#36: Chevy Cook (Co-Founder of Military Mentors) — On Adversity, Self-Belief, and the Power of Mentors

May 11, 2020 by Cal Walters in Intentional Living, Leadership

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.

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 a course of achievement, purpose, and contribution. Chevy is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Military Mentors, a registered 501(c)(3) with a mission to elevate, educate, and facilitate mentoring 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 and is pursuing doctoral studies at Tufts University. He is also a visiting researcher at Harvard Kennedy School.

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.

Chevy is a member of the American Psychological Association, the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, Team Red, White, & Blue, the Council on Foreign Relations, and an Advisory Board Member at the Positivity Project. Chevy's work has been published in the International Mentoring Association, the Journal of the Adjutant General’s Corp Regimental Association, Armor Magazine, Journal of Character and Leadership Development, Military Review, Association of the United States Army, Infantry Journal, Joint Forces Quarterly, Small Wars Journal, Strategy Bridge, IO Sphere, White House Studies, and has a pending book under review with Texas A&M Press.

His military education includes the Command and General Staff Officer Course, Air Defense Artillery Captain’s Career and Basic Courses, PSYOP Qualification Course, Arabic Special Operations Language Training, SERE-C (High Risk), Basic and Advanced Airborne School, Air Assault School, MC-6/T-11 Jumpmaster Instructor Course, Gryphon Group Mobile Force Protection Course, Anti-Terrorism Basic Officer Course, Military Deception Planners Course, Anti-Terrorism Evasive Driver’s Course, Information Operations Capabilities and Applications Course, Contracting Officers Representative Course, Air Force Combat Airmen Skills Training/Joint Air Functional Course, and Combatives Level I.

Some of his awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (4th award), Joint Service Commendation Medal (2nd award), Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal (2nd award), German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge (Gold), German Parachutist Wings, Egyptian Parachutist Wings, Air Assault Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, the Major General Robert McClure Medal (Bronze), and the 2016 Secretary of the Army Diversity and Leadership Award.

Chevy is married to his high school sweetheart Ashley, and their beautiful daughters are London and Lola.

On this episode, we discuss:

Chevy’s story of overcoming childhood adversity [4:40]
- He and his brother moved houses when his father went to prison [6:00]
How he coped with all of the transition during his childhood [7:00]
The powerful relationship he has with his adoptive mother, Mama J [11:00]
- “She is evidence to me of a higher power because she embodies what I would think an angel would be in human form.”
Two teachers that mentored Chevy at a pivotal moment in his life [13:00]
- They asked Chevy where he wanted to be in 5 years.
How mentors helped him believe in himself in a way he never did before [16:45]
- “I was a broken little man.”
The power of questions between a mentor and mentee [18:15]
- “The answer is somewhere inside of you.”
The importance of follow-up, consistency, and resourcing in mentoring [19:45]
- A crucible moment has three components: (1) assess; (2) challenge; and (3) support.
- “The support piece is super important.”
How he processed his dad’s incarceration [23:00]
Processing anger from his childhood [28:00]
- “These stories are not my stories.”
- “I’ve come to believe that I’m not here to judge anybody.”
The biggest things he’s learned about character development during his PhD studies [32:30]
- Nature vs. nurture in character development
Practical takeaways for how to develop character [35:00]
How the leader can reinforce character development in the culture [37:30]
- “The leader has to become a student in organizational culture and organizational behavior.”
- The three layers of organizational culture: artifacts, espoused values, and shared basic assumptions.
The leader working in the organization vs. working on the organization [41:00]
A discussion about his top two book recommendations [45:00]

Learn more about Military Mentors at MilitaryMentors.org and by following them on LinkedIn or Facebook.

Connect with Chevy on LinkedIn or Facebook.

During this episode, Chevy recommends the following books:

The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal

By Loehr, Jim, Schwartz, Tony

Expect Nothing: A Zen Guide

By Bryan, Clarice

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#35: Ryan Hawk (The Learning Leader Show) — Leadership Lessons from 350+ Interviews

April 19, 2020 by Cal Walters in Leadership

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."

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.”

As head of Brixey & Meyer's leadership advisory practice, Ryan speaks regularly at Fortune 500 companies, works with teams and players in the NFL, NBA, and NCAA, and facilitates "Leadership Circles" that offer structured guidance and collaborative feedback to new and experienced leaders.

A lifelong student of leadership, Ryan was a high school, college, and professional quarterback and captain who advanced professionally from award-winning individual contributor to VP of Sales for a multibillion-dollar company.

Ryan draws upon his experiences, empirical evidence, and expert insights to strive for continuous improvement in his own life and to inspire other leaders to achieve and sustain excellence. He is passionate about helping others to become humble servant leaders who build committed organizations, as intentionally and painlessly as possible.

On this episode, we discuss:

