Connect with Joe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephpmccormack/

Learn more about The Brief Lab: https://thebrieflab.com/

How do you become the kind of leader who cuts through noise, communicates with clarity, and actually moves people to action?

In this episode of the Intentional Leader Podcast, Cal talks with Joe McCormack—founder of The Brief Lab and author of Brief, Noise, and Quiet Works. Joe has trained elite military units and Fortune 500 executives to be clear, concise, and intentional communicators, and to rediscover the quiet that makes powerful communication possible.

They explore:

• Why noise is the real villain in your leadership story

• The "sword and shield" of effective communication: brief (cut through clutter) and quiet (protect your attention)

• Why being brief actually requires more preparation, not less

• The 3 levels of detail and how to stop overwhelming people

• How to build quiet into your day so you think better and lead better

• Why thinking time is part of your job, not a luxury

• How to use small pockets of quiet before and after meetings

• Practical ways to manage your phone instead of being managed by it

• How AI + quiet work can become a leadership superpower

If you've ever felt frustrated by endless meetings, rambling updates, or your own distracted brain, this conversation will give you practical tools you can use this week.

• Noise as the villain – How constant distractions, disruptions, and devices are eroding our ability to think and communicate.

• The brief & quiet toolkit – Brief is the sword that cuts through clutter; quiet is the shield that protects your attention so you can prepare.

• Why we overtalk – Insecurity, lack of preparation, ego, and a poor understanding of attention spans.

• The 3 levels of detail – Level 1 (headline), Level 2 (support), Level 3 (full detail). Most leadership moments only need Levels 1–2.

• Clarity like comedy – Sequence and timing matter. If it takes too long to get to the punchline, you lose people—even if the content is good.

• Quiet as an appointment – Why you should literally block quiet time on your calendar and not treat it like a "snow day."

• Quiet before collaboration – Simple practices like two minutes of silence at the start of meetings can transform outcomes.

• Redefining work in the AI age – Undistracted thinking is becoming a rare and valuable skill; AI works best when you can sit still and think.

• Your phone works for you – Reframing your phone as a tool, not a master.

• Take 3 minutes before your next meeting or email to decide: What's my headline?

• Use Joe's 3 levels of detail filter: Am I giving a headline, a trailer, or the entire movie?

• Block 15 minutes of quiet in the morning and afternoon, and connect it directly to upcoming or recent communication.

• Start your next team meeting with 2 minutes of silence for everyone to think about what they want to say and what they hope to get out of the meeting.

• Put your phone in another room for your quiet block and remind yourself: My phone works for me; I don't work for it.

How do the best military leaders go from operating at an already elite level… to an even higher level under pressure?

In this episode, Army psychologist Dr. Liz Werly (who works directly with some of the U.S. military's most elite units) breaks down the exact framework she uses to help high performers:

• build accurate self-awareness using gold-standard assessments,

• "engineer" their personality to fit the context (calm under fire and present at home),

• develop emotional intelligence as the differentiator once IQ and talent are in place, and

• translate values into visible daily behaviors that protect what matters most.

We also dig into groundedness and intentionality as core high-performance habits, the basics that leaders ignore at their own risk (sleep, rhythm, connection), and how generational shifts and resiliency trends are reshaping today's force and workplaces.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How Dr. Werly assesses elite leaders (IQ, Big Five, emotional measures) and turns data into a growth plan

• Why emotional intelligence becomes more important than raw intellect at higher levels of leadership

• A simple values → beliefs → behaviors framework (including the "20-minute Lego" example)

• How to recognize when your strengths (e.g., robotic under pressure) become liabilities at home or with your team

• Practical tools for grounding, bandwidth management, and emotional "dialing"

• What leaders need to understand about younger generations, resiliency, and expectations

If you're already a high performer and want to become a more grounded, self-aware, and sustainable leader, this conversation is for you.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Connect with Dr. Liz Werly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-h-werly-psy-d-b843b817/

