Intentional Leader with Cal Walters

I'm really excited to bring you an interview with Jon Gordon! Jon Gordon's best-selling books and talks have inspired readers and audiences around the world. His principles have been put to the test by numerous Fortune 500 companies, professional and college sports teams, school districts, hospitals, and non-profits. He is the author of 20 books including 8 best-sellers: The Energy Bus, The Carpenter, Training Camp, You Win in the Locker Room First, The Power of Positive Leadership, The Power of a Positive Team, The Coffee Bean and his latest Stay Positive. Jon and his tips have been featured on The Today Show, CNN, CNBC, The Golf Channel, Fox and Friends and in numerous magazines and newspapers. His clients include The Los Angeles Dodgers, Campbell’s Soup, Dell, Publix, Southwest Airlines, Miami Heat, The Los Angeles Rams, Snapchat, BB&T Bank, Clemson Football, Northwestern Mutual, West Point Academy and more. Jon is a graduate of Cornell University and holds a Masters in Teaching from Emory University. He and his training/consulting company are passionate about developing positive leaders, organizations and teams. For full show notes, visit www.calwalters.me

Juliet Funt is the CEO of WhiteSpace at Work, a training and consulting firm that helps organizations, their leaders and employees flip the norms of business in order to reclaim their creativity, productivity and engagement. With thought-provoking content and immediately actionable tools, she has become a nationally recognized expert in coping with the Age of Overload in which we all live and work. Juliet helps professionals learn the pivotal difference between activity and productivity. She teaches them a streamlined method for personal process improvement – leading to more creativity and engagement. She helps executives, managers and teams answer the critical question “What thoughts deserve my full attention today?” Juliet regularly wows audiences as a high-impact, high-energy speaker. Yet her deeper mission is to show organizations how WhiteSpace® can change the negative patterns and behaviors that prevent them from achieving optimum results. Her clients include a number of Fortune 100 companies and span a wide array of industries, from financial services to technology, manufacturing to the military, and executive workshops to audiences as large as 7,000. Incredibly intuitive, Juliet successfully blends highly customized content with a keen understanding of clients’ needs in her programs and consulting work. With a unique blend of charisma, humor and tough love, she has the uncanny ability to connect with people at all levels, compelling them to make real, lasting change. Yet beneath her powerful assets, she is both authentic and accessible. As a busy corporate speaker and consultant, business owner, wife, and mother of three young boys, she practices on a daily basis the WhiteSpace® concept she shares with clients. Juliet Funt is a force for change in organizations around the world, helping them find their WhiteSpace, recharge their people and reclaim their passion for work. Juliet is a graduate of Northwestern University. For full show notes, visit www.calwalters.me

I’m really excited to bring you the inspiring story of Chaveso “Chevy” Cook! On this episode, you will hear Chevy share his powerful story of overcoming adversity as a child and finding mentors that helped him believe in himself and chart the course that led to where he is today. Chevy is the Co-Founder and Executive Direct of Military Mentors, a registered 501(c)(3) with a mission to elevate, educate, and facilitate for the military and beyond. Chevy graduated from West Point in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. He also has a M.A. in Leadership Development from the University of Texas El Paso and an M.A. in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University. He currently lives in Boston, MA as he pursues doctoral studies at Tufts University. A long serving member of the special operations community, he started his Army career in the historic 82nd Airborne Division and has served the majority of his career at Fort Bragg, NC. He also served as both a Tactical Officer and a Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership instructor at West Point. Find full show notes at www.calwalters.me

Today, I’m really excited to bring you an interview with Ryan Hawk! Ryan Hawk is a keynote speaker, author, advisor, and the host of The Learning Leader Show, which Forbes called "the most dynamic leadership podcast out there" and Inc. Magazine recognized on its list of "5 Podcasts to Make You a Smarter Leader." Featuring interviews with hundreds of best-selling authors and world-renowned corporate, athletic, and military leaders, the show has millions of listeners in more than 150 countries.  He is the author of Welcome To Management: How To Grow From Top Performer to Excellent Leader.  Welcome to Management has received a lot of praise, and for good reason. #1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Pink called Welcome to Management “the ultimate all-in-one guide to becoming a great leader.” New York Times bestselling author General (Ret.) Stanley McChrystal said, “Ryan’s work provides nuanced and articulate insights into the best way to begin developing a plan to bring to light how we should lead—and it starts with reexamining ourselves.” Additionally, New York Times bestselling author Liz Wiseman said, “Ryan has uncovered the secrets of what the best leaders do and how they think.  If you are a new manager transitioning from player to coach, do yourself and your team a favor and read this book.”  For full show notes, visit www.calwalters.me

