CEO.com | Dispatches from the frontiers of leadership Kyle McDowell Inc. Founder & CEO Kyle McDowell
Mar 27, 2025
37:04
In this episode of the CEO Podcast, we dive deep into the transformative world of leadership with our special guest, Kyle McDowell, the author of the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller, "Begin With We: The 10 Principles for Building and Sustaining a Culture of Excellence." With nearly 30 years of experience in corporate America, leading tens of thousands of employees, Kyle shares invaluable insights on what it means to be a leader today.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
00:18 - Discussing Leadership and Historical Leaders
00:28 - Introduction to the Book "Begin With We"
00:43 - Guest's Background in Corporate America
01:10 - Paradigm Shift in Leadership Approach
01:32 - The Birth of the 10 Principles
02:04 - Feeling Disconnected in Corporate America
02:26 - Creating a Culture of Excellence
03:09 - Transformation and Results
03:31 - From Bosses to Leaders
04:04 - Leadership's Evolving Challenges
05:00 - CEOs' Roles Inside and Outside Companies
05:12 - Authenticity in Leadership
06:05 - The Shift in Leadership Dynamics
07:08 - The Impact of Remote Work and Gig Economy
08:12 - Establishing Leadership Principles
08:23 - The 10 Principles Overview
09:07 - Principle 1: We Do the Right Thing, Always
09:59 - Principle 2: Lead by Example
10:20 - Principle 3: We Say What We're Going to Do, and Then We Do It
11:03 - Principle 4: We Take Action
11:56 - Principle 5: We Own Our Mistakes
12:26 - Principle 6: We Pick Each Other Up
13:30 - Principle 7: We Measure Ourselves by Outcomes, Not Activity
14:47 - Principle 8: We Challenge Each Other
15:39 - Principle 9: We Embrace Challenge
16:31 - Principle 10: We Obsess Over Details
17:43 - The Importance of Simplicity in Principles
18:05 - Judging Ourselves on Outcomes
19:01 - The Problem with Busyness in Corporate Culture
20:29 - The Dependency on Meetings
21:10 - Writing the Book: Process and Challenges
24:01 - Reading Recommendations
26:13 - Daily Routine and Personal Discipline
28:27 - Coaching CEOs and Leaders
31:05 - Thoughts on AI and Future Challenges
34:37 - The Importance of Giving Chances
36:48 - Closing Remarks and Book Promotion
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
00:18 - Discussing Leadership and Historical Leaders
00:28 - Introduction to the Book "Begin With We"
00:43 - Guest's Background in Corporate America
01:10 - Paradigm Shift in Leadership Approach
01:32 - The Birth of the 10 Principles
02:04 - Feeling Disconnected in Corporate America
02:26 - Creating a Culture of Excellence
03:09 - Transformation and Results
03:31 - From Bosses to Leaders
04:04 - Leadership's Evolving Challenges
05:00 - CEOs' Roles Inside and Outside Companies
05:12 - Authenticity in Leadership
06:05 - The Shift in Leadership Dynamics
07:08 - The Impact of Remote Work and Gig Economy
08:12 - Establishing Leadership Principles
08:23 - The 10 Principles Overview
09:07 - Principle 1: We Do the Right Thing, Always
09:59 - Principle 2: Lead by Example
10:20 - Principle 3: We Say What We're Going to Do, and Then We Do It
11:03 - Principle 4: We Take Action
11:56 - Principle 5: We Own Our Mistakes
12:26 - Principle 6: We Pick Each Other Up
13:30 - Principle 7: We Measure Ourselves by Outcomes, Not Activity
14:47 - Principle 8: We Challenge Each Other
15:39 - Principle 9: We Embrace Challenge
16:31 - Principle 10: We Obsess Over Details
17:43 - The Importance of Simplicity in Principles
18:05 - Judging Ourselves on Outcomes
19:01 - The Problem with Busyness in Corporate Culture
20:29 - The Dependency on Meetings
21:10 - Writing the Book: Process and Challenges
24:01 - Reading Recommendations
26:13 - Daily Routine and Personal Discipline
28:27 - Coaching CEOs and Leaders
31:05 - Thoughts on AI and Future Challenges
34:37 - The Importance of Giving Chances
36:48 - Closing Remarks and Book Promotion