The Dr. John Bedker Leadership Podcast

John Bedker

The art and craft of leadership is more important in today’s turbulent world than ever before. If you want to learn about what makes a great leader and be able to apply leadership skills to enrich your life and those around you, then this podcast is for you. Dr. John Bedker shares a lifetime of real leadership experiences and unpacks the ins and outs of what makes a great leader...and what does not. Gain actionable insights for your own leadership journey and learn from stories of the world’s most effective leaders across all walks of life. Visit our website at: https://drjohnbedkerleadership.com/ read less

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This episode showcases Kindness as a leadership core competency. Kindness is free. It is uplifting and can have a ripple effect on others. Kindness is needed in our turbulent and troubled world and can play a consequential and strategic role in your leadership journey. Incorporate kindness in your leadership practice.

Episodes

This episode showcases Kindness as a leadership core competency. Kindness is free. It is uplifting and can have a ripple effect on others. Kindness is needed in our turbulent and troubled world and can play a consequential and strategic role in your leadership journey. Incorporate kindness in your leadership practice.

#057: Economic Leadership

#057: Economic Leadership

The economic competition between China and the West could not be more important. There exists no central agency or authority to manage or lead this critical effort. A coordinated approach with friends and allies is essential. This episode lays out a beginning framework for such an effort. Defense and diplomacy are not enough. We need economic leadership to prevail.

#056: Goh Choon Phong - Exemplary Leader

#056: Goh Choon Phong - Exemplary Leader

Mr. Goh Choon Phong, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Singapore Airlines was awarded the 2024 Airline Transport World Excellence in Leadership Award. His leadership journey has been remarkable. His drive to be customer-centric, meaning both employees and travelers, has proven an important leadership benchmark for success; be process-driven rather than outcome-based. Service excellence, product leadership, and network ease are his three pillars of leadership - an exemplary leader, with exemplary values for each of us to follow.

#055: Trust and Trustworthiness

#055: Trust and Trustworthiness

Trust is based upon trustworthy behavior. Trust is an essential leadership core competency. What you say and what you do are the connecting dots to trustworthy behavior. For leadership to be effective it must be consistent. In this episode, Dr. Bedker looks back at two previous episodes and updates their continued untrustworthy behavior. The First Congressional District of Virginia and the Boeing Commercial Aircraft Company are showcased.

#054: Homelessness

#054: Homelessness

The issue of homelessness is a far too frequent presence in our lives. Cities across our nation offer a disturbing display of a challenging and multivariate public health issue. From resource funding, to training, knowledge, and experience for public health leaders, to every one of us; we must be aware and sensitive to help those in need. The challenges are numerous and the time to mitigate homelessness may be lengthy, but we all must be aware of our common call to help those in need. A particular mention of homeless veterans is offered.

#053: Leading in a Turbulent World

#053: Leading in a Turbulent World

Our world is troubled and it is turbulent. Leadership today is more needed and necessary than ever before. There is leadership strength in numbers. Each of us must speak up, speak out, and defend the truth, defend facts, and as we are all called to do: do the right thing. We know what the right thing is; the call to action for each of us is to do the right thing.

#052: Thurgood Marshall - Exemplary Leader

#052: Thurgood Marshall - Exemplary Leader

This episode showcases an exemplary leader, Thurgood Marshall. The first African-American to serve as a Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States. A believer in realism, not textualism. A believer in equal protection. Justice Marshall was a notable supporter of human, individual, and civil rights. In doing this he personified the quest of this podcast: do the right thing.

#051: Do The Right Thing

#051: Do The Right Thing

In this episode Dr. Bedker goes back to the very reason for this podcast; the halcyon call for leaders to “do the right thing.” In our troubled and turbulent world, leaders may find difficulty in doing the right thing. The case is made that doing the right thing, even in the most difficult of times, is the ultimate responsibility of leaders. Tell the truth, do not operate from fear, and give hope to those you lead.

#050: Follow-Up on Boeing and Leadership

#050: Follow-Up on Boeing and Leadership

In this episode, Dr. Bedker follows up on the Boeing leadership story that began in Episode 22. Follow-up is an important leadership competency and Dr. Bedker models this competency in this episode. Judgment and decision-making are highlighted. Incidents and events by suppliers and Boeing’s regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are documented.

#049: America’s Role in Global Leadership

#049: America’s Role in Global Leadership

In this most important episode, Dr. Bedker discusses the current inflection point of U.S. global leadership. Does the United States retreat to isolationism and unravel the many global alliances that have accounted for peace and prosperity, or do we persevere in the grand experiment of democracy? Thought leaders and elected officials are quoted in this episode, from radio host Charlemagne Tha God to Ambassador John Herbst, to Dr. Fiona Hill. The article concludes by quoting Vice President Kamala Harris's remarks at the Munich Security Conference.

