Deep Leadership

Have you ever considered that some of the best leaders in history had vastly different personalities and leadership styles? Think of General George Patton and Gandhi for example. Both are considered highly influential leaders yet they were so different in their approach to leadership. Today I’m joined by Steven Mays. Steven is a former nuclear submarine officer who served on the USS Los Angeles. F...

If you love the sights, sounds, and smells of manufacturing like me, you are in for a treat. Today I’m joined by Mack Story. Mack served in the Marines and spent most of his career working and leading in manufacturing businesses. 12 years ago, he and his wife started a leadership development company called Top Story Leadership. Together, they have published 24 books on leadership development and p...

Today we’re going to talk about an often-ignored subject of leadership - mental health. My guest today is Evan Whitehead. Evan has spent most of his career in education as a teacher, a coach, and in a variety of educational leadership positions. He was a former Division 1 football player who has enjoyed a successful leadership career. But there was a problem. Evan was dying inside. Like many leade...

In this episode, we’re talking about success. My guest today is Fred Stuvek. Fred played quarterback for the Naval Academy, served as a Naval Officer,  Led global businesses including start-ups, and now he is an author. Fred is someone who has enjoyed tremendous success in his career in sports and in business. We’re discussing why so many people miss out on achieving their goals. Fred Stuvek Jr. o...

Today I’m joined by Matthew Confer.  Matthew is the head of Strategy & Business Development for Abilitie. Abilitie is a leadership development company that offers team-based leadership simulations. Matthew has observed hundreds of leaders making decisions in business simulations and he’s learned some very interesting things. In fact, he did a TED Talk last year discussing these findings which has...

Today I’m joined by Neal Woodson. Neal has more than 30 years of leadership experience across a wide range of environments, including restaurants, retail, education, and the event technology industry. He is the author of a new book called “The Uncomplicated Coach.” This is a leadership book written for busy managers and leaders of organizations who are frustrated with low employee engagement. Neal...

What would you do - as a leader - if you were traveling on business and found out there was a major explosion at your workplace and two employees were killed? This happened to my guest, Jason Wenschlag. As a high school principal, he had to deal with this unimaginable situation. As he watched his school burn on CNN, he had two thoughts: What do I need to do now? AND How are we going to move forwar...

Today I’m joined by Deb Fortin and John Vincent. Deb and John are the co-founders of Submarine Way – A corporate training and consulting company. They are also co-authors two leadership books - Diversity and Inclusion The Submarine Way and Up Periscope: Putting Traditional Leadership in The Crosshairs. Deb comes from 25 years of leadership in the corporate world and John comes from 20 years of US...

Today I’m joined by John O'Connor. John is a former US Army Officer and President of Career Pro Inc. For the past 30 years, he has been coaching executives and helping people in their career transitions. I met John when I was making a major career change many years ago and he helped me step up my game in terms of networking and personal branding. With the COVID pandemic having a deep impact on the...

Today I’m joined by George Milton. George is a highly decorated retired U.S. Army Colonel with more than 30 years of leadership experience. He is also the author of a new book called Failure Is Not The Problem. This book teaches people how they can reach their goals by turning their failures into strengths. If you’ve led people for any length of time, you have experienced some level of failure. Th...

Today I’m joined by Will Bachman. Will is an independent management consultant and the Co-Founder of Umbrex, an organization that connects top-tier independent management consultants around the world. He also hosts the successful podcast, Unleashed, where he focuses on helping people thrive as independent professionals. My favorite part of his background, however, is that Will was a Harvard-educat...

Today I’m joined by Ronald Donnell. Ron is currently in the Air Force officer where he has spent the past 17 years. 14 of those years, he was enlisted and 3 years ago he was promoted into the officer ranks. He is also a Ph. D. candidate working on a degree in Leadership. Like me, Ron has a fascination with the topic of leadership. Ron and I talk about his 3 C's of Servant Leadership. This is a vie...

Today I’m joined by Larry Williamson. Larry is the founder of Anchored Values Coaching and Consulting where he helps businesses, executives, and people find balance and improve relationships. He is also the author of “Successful Relationships: Sharing Simple Behaviors That Bring Results.” Larry understands the importance of relationships when it comes to leading people and he provides us with a un...