His “why” for teaching [4:30]
- “When you’ve been given a lot, I feel this responsibility to give a lot.”
- “I chose to create my own form of a leadership PhD program by going directly to the professors I wanted to speak with, and those are the guests of my show, The Learning Leader Show.”
How it feels to have his book published [8:30]
For whom Welcome to Management was written [11:00]
The story behind the title of his book [13:00]
After over 350 interviews, what he says are the commonalities between those who sustain excellence over time [15:00]
- “It is important to define excellence. I think excellence is the gradual pursuit . . . the gradual actions of getting just a bit better everyday. . . that the trajectory is going up . . . as James Clear would say, “the aggregation of marginal gains.”
- “If there are two behaviors of people that I’ve found . . . when it comes to excellence is first they are very thoughtful individuals. They take time to reflect, to gain a true understanding of what’s real, what’s not, what is happening. . . . The second, and it stems from them being very thoughtful, is that they are intentional. . . . Once they’ve reflected, they go.”
His 4-part learning framework — learn, test, reflect, and teach [18:00]
The difference between a mentor and a coach [22:00]
Seeking and receiving feedback from a coach [24:30]
If you get feedback, do you have to take it? [28:00]
Leaders creating compliance vs. commitment [34:00]
Your “Say-Do Gap” [36:45]
Creating a positive culture [37:30]
- “It’s what you do more so than what you say.”
- “People are looking to you. . . . They are watching you more than you even realize. They are watching everything.”
Tips from an interview with GEN (ret.) McChrystal on leading in uncertain times and crisis [42:00]
- Communicate relentlessly
- Match your internal operating pace with that of your external environment.
- Continue to reiterate what winning looks like for your organization.
What Ryan has learned about asking good questions from over 350 interviews on The Learning Leader Show. [45:30]
- “I’ve learned that the best questions, the ones that really get us somewhere, are the follow up questions.”
Taking risks and getting started [48:00]
- “We’re all going to be pretty average or below average the first time we do something. You just can’t worry about that. Keep striving to get better.”

Find out more about Ryan and his work at LearningLeader.com and connect with him on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.

Check out Ryan’s new book, which is receiving rave reviews:

Welcome to Management: How to Grow From Top Performer to Excellent Leader

By Hawk, Ryan

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#34: LTG (Ret.) Bob Caslen (West Point Legend/USC President) — On Service, Character, & Failure

April 18, 2020 by Cal Walters in Intentional Living, Leadership

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.

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.

Before becoming the West Point Superintendent, General Caslen served as the Chief of the Office of Security Cooperation in Iraq, where he served as the senior military commander in Iraq after the drawdown of U.S. and allied forces in 2011. Caslen held several other notable positions including commanding general of Multi National Division-North during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Chief of Staff of both the 101st Airborne Division (AASLT) and the 10th Mountain Division, where he also served as the Division’s Chief of Staff during Operation Enduring Freedom. He also has served in combat and overseas deployments in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Joint Task Force Bravo in Honduras, and Operation Uphold Democracy and the United Nations Mission in Haiti.

He is a graduate of West Point and he holds an MBA from Long Island University and a Master of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Kansas State University. He was also recognized with an honorary Doctorate from Long Island University. He is a member of the Kansas State Engineering College Hall of Fame, received a Life Time of Service Award from the American Red Cross, was recognized with the Honorary Rock of the Year Award for his efforts in diversity as the Superintendent of West Point.

He also received the 2018 Gerald R. Ford Legends Award for lifetime service, and was the 2019 recipient of the NCAA Theodore Roosevelt Award, joining the ranks of Tony Dungy, John Wooden, and Presidents Eisenhower, Reagan, Ford, and George H.W. Bush. Caslen also serves as the Special Advisor on Executive Leadership and Character Development at Higher Echelon. He is a nationally recognized authority on leader development and author of The Character Edge: Leading and Winning with Integrity, which is scheduled to be published in October 2020.

On this episode, we discuss [time marks for audio version]:

His favorite things about living in South Carolina [7:00]
His “Why” for Serving [9:30]
- “The greatest among you is the servant among you.”
- “People talk about legacy and wanting to see their name on a building as a legacy. I’d rather see my legacy as the people I had the ability to influence and to improve their life and give them great opportunities for hope in the future.”
How his view of service has changed over time [11:30]
What is means to be a caring leader [13:15]
- “Caring is not coddling them and babying them. It is developing them.”
Leadership as helping people achieve excellence [15:20]
- “Leadership is enabling people to live a life of excellence. To me, excellence is living to the upper level of your potential.”
- “When you make mistakes, that’s how you grow.”
Developing leaders [17:20]
- “Instead of leadership by attrition, I believe in leadership by development.”
The leader taking ownership over development of team [18:20]
- “When they succeed, the leader never takes credit. When they fail, the leader takes all responsibility. If I’m developing a subordinate and they don’t meet the standard, it’s my fault . . . I look internally and say how did I mess this up.”
- “Development is not just giving someone a job description.”
- “It takes mental and morale courage to sit down with someone, look them in the eye, and tell them they are not meeting the standard.”
Self-leadership [20:40]
- “The most effective leaders are leaders that lead from the front and share hardships.”
- “If you fail on character, you fail on leadership.”
- “Character is the internalization of values. . . Those values are a result of your upbringing . . . the people you hang around with . . . the books you read . . . what you read on the computer screen.”
- “What comes out of us is the true manifestation of what we’ve internalized.”
His morning routine [25:30]
His gym workouts and one way he recognizes excellence at the University of South Carolina [27:00]
Maintaining a calm, composed demeanor [29:00]
- “It’s easy to lose your temper, and it accomplishes nothing.”
- “As a leader, everyone starts to reflect the personality of the leader.”
Leadership advice for high stress, uncertain environments like COVID-19 [32:30]
- “The most important part about leadership in a crisis is to create and maintain hope because people in a crisis must have hope . . . The best way to get hope is to be a leader that they trust.”
- “You build trust through competence . . . character . . . caring . . . and communication.”
His decision-making framework [35:25]
How failure and adversity have shaped him [37:15]
Marriage advice and parenting advice [42:00]
His upcoming book, The Character Edge: Leading and Winning with Integrity [46:20]

Connect with President Caslen on his website or follow him on LinkedIn or Twitter

Below is President’s Caslen’s upcoming book and another book he recommended on marriage:

The Character Edge: Leading and Winning with Integrity

By Jr., Robert L. Caslen, Matthews, Michael D.

His Needs, Her Needs: Building a Marriage That Lasts

By Harley, Willard F. Jr.

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#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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