I am excited to announce the guest on this episode is Jennifer Ete - Investment Advisor who has been in financial services for 18 years and in leadership roles for over 40 years. Jen shared some experiences regarding some great volunteer work she did to bring the affordable advanced educational opportunities of  BYU pathway to Louisiana and how she works with families to expand their financial resources. You will notice a theme in everything Jen does - she is always trying to help people become better. Jen also talks about how she has observed how people have stopped dreaming and she teaches us ways that we can take individual steps to help people reignite their dreams and lead them towards success. We talk about creating a culture that allows us to learn from our mistakes and create increased curiosity with ourselves and others so we can approach the world around us with more authenticity to get and give the help we all need. This episode is sure to spark some creativity in each of us that gets us thinking more deeply about how we approach the people around us and how we encourage or diminish their capacity to dream great dreams.    Jen has always been different. As a teen, her classmates were focused on grades, sports, scholarships and the next party. Her heart gravitated towards learning how to help people feel important. She has always been passionate about protecting those that don't know how to protect themselves...yet.   Jen chose a profession in financial services because she felt that the best way she could help families stay together and be happy was to teach them how to be self-sufficient and take care of themselves. She learned that when people have money; their bills are being paid on time, and there's extra in the budget, there's not too much to stress about in life. The families who are most interested in getting to that point are Jen's favorite to work with. Jen is often recognized at every company convention and asked to speak in training meetings, because, so often, she is number one in multiple categories in multiple states. Jen attributes this success to her trust in the Lord and not because of anything special she does.    Jen has a deep conviction that this level of success comes to her only because she seeks the Lord's help before, during, and after every single appointment. Jen figures that if the Lord wants families to be self-sufficient and happy, then He'll gladly guide her to know how to best help each individual in the way that's best for them if she simply asks. Jen's family from Louisiana, but she spent her teen and young adult years in Pennsylvania due to dad's work. Jen served a mission in Tokyo, Japan for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She is the mother to four and wife to Rock Ete.    Resources:   Jennifer Ete - Primerica  jenniferete&origin=customStandard   BYU Pathway  https://www.byupathway.org/    Steve Harvey - Write Your Vision  https://youtu.be/DlMAIYd7-J4

I had the such an incredible conversation with recently retired Admiral Mike Studeman from the U.S. Navy. His most recent position was as Commanding Officer of the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI). Mike started the conversation by encouraging me to ask him all my hard questions. I began by asking him how we could get better using the Coast Guard to compliment our other Maritime Forces around the world which led to some great dialogue about how to engage with the world around us in more meaningful ways. Mike had some inspiring tips for how to prepare for a life in foreign and/or international affairs which could help many of us just be more sensitive to the many cultures we interact with. Mike provided powerful inspiration on using your voice, empowerment, and the importance of character among several other insightful commentaries. Mike described the passion behind his recently compiled manuscript on leadership and shared some highlights from it. Mike points out that the U.S. is facing a leadership crisis and this episode is a must listen to contemplate what we can each do to tackle that in our own spheres of influence with our individual voices. All throughout the episode, Mike illustrates tangible examples while expressing the time to act is now for each of us to start to make a difference in the world around us with these great recommendations!  Mike is an executive leader of major organizations with geostrategic impact and National security expert and intelligence professional with global expertise. He has deep knowledge of the Indo-Pacific and is an inspiring leader  who is able to maximize team performance and achieve results while sustaining high morale. Admiral Studeman had a very distinguished Naval career serving as Commanding Officer of multiple Commands and as the Director of Intelligence (J2) of two Combatant Commands & Commanding Officer of the Joint Intelligence Center at another Combatant Command. Admiral Michael Studeman is the son of a career naval officer and a 1988 graduate of the College of William and Mary. He is a distinguished graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School, a distinguished graduate of the National War College, and an honors graduate in Mandarin Chinese from the Defense Language Institute. Resources: Nicholas Carr - The Shallows: How the Internet is Changing How We Think, Read, and Remember: The Shallows: How the Internet Is Changing the Way We Think, Read and Remember  Ancient Greek Quotes to Strengthen Character:  https://youtu.be/SXeObg8UEcg?si=KCRbkmMeLUCrwY-D  Media Bias Chart: https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/media-bias-chart U.S. Coast Guard Recruitment Website:  https://www.gocoastguard.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAsIGrBhAAEiwAEzMlCwigXY7sQLLmYBV-XG_XGToFg9rh-gAOTwaPyRPgGUOpQYsF0lun7xoCFmEQAvD_BwE Department of State - Careers in Foreign Service:  Foreign Service - Careers - State DepartmentU.S. Department of State (.gov)https://careers.state.gov › career-paths › foreign-service U.S. Navy Foreign Area Officer Career Information:  https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Career-Management/Detailing/Officer/FAO/

The guest on this episode is Frank Cespedes, who is a Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School. Frank starts off by describing his definition of leadership and how it is connected to servant leadership. We have a great conversation about acknowledging and closing the C-suite gap. How to ask better questions to use AI to drive the decisions in our organizations. Frank helps us understand that as we rise in an organization we lose touch with what is going on around us inside those organizaitons and does a great job really illustrating what that means. Frank gives a good example of the pitfalls of bringing in an outsider who is a star in a given industry.  Frank highlights why timely training technology supported by good learning processes can and should be utilized in our organizations. There is no such thing as performance in the abstract, so asking really good questions that will help us get our data guiding our organizations in more informed ways to create better strategies. Good Leadership is crucial for the success of our organizations.  Frank has run a business, served on boards for start-ups and corporations, and consulted to many companies around the world. He is the author of six books and many articles in Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, California Management Review, and other publications. His most recent book is "Sales Management That Works," & Frank has a master's degree from MIT and a Ph.D from Cornell University.  At Harvard, he has developed and taught a variety of MBA and executive courses, led the Strategic Marketing Management program for senior executives, was co-lead of the Sustainable Market Leadership program for CEOs and their teams. He currently teaches Entrepreneurial Marketing in the MBA program, in the Owner President Management (OPM) executive program, and he heads the executive program on Aligning Strategy and Sales. Resources: Frank Cespedes Website: https://frankcespedes.com/ Peter Drucker - The Manager and the Moron https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/the-manager-and-the-moron Frank Cespedes - Sales Management that Works Sales Management That Works: How to Sell in a World that Never Stops Changing  Alfred P. Sloan - My Years With General Motors My Years With General Motors  Harvard Business School https://www.hbs.edu/Pages/default.aspx

