Activating Greatness: A Leadership Podcast

In this episode of Activating Greatness , Alec McChesney sits down with executive coach and author Patrick Manigault to challenge how we think about engagement, leadership, and the modern workplace. Patrick explains why engagement isn’t broken—but rather our current approach is inadequate—and how organizations continue to treat symptoms instead of addressing the root cause. From the concept of “ro...

In this episode of Activating Greatness, Alec McChesney sits down with Steve Thompson, a senior construction and program leader who has spent decades delivering complex capital projects at Intel and GlobalFoundries. Steve breaks down what actually happens inside a team when people believe they cannot win, how leaders can manage heat from above while restoring discretionary effort from the front li...

In this episode of the Activating Greatness podcast, host Alec McChesney of Velocity Advisory Group sits down with Tom Wilson, Chief Commercial Officer at AmbioPharm, one of the world's leading peptide CDMOs. With 35 years in life sciences — from ten years in the U.S. Air Force to running multi-plant networks at Wyeth and Pfizer — Tom shares how he traded a top-down "Mad Men" leader...

In this episode of Activating Greatness, Alec McChesney sits down with Melissa Pepper, founder of Lead(h)er and former Chief Strategy Officer at Russell Construction, to explore what it really means to be a transformational change leader. Melissa breaks down her methodology for leading organizational change — from listening sessions and stakeholder buy-in to action teams, KPIs, and the three-part...

In this episode of Activating Greatness, Alec McChesney sits down with Krista Robinson, VP of HR at The Weitz Company, to explore what it really means to bet on yourself as a leader. Krista shares how she stepped into a stretch HR leadership role before she felt ready, scaled her HR team from 4 people to a fully structured, multi-functional organization, and helped position HR as a true business d...

In this episode of Activating Greatness , Alec McChesney sits down with Maggie Reed, Vice President and Business Leader at Gilbane Building Company, to explore what it really means to lead with relentless resilience. Maggie breaks down how leaders can build resilience within themselves and their teams by embracing hard conversations, maintaining perspective under pressure, and creating environment...

In this episode of Activating Greatness , Alec McChesney sits down with Jackie Fisher, Vice President of People and Culture at Juneau Construction Company, to explore how people strategy directly drives business growth. Jackie shares how she transformed HR from a compliance-focused function into a strategic engine that fuels retention, engagement, and long-term performance. From building culture t...

In this episode of Activating Greatness , Alec McChesney sits down with Jeanne Hecht, CEO and Executive Chairwoman of Lexitas Pharma Services, to explore how culture becomes a true strategic value driver in high-performing organizations. Jeanne shares why building a strong, engaged culture is a “full contact sport” that requires constant attention, intentional leadership, and alignment at every le...

In this episode of Activating Greatness, Alec McChesney sits down with Lisa Calicchio, Chief Human Resources Officer at WCG, to challenge conventional thinking about leadership, performance, and the modern workplace. Lisa shares why “work is broken” in many organizations and how leaders can shift from managing complexity to creating clarity that drives real results. From asking better questions an...

In this episode of Activating Greatness, Alec McChesney sits down with Lorri and Laura from the Mile 20 Podcast for an invigorating discussion about discipline, consistency, and community. The Mile 20 Podcast covers the story of how Lorri and Laura have ran a marathon in all 50 states and run 62 marathons together. This is a story about running and friendship, but there are so many powerful lesson...

In this episode of Activating Greatness, Alec McChesney sits down with Michael Dixon of UNeMed at the University of Nebraska Medical Center to explore what it takes to lead with intentionality, build culture by design, and create environments where people and performance thrive. Michael shares how leaders must consistently choose culture over chaos, why accountability and trust are built through c...

In this episode of Activating Greatness, Alec McChesney sits down with Joe Crandall, CEO of Red Leviathan and Executive Chairman of Greencastle Associates Consulting, to explore what it really takes to build high-performing organizations rooted in accountability, trust, and clear expectations. Drawing from his experience as a Navy SEAL and business leader, Joe breaks down why most leaders avoid to...

