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92: Stephen Drum — Getting through Navy SEAL Training and How to Perform under Intense Pressure

July 29, 2022 by Cal Walters in Servant Leadership, Intentional Living

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.

We dive into:

  • his journey becoming a SEAL,

  • who doesn’t make it through SEAL selection,

  • his view of discipline,

  • how to perform under pressure,

  • his book “Life On the X” and what that means, and

  • specific ways he leads himself


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.


Listen to some of our most popular podcast episodes here!

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July 29, 2022 /Cal Walters
high performance, pressure, discipline
Servant Leadership, Intentional Living
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83: Mike Bassett — On Getting Out of the Ditch, Overcoming Shame, and Finding Redemption

March 02, 2022 by Cal Walters in Servant Leadership, Intentional Living, Leadership

Unapologetically passionate and transparent, Mike Bassett has never stopped believing in the power of his team, truth, and doing the next good thing. He is a civil litigation attorney who has practiced law for nearly four decades. In 2002 he founded The Bassett Firm, a Dallas-based boutique law firm specializing in defending catastrophic injury cases.

Mike has tried nearly 200 cases to verdict and is a highly sought-after national speaker, consultant, and mediator. He is also the host and co-creator of the Podcast, Legal Grounds: Conversations on Life, Leadership, and Law, whose guests have included everyone from bishops to military leaders and New York Times bestselling authors.

In his time as an attorney, Mike has embraced the hard path of grace and believes in second chances as much as he believes in honesty to his clients.

On this episode, we discuss his new book, The Man in the Ditch: A Redemption Story for Today.

The Man in The Ditch is a story about undeserved privilege, unlimited potential, hard work, and hustle. A story about self-inflicted wounds, hubris, insecurity, shame, and abandonment. A story, ultimately, about the Operation of Divine Grace that manifests itself as unapologetic joy. 

And while this is a story told by a lawyer, father, husband, and practicing Catholic, it is a story for all of us. A story that teaches us that our darkest moments don't define us, but have the power to radically change us for the worse or for the better. 

The Ditch will break us, but in that brokenness lies the potential for raw and radical transformation. 

Do we stay stuck in darkness, or do we overcome it? And once we overcome it, how do we emerge? Bitter and beaten down, or a stronger, better version of ourselves?

The Man in The Ditch: A Redemption Story for Today
By Bassett, Mike H
 

Are you interested in writing a book or finding your voice online?

Alexandra Davis at Davis Legal Media can help! She helped Mike make his book a reality.


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.


Listen to some of our most popular podcast episodes here!

Help us grow by leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts

Help us close the gap in leadership instruction by partnering with us financially at Patreon

Follow us on Facebook or LinkedIn

March 02, 2022 /Cal Walters
resilience, grit, failure, silence, solitude, shame, vulnerability, courage, redemption, grace
Servant Leadership, Intentional Living, Leadership
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#76: Zebrina Warner & Jason Roncoroni — Transformational Leaders in Uncertain Times

November 09, 2021 by Cal Walters in Servant Leadership, Leadership

I’m honored to welcome Jason Roncoroni and Zebrina Warner to the show! It was wonderful to learn from these two great leadership minds.

They founded The ZeroSix Group with the belief that veteran leaders provide a crucial role in the corporate world and have the wisdom and experience to not only survive, but thrive, in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environments. As the veteran population is decreasing as a percentage of the total workforce, they are on a mission to bridge the gap by creating a program of engagement of accoladed leaders and adaptable processes to inspire corporate professionals to succeed and win in the VUCA world. This is the collaboration between civilian and military leaders. Their new book, The Leader's Choice: Bridging the Leadership Gap in an Uncertain World and Winning, gives more details on their mission.

As a former battalion commander and combat veteran, Jason believes that the military experience is part of a larger journey to prepare leaders for a more impactful and meaningful life beyond the military. He has more than 25 years’ experience building, managing, and developing high performance teams, including negotiating policy measures with international partners at NATO Headquarters in Belgium.

The Leader's Choice: Bridging the Leadership Gap in an Uncertain World and Winning
By Roncoroni, Jason, Warner, Zebrina

Jason is also a Certified Professional Coach, master practitioner for the Energy Leadership Index assessment, and founder of Ordinary Hero Coaching helping military professionals bridge the civil-military cultural gap.

Zebrina has spent nearly two decades designing impactful and transformative educational experiences for senior executives in the defense sector for the Department of Defense, U.S. military services, and the private sector. As a civilian with no relationship with the military prior to her tenure at an education and research non-profit, the Institute for Defense and Business, she developed a close understanding and appreciation of military leadership and how the military invests in their greatest weapon and asset, their people. After spending her career educating the government and military about business and innovation, she saw value in flipping the script to bring the best in military to the nonmilitary world.

Zebrina continues to serve on the leadership team at the Institute for Defense and Business, developing new programs in the organization’s portfolio. She is also a board member of Nourish International, a non-profit focused on building the next generation of social impact leaders.

On this episode, we discuss:

  • The disappearance of the military veteran

  • Leading in a world marked by VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity)

  • How we can bring the best of the military experience to the private sector

  • Defensive Pessimism, Collective Efficacy, and Self Actualization

  • How leaders can create commitment, not just compliance

  • The difference between leadership and management

  • Keys to building a team and a sense of shared identity

  • Focusing on strengths, not just weaknesses

  • Transformational leaders

  • Dealing with setbacks


Listen to some of our most popular episodes here!

