Building Better Leaders

You know James Stewart for George Bailey in “It’s A Wonderful Life,” but do you know him as a visionary leader for the Army Air Corps during World War II? We’re joined by Stewart’s own daughter Kelly and the director of the upcoming film “JIMMY,” Aaron Burns @burnsandcoproductions, to discuss Jimmy Stewart’s amazing lifetime of leadership—from his career in Hollywood, to his deployment overseas in...

Leaders are responsible for developing their followers and holding them to high standards. Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. Shawn Bratton breaks down how. As the U.S. Space Force’s second-in-command, Gen. Shawn N. Bratton organizes, trains, and equips America’s Guardians. The U.S. Space Force maintains mission-ready space forces that provide the core functions of Space Control, Global Mission O...

What does it take to go from creating entertaining content as a solo creator to leading a capable team of creatives? Sam Eckholm joins us on Building Better Leaders to discuss his journey from an Air Force public affairs officer to the host of his successful YouTube show, Access Granted. He shares his insights on effective delegation, trusting your team, building a shared mission, and cultivating...

Professional Leadership Coach and former USAF fighter pilot, Dr. Eric "Rabbit" Jorgensen, discusses the critical importance of being a wingman leader who intentionally lifts others up and enables their success. Wingman leaders measure their effectiveness by their positive impact on the individuals who make up the team far more than their own career promotion or duty title. Dr. Eric “Rabbit” Jorgen...

Synchronizing your team is critical for maximum effectiveness. Dr. Patrick Donley, host of Building Better Leaders, discusses why it is so important to align your team and how to implement that alignment. Book a leadership course with the Doolittle Leadership Center 👉 https://www.afa.org/dlc #leadership #alignment #lead #leader

Former Thunderbirds commander JV Venable discusses the critical importance of onboarding in leadership, how to build trust, breaking down trust barriers, building connection and commitment, and more. John “JV” Venable is the author of a book on building and leading high-performance teams, titled “Breaking the Trust Barrier.” He is also a recognized expert on air and space capacity, capability and...

Lt. General Doug Schiess was recently nominated for the role of Chief of Space Operations of the U.S. Space Force, the service's highest ranking Guardian. He discusses leadership in crisis, setting a precedent, intentional development, the role of spouses and families in the mission, and much more.   Lt. General Doug Schiess entered the Air Force as a Distinguished Graduate of the Air Force Reserv...

Your reputation as a leader has a dramatic impact on your career, for good or ill. While there are always areas you can improve, you shouldn’t try to be something you’re not. Gen. (Ret.) Lester Lyles, discusses his perspective on leadership through a remarkable career.   General Lester Lyles is a retired four-star general in the United States Air Force. He served as Vice Chief of Staff of the Unit...

Intentional leadership requires knowing your people well. Chief Master Sgt. Vincent Fasano discusses the opportunities and challenges of leading people you don’t see every day.   CMSgt Vincent Fasano is the command chief of the 109th Airlift Wing, Stratton Air National Guard Base, New York. He serves as the wing's senior enlisted leader and is the principal advisor to the wing commander on matters...

Building trust with employees is a vital leadership quality. Gen. Bussiere explains what “leading from the front” means and how trust is built from the top down. Gen. Thomas Bussiere is the former commander of Air Force Global Strike Command. In addition, as a command pilot, Gen. Bussiere accrued over 3,400 hours of flight time and has decades of leadership experience both in the air and on the gr...

How to develop your employees, learn from the leadership principles we’ve inherited, and show your team you genuinely care.   Brig. Gen. Houston Cantwell is a retired F-16 pilot, wing commander, and senior leader developer who’s trained thousands of young leaders in the Air Force. Today he’s a Senior Resident Fellow for Airpower Studies at AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.   Book a l...

Setting goals for your employees means more than setting a target: Your job as a leader is to clarify your vision, establish key performance indicators, give them the resources, identify obstacles, and help them stay on track in the midst of changing circumstances.

Spacepower isn’t just about technology—it’s about the people, legacy, and mindset driving it forward. We talk to Dr. David Arnold, a renowned expert on space, General Bernard Schriever’s enduring impact, and the leadership principles that shape today’s Air and Space Forces. From historical perspective to modern-day relevance, Dr. Arnold shares insights on innovation, optimism, and what it means to...

Military spouses are the prime example of how a behind-the-scenes support role can drive change, build trust, and inspire leaders wherever they are. We talk to Debbie Schiess, a nonprofit leader, parent, and spouse of Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Operations Lt. Gen. Doug Schiess, on the role military spouses play every day in empowering Space Force and Air Force leadership.

Elite leadership is earned through self-discipline. Take charge of yourself and you’ll inspire your followers to do the same—learn how in this power-packed episode with CMSAF David Wolfe and SEAC #4 Ramón “CZ” Colón-López.   Colón-López's 2026 book, “ Carnivore Leadership: Taking Charge Instead of Taking Shit, ” is available for purchase now .   #leadershiptips #leadershipdevelopment #leadershiptr...

Most leaders don’t look forward to having difficult conversations with their employees, but giving honest, actionable feedback leads to a culture where speaking up makes the whole team stronger. Here’s Chief Master Sgt. Katie McCool, Command Chief of Pacific Air Forces, on how to achieve that.

Chief Master Sgt. of the Space Force John Bentivegna—the highest-ranking enlisted Guardian—describes the habits that real leaders follow, and how they inspire those habits in their followers.

Here’s how to develop employees effectively with a 4-step method from Dr. Patrick Donley, host of the “Building Better Leaders” podcast and director of the Doolittle Leadership Center. This practical leadership training breaks down a simple 4-step framework—Discover, Teach, Model, and Coach—to help you grow your team’s skills, behavior, and performance.

Senior leaders from the 35th Fighter Wing at Misawa Air Base in Japan explain how to develop leaders, own up to mistakes, and prioritize people while operating in non-stop high-stakes scenarios.

Col. David Wilson knows he isn’t the smartest person in the room—and that makes him an excellent leader. He digs into his experience as a wing commander and senior leader to share his hard-earned lessons of leadership. The Doolittle Leadership Center's podcast, Building Better Leaders, features candid conversations with a wide range of influential leaders about their stories— and how they have lea...

Leaders set the tone for an organization’s ethos and policies—not by dictating what to do, but by modeling the required behavior. Lifelong leadership coach and retired U.S. Air Force CMSgt. Craig Neri delves into how you can set the standard of behavior you want to see in your followers.

AFCENT’s commander and enlisted command chief explain the importance of providing steady leadership to roughly 10,000 to 13,000 deployed personnel who constantly rotate in and out of their organization in the Middle East.

There’s arguably no military service in the world with a group identity as deeply ingrained or cherished as the U.S. Marine Corps. How did the Semper Fidelis, “Oohra!” culture come about? More importantly, how can leaders of other organizations create an identity that encourages similar buy-in and team motivation? Giles Kyser explains. The Doolittle Leadership Center's podcast, Building Better Lea...

It’s hard for leaders to accurately assess whether they’re leading well simply based on results. Dr. Patrick Donley—a global leadership instructor and host of the “Building Better Leaders” podcast—shares a simple, 10-minute drill leaders can start using today to can boost intentionality and team-wide performance. Learn more at www.afa.org/DLC

Lt. Gen. Andrea Tullos joined “Building Better Leaders” a few weeks before retiring as the President of Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. There she oversaw the entire spectrum of education programs within the U.S. Air Force, from professional military education, continuing education, and granting academic degrees to 170,000 students each year. The Doolittle Leadership Center's pod...