The Learning To Lead Show with Mark J. Cundiff

5 Leadership Takeaways from Preston Zeller: Empathy, Trust, Storytelling, and Sustainable Growth Host Mark Cundiff welcomes listeners to Learning to Lead episode 57, reflecting on his prior conversation with Preston Zeller from episode 56, “The Art of Empathy in Leadership.” He highlights themes of empathy, resilience, grief, storytelling, trust, leadership, and business growth, including Preston’...

Grief, Growth, Storytelling, Operations, and the Future of AI What happens when personal tragedy forces you to slow down, reflect, and rebuild? In this episode of The Learning to Lead Show , Mark Cundiff sits down with entrepreneur, consultant, filmmaker, and storyteller Preston Zeller to explore how one of the most painful seasons of his life transformed the way he leads, serves others, and helps...

What separates good leaders from truly great leaders? According to M.K. Palmore, it's not strategy, authority, or expertise. It's people. In this episode of The Learning to Lead Show , Mark Cundiff shares key leadership insights gained from his conversation with M.K. Palmore, Founder and CEO of Apogee Global RMS, former FBI executive, U.S. Marine Corps officer, U.S. Naval Academy graduat...

What separates good leaders from truly great leaders? According to M.K. Palmore , it's not strategy, authority, or expertise. It's people. In this episode of The Learning to Lead Show , Mark Cundiff sits down with M.K. Palmore, Founder and CEO of Apogee Global RMS, former FBI executive, U.S. Marine Corps officer, U.S. Naval Academy graduate, and cybersecurity leader with Google Cloud and...

In episode 53 of Learning to Lead, host Mark Cundiff recaps his conversation with Patrick Erwin, author of I Love This Place, Director of Content and Training at the Maxwell Leadership Foundation, and a former Hillgrove High School band director who built a nationally respected program.  🔑 5 Key Takeaways for Growth-Minded Leaders 1. Leadership Is More Than Skills 2. Your Response Shapes Your Cul...

In this episode of The Learning to Lead Show , Mark J. Cundiff sits down with Patrick Erwin , author of I Love This Place , leadership educator, former high school band director, and Director of Content & Training at Maxwell Leadership. Patrick shares the leadership lessons he learned while building a high-performing high school band program from the ground up and how those lessons apply to ev...

Host Mark Cundiff welcomes listeners to episode 51 of Learning to Lead, sharing key leadership insights from his conversation with Jeff Brown of the Read to Lead podcast and co-author of the book Read to Lead.  Mark highlights Jeff’s background as an early leadership podcaster with nearly 600 episodes, his career reinvention after losing a 26-year broadcasting job, and his story of going nearly 12...

Episode #50: The Read to Lead Blueprint for Personal, Professional, and Leadership Growth with Jeff Brown In this milestone 50th episode of The Learning to Lead Show , Mark Cundiff sits down with Jeff Brown , founder of the Read to Lead Podcast , to explore how reading, lifelong learning, intentional growth, and leadership development can transform your career and life. Jeff shares his journey fro...

Host Mark Cundiff opens Episode 49 of the Learning to Lead Show with an update on a brief publishing gap due to attending his son Elijah Cundiff’s wedding, previews Episode 50 featuring Jeff Brown of the Read to Lead Show, and thanks listeners for helping the podcast reach 53 countries and 326 cities.  He reflects on his conversation with frontline leader Trent McJunkin, who rose from technician t...

Trent McJunkin shares his journey from shop floor technician to leadership coach, revealing the mindset shifts, mistakes, and leadership principles that helped him grow—and now help others lead with consistency, discipline, and influence. 📌 Key Topics Covered Transitioning from technician to leader Leading without authority The mindset shift from doing the work → developing people Why “hero cultu...

Leadership Insights on Mental Health: The Power of a Five-Minute Conversation (Learning to Lead Show Ep. 47) Host Mark Cundiff shares leadership insights from his conversation with Adam Nemer, author of Simple Mental Health and former Kaiser Permanente CFO, describing it as his most compelling and challenging episode due to Nemer’s 20-year struggle after his father’s death by suicide and a pivotal...

Breaking the Silence: Leadership and Mental Health with Adam Nemer In this powerful episode, Mark Cundiff sits down with Adam Nemer to discuss the often-unspoken reality of mental health in leadership—and the life-changing impact of one courageous conversation. Adam shares his personal journey of leading at a high level while silently struggling, and how a simple 5-minute conversation with a leade...