#048: Jay Powell and the Role of FED Leadership

#048: Jay Powell and the Role of FED Leadership

In this episode, Dr. Bedker takes a complex topic with many moving parts and synthesizes the topic to better understand the role of leadership of the Federal Reserve. Chairman Jay Powell, the leader of the Fed is showcased. His many leadership challenges to provide a stable and growing economy with full employment is an immense challenge. Leadership core competencies of judgment and decision-making are highlighted.

#047: Leadership Core Competencies for a Troubled World

#047: Leadership Core Competencies for a Troubled World

Dr. John Bedker operationalizes key leadership core competencies for our troubled world. What leadership competencies do each of us need, as leaders, in these turbulent times? John unpacks several of them. From reflection to grounding in the truth, to empathy, Dr. Bedker operationalizes these leadership core competencies. Frequently practicing these competencies with genuineness, and intent over time is essential and needed in our world today.

#046: The World Ahead 2024

#046: The World Ahead 2024

In this first episode of 2024, Dr. Bedker takes a look ahead into the new year. Tom Standage, the editor of The World Ahead 2024 has written the cover article for The Economist and this piece serves as the source for this year’s first episode. A top 10 list is given by Standage as ‘themes to watch” in 2024. Dr. Bedker provides a contextual leadership framework for each of these themes. 2024 will be a year of many challenges for leaders.

#045: Year in Review

#045: Year in Review

In this year-end episode Dr. Bedker delivers a review of this past year’s episodes. It has been a busy and very challenging year for leaders and leadership. From institutions to individuals Dr. Bedker has showcased the good and the bad. Exemplary leaders such as Steve Kerr and Bill Russell began the year and fellow exemplars Rosalyn Carter and Charlie Munger, both having recently passed are showcased more recently. Leadership truly is critical in our world today. Leaders have never been more important.

#044: Rosalynn Carter and Charlie Munger - Leaders

#044: Rosalynn Carter and Charlie Munger - Leaders

In this episode, Dr. Bedker quotes two iconic leaders, Rosalynn Carter and Charlie Munger, as a means to share their lives of exemplars in leadership. Rosalynn Carter, the first lady of Georgia and first lady of the United States, and Charlie Munger, vice-chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, the hugely successful investment company are showcased for their lives of exemplary leadership. We all can learn from their lifetimes of leadership by example. They modeled the leadership way.

#043: Leadership Today - Across the Board

#043: Leadership Today - Across the Board

In this episode Dr. Bedker talks a walk down the leadership boardwalk. He showcases current social, political, economic, military, labor and sports leadership events in our world today. This episode is a cameo for leaders across several of the central components of our lives. Are we “doing the right thing” from a leadership perspective? Sometimes yes, and sometimes no. Each is given attention in this contemporaneous episode.

#042: For Leadership to be effective, it must be consistent

#042: For Leadership to be effective, it must be consistent

The episode focuses on a key leadership axiom: "For leadership to be effective it must be consistent." Historical and current examples are given from a David Leonhardt article to showcase both the successes and failures of leaders as they try to lead diverse groups. For leaders to do the right thing, they may be able to effect positive change through eliminating or mitigating even one variable in a leadership challenge. The metaphor of the fire triangle is offered to make this point.

#041: Hakeem Jeffries - Minority Leader

#041: Hakeem Jeffries - Minority Leader

The leadership of the United States House of Representatives is a mess. The former senior leader, the Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy was ousted. Two weeks have passed and the Representative, Jim Jordan, that has been seeking the speakership has faltered on his first two attempts to win the votes necessary to become Speaker. In this episode Dr. Bedker details those events and provides a leadership picture for the opposing party, the Democratic Party. Hakeem Jeffries, the Minority Leader is showcased.

#040: Congressional Leadership Failure

#040: Congressional Leadership Failure

In this 40th episode of the Dr. John Bedker Leadership Podcast, Dr. Bedker highlights the background and results of the Motion to Vacate the office of the Speaker of the Unites States House of Representatives, Representative Kevin McCarthy. The Speaker was removed by a vote of a small number of his fellow Republican members. The leadership deficiencies of Speaker McCarthy are clear and consistent. Congressional leadership needs to lead to govern. Speaker McCarthy did neither.

#039: Women and Leadership

#039: Women and Leadership

In this episode, Dr. Bedker shares the many and varied leadership core competencies of women. Women in leadership do not get the attention it deserves. Women can be and are excellent leaders. Dr. Bedker highlights a real-life example in this episode; the launch of the first American into space. The movie “Hidden Figures” is detailed and the women who made the computations for launch. Women and leadership provide a benchmark for all of us. Cheers, to women and leadership.