Deep Leadership

Today I’m joined by James Elliott. James is a certified leadership coach and trainer, aerospace safety and quality professional, aviator, and founder of High Adventure Leadership. He is a student of leadership and has been leading teams for more than 25 years in both business and in the Coast Guard. I have known James for several years. We met originally on Twitter and I’ve always loved his insights on the subject of leadership so I’m excited to have him on the show.

Today I’m joined by Ken Falke. Ken spent 21 years in the US Navy as a bomb disposal specialist. After retiring from the Navy, Ken became an entrepreneur. He founded and exited two businesses then later created two non-profit organizations. He currently serves as Chairman for Boulder Crest Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on supporting combat veterans and their families, as well as first responders. He is also the author of an upcoming new book called LEAD WELL: 10 Steps to Successful and Sustainable Leadership. In this book, Ken introduces ten principles you need to become a more impactful leader. It’s packed with Ken’s insight from more than four decades in business, nonprofit, and military leadership. I’m honored to have him on the show to talk about it.

As an author and speaker, I get opportunities to be a guest on many podcasts and I really enjoy talking about leadership and leadership issues. Recently on the Armed Forces Brewing Company’s podcast and I thought it was an especially insightful discussion. I was interviewed by former Green Beret Scott Mann. You might remember him from Episode 92. Scott is an amazing leader, a master storyteller, and a brilliant interviewer. In this episode, we talk about leadership lessons we both learned in the military. I thought it was such a good discussion that I wanted to share it with you all here. Enjoy!

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Today I’m joined by Paul Gunn Jr. Paul is the Founder and CEO of KUOG Corporation. He is also the author of a new book called Succeed the Right Way: What Every Compassionate Business Person Must Know. In this book, he helps leaders see how qualities like empathy, compassion, and kindness are critical in achieving long-term success. I’m excited about having him on the show to talk about it

Succeed the Right Way: What Every Compassionate Business Person Must Know book 

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Today I’m joined by Billie Shepard. Billie is the founder of Billie Shepard & Associates, a company that helps leaders and entrepreneurs better communicate. She is an acting teacher turned speaking coach. She has tapped into the most effective theatre techniques and customized them for application to the business world. She is the author of a new book, The Billie Shepard Presentation Method: Why an Acting Teacher Holds the Key to Greater Influence, Happier Customers, and Better Relationships. As leaders, communication is critical to our success and I’m honored to have Billie on to help us become better communicators.

This is a very special show. As you know, November 11th is Veteran’s Day. This is the day where we honor the military veterans who served in our Armed Forces. This Veteran’s Day is different. This is the first Veteran’s Day since the withdrawal of our forces in Afghanistan. Many Afghanistan veterans are struggling right now. They're struggling to find some meaning to the sacrifices they made and the tragedies they experienced in America’s longest war. My guest today is here to help. Lt. Col Scott Mann is an Afghanistan war veteran. He is a former Green Beret and the co-founder of Task Force Pineapple. You’ve probably heard of them. They’re a group of citizens working independently of the government to help Afghan special operators and their families since the withdrawal. 

Today my guests are Greg Hiebert and Dennis O'Neil. Greg and Dennis are both former Army officers and Co-founders of LeadershipForward, a leadership and executive coaching company. They are co-authors of a new book called Changing Altitude: How to Soar in Your New Leadership Role. In this episode, we discuss how the workforce has changed over the past two years and what leaders need to do to adapt to these changes. This is a powerful and timely episode. I know you will enjoy it.

Today my guest is Punit Dhillon. Punit is a leader and entrepreneur. He is the founder and CEO of Skye Bioscience. He’s also a Triathlete who has written a new book where he takes the ideas he’s learned from competitive sports and applies them to business. His book is called Catapult: How to Think Like a Corporate Athlete to Strengthen Your Resilience. This is a fascinating read and a great interview. I know you will enjoy it.

Today my guest today is Adam Best. Adam is a former Naval Officer and the host of the popular Veterans in the Wild podcast. He has a deep passion for helping veterans transition into life after the military. Today, we discuss what it's like to transition out of the military and the valuable skills military leaders bring to business. This is a fun interview with two Naval Officers talking military, business, and transitioning between the two.

Today I’m joined by Dr. Jacob Kashiwagi. Jacob is the Managing Director at Kashiwagi Solution Model Inc., and the Chairman of the Board at Leadership Society of Arizona. He is also the author of the no-influence leadership theory. This is a ground-breaking approach to lead and mentor others which reduces stress and increases both happiness and success. If we want our people to succeed, we have to learn how to let go. I’m excited to have him on the show to talk about it.