Host Mark Cundiff recaps Episode #44 of the Learning to Lead Show featuring leadership coach and former Alpine ski racer Erin Treacy, focusing on how to lead effectively without burning yourself or your team out. Drawing on her experience in ski racing, broadcast news, business ownership, and coaching, Erin argues that growth comes from leading better, not doing more, and that long-term success is...

🎙 Episode Summary In this episode, Mark sits down with leadership coach Erin Treacy to explore how leaders can grow their teams without burning them out. They discuss sustainable leadership, investing in people, and why clarity beats hustle every time. 🔑 Key Topics Discussed Erin’s leadership journey (4-H, athletics, business ownership) Lessons from competitive skiing: discipline, resilience, and...

Host Mark Cundiff welcomes listeners to Episode #43 of the Learning to Lead Show, and thanks the audience for helping the show reach 278 cities in 36 countries and 39 U.S. states.  He shares key leadership insights from prior guest Joey Cantrell, an operations manager leading a large aluminum mill machine shop, who brings 40 years of maintenance and industrial leadership experience rooted in early...

🎙️ From Machinist to Mentor: Why Your Team Will Never Outgrow You as a Leader with Joey Cantrell What separates great leaders from average ones? They never stop learning. In this episode, Mark Cundiff sits down with Joey Cantrell—an operations leader with 40+ years of experience—to talk about leading on the front lines, building high-performing teams, and why your growth as a leader determines you...

In this episode of The Learning to Lead Show , Mark Cundiff reflects on his powerful conversation with Debbie Simmons, exploring a fresh and challenging perspective on leadership and trust. Debbie introduces the idea that trust is not just relational—it’s structural . Under pressure, leaders don’t rise to the occasion—they fall to their defaults. And those defaults reveal what we truly trust. Thro...

In this episode of The Learning to Lead Show , Mark Cundiff sits down with Debbie Simmons—CEO, author, and creator of the Architecture of Trust —to explore a powerful shift in how leaders understand trust. Debbie challenges the common belief that trust is just a virtue or relational skill, reframing it as a structural foundation that determines how leaders perform under pressure. Because the truth...

From Being Liked to Being Respected: Five Leadership Takeaways from Paul Thornton Host Mark Cundiff shares leadership insights from his conversation with Paul Thornton (Episode 38, “From Being Liked to Being Respected”), drawing on Thornton’s 35+ years as a teacher, coach, and leadership expert. The episode emphasizes that leadership is not about being liked but about credibility, consistency, and...

Make sure to download LeaderNotes . LeaderNotes is a quick-hit companion to each episode of The Learning to Lead Show . In just 5–10 minutes, Mark Cundiff recaps the top leadership insights, frameworks, and action steps from each interview, designed for busy, growth-minded leaders who want to review and apply the episode’s biggest takeaways on the go. It’s like the highlight reel + playbook—all in...

In this episode of The Learning to Lead Show , Mark Cundiff shares powerful leadership insights from his conversation with legendary basketball coach Jim Johnson , best known for the unforgettable story of Jason “J-Mac” McElwain —the autistic team manager who stunned the world by scoring 20 points in four minutes on senior night. Beyond the miracle moment, Coach Johnson reveals the deeper leadersh...

Leadership, Perseverance, and the Miracle of J-Mac with Coach Jim Johnson In this inspiring episode of The Learning to Lead Show , Mark Cundiff sits down with Coach Jim Johnson to explore powerful leadership lessons forged through adversity, trust, teamwork, and perseverance. Coach Johnson shares his journey as a high school basketball coach, the challenges of leading through a divided season, and...

Leadership culture doesn’t change through slogans, motivational speeches, or another poster on the wall. It changes through behavior. In this episode of The Learning to Lead Show , host Mark Cundiff shares exciting updates on the podcast's growth and introduces a powerful conversation with behavioral science expert Dr. Ken Wagner .  In just five months, the show has been heard in 214 cities a...

Download LeaderNotes Here LeaderNotes is a quick-hit companion to each episode of The Learning to Lead Show . In just 5–10 minutes, Mark Cundiff recaps the top leadership insights, frameworks, and action steps from each interview, designed for busy, growth-minded leaders who want to review and apply the episode’s biggest takeaways on the go. It’s like the highlight reel + playbook—all in one. #34...

5 Leadership Takeaways from Tim Harmon Host Mark Cundiff shares key leadership insights from his conversation with Tim Harmon (Episode 32) for Episode 33, highlighting Harmon’s 20+ years of experience from the US Army Rangers to industrial manufacturing with companies like AK Steel, Stanley Black and Decker, and Cooper Tire.  Key takeaways include: Lead By Example Be The Filter, Not The Firehose B...