Intentional Leader with Cal Walters

Greg McKeown has dedicated his career to discovering why some people and teams break through to the next level—and others don't. The definitive treatment of this issue is addressed in McKeown's New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. As well as frequently being the #1 Time Management book on Amazon, this book challenges core assumptions about achievement to get to the essence of what really drives success. McKeown is the CEO of McKeown Inc. His clients include Adobe, Apple, Google, Facebook, Pixar, Salesforce.com, Symantec, Twitter, VMware and Yahoo!. His writing has appeared or been covered by The New York Times, Fast Company, Fortune, HuffPost, Politico, and Inc. Magazine. He is among the most popular bloggers for the Harvard Business Review and LinkedIn's Influencers group: averaging a million views a month. McKeown has been interviewed on numerous television and radio shows including NPR, NBC, FOX, and as a regular guest on The Steve Harvey Show. Entrepreneur voted his interview at Stanford University the #1 Must-See Video on Business, Creativity and Success. For full notes and to download the show notes to this episode, visit www.calwalters.me

I'm really excited to bring you an interview with Jon Gordon! Jon Gordon's best-selling books and talks have inspired readers and audiences around the world. His principles have been put to the test by numerous Fortune 500 companies, professional and college sports teams, school districts, hospitals, and non-profits. He is the author of 20 books including 8 best-sellers: The Energy Bus, The Carpenter, Training Camp, You Win in the Locker Room First, The Power of Positive Leadership, The Power of a Positive Team, The Coffee Bean and his latest Stay Positive. Jon and his tips have been featured on The Today Show, CNN, CNBC, The Golf Channel, Fox and Friends and in numerous magazines and newspapers. His clients include The Los Angeles Dodgers, Campbell's Soup, Dell, Publix, Southwest Airlines, Miami Heat, The Los Angeles Rams, Snapchat, BB&T Bank, Clemson Football, Northwestern Mutual, West Point Academy and more. Jon is a graduate of Cornell University and holds a Masters in Teaching from Emory University. He and his training/consulting company are passionate about developing positive leaders, organizations and teams. For full show notes, visit www.calwalters.me

Juliet Funt is the CEO of WhiteSpace at Work, a training and consulting firm that helps organizations, their leaders and employees flip the norms of business in order to reclaim their creativity, productivity and engagement. With thought-provoking content and immediately actionable tools, she has become a nationally recognized expert in coping with the Age of Overload in which we all live and work. Juliet helps professionals learn the pivotal difference between activity and productivity. She teaches them a streamlined method for personal process improvement – leading to more creativity and engagement. She helps executives, managers and teams answer the critical question "What thoughts deserve my full attention today?" Juliet regularly wows audiences as a high-impact, high-energy speaker. Yet her deeper mission is to show organizations how WhiteSpace® can change the negative patterns and behaviors that prevent them from achieving optimum results. Her clients include a number of Fortune 100 companies and span a wide array of industries, from financial services to technology, manufacturing to the military, and executive workshops to audiences as large as 7,000. Incredibly intuitive, Juliet successfully blends highly customized content with a keen understanding of clients' needs in her programs and consulting work. With a unique blend of charisma, humor and tough love, she has the uncanny ability to connect with people at all levels, compelling them to make real, lasting change. Yet beneath her powerful assets, she is both authentic and accessible. As a busy corporate speaker and consultant, business owner, wife, and mother of three young boys, she practices on a daily basis the WhiteSpace® concept she shares with clients. Juliet Funt is a force for change in organizations around the world, helping them find their WhiteSpace, recharge their people and reclaim their passion for work. Juliet is a graduate of Northwestern University. For full show notes, visit www.calwalters.me

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. Chevy is the Co-Founder and Executive Direct of Military Mentors, a registered 501(c)(3) with a mission to elevate, educate, and facilitate 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 as he pursues doctoral studies at Tufts University. 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. Find full show notes at www.calwalters.me

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." For full show notes, visit www.calwalters.me

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. For full show notes and bio, visit www.calwalters.me

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 full show notes, visit https://www.calwalters.me/

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. Connect with Dr. Gottfredson on LinkedIn and find his work on ryangottfredson.com. Find full show notes at https://www.calwalters.me/.