The guest on this episode is Erika Andersen who is the founding partner of Proteus. Erika teaches us how our history creates resistance to change and provides some great tools for overcoming barriers to transformation. We have a great discussion about approaches to leading organizational change, developing "change-capable" cultures, and avoiding common change missteps. Authentic servant leadership includes aligning practical strategies with human values and Erika helps us understand how to become more curious to do this. As we increase in curiosity, we can face the people around us with insightful questions and increased active listening that will strengthen our teams.  Erika Andersen empowers executives to drive change. She's also an accomplished author with several bestselling books, including "Change from the Inside Out" and "Leading So People Will Follow." Erika brings a unique blend of expertise to the discussion, focusing on practical insights for effective leadership, change management, and fostering a culture of growth. Erika Andersen and her colleagues at Proteus International, a coaching, consulting and leadership development training firm, focus on leader readiness, supporting leaders at all levels to get ready and stay ready to meet whatever the future might bring. She advises senior executives in organizations such as Spotify, Amazon, Spectrum, Novartis, Revolt Media, CBS Sports, and the Yale School of Public Health. Resources: Erika Andersen - Change from the Inside Out Change from the Inside Out: Making You, Your Team, and Your Organization Change-Capable  Proteus website:  https://proteus-international.com/ Erika Andersen website: https://erikaandersen.com/ Prosci Change Management website: https://www.prosci.com/

Admiral Cedric Pringle is the guest on this episode. Admiral Pringle serves as the 25th President of the National Naval Officers Association (NNOA). NNOA is an organization dedicated to supporting the Sea Services in recruiting, professional development, and retention of a diverse officer corps that reflects the demographics of our nation. Cedric talks about the amazing work that NNOA is doing with bringing STEM to school children and we discuss how impactful it would be if more positive role models would get involved in bringing STEM to middle schools and high schools around the country to provide more opportunities for people to see diverse paths to use these fields in their lives. Cedric shares some amazing insights from his prestigious Naval career and although he prided himself on being by the the book, he liked to remind people that when the book was wrong there is a recourse to change the book. Cedric gave us some good examples of creating a space where you could make mistakes and take risks to grow as individuals, but he also hinted at some steps that helped build the trust of the team if you listen closely. He reminds us that excellence is a journey. Admiral Pringle models a great example of an appropriate way to resist a challenge from someone senior to us in a personal story in his humanitarian work in Haiti. Each story Cedric shares is done so to help build us all up the same way he has built many of his sailors and marines over the years!  Cedric Pringle is a retired rear admiral following a 34-and-a-half-year career in the U.S. Navy. His service culminated as the 31st commandant of National War College at National Defense University. During his distinguished career, he led joint, combined, multinational, and interagency organizations, both at sea and ashore, across all aspects of defense, including full spectrum operations, strategic planning, crisis management, and congressional affairs.  Admiral Pringle earned a BS in Economics from the University of South Carolina, an MS in Financial Management from the Naval Postgraduate School, and an MA in National Security Strategy from the Naval War College. He also completed executive courses in Strategic Thinking at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, Leading Innovation at the Naval Postgraduate School, and the Leadership University for Humanity course with Korn Ferry.  Resources: National Naval Officers Associations - Navy, Marines, & Coast Guard  https://nnoa.org/ Center for Oceanographic Research in the South Pacific - University of Concepcion, Chile  http://www.copas.cl/eng/

This episode features Vikrant Shaurya who is the Founder & CEO of Authors On Mission (formerly BestsellingBook.com) and bestselling author of the book “How to Write a Bestseller” where we talk about how you too can tap into your potential to find your own ideas and write a bestseller of your own. Vikrant and his amazing team at Authors on Mission help match people to those that will help them find their authentic voice and we had some great dialogue about this in a way that will get you thinking about ways to do this in your own organizations because Vikrant truly models the way on how to do this throughout his organization. Virkant talks a lot about the power of credibility and trust and how that starts with letting his team know they have his trust and ensuring that his credibility is intact. We discussed how to approach the AI tools in the light of trust and ensuring that you keep your brand reputation as a central focus to all that you do as an individual and an organization. Vikrant was generous to share some of his insights into how he obtains so much of his success but it is clear that much of that success comes from the way he empowers the individuals on his team and has helped them to to develop a mindset that they have ownership in the company. This concept has created an environment where everyone acts to take care of each other and the clients fostering powerful servant leadership concepts.  Vikrant Shaurya is a publishing entrepreneur with a laser-like focus on his own life, who has transformed it and built a company that has become a global success story. He is a businessman and a bestselling author who has devoted his life to helping Entrepreneurs, coaches, experts, and thought leaders reach their fullest potential in business and their brand by writing a bestselling book. This young, inspiring and tenaciously focused book publisher is on a mission to help 10,000 people turn their ideas into bestselling books by 2025. Resources: Vikrant Shaurya - How to Write a Bestseller: How to Write a Bestseller: Become a Bestselling Author, Attract High-Value Clients, and Skyrocket Your Authority    Authors on Mission - Website: http://authorsonmission.com/   Join the Authors on Mission Community - FREE Book Outline Quadrant: https://www.skool.com/authorsonmission/about   Vikrant Shaurya - Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Vikrant_Shaurya   Simon Sinek - Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't:  Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't    Simon Sinek - Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action:  Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action    Listen Notes - Podcast Search Engine  https://www.listennotes.com/

