Why So Many Bad Leaders Exist

On this episode of The Jon Gordon Podcast, I sit down with Bernard Banks—director of the Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University and co-author of The New Science of Momentum—for a powerful conversation about leadership that endures.

Bernard draws on his experiences teaching at West Point, leading at Northwestern's Kellogg School, and developing future leaders at Rice to share what makes great leadership: character, competence, intentionality, and accountability. We discuss the importance of trust, positive influence, and the ability to balance results with empathy to achieve sustainable success.

Bernard also offers key insights from his new book about how leaders turn moments into momentum, breaking down practical strategies backed by research and lived experience.

Whether you're leading a team or just starting out, this episode is a reminder that leadership is about influence and impact, not just authority. Tune in for actionable inspiration to grow as a leader and make a lasting difference.

About Bernard,

Dr. Bernard (Bernie) Banks is a renowned expert in leadership and organizational change, with global experience leading and developing teams across diverse sectors. He currently serves as Director of Rice University's Doerr Institute for New Leaders and Professor in the Practice of Leadership at the Jones Graduate School of Business.

A retired U.S. Army Brigadier General, Dr. Banks led West Point's Department of Behavioral Sciences & Leadership before transitioning to academia, where he also served on the senior leadership team at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.

He holds degrees from West Point, Northwestern, Columbia, Harvard, and a Ph.D. in social-organizational psychology from Columbia. His work has appeared in Harvard Business Review, Military Psychology, and The New York Times, and his latest book, The New Science of Momentum (HarperCollins, 2025), explores how great leaders and coaches build lasting impact.

Here's a few additional resources for you…

Follow me on Instagram: @JonGordon11

Order my new book 'The 7 Commitments of a Great Team' today!

Every week, I send out a free Positive Tip newsletter via email. It's advice for your life, work and team. You can sign up now here and catch up on past newsletters.

Ready to lead with greater clarity, confidence, and purpose? The Certified Positive Leader Program is for anyone who wants to grow as a leader from the inside out. It's a self-paced experience built around my most impactful leadership principles with tools you can apply right away to improve your mindset, relationships, and results. You'll discover what it really means to lead with positivity… and how to do it every day. Learn more here!

Join me for my Day of Development! You'll learn proven strategies to develop confidence, improve your leadership and build a connected and committed team. You'll leave with an action plan to supercharge your growth and results. It's time to Create your Positive Advantage. Get details and sign up here.

Do you feel called to do more? Would you like to impact more people as a leader, writer, speaker, coach and trainer? Get Jon Gordon Certified if you want to be mentored by me and my team to teach my proven frameworks principles, and programs for businesses, sports, education, healthcare!