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. Dr. Kevin Kniery is a vascular surgery fellow in New York City and he is the co-host of two podcasts—Behind the Knife and Audible Bleeding. Dr. Kniery is one of my best friends and a West Point classmate. Dr. Kniery got 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 should be focused on 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.

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, 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. 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. For full show notes, visit https://www.calwalters.me/

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 ©. You can follow, or connect with, Joe on LinkedIn here. Find out more about HigherEchelon at their website or on LinkedIn. Full show notes are at: https://www.calwalters.me/

Last year, I read a lot of books, but one book that made a particularly lasting impact was The Go-Giver. A special thank you to Graham Cochrane and his podcast for introducing me to this book. The Go-Giver tells the story of an ambitious young man named Joe who yearns for success. Joe is a true go-getter, though sometimes he feels as if the harder and faster he works, the further away his goals seem to be. And so one day, desperate to land a key sale at the end of a bad quarter, he seeks advice from the enigmatic Pindar, a legendary consultant referred to by his many devotees simply as the Chairman. Pindar takes Joe (and us as the reader) on a journey, where Joe meets 5 "go-givers" and learns the 5 counter-intuitive laws of stratospheric success. I'm honored and excited to bring you an interview with Bob Burg, co-author of The Go-Giver. Bob is a sought-after speaker at company leadership and sales conferences sharing the platform with today's business leaders, Olympic athletes, broadcast personalities, and even a former U.S. President. Bob is the author of a number of books on sales, marketing and influence, with total book sales of well over two million copies. The Go-Giver, coauthored with John David Mann, itself has sold over 925,000 copies and has been translated into 28 languages. It was rated #10 on Inc. Magazine's list of the Most Motivational Books Ever Written, and it was on HubSpot's 20 Most Highly Rated Sales Books of All Time. The American Management Association named Bob one of the 30 Most Influential Leaders, and Richtopia named him one of the Top 200 Most Influential Authors in the World. Go to https://www.calwalters.me/ for show notes!

Today, I am bringing you an interview with former Navy Captain, best-selling author, and a true leadership expert, David Marquet. Here are a few quotes about David Marquet: "I don't know of a finer model of this kind of empowering leadership than Captain Marquet." Dr. Stephen R. Covey, author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People "To say I'm a fan of David Marquet would be an understatement. I'm a fully-fledged groupie. He is the kind of leader who comes around only once in a generation. He is the kind of leader who doesn't just know how to lead, he knows how to build leaders. His ideas and lessons are invaluable to anyone who wants to build an organization that will outlive them." Simon Sinek, author of Start with Why, Leaders Eat Last, and The Infinite Game I can relate to Dr. Covey and Simon's thoughts on David. He is a true leadership hero for me, so it was really special to get to do this interview. A little bit of David's story for those that are unfamiliar. He graduated in the top of his class at the US Naval Academy, graduated #1 from his nuclear power school class and the submarine officer basic course. David has always been a brilliant guy, but over his years in the Navy, he learned that being a great leader is not all about being the smartest guy in the room. After years of proving his competence, David was awarded his very own command of a nuclear submarine. He was told he'd be taking over the USS Olympia, so he spent an entire year studying every aspect of the ship, becoming an expert on all the ship's capabilities. But about two weeks before taking over the Olympia, he was reassigned to take over the Santa Fe. He knew nothing about the Santa Fe, for its crew had a reputation for being the worst in the fleet. With only two weeks before taking over, he knew his typical leadership approach of being the smartest person in the room and just giving orders wasn't going to work. So aboard a nuclear submarine – a place that few would feel comfortable taking a lot of risk and doing experiments – David tried an entirely different approach to leadership. Instead of viewing his crew as followers that simply followed his orders, David empowered them to think, to take initiative, and he ultimately developed them into leaders. He moved from the leader-follower model he had been taught to viewing everyone as a leader. And the results were truly remarkable. His leadership turned the ship around. They went from worst in the Navy to receiving the best evaluation in Navy history. Even after David departed the Santa Fe, it continued to win awards and promoted a disproportionate number of officers and enlisted men to positions of increased responsibility, including 10 subsequent submarine captains. When Stephen R. Covey visited the ship, he said it was the most empowering organization he'd ever seen and wrote about David's leadership practices in his book, The 8th Habit. David first shared his leadership principles in the #1 Amazon Bestseller, Turn the Ship Around! A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders. Fortune magazine named it the #1 must-read business book of the year, and USA Today listed it as one of the top 12 business books of all time. And, on February 4th, David is releasing his new book, Leadership is Language: The Hidden Power of What You Say and What You Don't, which I have had the chance to read and it is truly an incredible book. Some books given you a nugget of wisdom here and there, but David's books challenge me in a special way and help me take my leadership approach to a new level. His books are transformational and paradigm-shifting. Leadership is Language has been endorsed by Adam Grant, General (ret.) Stanley McCrystal, and Liz Wiseman, author of Multipliers. You can connect with David Marquet at his website, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Find full notes at calwalters.me.