Today my guest is Brian Kreeger. Brian is author, speaker, and nonprofit entrepreneur. He’s been on top of the world and he has fallen to the bottom as well. In his new book, The Courageous Ask: A Proactive Approach to Prevent the Fall of Christian Nonprofit Leaders, he helps us understand one of the most important aspects of leadership – dealing with the challenges of being alone at the top. The weight of leadership responsibility can be heavy and it’s difficult for leaders to handle the pressure. Every day we hear stories of leaders who have fallen. This episode will help you to prevent that from happening to yourself and the leaders around you.

Today I’m joined by Chris Edmonds and Mark Babbitt. They are co-authors of a new book called: Good Comes First: How Today’s Leaders Create an Uncompromising Company Culture That Doesn’t Suck. One of the most important things a leader must do is create and maintain the right culture in their organization. Listen in to this essential leadership topic. 

Today my guest is Lisa Marie Platske. Lisa Marie is an international best-selling author, speaker, and leadership coach. She started her career in law enforcement with the Department of Homeland Security where she gained valuable leadership experience. She now takes that experience to help executives, entrepreneurs, and small business owners become more effective leaders. In this episode, we talked about the subject of courageous leadership and what that looks like. 

Today I’m joined by Steven Cardinale. Steven is a software entrepreneur and executive. He has more than 20 years of business and technology experience including founding and leading CID Management, one of the largest Healthcare Cost Control software companies prior to his successful exit in 2015. He is the author of new book called Synaptic Alchemy which provides a new way to look at innovation, entrepreneurship, and business success. Steven tell how how to disrupt an industry by using concepts from alchemy.

Today I’m joined by Dr. Mike Simpson. Mike served over 30 years in the military as an Airborne Ranger, a Green Beret, and a doctor of emergency medicine assigned to the Joint Special Operations Command. Mike was still running missions in Afghanistan with U.S. Special Forces when he was 48 years old. He now uses his extensive knowledge of training and medicine to help men over 40 achieve peak physical condition. He is the author of new book called Honed: Finding Your Edge as a Man Over 40.

Today I’m joined by Alan Beal. Alan is the Chief Executive Officer at ARMED FORCES BREWING COMPANY. ARMED FORCES BREWING is essentially the Joint Base Command center for 3 beer brands that tribute the military service branches: Soldier Brewery, Airmen Brewery, and Seawolf Brewery. He is a 35 year veteran of the food and beverage industry with a passion for beer and the military. He is building this business from the ground up. In this episode you’re going to learn the “Out of the box” methods Alan used to raise capital and get some famous veterans on board to help him build his brand. This was a fun interview. I mean - who doesn’t like an episode about beer?

Today my guest is Andrew Ryder. Andrew is executive coach who helps entrepreneurs become more authentic and vulnerable. This is an interesting topic for leaders. As leaders, we’re supposed to be strong, right? So what’s up with all this vulnerability stuff?? Well, vulnerability doesn’t mean being weak. It’s all about letting your guard down, being genuine, and avoiding the pretense that you know everything. This episode is going to challenge some of your preconceived notions of leadership.

The title of this podcast might be confusing. If you’ve followed this podcast for a while, you know I talk a lot about treating employees with respect. You might be thinking, how is stressing out your people respectful? Well – it’s all about growth. You’ve probably heard the phrase “If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.” This episode talks about the importance of challenging employees. It’s about putting them in circumstances beyond their current capabilities to give them a chance to learn and grow. Too many companies give their hard jobs to senior employees and they never let the new employees get the opportunities to learn. Great leaders provide those opportunities. Leadership expert, Robin Sharma describes what it is like when new employees are challenged “As you move outside of your comfort zone, what was once the unknown and frightening becomes your new normal.” The only way to get to higher levels of performance is to be stressed and stretched. In today’s episode, I’m going to tell you a story from my days as a junior officer on board the nuclear submarine USS Tennessee and how my captain was an expert at “pressure testing” his new employees.

Today, we’re going to talk about breaking down walls between groups of employees. If you’ve worked in any large company you know there is typically an “us and them” attitude between groups of employees. Whether it’s management and employees, or white-collar and blue-collar, or marketing and engineering, there is often animosity between departments. And it can be severe at times. I ran into this problem at the first manufacturing plant I led and I eventually figured out a way to eliminate this attitude. This is an easy technique that any leader can use to build unity in their organization. I hope you enjoy!