It was a humbling opportunity to have Coast Guard, Captain Taylor Lam as the guest on this episode. Taylor models powerful servant leadership describing how the Sector San Francisco Command Philosophy was developed in collaboration with those he has been called to lead. He also illustrates some powerful examples on the importance of connection that highlight how vital that is today for keeping top talent and engaging the people we have. We dialogue about communication and provide some great food for thought for ALL to consider on how effective communications really are at every level in our organizations. Taylor inspires people to take on challenges from a safe place because he models that behavior and shares some insights on how we can do that too.  Captain Lam assumed command of Sector San Francisco in June 2021. Prior to this assignment, he completed an assignment as a national security fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.  While in command, he recently completed a one-year Executive Leadership Program at the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS) in Monterey, CA.  Captain Lam is a native of Riverside, CA and enlisted in the United States Coast Guard in 1996 through the College Student Pre-commissioning Initiative (CSPI) and graduated from Basic Training in Cape May, NJ. Upon completion of his undergraduate studies, he graduated from Officer Candidate School.   His previous operational units include service as Deputy Commander of Sector Boston, Commanding Officer of Maritime Safety and Security Team (MSST) Los Angeles – Long Beach, Command Center and Enforcement Chief at Sector Miami, Detachment Officer-in-Charge (OIC) and plank owner of MSST Seattle, Law Enforcement Detachment OIC at Tactical Law Enforcement Team North, and Deck Watch Officer on the Cutter MUNRO in Alameda, CA.  Captain Lam’s previous staff and advanced education assignments include service as Special Assistant to the 30th Vice Commandant, Coast Guard Fellow in the late U.S. Senator Thad Cochran’s personal staff addressing homeland security appropriations, the Atlantic Area Commander’s staff managing six MSSTs, and attending a fully-funded advanced education program in Williamsburg, VA.  He is a graduate from the University of California, Riverside, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology, a graduate from Boston University’s Master of Arts program in criminal justice, and a graduate from the College of William and Mary’s Master’s program in public policy.  Resources: Brené Brown - Video on Empathy  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Evwgu369Jw Bryce Ward - Washington Post Opinion - Americans are spending more time alone. Here's why we should reverse that.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/11/23/americans-alone-thanksgiving-friends/ Naval Postgraduate School - Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS) Leadership Programs  https://www.chds.us/c/ Admiral William H. McRaven - he Wisdom of the Bullfrog:  Leadership Made Simple (But Not Easy)  The Wisdom of the Bullfrog: Leadership Made Simple (But Not Easy)   Leonard J. Marcus, Eric J. McNulty, Joseph M. Henderson, & Barry C. Dorn - You’re It:  Crisis, Change, and How To Lead When it Matters Most You're It: Crisis, Change, and How to Lead When It Matters Most

I have the distinct pleasure of having the President and CEO of FFI Systems, Benjamin Huntsman, as a guest on this episode. Ben uses his and his family's challenges along with their life's changes to highlight various aspects of servant leadership in multigenerational, multicultural, and familial settings. All throughout the episode the servant leadership characteristic of awareness is used to frame and pull in other insights encouraging new servant leader practices from these lessons. Ben reminds everyone that change is a good thing and that complacency is not. There is insight in this episode that will awaken and disturb all who come with a servant leader awareness in a way that prepares them to become an even better leader who is more prepared to think deeply about how to engage with people they encounter.  Prior to starting FFI Systems, Benjamin Huntsman was the Global Business Director for the Houjyouji Group where he lead a team of Contract/Program Mangers in managing contracts with the US Government throughout Japan with value over $500 million. Ben was also the owner of Family Fun Immersion where he taught programming and other IT related topics, as well as, LEGO robotics in the evenings and on weekends while working on his own projects. Ben was a professor at Fukuyama University where he taught technical English to Engineering, Computer Science, and Medial students. Ben was a senior language analyst in the United States Air Force and has language skills in Arabic, English, and Japanese. Ben is married to Akari, they have 11 children, and live in Fukuyama, Hiroshima, Japan.  Resources: Ben Huntsman - FFI Systems (Japanese)  https://ffi-systems.com/ Larry Spears - Ten Characteristics of a Servant-Leader https://www.spearscenter.org/46-uncategorised/136-ten-characteristics-of-servant-leadership Larry Spears & Michele Lawrence - Practice Servant-Leadership: Succeeding Through Trust, Bravery, and Forgiveness  Practicing Servant-Leadership: Succeeding Through Trust, Bravery, and Forgiveness