• Join the waitlist for the next Intentional Leader Lab cohort: intentionalleaderlab.com

The views expressed in this episode are those of the participants and do not represent the official position of the U.S. Government or the U.S. Army.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro – How elite leaders go from high to higher

00:33 Disclaimer + what this episode will cover

01:06 Welcome to The Intentional Leader Podcast + IL Lab mention

01:36 Meet Dr. Liz Werly & her work with elite military units

03:35 "If I walked into your office…" – her framework for high performers

05:19 Patterns, personality, and "engineering" your strengths

07:42 Robotic under pressure, distant at home – dialing traits up/down

09:20 Big Five, gold-standard assessments & why cheap tests fall short

11:24 Why tests need interpretation, not labels

13:18 How leaders react when they see their data

16:50 Values-based goals & Acceptance and Commitment mindset

18:58 IQ vs personality vs EQ – what you can actually change

21:00 The four pillars of emotional intelligence (Liz's breakdown)

24:25 Why EQ is the edge once IQ is "good enough"

24:50 Groundedness & intentionality as #1 performance levers

26:44 Designing your "ideal day" for this season of life

29:04 Sleep, basics, and whole-person performance

29:50 Values → beliefs → behaviors (the 20-minute Lego example)

32:36 When values collide (deployments, travel, guilt & shame)

34:44 Emotions as information vs letting emotions drive decisions

36:30 Generational friction & why it's an emotional intelligence issue

39:25 Tech, expectations, and how younger leaders are different

41:06 Resiliency, safety culture, and maturity gaps

43:18 Recruiting, mental health, and opportunity in today's force

45:00 Where to connect with Liz + her final advice to leaders

46:24 Outro – 5 practical challenges: grounding, values, bandwidth, dialing, feedback

➡️ Get my Newsletter (Intentional Letter): https://courses.calwalters.me/signup

Discover Your Core Values: https://calwalters.me/course

Get Will's book: https://noelevatortoeverest.com/

Learn about Corner to Corner: https://cornertocorner.org/

In this conversation, Will Acuff shares his journey of finding joy amidst life's challenges, particularly through his experiences with his family and the transformative 'trauma camp' that helped him shift his perspective. He discusses the importance of self-compassion, the struggles of parenting a child with disabilities, and the pressures of maintaining a facade of having it all together. The dialogue emphasizes the significance of recognizing small sparks of joy and the power of community and support in navigating difficult times.

In this conversation, the speakers explore the themes of love, mercy, and personal responsibility within relationships. They discuss the drama triangle concept, emphasizing the importance of shifting from a hero mentality to one of ownership and self-compassion. The dialogue also touches on thriving in tough circumstances, the significance of self-awareness, and practical practices for cultivating joy in daily life.

00:00 Finding Joy in Hardship

02:53 The Journey to Trauma Camp

11:42 Transformative Experiences at Trauma Camp

22:02 The Power of Joy in Difficult Times

24:35 The Context of Love and Mercy

25:08 Understanding the Drama Triangle

29:04 Shifting from Hero to Ownership

30:44 The Impact of Codependency

32:07 Self-Compassion and Ownership

35:31 Thriving in Tough Circumstances

36:40 Exploring Joy and Self-Awareness

42:22 Practical Practices for Daily Joy Please visit my website to get more information:

https://calwalters.me/

🔔𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬. https://www.youtube.com/@intentionalleader_calwalters/?sub_confirmation=1

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:

1. a growth mindset;

2. an open mindset;

3. a promotion mindset; and

4. 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/

Sign up for The Intentional Letter: https://courses.calwalters.me/signup

Discover Your Core Values Course: https://courses.calwalters.me/offers/DmXNju9f/checkout

The Work-Life Balance Toolbox: https://www.stephenrgraves.com/balance

Steve's book, Flourishing (for free!): https://www.stephenrgraves.com/flourish

Cornerstone+ Membership: https://www.cornerstoneco.com/

In this episode of the Intentional Leader Podcast, Cal speaks with CEO coach Steve Graves about the intricacies of leadership, coaching, and achieving a balanced life. They explore the importance of holistic coaching, the courage required to make meaningful life choices, and the challenges of work-life balance. Steve shares insights from his experiences coaching top leaders and discusses frameworks for personal development, including the significance of understanding one's capacity threshold and the art of saying no. The conversation emphasizes the need for intentional living and aligning one's life with core values to lead effectively at work and home.

