Be Worth* Following

Michael Goebel , CEO at Parker Adventist Hospital , believes in the power of high trust and transparency to create a successful organization. Michael has led several businesses in the healthcare industry through extremely challenging times, including bringing a company back from the brink of bankruptcy and weathering the storm of the pandemic. In this episode, Michael discusses why no matter the c...

Jonathan Reynolds , CEO of Titus Talent Strategies , has generosity as one of his personal core values.  This means generosity in giving back to the community and to his team members. He knows enabling his people to have a positive impact on others creates a feeling of connectedness that motivates them to grow. Jonathan has spent most of his career setting ambitious goals and pushing on the gas pe...

Dave Lovell grew up listening to early leadership gurus' tapes and was exposed to success, leadership, and entrepreneurship. Throughout his career, he's started, bought, and sold over 40 businesses, and while he's now in what he calls the last third of his life, he has no plans to slow down. In this episode, Dave shares how his lack of leadership guidance when he was young inspires him to invest i...

"Do you want to actually be CEO or do you just want the title?" When Tim Leman first took over as CEO of Gibson he felt stuck because he couldn't seem to gain the trust of his managers. That simple question, posed to him by his predecessor, helped him realize the true problem. He hadn't taken the time to build relationships with all of his people. In this episode, Tim shares examples of how he cul...

"Let the values guide you." It's a timeless piece of advice from Andrew Larson . Which is why we are rereleasing this episode almost exactly one year after its initial launch. A ndrew, CEO of Gustave A. Larson Company, an HVAC wholesaler, inherited both the company and their values from his father. Every day Andrew puts in the work to make sure each and every person in the organization lives out t...

Vision, belief, and hope. Greg Muccio , Head of Talent Acquisition at Southwest Airlines , roots his leadership approach in these three key words. In this episode, Greg shares how he falls back on them to overcome challenges. He starts by casting a vision that includes how each employee contributes to its success. Then he intentionally recognizes employees as they work toward shared goals. In time...

"Who are you as a person, where do you want to go, and how can I help you get there?" Randie Dial , Managing Principal at CliftonLarsonAllen , asks these three questions of every person who joins his team. Randie chooses to focus on what he can do for his people over what they can do for the organization because in the end, a trusting culture isn't built on what they can do for him. In this episod...

"You can't say, 'People matter,' if you don't find out why they matter." Steve Browne, Chief People Officer at Larosa's Pizzeria, lives up to his title by taking a people-first approach to his job. He knows genuinely caring about employees and building relationships with team members creates opportunities for development and innovation. In this episode, Steve discusses how he's pushing the needle...

Exceptional leaders maintain their excellence by continually investing in their own development and the development of those they lead. Frank Kelly III , CEO of Kelly Benefits , knows everything rises and falls on leadership, which is why he's committed to investing his time, money, and energy into his people. In this episode, Frank talks about the inner workings of the leadership academy in his o...

When people genuinely love their work, they are able to achieve more and help businesses grow. Tria Deibert , Vice President of Culture at Hackensack Meridian Health , says her job sets her soul on fire, and she's using the position to help others find the same excitement. Tria never expected to end up in the culture field. Her background is in marketing, but a leader saw potential in her, and she...

It's never too late to develop yourself as a leader or as a person, you just have to be open to change. Laurie Butz is the CEO and President of Capital Credit Union . Still, she says she would never have gotten the position if it weren't for one person who drastically changed her perception of leadership— Bob Chapman . In this episode, Laurie shares with raw transparency her personal development a...

Going beyond the boundaries of business is a great way to discover leadership lessons. In this episode, we're joined by Steve Jones , a former high school football coach turned leadership consultant and author . Steve achieved some impressive accomplishments during his coaching years, like winning five consecutive state championships. Yet it wasn't football strategy that brought his team success....

"You can overcome a lot of challenges and stressors if you are authentic with your team. They need to know who you are and where you're coming from." Mark Minner , Senior Vice President of NFP , says the authenticity factor is a game changer when it comes to leadership. For him, it starts with genuine curiosity. Mark builds deep relationships with both employees and clients, allowing him to better...