I had the wonderful privilege to have Rock Ete as the guest for this episode. Rock is the Business Development Manager for Entergy Louisiana, the largest electric utility in Louisiana. Rock starts off the episode by giving us some great background on growing up in Samoa and describes some of the pros and cons of the council system they use on his native island. He talks about how he learned humility, listening carefully, and how to discern what is meant. Rock teaches a powerful lesson by talking about his dad's oratory skill in contrast to some of his life's struggles. We discuss some of the ways to be more inclusive with more diverse faith groups and also take on some of the pitfalls of servant leadership. Rock emphasizes the importance of every voice being heard, making sure that people know their purpose, and working hard to build a consensus. Rock closes out the episode going back to his Samoan roots and sharing a great Samoan proverb with us that helps us reconsider going too long in meetings and prepares us to step up when it is time to make a decision because as he reminds us: every leader must be prepared to make a decision.  At the age of 13 (8th grade), Rock sat and passed a government high school entrance exam program designed to help Samoan school children to continue their education at a high school of their choice in New Zealand. His high school of choice was based on living arrangements with distant cousins/relatives willing to become Rock's guardian during his high school years in New Zealand. He graduated from Avondale College (High School) in 1989. Rock played rugby during and after high school with my aspiration to play professional rugby for the New Zealand All Blacks. At 22 years old, Rock chose to serve a two-year LDS Mission in the Hawaiian Islands, Nov. 1993 – Nov. 1995 and put aside his dream to play for the All Blacks.  After his mission, Rock moved to Salt Lake City Utah, started school at Ensign College (formerly LDS Business College) January 1996. Here, Rock met his future wife Jennifer Ferrell. Rock graduated with an Associates June of 1998 and continued undergraduate and graduate programs at the University of Phoenix, and completing a MBA, December 2009. Rock's professional background has been in B2B Sales and eventually to high level and complex business development roles. Rock has been married to Jennifer for almost 27 years and they  have four children: Hana (24), Connor (22), Nick (21), Ian (20). They live in Denham Springs, Louisiana. and are active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Resources: Rock Ete - LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/rockete/ Simon Sinek - A Bit of Optimism "Trust with Jimmy Wales" https://simonsinek.com/podcast/episodes/trust-with-jimmy-wales/ Elder M. Russell Ballard - Blessed by Councils https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2011/06/blessed-by-councils?lang=eng Elder M. Russell Ballard - Counseling with Our Councils  https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1994/04/counseling-with-our-councils?lang=eng

The guest on this episode is U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Rebecca Ore. I have benefitted from her mentorship over the years, so it was such an honor to have her on the podcast to amplify her voice and wisdom. Rebecca Ore talks to us about the phenomenon of third culture kids, her international experience, and developing her guiding principles. We talk more about the power of those guiding principles, how to foster psychological safety, attract and retain the right talent. We further explore the idea of dissecting career development from leadership development that Adam Gierlach presented on a previous episode. Rebecca illustrates powerful leadership lessons all throughout the episode and models her first guiding principle of people first with a continual focus on feedback, creating curiosity, and constant learning. She closes with emphasizing that it is important to be excellent where you are at and to be authentically yourself.  Rear Admiral Ore assumed the duties of Assistant Commandant for Intelligence (CG-2), in August 2022. As Head of Intelligence Community Element and Service Cryptologic Component Commander, she  provides strategic leadership for the Coast Guard Intelligence Program encompassing collection activities, analysis and production,  information technology and security functions for geospatial, signals and human intelligence. In her previous assignment as Commanding Officer and Captain of the Port at Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach, she facilitated regional partnerships and led a team of 550 active duty, reserve and civilian personnel, and a 1,200 member volunteer Auxiliary workforce. Her team was responsible for safeguarding the marine transportation system flowing through the vital ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. As the Federal On-Scene Coordinator for the Pipeline 00547 Response in October 2021, she led a team of 1,800 personnel to mitigate oil affecting northern Mexico and the counties of Orange and San Diego. Rear Admiral Ore holds a Bachelor of Science from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and a Masters of Public Administration from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a National Security Affairs Fellow of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and a German Marshall Fund Marshall Memorial Fellow. RDML Ore is certified as a Type 1 Incident Commander in the National Incident Management System. Resources: German Marshall Fund Fellowship https://www.gmfus.org/leadership-development/fellowships Dr. Kyoung Mi Choi - Third Culture Kids: Individuals in Global Transition  https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/courageously-and-boldly/202203/third-culture-kids-individuals-in-global-transition Kim Scott - Radical Candor Radical Candor [Paperback] [Jan 01, 2018] KIM SCOTT Albert O. Hirschman - Exit Voice and Loyalty  Exit, Voice, and Loyalty: Responses to Decline in Firms, Organizations, and States

It was my esteemed privilege to talk to Marcus Canady from the Canady Leadership Group about his newly released book on this episode. We had an amazing discussion about some of his amazing insights on caring for the whole individual, building trust equity, and a style of leadership he has become deeply passionate about - intrusive leadership. Marcus shares his definition on intrusive leadership and an insights he got from an interaction with Simon Sinek on the term. He also illustrates how this leadership style  challenges the leader to get to know people on a deep level to push each person beyond their own comfort zone. We discuss how intrusive leadership combines well with servant leadership as it focuses on the needs and characteristics of each individual while digging even deeper. Marcus has a gift for teaching tough topics with an ability to reach the masses in a way that sinks in. After you listen to this episode you will realize why his new book is a must have for every leader!  Marcus Canady is a proven and tested leader that has impacted the lives of hundreds of individuals in the public and private sector. Having personally benefitted from engaged mentorship and dedicated leadership, he has researched and presented on various leadership topics across the country. Through his designed training sessions,  featured keynote addresses, and his participation on numerous discussion panels, Marcus Canady has reached thousands. Well known for his expertise on Intrusive Leadership, he has published the first-ever leadership book solely dedicated to this impactful leadership style. In Intrusive Leadership: How to become THAT Leader, he defines, dissects, and discusses the impacts of what he often describes as “the most critical leadership style for the future.” This book has received great reviews from senior military and corporate leaders. Marcus Canady, raised in Savannah, GA, graduated the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 2000 and spent over two decades on active duty. He mainly served as a MH-65 helicopter pilot and completed lifesaving missions on the high seas as well as responding to significant weather catastrophes such as Hurricane Katrina. He also successfully completed counter-narcotics missions, helping to interdict over $250 million of illegal contraband and arresting numerous narco-terrorists. His last aviation assignment was at Coast Guard Air Station Houston, TX where he served as the Commanding Officer. Marcus Canady has earned advanced degrees from Duquesne University, Syracuse University, and the prestigious National War College in Washington, DC. In 2023, Marcus Canady founded the Canady Leadership Group. This leadership consulting firm specializes in leadership development and coaching for first line managers to senior executives, creating impactful leaders that people trust and admire. He is happily married to Angelisse Canady and has three amazing children. Resources:  Marcus A. Canady - Intrusive Leadership: How to become THAT Leader https://store.currybrotherspublishing.com/intrusive-leadership Canady Leadership Group https://www.canadyleadershipgroup.com  Donate the book to military members (all branches) sponsored by Coast Guard Alumni Association https://www.cgaalumni.org/s/1043/21/interior.aspx?sid=1043&gid=1&pgid=6893  Marcus A. Canady - Racial Tension in America Requires Intrusive Military Leadership https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2020/june/racial-tension-america-requires-intrusive-military-leadership

