Intentional Leader with Cal Walters

Commander of Special Operations Command of the Afghan National Army Haibatullah Alizai, took over as Afghanistan’s Chief of General Staff (the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs equivalent) just days before the Taliban made a push into Kabul, after General Wali Mohammad Ahmadzai was removed from the post.  On this episode, he discusses his perspective on leading during the difficult moments in Afghanistan as the Taliban seized territory and the US troops withdrew from Afghanistan.  He reflects on lessons he learned as a leader and his hopes for the future of Afghanistan.  

On today's quick hit episode, Cal shares three keys to being a leader that's not about you.  If you’re interested in growing in your leadership practice and being inspired to think differently and unlock greater personal potential, we want to give you a gift. Just click the link below and tell us where to send you 12 Ideas That Will Make You A Better Leader In 2022.

Ryan Gottfredson, Ph.D. is a cutting-edge mindset author, researcher, and consultant. He helps organizations vertically develop their leaders primarily through a focus on mindsets. He helps improve organizations, leaders, teams, and employees by improving their mindsets. Ryan is currently a leadership and management professor at the College of Business and Economics at California State University-Fullerton (CSUF). He holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Human Resources from Indiana University, and a B.A. from Brigham Young University Ryan is the author of “Success Mindsets: The Key to Unlocking Greater Success in Your Life, Work, & Leadership.” (Morgan James Publishing), and Wall Street Journal and USA Today Best Seller. He also works with organizations to develop their leaders and improve their culture (collective mindsets). He has worked with top leadership teams at CVS Health (top 130 leaders), Deutsche Telekom (500+ of their top 2,000 leaders), and dozens of other organizations. As a respected authority and researcher on topics related to leadership, management, and organizational behavior, Ryan has published over 15 articles across a variety of journals including: Journal of Management, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Business Horizons, Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, and Journal of Leadership Studies. His research has been cited over 2,000 times since 2014. Take the Mindset Assessment here: https://s.ryangottfredson.com/mindsetassessment Take the Vertical Development Assessment here: https://ryangottfredson.com/vertical-development-assessment

Garry Ridge has 25 years of experience as Chairman and CEO of WD-40 Company. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego, where he teaches the principles and practices of corporate culture in the Master of Science in Executive Leadership program. Garry’s philosophy on company culture is based on Aristotle’s quote – “Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.” Turning that into action, he believes that all leaders can create a workplace where you go to work each day, make a contribution to something bigger than yourself, learn something new, feel safe, are protected, and are provided freedom by a set of values and go home happy! He is passionate about the learning and empowering organizational culture he has helped establish at the WD-40 Company. In 2009, he co-authored a book with Ken Blanchard outlining his effective leadership techniques, titled “Helping People Win at Work: A Business Philosophy Called ‘Don’t Mark My Paper, Help Me Get an A.” A native of Australia, Mr. Ridge holds a certificate in Modern Retailing and a Master of Science in Executive Leadership from the University of San Diego. Learn more about Garry's work at https://thelearningmoment.net His top book recommendations: All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten  Infinite Game To Be Honest  Helping People Win at Work The Unexpected Learning Moment  Follow Garry on LinkedIn here!  

Would you like to partner with us at Intentional Leader?  Consider becoming a monthly supporter on Patreon.  Sign up here!   If you’re interested in growing in your leadership practice and being inspired to think differently and unlock greater personal potential, we want to give you a gift. Just click the link below and tell us where to send you 12 Ideas That Will Make You A Better Leader In 2022. Stephen Drum is a combat-tested Retired Navy SEAL Master Chief with 27 years of experience leading and developing high-performance teams.  He recently co-developed and taught “Warrior Toughness” training for The U.S. Navy, which fundamentally changed the culture of the Navy in how it trains and prepares young sailors and officers.  An in-demand speaker and consultant, who helps individuals and organizations develop leadership and performance strategies, so they can plan, prepare, and execute at the highest levels when it matters most.  He has trained and led U.S. and foreign partner special operations forces on high-risk and strategically vital missions across the globe, including combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.  During his Navy career, Stephen has personally trained thousands of elite military soldiers and Navy SEAL candidates, helping them succeed in severe training courses and overseas combat operations.

Sign up here to attend the MMoment II on July 23, 2022 in Alexandria, VA!  The MMoment is an intentional, purposeful investment in you by us, your team at Military Mentors, or MM for short (the spelling of the MMoment is a play on our name). Our version of an immersive experience, it is an intense, 1-day experience twice a year for ~50 national security professionals, both civilian and military. The MMoment is not just a conference or set of TED talks, but rather a reflective and interactive experience to inspire transformative leadership. Sabrina Dalton is the Director of Programs for Military Mentors. Military Mentors mission is to elevate, educate and facilitate mentorship for the military and beyond. In her capacity as the Director of Programs, she oversees the eMMissary Program, a leader development fellowship, and the MMoment, a one-day, intensive leadership conference in the DC area. Sabrina is a graduate of the University of Colorado, Denver and is currently pursuing a Legal Assistant certificate through the University of Oklahoma Law Center. Most importantly, Sabrina is a military spouse, homeschooler and a mother. She is married to Tyler, a US Space Force Officer, and together they have 3 children that bring light and joy to their lives. On this episode, we discuss: the MMoment II the backstory to her joining Military Mentors the inspirational leadership of Dr. Chevy Cook (the Executive Director of Military Mentors) her decision to be a stay at home mom some of the tough (and controversial decisions) that carry guilt and shame as a mom some of her key principles for success as a mom If you want to learn more about Command Sergeant Major (Retired) Bill Thetford (mentioned during this episode), you can read his bio here.   If you’re interested in growing in your leadership practice and being inspired to think differently and unlock greater personal potential, we want to give you a gift. Just click the link below and tell us where to send you 12 Ideas That Will Make You A Better Leader In 2022.

