https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-934-taking-the-holy-spirit-to-work-with-mary-boza-crimmins/Ep. 956 – Finding Courage to Change with Ana Megrelishvili: https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-956-finding-courage-to-change-with-ana-megrelishvili/