The guest on this episode is Kevin Cador who is a Senior Partner at Ingram Barge Company  in Marine Regulatory, Compliance/Audit. Kevin talks about the rich culture of New Orleans and why so many people want to stay or come back after they have been exposed to it. We consider how we can infuse our organizations with a soul like this iconic city. Kevin and I also use the timeliness of the holidays of Juneteenth and Independence Day to dive a little deeper into the meaning of these holidays to start a wider dialogue on the topics of freedom and independence in hopes that we can create organizations, teams, and groups that look to share ownership. Kevin elaborates on the power of sharing ownership and how this powerful concept can help us create unity among diverse groups to have more meaningful collaboration. Kevin reminds us that we can't achieve most things alone and does a great job showing us how to support the people around us. Kevin and I tried to open a dialogue that allows for more individual expression and knowledge transfer so that we can continue this dialogue even further and truly take advantage of the gifts of diversity that we have bestowed upon us. This is just a starting point and we hope to hear from you on this.  For the last 21 years, Kevin worked in the U.S. Coast Guard as a Marine Safety Specialist, focusing on safety compliance, casualty investigations, pollution response, and waterway management. In addition to an Associate Degree in Business Administration, Kevin also has a certificate in Fire Science, and is a Senior at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU), pursuing a Bachelors in Fire Protection Engineering and Safety Technology. In his new role, he will provide leadership and oversight of Ingram’s vessels and facilities within the gulf coast region for internal and external regulatory inspections, third-party audits, and post incident visits by various regulatory agencies or other entities.  A New Orleans native, Kevin began and ended his military service there, and feels right at home with the support of our industry’s colleagues whom he has worked with in the past. Outside of work, Kevin loves spending time with his wife and two kids, completing home improvement projects and volunteering in his community. He’s also an avid Louisiana sports fan and regularly attends/watches New Orleans Saints, LSU Tigers Football, and New Orleans Pelicans games. Resources: The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth - Smithsonian Institution   https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/historical-legacy-juneteenth  Juneteenth: What you need to know - History Channel (YouTube)  https://youtu.be/MR3WqYI6wco  Karlos Hill & Soraya Field Fiorio - What is Juneteenth and why is it so important TED-Ed (YouTube)  https://youtu.be/lq8TNKZVEWs

I am excited to finally have the final member of my doctoral research team on this episode of the podcast. Christine has a phenomenal background in education and walks us through some of the lessons we have learned during our journey in our research to discover why it is so important to strive towards building a learning organization. She continually connects to the essence of servant leadership by reminding us that it is all about the people and the relationships we make. Christine uses some great examples to teach the building blocks of a learning organization (supportive learning environment, concrete learning practices, & leadership that reinforces learning), illustrates the value of establishing a community of practice, and emphasizes the value of doing one thing with precision.  Don't get too focused on the forest that you forget to see the trees as you listen. There are some great insights provided throughout this episode from our research and experience that are applicable across many disciplines and organizations that can transform a reactive training organization into a proactive learning organization. You can build processes that recognize the value of the individuals. on your teams and build practices that reinforce the ability of everyone to learn from one another.  Christine Kresge is the Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Montrose Area School District where she is responsible for K-12 curriculum, Federal Programs, and grant writing. Prior to her nine years as a curriculum director, Christine was a middle school reading specialist, a fourth-grade teacher, and a seventh-grade teacher. She also spent time as a social worker working in a therapeutic capacity with children diagnosed with behavior disorders. Christine holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Work, a Master of Art in Teaching degree, a Principal K-12 certificate, and a Reading Specialist certificate. She is currently a third-year student at the University of Miami where she is pursuing her doctorate in Applied Learning Sciences. Resources: David Garvin, Amy Edmondson, & Francesca Gino - Is Yours a Learning Organization?  is-yours-a-learning-organization Mary Winkler & Saunji Fyffe - Strategies for Cultivating an Organizational Learning Culture strategies_for_cultivating_an_organizational_learning_culture_2.pdf Etienne & Beverly Wegner-Trayner - Introduction to communities of practice  https://www.wenger-trayner.com/introduction-to-communities-of-practice/

