#81: Mayor Adrian Perkins — On Serving the Community and a Mindset for Success

February 03, 2022 by Cal Walters in Intentional Living, Leadership

It was a lot of fun to sit down for this interview with my West Point classmate, Adrian Perkins. Adrian now serves as the Mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana.

On this episode, we explore:

what life was like for him growing up in Shreveport,
the powerful leadership lessons he learned from his mom,
how he struggled the first time he went through the US Army’s Ranger School,
life at Harvard Law, and
we even talk about his run for Senate and how he deals with the criticisms that come with political office.

Adrian Perkins is the grandson of a Bossier Parish sharecropper, and the youngest of three boys born to Johnny Oliver and Archie Perkins. He was raised in the Cedar Grove neighborhood of Shreveport. He attended Arthur Circle, Youree Drive Middle School, and Captain Shreve High School where he was a member of the student council and the varsity football, basketball and track and field teams. Perkins was all-state in track and field in high school.

Inspired to join the United States Army following the September 11 attacks, Perkins sought and received an appointment to the United States Military Academy, a United States service academy located in West Point, New York. While at West Point, Perkins was elected class president, the first African American cadet to graduate to serve as class president in the 215-year history of the institution. Perkins was selected to be a Tillman Scholar by the Pat Tillman Foundation. He attended Harvard Law School, where he earned his Juris Doctor and served as president of the student government.

Upon graduation from West Point, Perkins was commissioned as a field artillery officer and posted at Fort Stewart, Georgia. During his career, Perkins was also posted at Fort Sill, Fort Benning, and Fort Campbell and served deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Perkins served eight years in the Army, completing Ranger training and achieved the rank of captain and served as a company commander. Adrian Perkins is a Bronze Star recipient.

On April 26, 2018, Perkins announced his candidacy for Mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana.

On November 6, 2018, Perkins finished first with 17,466 votes and 28.86% in the blanket primary, but did not garner the required 50 percent plus one vote to win outright.

On December 8, 2018, Perkins handily defeated incumbent Ollie Tyler in the runoff to become the 58th mayor of Shreveport.

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#80: Ryan Hawk — The Pursuit of Excellence & The Power of Consistency

January 18, 2022 by Cal Walters in Intentional Living, Leadership

I’m really excited to bring Ryan Hawk back on the show!

You can watch the interview on YouTube here or below.

Ryan created The Learning Leader Show in 2015 as a way to follow his curiosity about leadership and excellence with great rigor. It has since been listened to by millions of people in more than 150 countries. Forbes called it, “the most dynamic leadership podcast around.” Inc Magazine said, “it’s one of the 5 podcasts to make you a smarter leader.” Apple named it an “all-time best seller” in 2020.

He’s the author of Welcome to Management: How To Grow From Top Performer To Excellent Leader. Book Authority recently named it to its 100 Best Management Audiobooks of all time (#25). Forbes called it, “the best leadership book of 2020.”

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

By Hawk, Ryan

He previously worked in corporate America for 12 years. He started as an entry-level telephonic sales rep and worked his way to manager, director, and ultimately VP of sales for a multi-billion dollar company.

When he’s not recording podcasts or writing books, he tries to help leaders be more effective. Some of the ways he does that: fascinating Leadership Circles, 1:1 advising, and teaching in The Learning Leader Academy. Finally, he regularly delivers keynote speeches on leadership and performance excellence and has spoken all over America and abroad in front of thousands of people.

After a very successful first book, Ryan is out with his brand new book, The Pursuit of Excellence: The Uncommon Behaviors of the World’s Most Productive Achievers!

The Pursuit of Excellence: The Uncommon Behaviors of the World's Most Productive Achievers

By Hawk, Ryan

On this episode, we dive into:

How his father and grandfather were incredible models of servant leadership
How he stays so incredibly consistent
How he stays motivated to do hard things
What gratitude means to him
How he and his wife, Miranda, intentionally surround themselves with positive people
His experiences with writing a book and where that stacks up for him in terms of difficult pursuits
The meaning of the words “excellence” and “pursuit” to Ryan
How he intentionally pursues his wife
The importance of being action oriented
Why he loves his Leadership Circles

During my conversation with Ryan, I mention Ryan’s interview with his wife Miranda (Episode 375 of the Learning Leader Show). This is one of the most inspiring interviews out there for couples looking to create a supportive relationship. Check it out here or below!

