126: Melody Wilding — How to Manage Up and the 5 Conversations to Have with Your Boss

July 22, 2025 by Cal Walters

The views expressed on this podcast and page are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or endorsement of the US Army, DoD, or the US Government.

In this conversation, Melody Wilding, an expert in managing up, discusses the essential skills and strategies needed to influence your boss and navigate workplace dynamics effectively. She emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence, establishing alignment, and taking ownership in your role. The discussion also covers setting boundaries, giving and receiving feedback, and the concept of the triple win, which focuses on finding mutually beneficial solutions for yourself, your boss, and the organization.

Melody Wilding is the bestselling author of Trust Yourself: Stop Overthinking and Channel Your Emotions for Success at Work and the Managing Up: How to Get What You Need from the People in Charge.

Melody is a licensed social worker with a master’s degree from Columbia University, professor of human behavior at Hunter College in New York City, and former emotions researcher at Rutgers University.

For more than a decade, she’s helped top performers and leadership at the world’s most successful companies — including Google, JP Morgan, and Verizon — to communicate more clearly, prevent burnout, and transform complicated workplace dynamics into powerful alliances that impact the bottom line.

Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and dozens of other respected publications. She’s a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Fast Company, and CNBC.

Trust Yourself: Stop Overthinking and Channel Your Emotions for Success at Work

By Wilding LMSW, Melody

Managing Up: How to Get What You Need from the People in Charge

By Wilding, Melody

If you’re interested in discovering your core values and becoming a more self-aware and emotionally intelligent leader, I’ve built the perfect course to help you get there. Check out my Discover Your Core Values Mini Course, where I coach you through 3 exercises of guided reflection and help you uncover your core values in a way that you can apply them right away.

125: Patrick Lencioni — The One Thing Every Leader Needs and His Top Advice to Leaders at All Stages

June 30, 2025 by Cal Walters

Pat is one of the founders of The Table Group and is the pioneer of the organizational health movement. He is the author of 13 books, which have sold over 8 million copies and been translated into more than 30 languages.

As President of the Table Group, Pat spends his time speaking and writing about leadership, teamwork, and organizational health and consulting with executives and their teams.

Prior to founding the firm in 1997, Pat worked at Bain & Company, Oracle Corporation and Sybase. Pat lives in the Bay Area with his wife and four boys.

In this episode of the Intentional Leader podcast, Cal and Patrick Lencioni delve into the core motivations behind leadership, emphasizing the importance of serving others over seeking personal gain. They discuss the impact of fear on leadership effectiveness, the necessity of daily self-reflection, and the significance of understanding one's wounds in shaping leadership styles. The conversation also touches on the importance of unity within organizations and offers practical advice for leaders at various stages of their careers, encouraging self-discovery and intentionality in leadership practices.

The Motive: Why So Many Leaders Abdicate Their Most Important Responsibilities (J-B Lencioni Series)

By Lencioni, Patrick M.

The 6 Types of Working Genius: A Better Way to Understand Your Gifts, Your Frustrations, and Your Team

By Lencioni, Patrick M.

124: Geoff Woods — Leverage AI for Elite Thinking and Decision Making (The Ai-Driven Leader)

May 29, 2025 by Cal Walters

Geoff Woods is the author of The AI-Driven Leader and the Founder of AI Leadership, where he empowers leaders to harness AI, escape operational overwhelm, and think strategically to accelerate growth.

AI Leadership is spearheaded by Geoff Woods, a visionary leader with a proven track record helping companies grow through strategic thinking and AI-driven solutions.

As the former Chief Growth Officer of Jindal Steel & Power, he drove market cap growth from $750M to $12B in four years through AI-driven leadership.

He also co-founded the training and consulting company behind The ONE Thing, where he coached and advised companies with annual revenues from $10 million to $60 billion.

The AI-Driven Leader: Harnessing AI to Make Faster, Smarter Decisions

By Geoff Woods

123: General Stan McChrystal — How to Face Fear, Pivot from Failure, and Live a Disciplined Life

May 15, 2025 by Cal Walters

In this conversation, General Stanley McChrystal discusses the profound impact of character on leadership, emphasizing that true leadership is tested during challenging times. He reflects on his personal experiences, including his resignation from the military, and how his marriage has shaped his character. The discussion also delves into the importance of understanding core values, the influence of parents on our convictions, and the role of fear in leadership decisions. McChrystal encourages leaders to clarify their values and to recognize that character is a choice that defines us.