Help us grow by leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts

Help us close the gap in leadership instruction by partnering with us financially at Patreon

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November 09, 2021 /Cal Walters
Grit, Commitment, Veterans, Military, Transformational Leadership
Servant Leadership, Leadership
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#75: Horst Schulze — Building a Ritz-Carlton Culture of Excellence

October 24, 2021 by Cal Walters in Intentional Living, Servant Leadership

A legend and leader in the hotel world, Horst Schulze's teachings and vision have reshaped the concepts of service and hospitality across industries.

Mr. Schulze's professional life began more than 65 years ago as a server's assistant in a German resort town. Throughout the years he worked for both Hilton Hotels and Hyatt Hotels Corporation before becoming one of the founding members of The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company in 1983. There Mr. Schulze created the operating and service standards that have become world famous.

During his tenure at The Ritz Carlton, Mr. Schulze served as President and COO responsible for the $2 billion operations worldwide. It was under his leadership that The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company became the first service-based company to be awarded the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award — twice.

In 1991, Mr. Schulze was recognized as "corporate hotelier of the world" by HOTELS magazine. In 1995, he was awarded the Ishikawa Medal for his personal contributions to the quality movement. In 1999, Johnson & Wales University gave him an honorary Doctor of Business Administration degree in Hospitality Management.

Most recently, Mr. Schulze has been honored as a “Leader in Luxury” by Travel Agent magazine and its sister publication Luxury Travel Advisor.

After leaving The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company, Mr. Schulze went on to found The Capella Hotel Group. This luxury hotel company managed some of the most elite properties worldwide, and gave Mr. Schulze the opportunity to further define the luxury hotel industry, receiving countless awards and recognitions.

Today, Mr. Schulze serves on various boards and acts as a consultant across industries. In his book, Excellence Wins: A No-Nonsense Guide to Becoming the Best in a World of Compromise, he captures a lifetime of wisdom on life and leadership.

Excellence Wins: A No-Nonsense Guide to Becoming the Best in a World of Compromise
By Schulze, Horst

On this episode, we discuss:

  • his incredible story growing up in a small village in Germany

  • what excellence really means and what it doesn’t

  • how he built a culture of excellence at the Ritz-Carlton

  • how to serve others but also hold them to high standards

  • the importance of what he chose to measure at the Ritz-Carlton

  • how his life was forever changed by a health scare

You can connect with Mr. Schulze on his website - HorstSchulze.com. His book, Excellence Wins, is available wherever books can be purchased. Additional leadership content can be purchased and viewed at NeedToLead.com where the content can be licensed for a larger audience.


Listen to some of our most popular episodes here!

Help us grow by leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts

Help us close the gap in leadership instruction by partnering with us financially at Patreon

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October 24, 2021 /Cal Walters
Excellence, Culture, Ritz-Carlton, Overcoming Adversity
Intentional Living, Servant Leadership
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#67: Dr. Gavin Adams — Rethink Delegation to Grow More Leaders

July 03, 2021 by Cal Walters in Leadership, Intentional Living, Servant Leadership, Courageous Leadership
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This episode is brought to you by HigherEchelon, Inc. HigherEchelon is a leadership development & organizational performance consulting firm providing human capital and technology services to optimize performance. HigherEchelon can help prepare your organization to meet the rapidly changing, complex and often ambiguous requirements of today’s world by developing Resilient and Adaptive leaders, modernizing and enhancing processes, and implementing transformational technology solutions. Visit HigherEchelon.com to connect with the amazing team at Higher Echelon and learn more about how they can help you and your team. Check out this great interview of HigherEchelon’s President, Dr. Joe Ross, on the Beyond the Uniform podcast.


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I’m really excited to bring you this conversation with Dr. Gavin Adams. I first learned about Gavin when he appeared on the Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast to discuss his framework for delegation. Over the past 12 years, Gavin took over a struggling church with around 250 attendees and grew it to over 8,000 weekly attendees. On this episode, we dive into how he was able to turn around an underperforming organization, create a clear vision, and help it get to a better place. Of all the episodes we have done so far, this one has to be at the top in terms of practical takeaways for leaders—things you can begin implementing TODAY to improve your leadership and your organization.

Gavin is a leadership coach and change agent focused on supporting leaders through change, transition, and transformation. In addition to encouraging leaders through Transformation Solutions, he is the lead pastor at Woodstock City Church, a campus location of North Point Ministries. Prior to ministry, Gavin spent over a decade in the marketplace working as a business strategy and marketing consultant.

Over the past 15 years of ministry, Gavin helped plant a church, revitalize a church, pastor a rapidly growing church, lead a mega-church, and serve in a multi-site church. This breadth of experience gives Gavin a fundamental understanding of virtually every leadership challenge.

Gavin has an M.B.A. from Georgia State University and a Masters of Theology and Doctorate of Ministry from Liberty University.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
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Listen to some of our most popular episodes here!

Help us grow by leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts

Help us close the gap in leadership instruction by partnering with us financially at Patreon

Follow us on Facebook or LinkedIn

July 03, 2021 /Cal Walters
Delegation, Growth, Vision, Church, Non-Profit
Leadership, Intentional Living, Servant Leadership, Courageous Leadership
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