#33: Q&A with Joel "Thor" Neeb (CEO + Cancer Survivor) — Our Survivor's Obligation

April 08, 2020 by Cal Walters in Intentional Living, Leadership

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.

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 most of 2015, Thor led a team of Afterburner consultants that was embedded in Silicon Valley with one of the top-five largest software companies in the world. While there, Thor supported the successful completion of more than 50 projects created from the CEO’s key strategic objectives.

As Afterburner’s CEO, Thor currently leads a team of more than 70 former fighter pilots, Navy SEALs, and other Special Forces members. For the past two decades, Afterburner has shown corporations around the world how to utilize the same techniques that created leaders and developed elite teams in the high-stakes environment of combat. Over those 20 years, the Afterburner client roster has included 85% of the Fortune 50 Companies and 11 NFL teams. They have offices in Atlanta, Australia, and Brazil.

Thor received his Bachelor’s Degree at the Air Force Academy and is a summa cum laude graduate of the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas. He also sits on the board of several national organizations and is the co-founder of a military support corporation.

In this interview, we discuss:

His battle with cancer
The meaning of “survivor’s obligation”
How he lives his life differently after surviving cancer
Practical ways all of us can live a more intentional life
The concept of post-traumatic growth
His top advice for transitioning veterans,
His top marriage and parenting advice.

Connect with Thor on LinkedIn.

Learn more about Afterburner at Afterburner.com and by following their LinkedIn page.

Joel Neeb, coauthor of Survivor's Obligation: Navigating an Intentional Life, talks with Susan Hendricks, host of Weekend Express on CNN's Headline News. Joe...

Thor recommended the following books during this interview:

Man's Search for Meaning

By Frankl, Viktor E.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change

By Covey, Stephen R.

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#31: Medical Leaders in Crisis (COVID-19) with Dr. Tom Hustead & Dr. Scott Steele

March 29, 2020 by Cal Walters in Intentional Living, Leadership

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.

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 me...

I’m excited to bring you a rapid-release, bonus episode for medical leaders on the front lines battling the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Kevin Kniery (the co-host of two podcasts—Behind the Knife and Audible Bleeding) and I team up to interview two proven medical leaders with a combined 6 deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, Dr. Tom Hustead and Dr. Scott Steele.

As a vascular surgery fellow in New York City, Dr. Kevin Kniery is observing first hand how medical leaders on the front lines are battling this pandemic. On this episode, Dr. Kniery describes how his hospital is transforming to prepare for the worst and how leaders are responding to address new problems everyday. Dr. Kniery received his undergraduate degree from West Point (we were classmates and he is one of my best friends to this day) and 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 is focused in 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.

If you are interested in learning more about the great work being done by Dr. Hustead and his team at The Referent Group, you can visit their website at thereferentgroup.com or send them an email. Below is a short video about the great work they do:

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#32: Q&A with Dr. Ryan Gottfredson — 4 Critical Mindsets for Success

March 25, 2020 by Cal Walters in Intentional Living, Leadership

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.

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.

To supplement the insights gained from Success Mindsets, Dr. Gottfredson provides a free mindset assessment to help you examine the way you think, and he provides tools for improving your current mindsets, such as the Digital Mindset Coach.

Dr. Gottfredson also works with organizations to develop their leaders and improve their collective mindsets and culture. 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 been featured in Harvard Business Review and 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.

As we explore each of these 4 success mindsets—growth, open, promotion, and outward—reflect on which ones you think you have cultivated more than others. Sometimes thinking about the way you think is hard to do—it’s called metacognition—but as you will hear Ryan say, everything starts with our mindset.

Connect with Dr. Gottfredson on LinkedIn and find his work on ryangottfredson.com.

During this episode, Dr. Gottfredson recommended The Five-Minute Journal:

The Five Minute Journal: A Happier You in 5 Minutes a Day | Original Creator of The Five Minute Journal - Simple Daily Guided Format - Increase Gratitude & Happiness, Life Planner, Gratitude List

By Intelligent Change

Dr. Gottfredson also recommended the following books during this episode:

Bonds that Make Us Free: Healing Our Relationships, Coming to Ourselves

By C. Terry Warner

Principles: Life and Work

By Dalio, Ray

Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration

By Catmull, Ed, Wallace, Amy

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#30: Q&A with Doug Crandall — Integrity, Authenticity, and Referent Power

March 12, 2020 by Cal Walters in Intentional Living, Leadership

Doug Crandall is a graduate of West Point and the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

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, and 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.

Hope Unseen: The Story of the U.S. Army's First Blind Active-Duty Officer

By Smiley, Cap. Scotty

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, with another one of my good friends and mentors, Dr. Tom Hustead. Doug lives in Washington State and is passionate about his family and his faith. You’ll hear him talk about many of the leadership and life lessons he pulls from everyday life like coaching girls basketball.

A special thank you to my friend Lance Dietz for helping me craft some questions for Doug.

I really think you’re going to enjoy learning from Doug. Despite all Doug has accomplished, I’m impressed by his humility and authenticity. He’s also an incredible story teller. We discuss integrity, the struggle between being competent as a leader and authentic, his biggest lessons after years of teaching and coaching leadership, how to create a culture where people can speak freely, and many other powerful topics.

Below are books we discuss during the interview (note: these are Amazon affiliate links so I receive a small percentage for each purchase made through these links):

It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership

By Powell, Colin

Leadership Lessons from West Point

Jossey-Bass

Say Anything: How Leaders Inspire Ideas, Cultivate Candor, and Forge Fearless Cultures

By Crandall, Doug, Kincaid PhD, Matt

Permission to Speak Freely: How the Best Leaders Cultivate a Culture of Candor

By Crandall, Doug, Kincaid Ph.D., Matt

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#29: Q&A with Dr. Joe Ross — Mental Toughness, High Performance, and the Caring Leader

February 28, 2020 by Cal Walters in Intentional Living, Leadership

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.

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 ©.

Dr. Ross and HigherEchelon’s success leading government and commercial programs has been recognized numerous times by industry. In 2019, HigherEchelon was named Contractor of the Year at the Madison County Small Business Awards and won the Program of the Year award at the D.C. GovCon award ceremony for their work piloting the VA Women’s Health Program, which was recently expanded by Congress.

Since 2012, Joe has also been the lead consultant for Army Game Studio in developing GoArmy Edge, a free software application adapted to help football athletes learn their team’s playbooks, make proper reads and play calls, and mentally practice their assignments in a virtual environment before taking the field. GoArmy Edge takes virtual coaching, simulation and training to a new level through unprecedented detail and customization, helping improve football team performance through more effective and safer player practice capabilities.

Additionally, Dr. Ross leads numerous government programs including the General and Flag Officer Transition courses for the Army and Navy, and a cognitive training pilot for the TSA.

On this interview, we discuss Joe’s influences growing up, his tips for high performance, having a mental edge, his keys to leadership, leading through change, transition advice he gives to military generals and flag officers, and many other exciting topics.

You can follow, or connect with, Joe on LinkedIn here.

Find out more about HigherEchelon at their website or on LinkedIn.

Below are books Joe recommended during the interview related to high performance and leadership (note: these are Amazon affiliate links so I receive a small percentage for each purchase made through these links):