00:00 Leading Well at Work and Home

02:38 The Role of a Coach

07:15 Work-Life Balance Toolbox

08:30 A Tale of Two Funerals

13:16 The Importance of Courage 1

9:33 The Cost of Saying Yes

24:44 Understanding Capacity Threshold

36:51 The Art of Saying No

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 calwalterspodcast@gmail.com.  

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.  

➡️ Sign up for my Intentional Letter: https://courses.calwalters.me/signup

Follow Katie's work: https://katiequesada.com/

In this conversation, storytelling expert Katie Quesada discusses the profound impact of storytelling on personal and professional lives. She emphasizes the importance of storytelling in leadership, how it can create emotional connections, and the science behind why stories resonate with us.

Katie shares her journey into storytelling consulting, practical frameworks for effective storytelling, and the significance of personal and family narratives. The discussion also highlights the difference between macro and micro storytelling, encouraging leaders to weave stories into everyday interactions to foster connection and engagement. In this conversation, the speakers delve into the intricacies of storytelling, emphasizing its importance in leadership and personal relationships.

They discuss the three essential components of a story: context, conflict, and conclusion, and how to effectively balance these elements to engage an audience. The conversation also touches on the significance of vulnerability in leadership, the process of restoring meaning to personal experiences, and the value of storytelling in everyday interactions, particularly within families. The speakers encourage listeners to embrace their unique stories and share them in ways that resonate with others, ultimately highlighting storytelling as a powerful tool for connection and influence.

00:00 The Power of Storytelling

02:59 Katie Quesada's Journey into Storytelling

06:01 The Science Behind Storytelling

09:04 Practical Applications of Storytelling in Leadership

11:56 Mining, Refining, and Reminding Stories

14:59 Personal Storytelling and Its Impact

17:59 The Importance of Family Storytelling

20:57 Macro vs. Micro Storytelling

28:05 The Art of Storytelling

31:24 Understanding the Three C's of Storytelling

35:35 The Balance of Context, Conflict, and Conclusion

40:39 Vulnerability in Leadership

43:00 Restoring Meaning to Personal Stories

46:43 Finding Your Storytelling Platform

48:44 Relational Storytelling Techniques

Please visit my website to get more information: https://calwalters.me/

🔔𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬. https://www.youtube.com/@intentionalleader_calwalters/?sub_confirmation=1

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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.

1. Focus on success instead of "not failing"
2. View failure as a gift
3. Separate your failures from your identity
4. 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.  

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Take the Attributes Assessment (make sure you use coupon code INTENTIONALLEADER15 to get 15% off at check out): https://theattributes.com/assessment-tool

Get Rich's new book, Masters of Uncertainty: https://www.amazon.com/Masters-Uncertainty-Navy-Stress-Success/dp/B0DMGYW5YH/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3E4HOYQ84M5H7&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ya84ZhsafB6rPwbEySGGDg.98hhrIiRMlraDT4SDOw9Dih-3Y1Z1b772CBQOmMDIBw&dib_tag=se&keywords=masters+of+uncertainty+rich+diviney&qid=1732210579&sprefix=masters+of+uncertainty+rich+diviney%2Caps%2C168&sr=8-1

In this conversation, retired Navy SEAL Commander Rich Diviney shares insights on leadership, stress management, and the importance of attributes in high-performance environments. He discusses the significance of humility, the distinction between being a leader and being in charge, and the challenges faced during BUD/S training.