Today we are going to talking about excellence. What is it? Well, you know it when you see it. Like a quarterback posting a picture of himself on social media wearing the 7 super bowl rings he has earned throughout in his career. Yes, we’re talking about Tom Brady but this episode isn’t about him, it’s about what people like him do to an organization. What do I mean by that? Tune in and about to find out.

Today we are going to talking about a leadership gift. No, it’s not a cheap trinket with your company logo on it. It’s a gift that leaders can give their people to help them become a better version of themselves. It’s the Gift of a Challenge. For those that have read my first book, you might recognize the concept of leadership gifts. I have a whole chapter on the intangible gifts that leaders give. I mentioned a few in the book like the gift of trust, appreciation, faith, support, encouragement, and recognition. But, today we’re going to talk about one gift that has had a profound impact on my life and it’s a bit counter-intuitive. You might even be thinking, how is the Gift of a Challenge a good thing? Well, tune in and find out.

Today I’m joined by Gabrielle Dolan. Gabrielle is a highly sought-after keynote speaker, educator, and bestselling author. She is a storytelling expert. She knows that a well-crafted business story can boost a brand strategy and allow leaders to better engage employees and customers. She has a new book out called Magnetic Stories: Connect with Customers and Engage Employees with Brand Storytelling. I’m excited to have her on the show to talk about Storytelling and how that can help our businesses. 

Today I’m joined by Colin Hunter. Colin is the CEO of PotentialSquared, an international firm that specializes in creating playgrounds to disrupt the way people are led. He is the author of new book coming out later this year called Be More Wrong: How Failure Makes You an Outstanding Leader. The power of controlled failure was an important lesson I learned as a young submarine officer and I’m really excited to have Colin on the show to get into this important topic.

Today my guest is Dr. Bill Berman. Bill is licensed, board-certified psychologist and CEO of Berman Leadership Development. He’s also the co-author of a new leadership book called Influence and Impact. In this episode, Bill and I talk about the importance of influence in the role of a leader. This is an episode that will make you think differently about your role as a leader in your organization· 

Today my guest is Dave McKeown. Dave is a bestselling author of a new book, The Self-evolved Leader. He's also the founder of Outfield Leadership. He helps leaders and organization step outside the busyness of day-to-day operations to focus on accomplishing big things. Leading is difficult and we often find ourselves working on what’s urgent and not what’s important. There is a difference and Dave helps us stick our heads out of chaos to focus on our true goals. This is a powerful and timely episode that I know you are going to enjoy.

Today I’m joined by Kevin McCarney. Kevin is the founder of a popular group of restaurants in California called Poquito Mas which he has led since 1984. He is a successful entrepreneur, speaker, and now author. He has written a new book called Big Brain Little Brain: How to Control Which One Speaks for You where he helps readers become better communicators by getting control over their tone and words. In a time where anything you text, post, or blurt out can go viral instantly, having control over your words is critical to your success. The best leaders are great communicators and this episode will help you become a better communicator.

Today my guest is Sunny Bonnell. Sunny is the co-author of a book called Rare Breed: A Guide to Success for the Defiant, Dangerous, and Different which has been called "a brazen rant" by Seth Godin. This is an unconventional business book that explores seven so-called "vices" that society deems as counterintuitive to your success and reframes them as virtues. This is a new kind of leadership thinking which challenges conformity and dismantles business-as-usual thinking. I’m excited to have Sunny on the show to talk about this interesting topic.

Today I’m joined by Mitchell Boling. Mitch is a retired Air Force Senior Master Sergeant who spent 25 years leading the men and women who maintain the world’s most sophisticated fighter jets. He is the author of one of my favorite leadership books, “Leadership: A View from the Middle” where talks about the importance of leading in the middle of an organization. He has followed that up with a new book called “Leading from the Middle: Teachers & Coaches” which focuses on the unique leadership role of these two professions.

Today I’m joined by Jared Graybeal. Jared is a NASM-certified personal trainer, fitness nutrition specialist, behavioral change specialist, CrossFit Level 2 trainer, and corrective exercise specialist. He’s also the founder of two companies Superfit Foods, a healthy, subscription based, meal prep company and E3, a business consulting and marketing agency. He is the author of a new book called The Self Help Book: 6 Practical Ways to Never Stop Growing. This book presents six practical ways to help business leaders live a life of constant growth while avoiding stagnation or burnout. This is an incredibly important topic, especially during the past year. I’m excited to have him on the show to talk about it.