Have you read the book Daddy Saturday? About a month ago I picked it up and finished it in 48 hours. Not only did the book convict me as a parent, but it also inspired me to do better and equipped me with practical tools to be more engaged with my daughter. After the book impacted me, I reached out to the author, Justin Batt, and asked him to come on my podcast. He generously agreed, and today I'm excited to bring you that interview! As you will see, Justin has a lot of wisdom about parenting and is just an all-around inspiring guy. He's a husband (his wife is an entrepreneur and runs a successful bridal boutique in Charleston, SC), a father of 4, and the Founder and Chief Dad Officer (as Justin likes to say) of Daddy Saturday and the Daddy Saturday Foundation, which is a movement all about intentional parenting and engaging your kids (which sounds simple, but it can be tough in a busy world). Even if you're not a father, the principles Justin teaches may challenge the way you think about time and help you turn the mundane into more meaningful moments. Daddy Saturday started in Justin's backyard and is now an international movement. With an ambitiously awesome goal to impact 10 million fathers in the next 10 years and eliminate fatherlessness, Justin travels internationally and around the US (including speaking at TEDx) inspiring fathers to be more engaged. It's important to note that when Justin refers to fatherlessness, he isn't just referring to children without fathers; he is also talking about fathers (like me at times) who are physically present, but mentally or emotionally absent. Somehow, Justin does all of this when he's not at work. In addition to being a highly sought after business advisor and healthcare consultant, he is also the President of Growth and Revenue for Kameleon Partners, LLC, the global leader in Life Sciences Account Management and Electronic Health Records Enablement. Justin also has a retail startup that ranks in the top 10% of U.S. businesses, and he is a partner in the real estate app ZoomOffers. Consistent with the principles he teaches, Justin competes regularly in Spartan obstacle course races and has inspired his kids to join him for the challenge. Check out Justin's interview on the Spartan Up podcast, hosted by Joe De Sena, the Founder and CEO of Spartan Race. I hope you get a lot out of this interview. I know I sure did Let me know what you think in the comments below! Also, a special thank you to my good friend Ryan Brence for contributing to the content and questions in this episode. I sincerely appreciate Ryan's assistance and couldn't do this without his encouragement and support.

In life, we face endless options about how to spend our time. With social media and the internet, we have never been so aware of these options, and the barrier has never been lower for people to share their opinions about what we should be focusing on (like this post!). We also live in a world where everything is urgent, needs to be done now, and we ignore the fundamental reality of trade offs — saying yes to something invariably means saying no to something else. With these obstacles, how do we decide what is important and remain focused on the most essential things in life? On this episode, I share what I have discovered on my journey to live a life prioritizing the important over the urgent. It is not always easy, but it is absolutely worth it. Successful people — meaning people whose lives are in line with their deepest values — spend most of their time in Quadrant II. Over time, small deposits in these important, non-urgent tasks of Quadrant II can produce incredible results. But the opposite is also true. Neglecting Quadrant II activities can lead to long term regrets and more urgent matters (e.g., health issues or relationship problems). I hope this episode of the podcast will help you think more about the important things in your life, prune away the non-essential, have the courage to say no, and truly put first things first. For full show notes, visit https://www.calwalters.me/