It is such an honor to have retired U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Major Mike Lanpolsaen on this episode. Mike is currently working with an incredible servant leadership organization - the Warrior Scholar Project - they introduce participants to analytical reading, writing, and other academic and everyday skills crucial to success in higher education and help them become informed consumers of higher education and it is offered at no cost to veterans and enlisted service members. Mike highlights aspects of this organization that we can look to as servant leaders, and he also gives us many other things to reflect upon as we think about our leadership journey. We discuss ways to think deeper about how to connect to every level of our organization, while Mike models the astute confidence building of the Warrior Scholar Project that many of us could look to replicate in other aspects. Mike models the way and illustrates his own vulnerability, discussing Imposter Syndrome and how we need to build connections to strengthen our ability to learn to believe in ourselves. Mike discusses how 100% of past participants want to give back and how the professors donate their time and talents. Mike is giving us a formula to build confidence in our team members in a way that their abilities will be nurtured to dream great dreams and they too will give back and serve others.  Mike Lanpolsaen was born in Thailand and immigrated to the USA at the age of 11. He comes from a large family of 5 brothers and 5 sisters. After graduating from Murphy High School NC, he enlisted into the United States Marine Corps on October 1989 and attended recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, SC. As Sergeant Major, he was the command senior enlisted leader of 3d Intelligence Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 3, Inspector General of the Marine Corps, and Marine Corps Recruiting Command.  Mike Lanpolsaen personal awards includes the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal with combat “V”, Meritorious Service Medal with a gold star, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with two gold stars, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with a gold star, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, and Combat Action Ribbon with a gold star in lieu of second award.  Mike retired in November 2019 with 30 years of active-duty service and joined the Warrior Scholar Project in January 2020. He is proud to be a part of this awesome national non-profit organization that strive to provide inclusive support and skill-bridge programming to ensure the success of veterans in higher education. Mike holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree, General Studies (Summa Cum Laude) from American Military University.  Resources:  Warrior Scholar Project  https://www.warrior-scholar.org/ Jay Price - For Veterans Starting College 'Academic Boot Camps' Ease The Transition To The Classroom https://americanhomefront.wunc.org/news/2021-08-16/for-veterans-starting-college-academic-boot-camps-ease-the-transition-to-the-classroom Larry Spears - Ten Characteristics of Servant Leadership https://www.spearscenter.org/46-uncategorised/136-ten-characteristics-of-servant-leadership Leslie Jamison - Why Everyone Feels Like They're Faking It https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/02/13/the-dubious-rise-of-impostor-syndrome Elizabeth Cox - What is imposter syndrome and how you combat it? https://youtu.be/ZQUxL4Jm1Lo Michelle Obama explains imposter syndrome https://youtu.be/dumm_XfHkmY

This episode got to highlight the principle of Semper Fidelis with the perfect guest, Len Houston, who has the Marine Corps woven into the fabric of his soul and strives to be always faithful in everything he does. Len embodies this tradition throughout the episode and you will be able to see ways to weave that great Marine Corps motto into your organizations as you listen and look for ways to incorporate aspects of what you hear. Len believes deeply in being a part of something bigger than himself, building up those around him, and sharing as much knowledge as he can with the rising generation. This is eloquently described in a philosophy he describes that might challenge your perceptions about what you think a Marine should act like. Len also educates us that we need to innovate and adapt to the changing world. He shares a personal story of how he found his way back to the Marines after retiring from active duty which is a great model for all us in clear communications. Len joins us from Okinawa where he shares with us his deep love for the Japanese people, their culture and we discuss the wonderful principle Kaizen. Len reminds us to never forget where we came from and that we have a responsibility to step up - no matter how uncomfortable the situation because just like the Marines - ALL of us can all be a leader. Len was born in Ohio and raised in Western Pennsylvania. Raised in a single parent household from the age of 8, he was heavily influenced by his grandmother, who grew up during The Great Depression. Following the bombing of the Marine Barracks in Beirut, Lebanon in October 1983, Len enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in June 1984 as a part of the Delayed Entry Program. In June 1985, he attended boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, SC and attending multiple MOS or Military Occupational Specialty schools before entering the Fleet Marine Force in May 1986 with III Marine Expeditionary Force on Okinawa, Japan. Len served 21 years across multiple duty stations until he retired from the United States Marine Corps in 2006. Since retirement, he has worked in leadership/management positions across four companies, where he currently works in support of the Marine Corps.  Len has been married to his wife of nearly 36 years, they have two adult sons, and a grandchild.  Semper Fidelis - Marines  https://www.marines.com/about-the-marine-corps/who-are-the-marines/semper-fidelis.html Thomas E. Ricks - Making the Corps  Making the Corps: 10th Anniversary Edition with a New Afterword by the Author  Larry Spears - Ten Characteristics of a Servant Leader https://www.spearscenter.org/46-uncategorised/136-ten-characteristics-of-servant-leadership Kaizen Institute  https://kaizen.com/what-is-kaizen/

It was a true joy and a great privilege to have former Division I NCAA basketball coach, current leadership coach and Gonzaga doctoral student, Adam Gierlach on this episode of the podcast. Adam and I share a passion for servant leadership which connected us together. Adam highlighted the importance of nurturing the attributes of care and curiosity to foster connections and relationships as servant leaders and shared a portion of his story of how he transitioned from basketball coach to leadership coach.  He reminds us that leadership doesn't need to have anything to do with one's status in a hierarchy, and that as a servant leader it should be more about one's focus on commitment to the growth of others. Adam illustrates the importance of decoupling career growth programs from leadership development and creating a dedicated path to focus on servant first instead of leader first mentalities. This means we are coaching those around us and helping them achieve their ideal self. Adam educates us on the powerful concepts of emotional contagions in organizations and highlights profound research that emphasize the importance of being in tune with the emotions in our teams. The research shows that the lowest performing teams are often characterized as focus on self and as having the lowest emotional range, whereas the highest performing teams have the highest emotional range. This highlights that the case could be made for emotions as one of the most important thing to study in organizations. Adam also teaches the profound implications of negative emotions and even worse the numbing reaction of indifference. Leaders who listen to this material will be better prepared to build a positive community with the real individuals on their teams.   Adam operates his own leadership coaching practice, Adam Gierlach Coaching, where he primarily works with athletic coaches and student-athletes, while also serving as a leadership coach for the Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University, and the coaching company Ama La Vida, where he serves executives and leaders across a variety of organizations. He holds a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credential from the International Coaching Federation (ICF), and is a certified leadership coach through Rice University’s Doerr Institute for New Leaders. As a leadership coach, Adam helps leaders to become servant-leaders, and increase the capacity of individuals to lead. His work with others is a co-creative partnership that provides the time, space, and opportunity for you to learn about yourself, so you can serve others in more life-giving ways and act with greater impact. He transitioned into leadership coaching after nearly a decade in men’s college basketball, serving as an Assistant Coach at Rice University and Cornell University. During his time at Cornell University, the program achieved their most successful season in eight years.  Adam is a doctoral student in Gonzaga University’s School of Leadership Studies, where he studies servant-leadership and leader development. Adam earned his M.A. in Organizational Leadership with a concentration in Servant-Leadership from Gonzaga University, and a B.A. in History from Rice University. He resides in Spokane, Washington.  Resources: Adam Gierlach - Love in Basketball: Transforming Inappropriate Power in Men's College Coaching through a Servant-Led Response and Companionate Love https://ijsl.press.gonzaga.edu/articles/10.33972/ijsl.348 https://storage.googleapis.com/jnl-gl-j-ijsl-files/journals/1/articles/348/6398ce65c90fb.pdf Adam Gierlach - Love in Basketball Podcast  https://open.spotify.com/show/1eR6O5ydcNfChKnKAFL3jx?si=1851f0a78393416c Sigal Barsade and Olivia A. O’Neill - Manage Your Emotional Culture https://www.emcleaders.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Manage-Your-Emotional-Culture.pdf Marcus A. Canady (USCG) - Racial Tension in America Requires Intrusive Military Leadership https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2020/june/racial-tension-america-requires-intrusive-military-leadership  Richard Boyatzis, & Kleio Akrivou - The ideal self as the driver of intentional change https://kempstreetpartners.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Boyatzis-Akrivou-2006-The-Ideal-Self-as-the-Driver-of-Intentional-Change.pdf His Holiness the Dalai Lama & ArchBishop Desmond Tutu - The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World The Book of Joy : Lasting Happiness in a Changing World

