People and Projects Podcast: Project Management Podcast PPP 450 | Why Most Leaders Fail—And How to Avoid Their Mistakes, with Mark Miller
In this episode, Andy talks with Mark Miller about his book Uncommon Greatness: Five Fundamentals to Transform Your Leadership. They discuss the importance of having leaders who believe in and invest in their teams, contrasting common leaders with those who strive for uncommon greatness. The conversation explores Mark’s journey from a vocational track student to a senior leader at Chick-fil-A, highlighting lessons from his childhood and career. Key topics include seeing the future, engaging and developing others, the power of community in teams, and the importance of lifelong learning.
If you're looking to level up your ability to lead, this is a great episode for you!
Sound Bites- "When I walk in a room, I'm trying to figure out how I can add the most value. And sometimes that is to take charge, and sometimes it's to take out the trash."
- "The differentiator is the level of care and concern people have for each other."
- "Certainty is not ours to provide — but clarity is."
- "Lifelong learning is the only path to more influence, impact, and opportunity."
- "If you’re not pursuing something, you’re not leading."
- "You don’t want to call them out--you want to call them up."
- "It's not just about personal excellence--it's about making others better."
- "It’s not about grand gestures. Engagement is built over time through consistent, intentional actions."
- 00:00 Introduction
- 01:59 Start of Interview
- 02:50 Mark's Backstory
- 06:08 A Latin Word to Lead By
- 07:45 It's More Than Personal Excellence
- 11:38 How To See the Future
- 16:45 Maintaining a Customer Bias
- 18:04 How to Engage and Develop Others
- 31:12 Advice for Parents
- 34:03 End Of Interview
- 34:21 Andy Comments After The Interview
- 37:16 Outtakes
You can learn more about Mark and his book at LeadEveryDay.com/Uncommon-Greatness. Also, reach out to Mark via his mobile phone at 678-612-8441.
For more learning on this topic, check out:
- Episode 410 with Ryan Hawk about his book on excellence.
- Episode 391 with Adam Bryant about his wonderfully engaging book on becoming a leader.
- Episode 252 with the Father of the Strengths Movement, Marcus Buckingham.
Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!
Talent Triangle: Power Skills
Topics: Leadership, Project Management, Team Development, Engagement, Personal Excellence, High-Performance Teams, Lifelong Learning, Influence
The following music was used for this episode:
Music: Brooklyn Nights by Tim Kulig License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license