Intentional Leader with Cal Walters

Spencer Kupferman currently serves as CEO at Milwaukee-based PKWARE an Award-Winning Data Security software solutions company.   In addition, Spencer supports Thompson Street Capital Partners portfolio companies working closely with their tech-enabled software practice as an Executive Advisor.  Spencer most recently served as CEO of Cloud Daddy , recognized as a Top 10 Storage Startup '19 by  crn....

Greg McKeown has dedicated his career to discovering why some people and teams break through to the next level—and others don't. The definitive treatment of this issue is addressed in McKeown's  New York Times  and  Wall Street Journal  bestseller,  Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less .  As well as frequently being the #1 Time Management book on Amazon, this book challenges core assumpti...

I'm really excited to bring you an interview with Jon Gordon! Jon Gordon 's best-selling books and talks have inspired readers and audiences around the world. His principles have been put to the test by numerous Fortune 500 companies, professional and college sports teams, school districts, hospitals, and non-profits. He is the author of 20 books including 8 best-sellers:  The Energy Bus, The Carp...

Juliet Funt is the CEO of WhiteSpace at Work , a training and consulting firm that helps organizations, their leaders and employees flip the norms of business in order to reclaim their creativity, productivity and engagement. With thought-provoking content and immediately actionable tools, she has become a nationally recognized expert in coping with the Age of Overload in which we all live and wor...

I'm really excited to bring you the inspiring story of Chaveso "Chevy" Cook ! On this episode, you will hear Chevy share his powerful story of overcoming adversity as a child and finding mentors that helped him believe in himself and chart the course that led to where he is today. Chevy is the Co-Founder and Executive Direct of Military Mentors , a registered 501(c)(3) with a mission to elevate, e...

Today, I'm really excited to bring you an interview with Ryan Hawk ! Ryan Hawk is a keynote speaker, author, advisor, and the host of The Learning Leader Show , which Forbes called "the most dynamic leadership podcast out there" and Inc. Magazine recognized on its list of "5 Podcasts to Make You a Smarter Leader." Featuring interviews with hundreds of best-selling authors and world-renowned corpor...

Today, I am so privileged and honored to bring you insights from a true hero of mine, Lieutenant General (Ret.) Robert Caslen, who currently serves as the 29th President of the University of South Carolina .  Go Gamecocks!  General Caslen served 43 years in the United States Army.  His military career culminated in 2018 as the 59th Superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point...

I'm really excited to bring you an inspiring interview with Joel "Thor" Neeb .  Thor is the CEO of Afterburner Inc. , a global consulting firm, and the bestselling co-author with Chris Stricklin of Survivor's Obligation , which was recently named a 2020 Benjamin Franklin Award Finalist . As a former F-15 pilot, Thor has flown over 2,500 missions. He provided escort for the President, protected our...

Is your way of thinking the best way to think?  This is a question Dr. Ryan Gottfredson asks in his brand new book, Success Mindsets , currently available in audio and E-book format and scheduled to be released in print form on May 5, 2020 . While many have focused narrowly on different mindsets, Dr. Gottfredson pioneered a widespread study and synthesis of all critical mindsets for achieving succ...

Today, I'm excited to bring you an interview I did with Dr. Kevin Kniery, Dr. Tom Hustead, and Dr. Scott Steele.  This is a rapid-release bonus episode for medical leaders during a time of crisis as the world combats the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Kevin Kniery is a vascular surgery fellow in New York City and he is the co-host of two podcasts— Behind the Knife and Audible Bleeding . Dr. Kniery is one...

Doug Crandall is a graduate of West Point and the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He has led multiple units in the Army, and spent time in operations at Amazon.  For five years, Doug taught leadership, advanced leadership, and leading organizations through change at West Point, where he won the Excellence in Teaching Award and exceeded the academy average in every area of teaching feedback d...

Today, I'm super pumped to bring you an interview I did with the first person to ever introduce me to the concept of high performance at West Point, Dr. Joe Ross (Retired, US Army). Joe has a Ph. D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Walden University and a Masters of Education in Psychology and Athletic Counseling from Springfield College. Dr. Ross is also a 1995 West Point graduate...