Today I’m joined by Ed Brzychcy. Ed is a US Army combat veteran and Founder of Blue Cord Management. Ed also hosts the Leadership Update Brief podcast of which I was a guest last year. He recently wrote two books, Daily Leadership Reflections: A Guided Journal for New Leaders and Daily Leadership Reflections: A Guided Journal for Experienced Leaders. We talked today about day-to-day leadership as...

Today I’m joined by Whitney Vosburgh. Whitney is the Co-Founder and CEO of Brand New Purpose, a company that helps leaders and organizations identify their “True North Strategy.” He’s also the co-author of the #1 Amazon Best Selling book, WORK THE FUTURE! TODAY where he helps readers find their true purpose in a world full of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. In this episode, we...

Today I'm joined by fellow podcaster and coach, Jason Oates. Jason is the host of the popular Whistle and a Clipboard podcast where interviews successful sports coaches to learn their best practices. This was recorded as a joint podcast and was a lot of fun. If you’ve ever wondered what coaches and business leaders can learn from each other, this is your episode. Jason Oates can be found at: Whist...

Today I’m joined by Philip Freeman. Philip is the Founder and CEO of Murphy’s Naturals - a manufacturing company focused on making natural products for outdoor living. He is also a former US Navy Deep Sea Diving Officer. In this episode, we talk about the changes he made in his company to provide assistance during the COVID crisis. This is an important discussion about how to pivot your organizati...

Today I’m joined by Gretchen Smith. Gretchen is the founder of Code of Vets, a military veterans’ charity that is focused on helping veterans in need. She is a passionate leader who has rallied thousands of people around the country to help veterans in crisis. She is making a real difference in the lives of veterans. She is a living example of the John Maxwell quote. “A great leader's courage to f...

Today I’m joined by Jack Riggins. Jack is a retired Navy Seal Commander and Co-founder of Performance Mountain, an organization that helps people, teams, and companies develop an elite mindset and a winning culture. He’s also the Host of "The Darkside of Elite" Podcast which is one of my favorites. Jack knows what it means to lead in a crisis and with everything that is going on in the world today...

Today on the podcast, my guest is John Brubaker. John is a former college lacrosse coach who is now a leadership author, speaker, and executive coach. In this podcast, we talk about his award-winning leadership book called “Seeds of Success” and the impact that one leader can make in the world. This podcast is a reminder of how important leaders are in impacting the lives around us. John Brubaker'...

Today on the podcast, I'm joined by Montgomery Granger. Monty is a retired Army Major who was called into action to set up the Army medical facilities at Guantanamo Bay right after 9/11. He is the author of “Saving Grace at Guantanamo Bay: A Memoir of a Citizen Warrior” based on his personal experience. He understands the importance of crisis leadership so I was excited to have him on board to tal...

Today on the podcast, I'm joined by Stephanie Treece. Stephanie was one of the first women to serve as an officer on nuclear submarines. She was the Reactor Controls Officer and later the Damage Control Officer on the USS Florida, a nuclear powered guided missile submarine. She is a Qualified Submariner and a qualified Navy Nuclear Engineer. Listen in and learn about her unique groundbreaking lead...

Today on the podcast, my guest is Chuck Whitworth, also known to many on Twitter as Chief Chuck. Chuck is a retired Navy Chief Petty Officer who served more than 24 years as a P-3 Flight Engineer. In his time in the Navy, he logged more than 5,000 hours in the sky. He came up through the enlisted ranks to become a Chief Petty Officer, one of the most important jobs in the Navy. Today we’re going t...

This week I'm joined by Mitchell Boling. Mitch is a retired Air Force Senior Master Sergeant who spent 25 years working on fighter jets and leading the people who maintain these incredible machines. He is the author of “Leadership: A View from the Middle” which is an amazing book about leadership from a completely different perspective. If you're a leader or future leader, chances are you’re in th...

This week I'm joined by Pete Havel. Pete spent most of his career in the bare-knuckle work of politics where he worked as a lobbyist, a consultant, and an expert in crisis communications. But lately, his focus has been on office politics and the problem of toxic work environments. He is the author of “The Arsonist in the Office: Fireproofing Your Life Against Toxic Coworkers, Bosses, Employees, an...