Visit learningleader.com to connect with Ryan and learn more about his work!

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#79: Secretary Bob McDonald — On Helping One Person at a Time and Lifelong Learning

January 05, 2022 by Cal Walters in Intentional Living, Leadership

I’m really excited to welcome Secretary Bob McDonald to the Intentional Leader podcast.

We cover a lot of ground with Bob on this episode. We dig into his upbringing, overcoming a fear of swimming at West Point and how he deals with fear in general, how he thinks we should measure success as a leader, what he was laser-focused on at Proctor & Gamble, how he stays motivated during tough moments, and much more.

Bob served Procter & Gamble for 33 years with the last four as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. During his tenure as CEO of P&G Bob helped to expand the footprint of the company brands such that one billion people became new customers of a company product.

Following his career at P&G, Bob was selected by President Obama in 2014 to head the Department of Veterans Affairs. While at the helm of the VA, Bob was able to help transform the agency into one that truly delivered better care for our Military veterans.

Bob McDonald is the recipient of numerous leadership awards and Honorary Doctorate Degrees that include: Hampden Sydney College, University of Cincinnati, Xavier University, Robert Morris University, and Drexel University. In 2010, the University of Utah Alumni Association named Bob a Distinguished Graduate. The West Point Association of Graduates named McDonald for its admired Distinguished Graduate Award in 2017, recognition provided annually to “West Point graduates whose character, distinguished service and stature draw wholesome comparison to the qualities for which West Point strives.” With that distinction, Bob joins Academy graduates like Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway, Gen. William C. Westmoreland, Gen. Alexander M. Haig Jr., Dr. Buzz Aldrin, Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, Mr. R. James Nicholson, Gen. Eric K. Shinseki, among others. In 2014, The President of the Republic of Singapore awarded Bob the Public Service Star for his work helping shape Singapore’s development as an international hub connecting global companies with Asian firms and enterprises. Lastly, Bob has received an award as Scout Leader from the Boy Scouts and Far East Council.

Bob McDonald is personally and professionally committed to values-based leadership and to improving the lives of others. He is Chairman of the Board of RallyPoint Networks, Inc.—an online community of active duty military members and Veterans—and serves on the Board of Directors of the Partnership for Public Service, Audia International, Inc., the Association of Graduates of the United States Military Academy, the Boulder Crest Retreat Foundation, and the McCormick Research Institute in Orlando, Florida. Bob and his wife, Diane, are the founders of The McDonald Conference for Leaders of Character at West Point—an annual gathering that brings together the brightest young minds from the best universities around the world and partners them with senior business, nongovernmental organization, and government leaders in a multi-day interactive learning experience.

In July, 2020 Bob became the April and Jay Graham Fellow of the George W. Bush Institute. In this endowed role he serves as a key member of the Bush Institute’s Military Service Initiative team, advocating for post-9/11 Veterans and building awareness for the issues that affect their successful transitions to civilian life including employment, education, and health and wellbeing. In September, 2020 Bob was appointed to the Biden Transition Advisory Board, to ensure a smooth administration transition if Vice President Biden is elected.

Bob McDonald graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in the top 2 percent of the Class of 1975. He served as the Brigade Adjutant for the Corps of Cadets and was recognized by The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacturing, and Commerce as the most distinguished graduate in academics, leadership, and physical education. In 1978, Bob earned his MBA from the University of Utah. An Army Veteran, Bob served with the 82nd Airborne Division. He completed Jungle, Arctic, and Desert Warfare training. And he earned the Ranger tab, the Expert Infantryman Badge, and Senior Parachutist wings. Upon leaving military service, then-Captain McDonald was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal.

Join us at the MMoment, being put on my Military Mentors, on January 22, 2022 for a wonderful event to focus your leadership in 2022.

Sign up here.

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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

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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.