On this episode, Cal shares an impactful and replicable process he uses to reflect. This is useful any time of year, but the New Year presents a natural time to reflect. In less than 1 hour, you can turn experience into insights to grow and make progress in the New Year. Check it out! On this episode, Cal discusses being inspired by Ray Dalio and Adam Grant to be more teachable. Below are two resources on this topic: Principles by Ray Dalio Interview of Adam Grant by Tim Ferris

Today, you will hear an interview I did with one of my best friends, Rajiv Srinivasan. Rajiv is currently a Global Client Director at LinkedIn, where he manages a worldwide and multifunctional team supporting relationships for 3 of LinkedIn's top 10 accounts. Rajiv was on the Dean's List at West Point and graduated in the Top 5% of his class in 2008. He also earned an MS in Applied Mathematics from Columbia University and will be graduating with his MBA from Wharton this May. His amazing wife Chelsea is also a Wharton graduate. After graduating from West Point in 2008, Rajiv deployed to Afghanistan as a platoon leader. In Afghanistan, Rajiv did over 300 combat patrols and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and received the Combat Action Badge. Rajiv transitioned out of the military in 2013 and moved out to Silicon Valley. Rajiv was part of the Founding Team at Morta Security, a cyber security company that was acquired by Palo Alto Networks in 2013. After Morta was acquired, Rajiv became a Enterprise & SLED Account Manager at MobileIron. In 2016, Rajiv became a Global Account Manager at VMWare. Rajiv is also an Eagle Scout, avid snow skier (you'll hear him talk about a scary incident he had in Lake Tahoe), musician (he plays guitar, ukulele, piano, and is a vocalist), he has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, has completed the NYC Marathon, the Marine Corps Marathon, and the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon. He has been a contributor for the New York Times and TIME on military and veteran issues. Rajiv is someone that has inspired me ever since we met at West Point in 2005. In this interview, we discuss his love of books, how he has managed to read 76 books in 2019, his process of doing a digital declutter, and many of Rajiv's favorite books, including a few surprising recommendations. I really enjoyed this conversation, just like every conversation I have with Rajiv, and I think you will, too. Below is a list of books and resources we discuss during this interview: Good Economics for Hard Times by Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo Atomic Habits by James Clear (I also recommend subscribing to James Clear's weekly newsletter here. It is short but packed with great information and no spam.) Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin (this is one of Rajiv's top 3 recommended books!) Educated by Tara Westover Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance The Shortest Way Home by Pete Buttigieg Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow Grant by Ron Chernow (Here is a LinkedIn Article Rajiv created about this book) The House of Morgan by Ron Chernow Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. by Ron Chernow The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo Give and Take by Adam Grant (This is one of Rajiv's favorite books and it is currently high on my reading list.) How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan (This was a surprising recommendation by Rajiv. I obviously do not use or condone drug use, but Rajiv makes the point that reading this book really helped him understand a group of people he previously did not understand, which simply highlights the beauty and the power of books to give us understanding and empathy for other humans.) Although Rajiv intentionally says "no" to many digital platforms (how do you think he reads so much?), you can connect with Rajiv on LinkedIn here. He has also taken the #PlusOnePledge at LinkedIn. Rajiv also mentioned Gates Notes, which is a reading blog created by Bill Gates, and Goodreads. Rajiv uses these reading resources for inspiration and great book ideas.

On this episode, Cal dives into the exciting new science of positive psychology and gratitude. Saying we should be more thankful is easy advice to give -- similar to saying we should live in the moment -- but for some reason it is harder to practice on a regular basis. Cal explores some of the key obstacles to most of us practicing gratitude and offers two practical, yet powerful, ways that we can begin practicing gratitude (and reaping the benefits of it) today. Join Cal on a 30 day commitment to the daily practice of gratitude!