In this conversation, Stanley McChrystal discusses the dynamics of leadership, the importance of courage in speaking up against groupthink, and the necessity of discipline in personal and professional life. He reflects on his experiences in high-pressure environments, the challenges of maintaining integrity, and the value of writing as a tool for clarifying thoughts and fostering a national dialogue on character. The discussion emphasizes the significance of learning from mistakes and the impact of personal values on leadership effectiveness.

Stan McChrystal founded McChrystal Group in January 2011 to deliver innovative leadership solutions to businesses globally in order to help them transform and succeed in challenging, dynamic environments. As Founder and a Partner, he advises senior executives at multinational corporations on navigating complex change and building stronger teams.

A retired four-star general, Stan is the former commander of US and International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) Afghanistan and the former commander of the nation’s premier military counter-terrorism force, Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). He is best known for developing and implementing a comprehensive counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan, and for creating a cohesive counter-terrorism organization that revolutionized the interagency operating culture.

Throughout his military career, Stan commanded a number of elite organizations, including the 75th Ranger Regiment. After 9/11 until his retirement in 2010, he spent more than 6 years deployed to combat in a variety of leadership positions. In June 2009, the President of the United States and the Secretary General of NATO appointed him to be the Commander of US Forces Afghanistan and NATO ISAF. His command included more than 150,000 troops from 45 allied countries. On August 1, 2010 he retired from the US Army.

In 2013, Stan published his memoir, My Share of the Task, which was a New York Times bestseller; and is an author of Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World, which was a New York Times bestseller in 2015. Stan also co-authored Leaders: Myth and Reality, a Wall Street Journal Bestseller based on the epochal Parallel Lives by Plutarch. He previously served as a senior fellow at Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, where he also taught a course on Leadership. He currently sits on the boards of Navistar International Corporation, Siemens Government Technology, and JetBlue Airways. He is a sought-after speaker, giving speeches on leadership and team dynamics to organizations around the country.

A passionate advocate for national service and veterans’ issues, Stan is the Chair of the Board of Service Year Alliance. In this capacity, he advocates for a future in which a year of full-time service—a service year—is a common expectation and opportunity for all young Americans.

Stan is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and the Naval War College. He also completed year-long fellowships at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and the Council on Foreign Relations.

On Character: Choices That Define a Life

By McChrystal, General Stanley

122: Will Acuff — Find Joy in Life's Struggles

April 02, 2025 by Cal Walters

In this conversation, Will Acuff shares his journey of finding joy amidst life's challenges, particularly through his experiences with his family and the transformative 'trauma camp' that helped him shift his perspective. He discusses the importance of self-compassion, the struggles of parenting a child with disabilities, and the pressures of maintaining a facade of having it all together.

The dialogue emphasizes the significance of recognizing small sparks of joy and the power of community and support in navigating difficult times. In this conversation, the speakers explore the themes of love, mercy, and personal responsibility within relationships. They discuss the drama triangle concept, emphasizing the importance of shifting from a hero mentality to one of ownership and self-compassion. The dialogue also touches on thriving in tough circumstances, the significance of self-awareness, and practical practices for cultivating joy in daily life.

Will was born in Durham, NC, but grew up in Hudson, MA – Go Red Sox! He graduated from North Carolina State University and has his master’s degree from Reformed Theological Seminary. He has been married to Corner to Corner’s other co-founder, Tiffany, for over 17 years, and they have two wonderful children, Raylan and Penelope. Will is passionate about the radical grace of God, and how that grace invites us to live a life of sacrificial love toward our city and our neighbors. At Corner to Corner that love of neighbor takes the form of educational and economic equity, creating a city where all can thrive.

Will is the author of the new book, No Elevator to Everest.

No Elevator to Everest: Shift from Survive to Thrive through Spirit-Led Self-Awareness

By Acuff, Will