We initially set out to bring you a three part series on 'who, not what' development—but we saw so much value in the episodes, we decided to record a bonus interview! In this episode, Director of Client Support at The Aperio , Sara Turner , joins us to share her behind the scenes perspective of the "who, not what" implementation. As you listen, you'll hear what characteristics are required to see...

As a leader, are you aware of the impact you have on the people around you? Are you setting the right tone with your behavior? For the first 25 years of his professional life, Domenic Saffioti hadn't given much thought to who he was as a person and what that meant for him at work. But when he was able to identify his knowledge gaps, his mindset profoundly changed. In this episode, Domenic shares h...

True leaders know you never arrive. Your leadership journey is ongoing and often requires change. That concept can elicit just as much pushback from someone at the bottom of the food chain to those right at the top. Linda Coates , Chief People Officer at Sun Cable , oversaw executive development of senior leaders at a global organization implementing the "who, not what" principle. In this episode,...

What kind of person makes for an effective leader? Vanessa Kiley , Co-Founder of the coaching firm Exceptional Leaders , accidentally stumbled upon that answer when sorting through the data from thousands of leadership assessments. In this episode, Vanessa shares the origin story of the "who, not what" principle. To help paint the picture, John Ott , the other Co-Founder of Exceptional Leaders , ...

"When I walk into a room, I'm trying to figure out how I can add value. Sometimes it means being in charge and sometimes it means taking out the trash." Mark Miller , VP of High Performance Leadership at Chick-fil-A and best-selling author of the book Smart Leadership , knows calling yourself a servant leader is one thing, but acting on those words is another. In this episode, Mark shares the bene...

Have you found work that gives you life? Or does your day-to-day feel like a grind? Nikki Lewallen , Chief Meaningful Work Officer at The PeopleForward Network , often uses a Japanese concept called Ikigai to help others find their career sweet spot and discover work that fuels them. Nikki believes that your career can - and should - benefit all other areas of your life. In this episode, you'll he...

Imagine creating an organization where your very best talent never wants to leave. Jason Ells , Senior Vice President at Custom Concrete , has his sights set on making his company just that. He wants his organization to be what he calls a destination employer. In this discussion, you'll get a chance to hear exactly how Jason and Custom Concrete are pursuing that dream. As you listen, you'll learn...

Employees are so much more than just employees. Laurie Shakur , VP, Head of HR at Rakuten USA, has 30 years of experience in human resources and believes leaders have to see those on their teams as whole people if they want to create more effective workplaces. In this episode, she talks about the poor examples of leadership she's witnessed, including a shocking lack of compassion when she needed i...

While some CEOs might argue they can't afford to spend time coaching people Jim Smith , CEO of Elford, Inc , says what you really can't afford is not to. In this episode, Jim shares details about Elford's leadership development programs and discusses why he makes it a priority to personally mentor employees. As you listen, you'll gain a deeper understanding of the role leadership coaching plays in...

Culture is nothing more than a concept unless you're able to define and teach it. Years ago, Shane Jackson , President of Jackson Healthcare , was stumped by the question, "Can you tell us about your culture?" His inability to answer terrified him, leading him on a path of discovery to understand what culture means so he could influence and scale it. In this episode, Shane breaks down the benefits...

When Mark Edwards was brought in as the head basketball coach at Washington University in St. Louis he had the unique opportunity to build a program from scratch, and he chose to go all in on culture. "Figure out what you want your program to accomplish, identify it in everything that you do, believe that you can do it, trust in the people that you're bringing in to do it, and never give up." By f...

"If you're honest with people, they can trust you." Purdue University 's all-time winningest coach Gene Keady never over-complicates his leadership philosophy. He sticks to the basics - be honest, treat people right, and work hard. This is the first of our two-part March Madness miniseries on Be Worth* Following, and in this episode Coach Keady shares why the work that's done on the court is more...