Rich emphasizes the critical role of compartmentalization and attributes in determining success, particularly in high-stress situations like those encountered in military training and operations. In this conversation, the speaker delves into the importance of understanding personal attributes and skills, emphasizing the role of self-awareness in effective leadership.

They discuss how stress and fear can be harnessed for positive action, the significance of focusing on controllable factors, and the science behind motivation through dopamine. The conversation also explores the impact of identity on behavior, particularly in uncertain situations, and how recognizing and prioritizing identities can shape our responses and actions.

00:00 Navigating Stress as a Leader

03:04 The Essence of Humility in Leadership

06:06 Understanding Leadership Beyond Hierarchy

09:01 The BUD/S Experience and Its Challenges

11:56 Compartmentalization: The Key to Endurance

15:04 Skills vs. Attributes in Leadership

18:03 Insights from SEAL Team 6 Selection

20:47 The Importance of Attributes in Performance

29:10 Understanding Attributes and Skills

35:01 The Role of Self-Awareness in Leadership

38:07 Harnessing Stress and Fear for Action

43:45 Focus on What You Can Control

49:22 The Science of Dopamine and Motivation

52:30 The Power of Identity in Uncertainty

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!  

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Watch this on YouTube: https://youtu.be/DHP2Eahxjm0

Alison Wood Brooks is the O'Brien Associate Professor of Business Administration and Hellman Faculty Fellow at the Harvard Business School. She teaches an award-winning course in the MBA curriculum called "TALK." Recently named a Best 40-Under-40 Business School Professor by Poets & Quants, her book TALK: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves will be published by Crown (Penguin Random House) in January 2025.

Her research on the science of conversation has been published in prestigious academic journals, including the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and Psychological Science, as well as in popular media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The New York Times, Scientific American, and Harvard Business Review. Professor Brooks holds a Ph.D. in Decision Processes from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and bachelor's degree in Psychology and Finance from Princeton University.

In this engaging conversation, Alison Wood Brooks, a Harvard Business School professor, shares insights from her research on the art and science of conversation. She discusses the importance of effective communication, the unique perspective gained from being an identical twin, and the value of teaching conversation skills to leaders.

The discussion covers various aspects of conversation, including the significance of preparation, understanding conversational goals, and the framework for successful interactions. Listeners are encouraged to reflect on their own conversational practices and consider how they can improve their communication skills. In this conversation, the speakers delve into the intricacies of effective communication, emphasizing the cognitive load involved in conversations, the importance of preparation, and the power of follow-up questions.

They discuss strategies for topic switching and ending conversations gracefully, the significance of asking questions, and the art of active listening. The conversation also highlights the role of levity in maintaining engagement and the need for self-compassion in navigating social interactions.

Subscribe to the Intentional Letter (my weekly newsletter): https://courses.calwalters.me/signup

Get the The Thin Book of Trust.   

Cal and Charles Feltman delve into the intricate nature of trust, exploring its biological underpinnings and the personal experiences that shape our propensity to trust or distrust others. They discuss the importance of sincerity, reliability, competence, and care as key assessments of trustworthiness, and how leaders can foster a trusting environment by extending trust to their teams.

Charles Feltman has over 25 years of professional experience coaching, facilitating, consulting to, and training people who lead others. An overarching goal in all of his work is that his clients experience both success and wellbeing at work and in all areas of their lives. Prior to starting his coaching and consulting business he spent a decade in leadership roles in technology industry companies. 

Charles is the author of The Thin Book® of Trust: An Essential Primer for Building Trust at Work, based on three decades of experience working with individuals and teams to build, maintain, and when necessary restore trust.  

After completing his coach training in 2000 with Newfield Network, one of the premier coach training schools worldwide, Charles served as a mentor coach for Newfield's programs. In this capacity he taught, mentored and coached others who were learning to become skilled coaches.  