The guest on this episode is the acclaimed author AJ Crabill who has made quite a career leading educational improvement. AJ starts off by explaining the purpose of a school board is to represent the vision and values of a community and to do that they need as much diversity as possible so they can represent the entire vision and value of the the whole community. AJ boldly declares that once you take on the mantle of leadership you have to represent everyone, not just the people who agree with you. He shared a memory of a time when he didn't think he was measuring up that helped him catch the vision of what needed to be done and helped him learn more. A good leader surrounds themselves with great people who are willing to push them to be better than they think they can be. AJ talks about the needs of students and how student outcomes don't change until adult behaviors change. He then teaches us the three powerful drivers for adult change: knowledge, skill, and mindset; with the most powerful being mindset. A change in mindset can free up knowledge and skills that are not being used to their fullest capacity. This leads us to a better process to be more reflective and introspective to assess our mindset and what can change and how we can better use our skills and knowledge. AJ uses some great stories to help illustrate how to learn to go beyond listening to the issues and listen for the values in ways that limit divisiveness and create more holistic and unifying outcomes. We can't please everyone, and he expects healthy debate. When a decision is made if we have employed the proper listening and mindset we should be able to move forward in unity to support the decision.  Airick Journey AJ Crabill serves as Conservator at DeSoto Independent School District, where during his guidance, DeSoto improved from F ratings in academics, finance, and governance to B ratings -- and as Governance Director at Council of the Great City School. He served as Deputy Commissioner at Texas’ Education Agency and Board Chair of Kansas City Public Schools. He authored a chapter on Scholl board leadership to improve student outcome in On Leadership an Interdisciplinary Approach edited by Denver Fowler and Meghan Raehll and AJ's book "Great on Their Behalf: Why School Boards Fail, How Yours can Become More Effective" just released in March of 2023.  AJ believes that Student outcomes don't change until adult behaviors change. AJ affirms Changing adult behaviors requires new mindsets, new knowledge, and/or new skills. AJ’s intention is to transform student outcomes through the transformation of adult mindsets, knowledge, and skills -- starting with his own. Resources: Airick Journey (AJ) Crabill - Website (book links, bio, blog) https://www.ajc7.com/ Airick Journey (AJ) Crabill - Great on Their Behalf: Why School Boards Fail, How Yours can Become More Effective Great on Their Behalf: Why School Boards Fail, How Yours Can Become Effective  Marcus A. Canady (USCG) - Racial Tension in America Requires Intrusive Military Leadership https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2020/june/racial-tension-america-requires-intrusive-military-leadership

I am honored to have the founder of Integrate Well Coaching, Alicia Wolfe, as my guest for this episode. Alicia shares some great insight on how she brings levity through possibility and helps people face hard things by focusing on what is truly possible. This helps honor the challenges people face by recognizing that each of us has our own summit and definition of what success means. We talk about the power of possibility and how focusing on that brings levity because words and thoughts have power. By thinking about things in the proper framework we can harness that power in new ways. Alicia guides us through the inspiring principle of self-leadership and champions it as a foundational leadership trait to leading others. In her own path to leading self, she had to overcome limiting beliefs and voices. We discuss some of these and describe the pitfall of comparison while highlighting the power of self-improvement as a motivational tool. Alicia illustrates the power of establishing core values, vision, and cultivating curiosity to prevent being distracted by other peoples comparisons and limiting voices. She distinguishes courage comes before confidence and shares a personal experience of when a company took a chance on her. We all need someone to believe in us and we can look for opportunities to believe in others when they don't quite believe in themselves. Every person is valuable and can be the solution to a problem our organization has if we help them rise to that occasion. We just have learn to look to for the possibilities like Alicia and appreciate the world for what it could be.  Alicia is a life & leadership coach, a mother of 2 young girls, a wife, an entrepreneur, a speaker, and a full-time traveler! Alicia studied Organizational Leadership at Gonzaga University and continued her education in Women’s Leadership after that. She has supported hundreds of female (and male) leaders step into the best versions of themselves, both professionally and personally. In the past 5 years, Alicia has learned (and unlearned) what truly matters to her and has built a life that lives into that. Alicia is a HECK YES to the things that matter to her and let the rest slide. She is a visionary and one of Alicia’s core values is possibility, but she is also known as "the Queen of Practicality" because Alicia can take a bold vision or goal and help her clients create a clear pathway to success through little shifts and practical steps. Alicia knows living a BIG life doesn’t just come from daydreaming and vision boards. And her clients get clear, simple, practical tools to help them create the life they love. Alicia puts the "ha!" in hard work. She knows that development, self-discovery, and personal growth can be really challenging, but slightly less challenging when you can laugh your way through it! Resources: Alicia Wolfe - Integrate Well https://www.integratewell.co/blog  James Kouzes & Barry Posner - The Leadership Challenge The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations (J-B Leadership Challenge: Kouzes/Posner)  Parker J. Palmer - The Courage to Teach The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life, 20th Anniversary Edition  Gonzaga University - Leadership and Hardiness  https://www.gonzaga.edu/online-graduate-programs/online-programs/m-a-organizational-leadership/domestic-immersions/leadership-and-hardiness

