The Learning To Lead Show with Mark J. Cundiff

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...

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. Lead from the Floor: Tim Harmo...

Host Mark Cundiff shares five leadership insights from his conversation with Jay Jacobson, a longtime funeral home director, entrepreneur, and leadership consultant, centered on Jay’s book "Lead by Legendary Example."  The takeaways include: leadership is demonstrated through daily behavior rather than titles; integrity is revealed in quiet moments and in crises through truth-telling and...

Episode Summary – Jay Jacobson | Lead by Legendary Example Mark Cundiff welcomes Jay Jacobson—funeral director, entrepreneur, bakery owner, and leadership consultant—to the Learning to Lead Show . Drawing from his book Lead by Legendary Example , Jay shares six pillars of leadership shaped by real-life experiences across business, crisis response, and community leadership. Jay reflects on his jour...

Host Mark Cundiff shares five takeaways for growth-minded leaders from a prior Learning to Lead Show episode with Dr. Matt Wilmington (Episode 28), a longtime mentor known for asking probing questions.  The episode theme is “Leading Inside Out,” emphasizing that leading from external pressures and performance leads to burnout, especially mid-career, while the real mission flows from the inside out...

In this episode of 'Learning to Lead Show', host Mark Cundiff interviews Dr. Matt Willmington, the Executive Pastor of Ministries at Thomas Road Baptist Church and Head of the Pastoral Training program at Liberty University.  Dr. Willmington shares his leadership journey, emphasizing the importance of living 'inside out' to avoid burnout. He discusses his leadership philosophy,...

Leadership Insights from my conversation with Bobby Allen In this episode of the Learning to Lead Show, Mark Cundiff highlights key insights from his conversation with Sergeant Major Bobby Allen, focusing on building trust and inspiring leadership.  The discussion emphasizes five key takeaways for growth-minded leaders: knowing your people as a strategic leadership priority, taking responsibility,...

Building Trust and Inspiring Leadership with Retired Marine, Sergeant Major Bobby Allen In this episode of the Learning to Lead Show, host Mark Cundiff interviews Bobby Allen, a retired Marine Corps Sergeant Major and seasoned maintenance and reliability leader.  Bobby shares his leadership journey, starting from his early days in the Marine Corps to his extensive career in the corporate world. He...

Leadership Insights from my conversations with Rick Rando In this episode of The Learning to Lead Show, host Mark Cundiff reflects on his conversation with Rick Rando, an eighth-degree black belt, discussing his key leadership lessons.  The episode is anchored by the idea 'What You Condone, You Endorse' and dives into five crucial takeaways: the importance of maintaining high standards,...

What You Condone, You Endorse with 8th Degree Black Belt Grandmaster Rick Rando In this episode of the Learning to Lead Show, host Mark Cundiff interviews Grandmaster Rick Rando, 8th Degree Black Belt, owner and president of Kick Masters Karate and host of the Victory Couch Podcast.  Rick shares insights from his extensive career in martial arts and business leadership. He discusses the importance...

Leadership Insights from my conversation with Marianne Renner In this first episode of the New Year 2026, host Mark Cundiff revisits a powerful conversation from a previous episode with Marianne Renner, author of ' Self-Talk: 10 Stories You Tell Yourself That Hold You Back'.  Mark outlines five key takeaways for growth-minded leaders. These include the significance of self-talk, the impa...

Mastering Your Mindset: A Journey of Self-Leadership with Marianne Renner In this episode of The Learning to Lead Show, host Mark Cundiff interviews leadership coach, trainer, and speaker Marianne Renner about her latest book, 'Self-Talk.'  Marianne shares her personal journey of overcoming decades of depression and addiction by mastering her mindset and transforming her self-talk. She d...

Leadership Insights from my conversation with Ali Merchant In this episode of the Learning to Lead Show, host Mark Cundiff reflects on Ali Merchant's book The All-In Manager and shares key insights from their previous discussion.  He highlights five major takeaways for leaders:  The common phenomenon of accidental managers The importance of trust is built on care, reliability, and competence....

From Accidental Leader to All-In Manager with Ali Merchant In this episode, Ali discusses the pivotal role of trust in leadership, emphasizing that without trust, nothing else matters. He shares his personal journey from growing up in a bookstore in Karachi, Pakistan, to becoming a leader and now an author of 'The All In Manager.'  Ali explains the concept of an accidental manager and th...

Leadership Insights from my conversation with David Pennington In this episode of the Learning to Lead Show, host Mark Cundiff reflects on his conversation with David Pennington.  The discussion centers on key leadership lessons and insights from David, focusing on the importance of aligning work with passion, aiming for an 80% sweet spot in job roles, maintaining clarity and structure within orga...

Pebbles in the Pond: Coaching Leaders Who Multiply Impact Across Their Organizations with Dave Pennington In this insightful conversation, host Mark sits down with Dave to discuss his extensive leadership journey spanning pastoral ministry, private education, and business coaching.  Dave elaborates on the challenges and strategies involved in leading volunteers in nonprofit settings, emphasizing t...

Leadership Insights from my conversation with Jim Little In this episode of the Learning to Lead Show, host Mark Cundiff reflects on his conversation with Jim Little, a Navy veteran and reliability engineer, about important leadership lessons.  Key takeaways include the importance of building trust through listening and providing feedback, the role of clear communication in driving organizational...

Communication and Leadership: Insights from a Navy Veteran with Jim Little In this episode of the Learning to Lead Show, host Mark Cundiff sits down with Jim Little , a Navy veteran and senior reliability engineer with PIP company.  Jim shares invaluable leadership insights drawn from his extensive career across various roles in maintenance, reliability, and safety management in industrial manufac...

Leadership Insights from my conversation with Jeff Davis In this episode of the Learning to Lead Show, host Mark Cundiff recaps his conversation with Jeff Davis, the founder and executive director of Truth in Nature, an organization dedicated to mentoring fatherless boys across the U.S.  Mark shares insights from Jeff's journey, highlighting key leadership lessons such as:  The power of influ...

Influence That Lasts: What Every Leader Can Learn from Mentoring Fatherless Boys with Jeff Davis In this episode of the Learning to Lead Show, host Mark Cundiff interviews Jeff Davis , founder and executive director of Truth in Nature , a ministry focused on mentoring fatherless boys through outdoor activities.  Jeff shares his journey from IT manager to leading a multi-state nonprofit, discussing...

Leadership Insights from my conversation with Quentin Hodge In this episode of the Learning to Lead Show, host Mark Cundiff discusses key takeaways from Quentin Hodges' interview on effective leadership.  Quentin emphasizes the importance of integrity, which he views as the core of leadership, and how it must align with one's actions both in public and private.  He discusses gaining conf...