Charles holds a BA in psychology from U.C. Santa Cruz and a master's in organization development and communication from the University of Southern California. He has an International Coach Federation credential of Professional Certified Coach (PCC). He is certified in The Leadership Circle Profile, MBTI, DiSC Work of Leaders, and the Triscendance Trust Assessment for Leadership Teams. He is also a certified husband, father and grandfather. 

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Take Mark Miller's Quicksand Assessment by texting BeSmart (no spaces) to 66866

Get in touch with Mark Miller:

678-612-8441

mark@leadeveryday.com

https://leadeveryday.com

Mark Miller, former vice president of high performance leadership at Chick-fil-A, discusses the key factors that contribute to the company's exceptional customer experience. He emphasizes the importance of leadership, particularly at the local restaurant level, as the competitive advantage of Chick-fil-A. Miller also highlights the role of the corporate staff in serving the operators and creating a powerful combination.

He explains the rigorous selection process for restaurant operators and the focus on character, competence, chemistry, and an internal locus of control. Miller acknowledges the challenges in defining leadership and distinguishes it from management, emphasizing the importance of vision, engagement and development of others, continuous reinvention, and valuing both results and relationships.

In this conversation, Mark Miller discusses the importance of embodying a leader's heart and the role it plays in leadership effectiveness. He emphasizes that a leader's heart is a big deal and can multiply the effect of their skills. Mark also talks about the need for both leadership and management in an organization, highlighting that leaders should compensate for their bias towards either results or relationships. He provides practical strategies for valuing both results and relationships, such as setting goals for expressing appreciation and gratitude. Mark concludes by sharing his excitement about continuing to serve leaders in his second half.

Discover Your Unique Core Values: https://calwalters.me/course

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr_ZF6AG_9ZylHul1O5wHhg

Connect with Juliet Funt: https://www.julietfunt.com/military/

Get Juliet's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Minute-Think-Reclaim-Creativity-Busyness/dp/0062970259

00:00 Introduction to Task Saturation and Overload

02:06 Juliette's Experience with the Military

07:01 Communication Challenges in the Military

20:15 Understanding Task Saturation vs. Overload

28:10 Leadership and Time Management Strategies

29:36 Leadership Transitions and Onboarding Challenges

32:49 Prioritization vs. Reduction in Task Management

35:32 Navigating Task Saturation and Honest Feedback

39:43 The Importance of Preparation and Rehearsal

42:51 Technology and Task Management in the Military

49:29 Maximizing Time Away and Digital Disconnection

Featured in top media outlets such as Forbes, CNBC, and Fast Company, Juliet Funt is a globally renowned keynote speaker, tough-love advisor to the Fortune 500, founder and CEO of the efficiency training firm, Juliet Funt Group.

Juliet is the author of A Minute to Think, nominated for the Next Big Idea Club curated by Malcolm Gladwell, Dan Pink, Susan Cain and Adam Grant. She is an evangelist for freeing the potential of companies by unburdening their talent from busywork, and she has brought her powerful concepts to Spotify, National Geographic, Anthem, Vans, Abbott, Costco, Pepsi, Nike, Wells Fargo, Sephora, Sysco, and ESPN.

Gain clarity with my Core Values course: https://calwalters.me/course

Watch this interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Vn6ZwWWcFZw

Learn more about West Point, the world's preeminent leader development institution: https://www.westpoint.edu/

In this episode of the Intentional Leader Podcast, Cal speaks with Brigadier General Shane Reeves, the Dean of West Point, about the challenges of preparing leaders for an uncertain future. They discuss the importance of innovation, character development, and critical thinking in military education, as well as the unique qualities of the next generation of leaders. General Reeves shares insights from his experiences, the role of technology in warfare, and the need for adaptability in leadership. The conversation emphasizes the significance of intellect and the ability to navigate complex challenges in today's rapidly changing world.

Brigadier General Shane Reeves serves as the 15th Dean of the Academic Board. He holds a Master of Laws in Military Law from the Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School, a Juris Doctor degree from the College of William and Mary, and a Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy. He is admitted to practice law before the Virginia State Bar, the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, and the United States Supreme Court.