In this episode of Activating Greatness, Alec McChesney sits down with Laura London, Founder of Calocedrus and former McKinsey leader, to explore the critical shift from high achievement to sustained high performance. Laura breaks down why so many driven leaders operate from urgency and fear, how that impacts decision-making, culture, and burnout, and what it takes to lead with awareness, intentio...

In this episode of Activating Greatness, Alec McChesney sits down with Toni Burkard, Business Enablement Lead at Pfizer CentreOne, to explore what it truly takes to build high-performing teams through trust, mentorship, and intentional leadership. Toni shares her journey leading in a traditionally male-dominated industry and how investing in people, fostering authentic relationships, and creating...

In this episode of Activating Greatness, Alec McChesney sits down with Carolina Alarco, Co-Founder of Latinos in Bio, to explore how leadership development, representation, and intentional investment in people are shaping the future of the biotechnology industry. Carolina shares how Latinos in Bio was built to close the gap in access and advancement, and why building leadership pipelines is essent...

In this episode of Activating Greatness, Alec McChesney sits down with Jesse Hernandez, construction leader and founder of Depth Builder, to explore what it really takes to build culture, earn trust, and drive performance in today’s workforce. Jesse shares his journey from execution-focused leadership to a people-first approach that prioritizes communication, accountability, and trust across teams...

In this episode of the Activating Greatness Podcast, host Alec McChesney sits down with Matt Taylor Head of HR at Endpoint Clinical, to explore one of the most important leadership questions of the AI era: how technology impacts people decisions. Matt explains why AI doesn’t fix weak leadership — it simply scales it — and why organizations must build clear expectations, strong judgment, and honest...

In this episode of the Activating Greatness Podcast, host Alec McChesney sits down with Terri Fleener, a senior human resources leader known for helping organizations connect people strategy to real business results. The conversation explores how HR can move beyond traditional administrative roles to become a true driver of leadership, culture, and performance. Terri shares insights on navigating...

In this episode of the Activating Greatness Podcast, host Alec McChesney sits down with Jeremy Maskel, APR Chief Communications Officer for Omaha Public Schools, to explore how communication shapes leadership, accountability, and execution. Jeremy explains why teams often leave the same meeting with completely different interpretations of what was said and how leaders can prevent that disconnect b...

In this episode of the Activating Greatness Podcast, host Alec McChesney sits down with former NFL quarterback Kellen Mond to explore how authenticity shapes leadership, relationships, and long-term success. Drawing from his experiences in college football, the NFL, and his transition into the art and mentorship world, Kellen shares powerful lessons about building trust, creating genuine connectio...

In this episode of Activating Greatness: A Leadership Podcast, host Alec McChesney sits down with Jason Nickles of Modern Woodmen of America to explore what it takes to lead meaningful change inside a legacy organization. Jason shares how leaders can modernize systems, culture, and operations while preserving the mission and identity that made the organization successful in the first place. The co...

In this episode of Activating Greatness, host Alec McChesney sits down with Michelle Dauphinais, Vice President and Head of Distribution at John Hancock, to explore how curiosity and a deep understanding of human behavior shape effective leadership. Michelle shares how asking better questions, challenging assumptions, and meeting people where they are allows leaders to build trust, improve decisio...

In this episode of the Activating Greatness Podcast, host Alec McChesney sits down with Jon Stenberg, CEO and President of Citizens Inc., to explore what modern leadership really requires in complex organizations. Jon shares his philosophy of keeping leadership teams “appropriately annoyed” — pushing leaders to think critically, challenge assumptions, and avoid complacency. The conversation dives...

In this episode of Activating Greatness, Alec McChesney sits down with José Suquet, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Pan-American Life Insurance Group, to explore what it takes to lead across 22 countries while staying anchored in one clear set of values. With more than two decades at the helm, José shares how he navigated Hurricane Katrina, the financial crisis, COVID, acquisitions, and global ex...

In this episode of Activating Greatness, Addison Watson, Chief Partnership Officer & General Counsel at ClickFunnels, shares why relationships are the ultimate competitive advantage in an AI-driven world. With over $1 billion in transactions completed, Addison explains why knowledge alone is no longer enough—and how leaders can make themselves indispensable by building real, trusted human conn...