How is technology affecting your life? Do you feel overwhelmed and exhausted by constant connectivity? Have you ever felt the urge to check your phone when you're with people you love? Have you felt that gut feeling after spending aimless minutes on your phone that you wish you had used your time more wisely? If you have felt any of these feelings, you're not alone. We have a collective problem with technology. On this episode, Cal shares his own struggle with technology and explores the magnitude and causes of the problem. More importantly, Cal offers practical solutions for regaining control of our digital tools to make them work for us. Let's collectively take a step back, discovery the beauty of a technology detox, and intentionally manage digital tools to make them tightly aligned with our deeply held values! Two books referenced during this episode: Deep Work by Cal Newport Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport

Packed with great stories of overcoming adversity and incredible nuggets of wisdom and inspiration, this episode will not disappoint! Ryan Brence grew up playing big time Texas high school football. He is the son of a very successful Texas high school football coach in Plano, TX, and he shares lessons he learned watching his dad lead a football team. Ryan is a husband, father, West Point Graduate, former Army Football player, winner of the Black Lion Award, Army Ranger, and he currently works as a business development manager for TDIndustries in Dallas, TX. TDIndustries teaches servant leadership and is a Fortune 100 Best Company to Work For: TDIndustries Awards. Ryan shares stories of overcoming adversity in football and Ranger School. He shares practical ways in which he lives an intentional life, and he shares lessons he learned on servant leadership from his dad and his work at TDIndustries. Ryan references the following book during the episode: The Power of Consistency by Weldon Long

On this episode, Cal wraps up his servant leadership series by covering the last three principles of servant leadership -- that servant leaders: 1. Invest in the personal growth of their team members; 2. Build a culture of trust; and 3. Inspire! Cal dives into practical steps of how to apply these principles to your leadership! Cal references the following items in the podcast: Simon Sinek TED talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmyZMtPVodo The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni: https://www.amazon.com/Advantage-Organizational-Everything-Business-Lencioni-ebook/dp/B006ORWT3Y Bain & Company study on inspirational leadership: https://www.bain.com/insights/how-leaders-inspire-cracking-the-code/

On this episode, Cal continues an exciting series on servant leadership! Cal jumps right into the next three principles of servant leadership: 1. Servant leaders care about the WHOLE person; 2. Servant leaders are generous to their team; and 3. Servant leaders listen. At the end of this episode, you will be more equipped to immediately apply servant leadership principles in your team, organization, or business! Please collaborate with Cal at [email protected].

On this episode, Cal begins the substantive deep dive into servant leadership principles. Over the course of this podcast series, Cal will explore 9 key principles to servant leadership. On this episode, Cal explores the first three principles and provides illustrations and keys to applying them in your life: 1. Servant leaders empower others; 2. Servant leaders give credit; and 3. Servant leaders take the blame. At the end, Cal provides discussion questions to help you examine whether you are applying these to your leadership! Keep growing and keep getting better! When you do, everyone benefits!

On this episode, Cal introduces a topic he is very excited to discuss -- servant leadership. Perhaps you generally like the sound of servant leadership but have yet to fully dive into the principles required to lead as a servant. Or perhaps you're skeptical whether taking a "servant leadership" approach can really get the job done in your team, organization, or business. Whatever your views are, please tune in to hear Cal set the ground work for this exciting "deep dive" into this incredible philosophy of leadership. I think you and your team will benefit!

On this episode, Cal shares a story from his days playing college football and contrasts that story with a NFL Hall of Fame player. You never know when opportunities will come, so the preparation you do today makes all the difference.

As long as we live a life focused on ourselves, we will never be truly fulfilled. It is counter intuitive, but the more we give of ourselves, the more we get. As we seek to live a more intentional live, living a life that matters and contributes to the world and others is fundamental. On this episode, Cal shares his own story of service, some anecdotal and empirical examples of service leading to a more fulfilled life, and some key principles to shifting our focus from ourselves to other people. Life is short, let's make it count!

We all fail; we all fail often; and we all will continue to fail for the rest of our life. Yet, many of us tip toe through life trying to avoid failure at all costs. On this episode, Cal offers 4 principles to maintaining a healthy view of failure and using the gift of failure to propel us forward towards achieving success and maximizing our potential. Focus on success instead of "not failing" View failure as a gift Separate your failures from your identity Keep going -- you may be right on the other side of a breakthrough!