Brigadier General Reeves commissioned in 1996 from the United States Military Academy and served seven years as an Armor Officer in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment at Ft. Irwin, California. After attending law school in 2003, he transitioned into the Judge Advocate General's Corps. As a Judge Advocate, he served in several legal positions, including as the Chief of Legal Assistance for Ft. Riley, Kansas; Brigade Judge Advocate in the 1st Armored Division in Taji, Iraq; Senior Trial Counsel for the 1st Infantry Division at Ft. Riley, Kansas; Professor of International and Operational Law at the Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School in Charlottesville, Virginia; and as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate of Joint Special Operations Command at Ft. Liberty, North Carolina.

Brigadier General Reeves taught for ten years in United States Military Academy's Law Department, most recently serving as the Head. He has taught and spoken on International Law and the Law of Armed Conflict. His recent speaking engagements include presenting at the 9th Quadrennial Federal Judges Association in Washington D.C., lecturing at Columbia Law School and the University of California-Berkeley Law School, and speaking in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, Israel as part of the Academic Exchange Program. He is also a founding member and Director of the Lieber Institute for Law and Land Warfare located at West Point.

Brigadier General Reeves has written on the Law of Armed Conflict and national security issues. His articles have appeared in various publications, including Foreign Policy, Lawfare, Just Security, and Articles of War. He has written over 30 articles and book chapters in academic publications, including the Harvard International Review, the Harvard National Security Journal, Texas Law Review, Marquette Law Review, Cardozo Law Review, University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Law, and Berkeley Journal of International Law. Additionally, he served as the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the blog Articles of War, the editor and contributing author to U.S. Military Operations: Law, Policy, and Practice, and Managing Editor of the Lieber Studies Series published by Oxford University Press.

Discover Your Unique Core Values: https://calwalters.me/course

Graham Cochrane is a TEDx and keynote speaker, 7 figure entrepreneur, and bestselling author of How To Get Paid For What You Know and Rebel: Find Yourself by Not Following The Crowd (2024).

Get a copy of Rebel: https://www.amazon.com/Rebel-Find-Yourself-Following-Crowd/dp/1637745656

He speaks to over 80,000 people each month on his top .5% globally ranked podcast The Graham Cochrane Show, where each week he helps people create more money, margin, and meaning in their lives.

With over 14 years of online coaching and content experience, 700,000 YouTube subscribers across his channels, and having built multiple 7 figure businesses that require less than 5 hours of work per week to run, Graham is a leading voice and coach in the life-giving business movement. His insights have been regularly featured in national media outlets like Forbes, CNBC and Business Insider.

Apply to work with me 1-1: https://courses.calwalters.me/coaching

Join the Intentional Leader Lab waitlist: https://courses.calwalters.me/intentional-leader-lab

Learn more about Zach: https://www.zachmercurio.com/

In this conversation, Dr. Zach Mercurio discusses the importance of creating a sense of purpose and mattering within teams. He emphasizes that feeling valued is a basic human instinct and that leaders play a crucial role in fostering an environment where everyone feels significant. The discussion covers the psychological impacts of not feeling like one matters, the barriers leaders face in demonstrating care, and practical strategies for enhancing team dynamics through small, intentional interactions. The conversation ultimately highlights the shift from traditional command-and-control leadership to a more trust-based approach that prioritizes relationships and emotional intelligence.

