83: Mike Bassett — On Getting Out of the Ditch, Overcoming Shame, and Finding Redemption

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.

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#82: Mike Erwin — On Building Healthy Relationships in our Digital World

It was very special to welcome Mike Erwin back on the podcast. He was previously a guest on Episode 45 of the podcast.

He is a man that wears many important hats. He is the Founder and Executive Director of Team Red, White, and Blue (Team RWB)—a non-profit with a mission to enrich the lives of America’s veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity. Team RWB is a growing organization with over 220,000 members.

In addition to leading Team RWB, Mike is the CEO of the Character & Leadership Center and the Co-Founder & President of The Positivity Project—a non-profit organization with the mission to empower America’s youth to build positive relationships. With 425 partner schools, the organization reaches 260,000 children daily.

He is the also the author of Lead Yourself First: Inspiring Leadership through Solitude and his new book, Leadership is a Relationship: How to Put People First in a Digital World. 

Mike is also a Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves, assigned to the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he serves as an Assistant Professor in Leadership & Psychology. He also serves as the founding Chairman of the Board for Father Vincent Capodanno High School, outside Fort Bragg, NC.

Mike graduated from West Point in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics. He was commissioned as an Intelligence Officer, serving in three combat tours with the First Cavalry Division and 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne). His service includes deployment to Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004–2005 that involved the Battles of Fallujah and Najaf. Mike also deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2006–2007 and 2009. On those tours, he worked with NATO forces, to include serving as a lead intelligence planner for one of the largest NATO-led combat operation in history. Mike earned two Bronze Star Medals from these tours.

Following his third deployment, Mike attended the University of Michigan from 2009–2011, where he studied positive psychology and leadership under the tutelage of the co-founder of Positive Psychology, Dr. Chris Peterson. He went on to serve as an Assistant Professor in Psychology & Leadership at the U.S. Military Academy from 2011–2014. While assigned to West Point as a Major, Mike served as a lead planner for the Bob McDonald Global Leadership Conference and was the aide-de-camp to the Class of 1951 Chair for the Study of Leadership, held by Jim Collins and then Tom Tierney.

On this episode, we discuss:

• Some of the themes for his life in 2021

• His reasons for moving his family to a farm in NC

• The consistent thread between his two books, Lead Yourself First and Leadership is a Relationship

• His views on how technology is affecting our relationships

• How he sees technology affecting the next generation of leaders

• Where he sees technology going in the next few decades (putting on his Military Intelligence hat)

• Some wonderful advice he received from Secretary Bob McDonald

• Stories from his relationship with the great Jim Collins

Connect with Mike and follow his awesome work at MikeErwin.net or on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter.

Lead Yourself First: Inspiring Leadership Through Solitude

By Kethledge, Raymond M., Erwin, Michael S.

Leadership is a Relationship: How to Put People First in the Digital World

By Erwin, Michael S., DeVoll, Willys

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

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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

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

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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