The mind is a powerful thing. To accomplish something, we have to first believe it can be done. To maintain a healthy self-identity, we have to be careful about the words we tell ourselves and the people we allow to speak into our life. On this episode, Cal discusses the power of self-belief and provides 3 key principles to maintaining a healthy self-identity. Who do you say that you are? Who do you believe that you can become? The answers to these two questions is critical to us maximizing our potential!

If we want to reach our full potential and make a significant contribution to the world, we have to move beyond good intentions and begin to live intentionally. On this episode, Cal explores two keys to intentional living: 1. Making a life mission; and 2. Developing a plan for personal growth.

On this episode, Cal continues a two-part discussion on the importance of courageous leadership. Cal builds on the leadership principles discussed in Episode 8 by sharing three principles of courageous leadership: 1. Courageous leadership intentionally confront current reality, even when it's ugly; 2. Courageous leaders confront their own blind spots; and 3. Courageous leaders set clear expectations and provide honest feedback. Our leadership and influence with either shrink or grow in direct proportion to the amount of courage we choose to have.

Acts of courage are often what makes a leader a leader. We know this instinctively, yet courage is easier to talk about than it is to put into practice. On this episode, Cal begins the first part of a two-part discussion about courageous leadership and shares his first two principles of courageous leadership: 1. Courageous leaders champion change; and 2. Courageous leaders take action and are decisive. By the end of this episode, Cal hopes to convince you that you are a leader and that your leadership will shrink or expand in proportion to the amount of courage you choose to have.

When we think of courage, we often think of giant figures that have changed the world -- Dr. Martin Luther King, Winston Churchill, Soldiers on the battlefield -- but courage is required of all of us if we want to achieve our potential and live the life we are called to live. In this episode, Cal passionately discusses 5 principles to live a life of courage and to overcome the fear that so often paralyzes us from walking into a more abundant and fulfilled life. Life is short, let's make it count!

On this Episode, Cal discusses the power of kindness to have a positive impact on our sphere of influence. A small act of kindness can change the course of someone's day, pull someone out of a difficult place, change someone's view of themselves, and has the potential to alter someone's life for the better. After reflecting on the power of kindness, Cal reflects on his observations of kindness in action and shares a story of a couple that showed kindness to him and his family as they confront the challenges of military life.

We all want to be happy, yet we engage in behavior that undermines our own happiness. One of the biggest ways we do this is by comparing ourselves to others. In this episode, Cal explores the dangers of unhealthy comparison and shares a mental "battle drill" for dealing with our tendency to engage in comparison. By applying this mental battle drill, we can protect our happiness, celebrate the successes of others, and live more focused on achieving our dreams!

When we listen well, we meet a fundamental need in people to feel understood and affirmed. Yet, so often we don't focus on being good listeners and forget the principle of seeking first to understand before we seek to be understood. In this episode, Cal focuses on two key principles to being a great listener, and he asks listeners to commit to being better listeners. Let's commit to this principle and believe that it can change our relationships and maybe even our world.

In this Episode, Cal shares a valuable lesson he learned in US Army Ranger School. He talks about an important quality that many, if not most, great leaders have. And that is the ability to remain calm under pressure – the ability to appear unflappable, to not be overcome with emotion, to not allow the outside pressures and circumstances – no matter how negative or dire they may be – to get the best of them. Great leaders have this ability to remain calm and to make smart decisions based on their principles, not their emotions, but how do you do this? Cal shares specific ways to learn to master your emotions and make the best decision.

You cannot overstate the importance of being a great father. Yet, there are many things competing for our time and attention, and it's not always easy to focus on what is most important. In this episode, we explore three ways to make sure we maximize our time as fathers and make a lasting impact on our children. It starts with keeping a long term perspective, learning to say "no" to things that are less important, and being truly present with our kids. Let's be intentional about being excellent fathers!

Starting off your day the right way is key to making the day count. And making each day count leads to a more fulfilled life, increased influence, and achieving your goals. In this episode, Cal provides a brief introduction of himself, his motivation for starting this podcast, and 3 keys for starting the day off right!