Last year, I read a lot of books, but one book that made a particularly lasting impact was The Go-Giver .  A special thank you to Graham Cochrane and his podcast for introducing me to this book.  The Go-Giver  tells the story of an ambitious young man named Joe who yearns for success. Joe is a true go-getter, though sometimes he feels as if the harder and faster he works, the further away his goal...

Today, I am bringing you an interview with former Navy Captain, best-selling author, and a true leadership expert, David Marquet .  Here are a few quotes about David Marquet: "I don't know of a finer model of this kind of empowering leadership than Captain Marquet." Dr. Stephen R. Covey, author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People "To say I'm a fan of David Marquet would be an understatement. I'...

Have you read the book Daddy Saturday ? About a month ago I picked it up and finished it in 48 hours. Not only did the book convict me as a parent, but it also inspired me to do better and equipped me with practical tools to be more engaged with my daughter. After the book impacted me, I reached out to the author, Justin Batt , and asked him to come on my podcast. He generously agreed, and today I...

In life, we face endless options about how to spend our time. With social media and the internet, we have never been so aware of these options, and the barrier has never been lower for people to share their opinions about what we should be focusing on (like this post!). We also live in a world where everything is urgent, needs to be done now, and we ignore the fundamental reality of trade offs — s...

On this episode, Cal shares an impactful and replicable process he uses to reflect.  This is useful any time of year, but the New Year presents a natural time to reflect.   In less than 1 hour, you can turn experience into insights to grow and make progress in the New Year.  Check it out! On this episode, Cal discusses being inspired by Ray Dalio and Adam Grant to be more teachable.  Below are two...

Today, you will hear an interview I did with one of my best friends, Rajiv Srinivasan .  Rajiv is currently a Global Client Director at LinkedIn, where he manages a worldwide and multifunctional team supporting relationships for 3 of LinkedIn's top 10 accounts.  Rajiv was on the Dean's List at West Point and graduated in the Top 5% of his class in 2008. He also earned an MS in Applied Mathematics...

On this episode, Cal dives into the exciting new science of positive psychology and gratitude.  Saying we should be more thankful is easy advice to give -- similar to saying we should live in the moment -- but for some reason it is harder to practice on a regular basis.   Cal explores some of the key obstacles to most of us practicing gratitude and offers two practical, yet powerful, ways that we...

How is technology affecting your life?  Do you feel overwhelmed and exhausted by constant connectivity?  Have you ever felt the urge to check your phone when you're with people you love?  Have you felt that gut feeling after spending aimless minutes on your phone that you wish you had used your time more wisely?   If you have felt any of these feelings, you're not alone.   We have a collective pro...

Packed with great stories of overcoming adversity and incredible nuggets of wisdom and inspiration, this episode will not disappoint! Ryan Brence grew up playing big time Texas high school football.  He is the son of a very successful Texas high school football coach in Plano, TX, and he shares lessons he learned watching his dad lead a football team.   Ryan is a husband, father, West Point Gradua...

On this episode, Cal wraps up his servant leadership series by covering the last three principles of servant leadership -- that servant leaders:  1.  Invest in the personal growth of their team members;  2.  Build a culture of trust; and 3.  Inspire! Cal dives into practical steps of how to apply these principles to your leadership!   Cal references the following items in the podcast:  Simon Sinek...

On this episode, Cal continues an exciting series on servant leadership!   Cal jumps right into the next three principles of servant leadership: 1.  Servant leaders care about the WHOLE person;  2.  Servant leaders are generous to their team; and 3.  Servant leaders listen. At the end of this episode, you will be more equipped to immediately apply servant leadership principles in your team, organi...

On this episode, Cal begins the substantive deep dive into servant leadership principles.  Over the course of this podcast series, Cal will explore 9 key principles to servant leadership.   On this episode, Cal explores the first three principles and provides illustrations and keys to applying them in your life: 1.  Servant leaders empower others; 2.  Servant leaders give credit; and 3.  Servant l...

On this episode, Cal introduces a topic he is very excited to discuss -- servant leadership.   Perhaps you generally like the sound of servant leadership but have yet to fully dive into the principles required to lead as a servant.  Or perhaps you're skeptical whether taking a "servant leadership" approach can really get the job done in your team, organization, or business.  Whatever your views ar...