Today, I am so privileged and honored to bring you insights from a true hero of mine, Lieutenant General (Ret.) Robert Caslen, who currently serves as the 29th President of the University of South Carolina.  Go Gamecocks!  General Caslen served 43 years in the United States Army.  His military career culminated in 2018 as the 59th Superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point. Under his direction as Superintendent, West Point was recognized as the number one public college in the Nation by Forbes Magazine and the number one public college by U.S. News and World Report. Through the establishment of Centers of Excellence at West Point, General Caslen connected the operational Army with West Point research and intellectual capital. He refined West Point’s leadership program by making professional ethics a priority and essential part of leadership and character development. He worked tirelessly to expand the diversity of cadets and faculty alike, and he dramatically expanded West Point’s minority and women populations to reflect the demographics of the Army that West Point’s graduates help lead. Working with the Director of Athletics, he revamped the athletic program, made it self-sustaining, and fielded 25 competitive intercollegiate teams. He created partnerships with the NCAA and Department of Defense to conduct research into preventing and treating concussions and traumatic brain injury that have led to significant improvements in prevention and care. He stood up the Army Cyber Institute to build expertise and Army leaders prepared for the new cyber fight. And, fulfilling a pledge he made soon after becoming Superintendent, he led a sweeping reversal of Army’s football program and developed a culture of excellence through winning with character, culminating in Army defeating Navy in 2016 for the first time in 14 years, and beating both Air Force and Navy in 2017 to win the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy for the first time in 21 years. For full show notes and bio, visit www.calwalters.me

I’m really excited to bring you an inspiring interview with Joel “Thor” Neeb.  Thor is the CEO of Afterburner Inc., a global consulting firm, and the bestselling co-author with Chris Stricklin of Survivor’s Obligation, which was recently named a 2020 Benjamin Franklin Award Finalist. As a former F-15 pilot, Thor has flown over 2,500 missions. He provided escort for the President, protected our nation's borders, and was named the Top Instructor Pilot at the Air Force Flight Training Headquarters, training thousands of pilots for the United States and 25 allied countries around the world. He was the tactical leader of 300 of the most senior combat pilots in the Air Force and he oversaw the execution of a $150M/year flight program. In 2010, Thor was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer and given about a 15% chance to live. Instead of giving up, Thor decided to give back. He started a youth outreach program in San Antonio that has grown to help more than 15,000 at-risk kids. Their efforts have been featured on every news channel for 100 miles and one national media outlet. In 2012, he was selected out of 62,000 people to receive the Air Education and Training Command National Public Service Award. Thor completed the New Zealand Ironman Triathlon in March of 2015 to commemorate the five-year anniversary of his Stage IV cancer diagnosis and to raise awareness for the rare and deadly cancer that he battled. Thor has also competed in American Ninja Warrior. For full show notes, visit https://www.calwalters.me/

Is your way of thinking the best way to think?  This is a question Dr. Ryan Gottfredson asks in his brand new book, Success Mindsets, currently available in audio and E-book format and scheduled to be released in print form on May 5, 2020. While many have focused narrowly on different mindsets, Dr. Gottfredson pioneered a widespread study and synthesis of all critical mindsets for achieving success. On this podcast episode, we explore 4 specific mindsets each person can cultivate to achieve greater success: a growth mindset; an open mindset; a promotion mindset; and an outward mindset. Dr. Gottfredson is a mental success coach and cutting-edge leadership consultant, author, trainer, and researcher. He helps improve organizations, leaders, teams, and employees by improving their mindsets. In addition, Ryan is a leadership and management professor at California State University-Fullerton (CSUF). Dr. Gottfredson did his undergraduate work at Brigham Young University, and he holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Human Resources from Indiana University.  Connect with Dr. Gottfredson on LinkedIn and find his work on ryangottfredson.com.   Find full show notes at https://www.calwalters.me/.  