This episode with Patrick Lencioni is a great segue from the article released by Wes Cochrane last week titled, "Does Your Team Suck at Workplace Conflict?"  Read that article here.   Patrick Lencioni is one of the founders and president of The Table Group, a firm dedicated to providing organizations with ideas, products and services that improve teamwork, clarity and employee engagement. Patrick’s passion for organizations and teams is reflected in his writing, speaking and executive consulting. He is the author of 11 best-selling books, which have sold over 6 million copies and been translated more than 30 languages. His capstone book, The Advantage, is the pre-eminent source on organizational health. After sixteen years in print, his classic book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, remains a weekly fixture on national best-seller lists. Released in 2016, The Ideal Team Player is a much-anticipated follow-up to his team book and also a Wall Street Journal best-seller. The wide-spread appeal of Lencioni’s leadership models have yielded a diverse base of speaking and consulting clients, including a mix of Fortune 500 companies, professional sports organizations, the military, non-profits, schools and churches. Pat addresses thousands of leaders each year at world-class organizations and national conferences. Consistently the top rated keynote speaker at major events, Pat shares his insights and inspires his audiences through his accessibility, humor and story-telling. The Wall Street Journal said he is "one of the most in-demand business speakers." Named in Fortune magazine as one of the ‘ten new gurus you should know,’ Pat and his work have been featured in USA TODAY, Bloomberg Businessweek, and Harvard Business Review, to name a few. Prior to founding his firm, he worked as a corporate executive for Sybase, Oracle and Bain & Company. Pat lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and four sons. Pat is really excited about a brand new concept he and his team are launching this week called the 6 Types of Working Genius. This is an incredible tool that helps you and I identify what we are really good at and those parts of work that make us most frustrated.  Pat had me take the assessment and we discuss my results and his results.  We also dive into the organizational health movement, how to create what he calls “vulnerability-based trust” on your team, why the right kind of conflict on a team is a sign of health, and much more.  To do The 6 Types of Working Genius Assessment, click here

Hello my friend! I wanted to share a very short message today… As many of you know, I’m a lawyer in the Army.  And part of being in the Army (at least for what I do), means we move every few years.  During the month of June, my family and I will be moving from the area around Fort Bragg, NC to Charlottesville, VA where I’ll be teaching at the Army JAG School.  I’m really excited to get to work the teaching muscle and hopefully be a positive influence on the many Army leaders that flow through the JAG School.  So, if you have any must-do recommendations for Charlottesville or anywhere in Virginia, please let me know! You can shoot me an email to cal@calwalters.me. At least for the next episode (and perhaps more), I’ll be re-airing some of this show’s most popular episodes starting with my interview with Patrick Lencioni.  This episode with Patrick Lencioni is a great segue from the article released by Wes Cochrane last week titled, "Does Your Team Suck at Workplace Conflict?"  Read that article here.   Thanks for your patience while we’re packing up and then unpacking, getting utilities setup, and settling into our new community.  Thanks for supporting this show, and I’ll be back with some new episodes very soon.

If you’re interested in growing in your leadership practice and being inspired to think differently and unlock greater personal potential, we want to give you a gift. Just click the link below and tell us where to send you 12 Ideas That Will Make You A Better Leader In 2022. Sign up to attend the MMoment II!  It will take place on Saturday, July 23, 2022 from 8am-3pm at ALX Community Waterfront, Alexandria, VA Join us for this intentional, purposeful investment in YOU; an intense and immersive, 1-day experience for ~50 national security professionals, both civilian and military. The MMoment is not just a conference or set of TED talks, but rather a reflective and interactive experience to inspire transformative leadership. Sign up here! In 2013, Joe Byerly thought something was missing in his journey to become a better leader. He wanted to create a place where leaders could share their hard-won lessons and help each other along the journey. He started looking in the place where he captured his own lessons, quotes from books, and ideas for the future –his green notebook. Today, From the Green Notebook is run by a team of passionate professionals who want to help others lead with the best version of themselves. Get a copy of Joe's new book, My Green Notebook: Know Thyself Before Changing Jobs.    

We're celebrating 3 years of podcasting!   Thank you to all of you that listen to and support this show!   I want to specifically thank two groups of supporters, our Patreon members and those that have left a rating/review on Apple Pocasts or Spotify.  Your support goes a long way! Want to become a Patron of Intentional Leader?  You can support the podcast by donating $1, $2, $5 (or whatever you like!) on Patreon.  Sign up here! Want to help us continue to get great guests and grow this community?  Please leave a rating or review on Apple Podcasts here or on Spotify here. Today I get the mic flipped on me by my good friend Wes Cochrane.  Wes joined me on Episode 84 when we interviewed his brother, Graham Cochrane, and as you’ll hear during this conversation, Wes was part of the reason I started this show in the first place.  So why am I doing this unique format today?  Well, three main reasons.  First, I’ve had many of you ask when I was going to get behind the mic like I did the first 20+ episodes and share what I’ve been learning.  Second, this is a natural point of transition for me as my family and I are packing up to move in the next month and I’ll be changing jobs.  It’s a natural moment of reflection.  And, third, we’re approaching the 3 year anniversary of this podcast starting, and it seemed appropriate to take a moment to celebrate and discuss highlights from the past 3 years.  On this episode, I get a bit vulnerable about some of my struggles over the past few years, some key lessons I’ve learned interviewing 65 or so leaders from all walks of life, I try to define what self-leadership means to me and how it’s different than self-help, I answer some listener questions at the end, and much more.  I hope you enjoy this.  Let me know what you think please!  And whether you want more episodes in this format.