Today I’m joined by David Wheatley. David is a leadership coach, facilitator, trainer and principle of Humanergy, a boutique leadership development company. He is co-author of the new book What Great Teams Do Great: How Ordinary People Accomplish the Extraordinary. This book helps leaders activate the power of choice and establish the right team processes that create excitement, shared mission, trust, and collaboration to achieve bold objectives...and to have fun along the way. You've heard me say that leadership is all about energizing ordinary people to do extraordinary things so I’m happy to have David on the show to talk about this important topic.

Today I’m joined by Dr. Jeffrey Hull. Jeffrey is Director of Education & Business Development at the Institute of Coaching, McLean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School Affiliate. He is also a clinical instructor in psychology at Harvard Medical School and an adjunct professor of leadership at New York University. Jeffrey is an author, educator and consultant with over twenty years of experience coaching C-suite executives. He also thinks of himself as an organizational anthropologist: someone how looks for patterns and shifts in the workplace. Lately he has seen a major shift in what is needed in company leadership. There is real need for leaders to connect and be much more relatable. His new book, Flex: The Art and Science of Leadership in a Changing World helps leaders understand the fundamental shifts happening in the workplace and how to effectively lead in this new world. I’m honored to have him on the show and talk about this important topic.

Today my guest is Karin Reed. Karin is an Emmy-award winning on-camera communications expert. She is the CEO of Speaker Dynamics where she helps business professionals learn how to be effective on-camera communicators - especially with remote meetings and presentations. Her new book Suddenly Virtual: Making Remote Meetings Work is the definitive guide for businesses looking to make their meetings more effective in this increasingly remote working environment. There is so much more to Zoom than you think and you will learn a lot from this timely interview.

Today my guest is Marney Andes. Marney is an author, consultant, educator, and entrepreneur. She was a college basketball player and former Mrs. America. She credits her success from the lessons she learned from her father growing up on a farm in Nebraska. She has a new book out called Start with the Give-Me Shots in which she share 8 lessons from her childhood that helped her succeed. She also helps readers reflect on their own life’s lessons to find clarity and success. This was an inspiring interview which I know you will love!

Today I’m joined by Dr. Holly Sullenger. Holly is an award winning speaker, corporate trainer, and leadership consultant here in the Raleigh, NC area. She helps companies get the most from their teams through speaking, training, and workshops. She recently wrote about a subject that I think is critical for all leaders. This topic is Creating Your Own Internal Board of Directors. I’ve learned in my career, if you’re going to be successful as a leader, you can’t do it alone. I’m excited to have her on the show and talk about this important subject.

Today I’m joined by Jawad Ahsan. Jawad is the CFO of Axon, the global leader of connected public safety technologies like tasers and body cameras. He is the author of a new book called What They Didn’t Tell Me where he draws upon his own personal experience to help people better manage their careers. This book helps people get past the things that get them stuck in their careers. In this book he talks about his journey from entry level employee to the C-Suite. If you feel like you are stuck or are wonder what it takes to get to the highest levels of your company, this is your episode.

Today my guests are Lou Everett and Sherri McManus. They are the founders of the Lou Everett Group based right here in Raleigh, NC. Their expertise is leadership and leadership training. They are on the same mission I am – to build a world with better bosses. They are known for their highly effective coaching, teaching, and speaking on the topic of leadership. They strongly believe that personal growth impacts a leader’s influence. This was a powerful discussion with two people on the front lines of leadership development.

Today I’m joined by Peter Himmelman. Peter is the founder & CEO of Big Muse, an organization that helps companies translate their vision into reality by allowing them to create more fearlessly. He is a Grammy & Emmy nominated musician who has turned his passion for music into a methodology to allow people to tap into their creative side. His 2016 book, Let Me Out: Unlock Your Creative Mind and Bring Your Ideas to Life presents science-based techniques and simple exercises to get unstuck and unlock your creative potential. If you’ve ever wondered what prevents us from turning our dreams into reality, this is your episode. Peter helps us unlock the creative side of the mind and chase after the things we are really passionate about. Today, Peter and I talk about the creative side of business leadership.