I had the esteem privilege to have Mike Oliver as the guest on this episode who makes a bold declaration that the quality of our life is only equal to the degree of the challenges we are willing to take on. He backs that up by taking on the challenge to recreate the entire High School experience. He is working to give students access to a community of leaders, maximizing seat time flexibility, inviting learning by inquiry and creating shared leadership among many other things. Mike teaches us that the collection of people we have in the room is the smartest aspect of our environment and not just one person. It is paramount that we create an environment of psychological safety and that we see people for who they can become, believing them into that. Celebrating our approximations each step of the way and making adjustments as needed to adapt to the needs of the learners. Mike helps us believe that we can be a part of this educational revolution, that he describes as a civil rights movement, that students deserve to give them more of an educational experience they deserve. He goes on to teach us about Culture Bound Theory and the need to disrupt our way of thinking so we can expose ourselves to our own biases. This will open our mind to new ways of thinking and seeing the world around us. We can continue to do things the same old way and look for ways to do it better or we can begin to do better things.  Mike Oliver is the progressive principal of Mountain View High School in Mesa, Arizona. He is passionate about teaching and learning and has taken a stand with innovation in public education.  Mike was the founding principal of Zaharis Elementary School, recognized as one of the “25 most innovative, inspiring and coolest schools in America” and the “exemplary school for literacy development in the US” by Scholastic.  Mike has a doctorate degree in Leadership and Innovation from Arizona State University and has committed to working alongside the Mountain View staff and community in reimagining what school can be.  He has boldly declared that Mountain View will become the premiere high school in all of America and welcomes the accountability associated with such a grand expectation.  Mike’s priority is his faith and his family.  He is happily married to his wife, Trish, and they have four children and two grandchildren.  Mike is passionate about running, having run over 30 marathons and several ultramarathons, including a 100-mile race.    Resources: ABC News - Team Teaching is Breaking the Mold of High School Education https://www.abc15.com/news/national/team-teaching-is-breaking-the-mold-of-high-school-education Michael A. Oliver - Disrupting Culture Bound Realities: A Parent Perspective of Zaharis Elementary School  https://keep.lib.asu.edu/_flysystem/fedora/c7/Oliver_asu_0010E_21150.pdf Linda Darling-Hammond & Channa M. Cook-Harvey (2018) - Educating the Whole Child: Improving School Climate to Support Student Success https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED606462.pdf Sam Foss - The Calf Path (poem) https://poets.org/poem/calf-path (YouTube version) https://youtu.be/PQ9crN_hH6o Walter D. Wintle - The Man Who Thinks He Can (Poem) https://rainydaypoems.com/poems-for-kids/inspirational-poems/the-man-who-thinks-he-can-walter-d-wintle/ (YouTube Version) https://youtu.be/njbdOCBeOc0

The guest of this episode is Northwestern State University Professor Matt DeFord who talks about the value of being present with the people around you and in the environment you are in. Matt talks about the importance of setting healthy boundaries and how that can help us be present and also set the tone to empower others. This also set the stage to talk about the importance for us as Servant Leaders to help those around us set healthy boundaries. Matt talked about leadership in hurricane response, at the University, in his Church responsibilities and in his personal life while displaying the power of getting to know the people around him and learning their unique strengths and gifts. This allows him to find the appropriate ways to delegate, appreciate, and congratulate the people around him to harness their potential and help them grow. He teaches us that we can set a vision and allow the people around us to use their individual processes to complete the tasks in ways that can amaze us. Just because the process is different than our own doesn't mean it is wrong and often we can learn from the way other's do things differently. He discusses ways that his creativity is thwarted while displaying avenues where we can improve creativity in our organizations. Challenges are the opportunities that life gives us and balance really is a myth, so it is up to us to choose where to focus our priorities at a given time. When we learn to harness the complete team, we can expand our ability to meet our organization's priorities through delegation and empowerment. We can all be a leader wherever we are when we are willing to serve each other and build one another up!  Matt DeFord is the son of hippie converts. They met each other hitchhiking, then found religion after crossing the plains with their thumbs out. He grew up in the Midwest and Texas. After serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the South Africa Johannesburg mission, he met and married Canadian Julie Heggie while attending Ricks College (BYU-Idaho). They have seven children and live in Natchitoches, Louisiana where he is a professor of Art at Northwestern State University. He was Chair of the Department of Fine and Graphic Arts for twelve years and has served in the church as bishop and stake president while also fulfilling his professional and familial responsibilities. Matt has never sought out leadership or considered himself much of a leader, but the opportunities have presented themselves to him and he has worked to serve those around him. Resources: NSU professors bonded for life after kidney donation - KSLA News https://www.ksla.com/2021/08/26/nsu-professors-bonded-life-after-one-donates-kidney-another/ DeFord Designs Cinco de Mayo Pen - Natchitoches Times https://www.natchitochestimes.com/2022/05/03/deford-designs-cinco-de-mayo-pen/ Ensign College Devotional with Elder David A. Bednar - Living in Revelation  https://www.ensign.edu/devotional/elder-david-a-bednar-and-jeff-simpson-01-2023