Today, I’m excited to bring you an interview I did with Dr. Kevin Kniery, Dr. Tom Hustead, and Dr. Scott Steele.  This is a rapid-release bonus episode for medical leaders during a time of crisis as the world combats the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Kevin Kniery is a vascular surgery fellow in New York City and he is the co-host of two podcasts—Behind the Knife and Audible Bleeding. Dr. Kniery is one of my best friends and a West Point classmate.  Dr. Kniery got his MD and MPH from Tulane University.  Dr. Tom Hustead graduated from West Point in the top 3% of his class and received his medical degree from Case Western University School of Medicine. As a retired Army Colonel, highlights from his distinguished career include deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, being awarded Flight Surgeon of the Year for his service in combat, Outstanding Faculty of the Year for his medical teaching, and board selection as Department Chair for a family medicine residency department. As a result of his appointment by the Army Surgeon General to be the “face of military medicine” to recruit and share the Army Medicine story, Dr. Hustead recognized a need and developed a passion for teaching physicians across the country to be effectively engaged leaders. In his final appointment in the military, Dr. Hustead was the commander/CEO of a NATO military medical facility at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Belgium. Dr. Hustead currently practices as a family physician at Hardin Memorial Health and serves as Medical Director for their employed medical group. Dr. Hustead also co-founded The Referent Group, which provides leadership training, coaching, and resources for healthcare leaders.  With an emphasis on servant leadership, Dr. Hustead’s core conviction is that effective leadership is never about the leader but should be focused on creating a culture where those being led can flourish.  Dr. Scott Steele is the Chair of Colorectal Surgery at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, OH. As a graduate of West Point, he was an active duty Army officer, serving as the Chief of Colorectal Surgery at Madigan Army Medical Center, Fort Lewis, WA. He has served 4 combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, being awarded the Combat Medical Badge amongst others. His contributions to the medical literature include over 140 peer-reviewed articles, 60 invited reviews and book chapters, 12 national practice parameters, guest editor for 5 volumes dedicated to colorectal disease, and currently is an editor on 4 textbooks in colorectal surgery. We recorded this interview on March 28, 2020, a time when our nation’s entire medical ecosystem is mobilizing for war against the COVID-19 pandemic. While many Americans are working from home to blunt the spread of the virus, healthcare clinicians and administrators are working around the clock to prepare for the coming tsunami of patients. The scope and the scale of the coming fight is unprecedented in the healthcare community. Whether the US can successfully “flatten the curve” or not, this pandemic will stretch US healthcare capabilities—and its workers—to the limit. Strong leadership will be needed at every level to address the physical and psychological stresses our healthcare professionals will experience in the coming weeks. I hope that the insights and proven leadership principles offered by Dr. Hustead and Dr. Steele can provide healthcare leaders clarity in this prolonged and all-consuming fight to beat COVID-19. 

Doug Crandall is a graduate of West Point and the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He has led multiple units in the Army, and spent time in operations at Amazon.  For five years, Doug taught leadership, advanced leadership, and leading organizations through change at West Point, where he won the Excellence in Teaching Award and exceeded the academy average in every area of teaching feedback during each semester that he taught.  In this interview, you’ll see why Doug was such an effective teacher at West Point.  He’s very approachable and an incredibly gifted story teller.  His stories and personal examples have a way of sticking with you.  He’s the co-author of four books: Permission to Speak Freely, Say Anything, Leadership Lessons from West Point, Hope Unseen, which is the inspiring story of Scotty Smiley, the US Army’s first blind active-duty officer.  Three of Doug’s books were Amazon Top New Releases, and his books have sold more than 60,000 copies worldwide and continue to gain momentum in Europe and Asia. Doug has also published articles in the International Journal of Servant-Leadership and written case studies for both Stanford and Harvard business schools.  He was a Founding Partner of the “Blue Rudder” Leadership Development Company, where he delivered high impact leadership development programs throughout the US, Europe, and Asia. He currently works at The Referent Group, a company in the healthcare leadership coaching industry.   For full show notes, visit https://www.calwalters.me/

Today, I’m super pumped to bring you an interview I did with the first person to ever introduce me to the concept of high performance at West Point, Dr. Joe Ross (Retired, US Army). Joe has a Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Walden University and a Masters of Education in Psychology and Athletic Counseling from Springfield College. Dr. Ross is also a 1995 West Point graduate, where he was a three-year letter winner and co-captain of the 1994 Army Football team. As an Infantry Officer, Joe led 144 soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division and deployed to Kosovo in 2001. The Secretary of the Army commended Joe’s unit for capturing two insurgents on the Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) top ten most wanted list and bringing the Serbian and Albanian leadership together to start a dialogue of reconciliation. Joe also managed all logistics for over 1,000 personnel, directed human resources for over 4,000 personnel, and helped write the Soldier’s Creed. In 2009, Joe joined the Army Football coaching staff as the Special Teams and Fullback Coach, where he helped lead Army Football to the 2010 Armed Forces Bowl victory. At West Point, Joe also served as the Director of the Military Enhancement Program and was asked to collaborate on a Presidential committee to review and design procedures for wounded warriors in transition. Joe is now the President and Co-Founder of HigherEchelon, Inc., an Organizational Performance consulting firm with offerings in leadership, technology, and engineering to both public and private sector clients. Joe has consulted with Fortune 100 companies, college and professional sports teams, top tier Universities, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Defense. Joe led the creation of Higher Echelon’s flagship program, The Resilient and Adaptable Leader ©. You can follow, or connect with, Joe on LinkedIn here. Find out more about HigherEchelon at their website or on LinkedIn. Full show notes are at: https://www.calwalters.me/