Today I’m joined by Marie Cosgrove. Twelve years ago, she was a single mother of four children when she was fired from her company because she “made too much” in commissions. Instead of becoming bitter, vengeful, or angry, she started her own company. Two years later, she acquired the company that fired her and built it into an internationally-recognized brand. She has a remarkable story which she shares in a new book called Greater Fortune which is available for preorder. I am excited to have her on the show to talk about her journey. We all face challenges in our personal and business life and I know you will be inspired by Marie’s story. 

The best ideas come from outside your industry. Well, today’s episode is a perfect example of that. My guests are Jerold (Jerry) Zimmerman & Daniel Forrester. They looked way outside their industry for inspiration. They studied the business practices of criminal enterprises. The wanted to learn how the American Mafia, the Sinaloa Cartel, Hells Angels, as well as the Crips and the Bloods could be so successful for so many years. Their research led to a book called Relentless: The Forensics of Mobsters' Business Practices. Jerry & Daniel combine seventy-five years of Nobel Prize-winning economics research - with insights from criminal prosecutors - to examine how criminal syndicates continue to survive and thrive for decades -  despite billions of dollars of law enforcement opposition. They have analyzed the leadership principles of criminal organizations and uncovered enduring lessons that every organization needs to adopt.  This is a very interesting show. 

Today, we have a very special guest, Jason Helmes. He is a Fitness Coach, but more importantly, he is my fitness coach. Like many of us, Jason lost control of his fitness and health when he left college and entered the work world. But he fought back, got in the best shape of his life, and learned a lot in the process. He learned the fitness world is filled with click-bait, charlatans, and never-ending fads. So, after years of research as well as trial and error, he decided to develop his own simple method for health and fitness that anyone can follow. He calls his company, Anyman Fitness, and he has since helped thousands of clients get in the best shape of their lives. He’s a fitness entrepreneur who has built a thriving online fitness community. Jason talks about the importance of physical fitness for business leaders and how he built such a successful online community.

A coach & a Navy officer walk into a bar... Just kidding, they used to be a coach and an officer, now they're entrepreneurs and they walk into a podcast studio, not a bar. But they do pour a glass of bourbon, sit down, turn on their mics and talk about what it takes to win at the highest level. Whether that's in a stadium, a nuclear sub, the business world, or anywhere else for that matter. What does it take? It takes the X-Factor. Everyone wants it, few possess it and even fewer recognize it when they see it. These two guys will show you what it is and what it takes. Tune in (or don't).

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to lead in a high-stress environment like combat or say working for the President at the White House? Well, my guest today has done both. Bo Brabo is an Army and White House veteran turned author and entrepreneur. He worked in the White House under both George W. Bush and Barack Obama before starting his own company. He is the author of a new book called From the Battlefield to the White House to the Boardroom: Leading Organizations to Values-Based Results. He also the co-host of the popular Bo & Luke show podcast. He strongly believes in the importance of leadership values and the power of people. I’m excited to have him on the show to talk about leading teams in the military, the White House, and in business. This is a powerful episode to start the year and you don’t want to miss it!

You’ve heard me say that leadership is a people business. That applies to every aspect of your organization. This includes hiring, onboarding, talent development, performance feedback, and succession planning. Many leaders, however, don’t take ownership and they try and outsource their leadership responsibility to HR. My guest today is Jennifer Thornton. Jennifer is a leadership coach and founder of 304 Coaching. She spent more than 20 years as an HR professional and in operations before starting her consulting business. Jennifer helps leaders and companies who are facing breakthrough growth and accelerated hiring patterns.  Today we talk about the importance of leadership in hiring, developing, and growing the people in our business. 

2020 has been a rough year. It’s been especially tough for business leaders. Have you found yourself thinking that next year will be better? Have you put off being happy for when things finally settle down? If that’s the case, you’re going to enjoy this episode. My guest is Becky Morrison. Becky is a UC Berkeley Certified Executive Coach, consultant, connector, and author. She works with people to help them accelerate leadership, improve communication, and hone their people skills. More importantly, Becky shows people how to live a happier life. She argues that happiness is not for the future, it’s for right now. 

You’ve heard me say that the purpose of this podcast is to build a world with better bosses. What if I told you that one of the biggest problems with poor leadership is actually fear? My guest today is Jacqueline Wales. Jacqueline is a self-described “Champion for Fearlessness.” She is a leadership coach and author. Her latest book, The Fearless Factor @ Work, helps leaders break through barriers to reach their full potential. She has observed that many of the worst leadership behaviors are simply born out of fear and insecurity. If you think about a bad boss you know, you can probably see where fear is involved. This is a really powerful discussion that will make you think more about how fear affects leadership.