00:00 Creating a Sense of Purpose in Teams

02:10 Understanding the Cost of Not Mattering

04:28 The Role of Leaders in Mattering

07:56 The Importance of Mattering in Work and Life

11:41 Barriers to Caring in Leadership

16:10 The Shift from Command and Control to Trust-Based Leadership

19:35 Leading Indicators vs. Lagging Indicators

23:28 The Power of Small Interactions

28:59 Practical Actions for Leaders to Show Mattering

44:26 Noticing, Affirming, and Needing in Leadership

Quick Gain Clarity with my Discover Your Core Values Mini Course: https://calwalters.me/course

Watch this podcast on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@intentionalleader_calwalters

Learn more about Dr. Stein's work: https://stevenstein.com/

Dr. Steven Stein is a world-renowned clinical psychologist, international best-selling author and sought-after speaker, and founder and Executive Chair of Multi-Health Systems (MHS), a publisher of scientifically validated assessments for over 40 years, which has been named a three-time winner of Profit 100 (fastest growing companies in Canada), one of Canada's Best Managed Companies since 2013, and Canada's 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures (2016, Waterstone).

A leading expert on psychological assessment and emotional intelligence, he has consulted with military and government agencies, including the Canadian Forces, U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy, special units of the Pentagon, FBI Academy, as well as corporate organizations, including American Express, Air Canada, Canyon Ranch, Coca-Cola (Mexico), and professional sports teams.

Dr. Stein consults with numerous reality TV shows, including Big Brother Canada, The Amazing Race Canada, MasterChef Canada, Bachelor Canada, Real Housewives of Toronto, Bachelor in Paradise, Blown Away, and many others, providing psychological expertise and candidate selection assessments.

Dr. Stein co-authored Hardiness: Making Stress Work for You to Achieve Your Life Goals and is the author of The EQ Leader and Emotional Intelligence for Dummies. He also co-authored the international best-seller The EQ Edge: Emotional Intelligence and Your Success and wrote Make Your Workplace Great: The 7 Keys to an Emotionally Intelligent Organization.

He has appeared on more than 100 TV and radio shows, including CNBC's Squawk Box, Canada AM, Breakfast Television, The Fifth Estate, and Fox Business Report. He has also been quoted in numerous magazines and newspapers, including Fast Company, Inc., Fortune, Huffington Post, The National Post, Globe and Mail, and Toronto Star.

Dr. Stein has presented on emotional intelligence and hardiness to audiences throughout Canada, the United States, Mexico, South America, Europe, Australia, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

Dr. Stein currently teaches at the Directors College, an Executive Program from the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University, Canada. He is a past Chairperson of the Psychology Foundation of Canada. He is a former assistant professor in the psychiatry department at the University of Toronto and a former adjunct professor of psychology at York University in Toronto. He is a past President of the Ontario Psychological Association and a Fellow of the Canadian Psychological Association.

Save Time and Avoid Regrets with my Discover Your Core Values Mini Course: https://calwalters.me/course

 Watch this conversation on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1ki9gIkx54g

Purchase Throw No Rocks: A Man's Guide to Success Through Partnership with God: https://thrownorocks.com

Charlie Watkins is a Christian husband, father, grandfather and leader. He came to Jesus in 1980 while serving as a nuclear trained officer aboard a US Navy Cruiser, where he was led to the Lord by the ship's doctor. After leaving the Navy in 1982 he has held senior leadership positions in several businesses.

God has rescued, healed and mentored him through many trials, including cancer, open heart surgery, business failures and successes, transitions and many household moves. His heart's desire is to impart the most important truths to men so that they can find true success as God's husbands, fathers and leaders, and change the trajectories of their lives, marriages, families and the nations.

Charlie has led men's groups, home groups and spoken in churches. He currently leads a men's group at his local church, The Point, in Charlottesville, Virginia.

He's been married to Blythe, the love of his life, since June of 1977. Blythe and Charlie have two grown Christian children. They love the people their children married and count their children as their closest friends. They have five terrific grandsons, all mighty men of God in the making.

For most of the past 25 years, Charlie has mentored and worked with leaders. Since October of 2018 he has been serving as President and CEO of Landmark Media Enterprises and Dominion Enterprises, a private conglomerate of data and software businesses.

Charlie is a graduate of the US Naval Academy and holds a master's in business from William & Mary. He also serves on the board of ICM, "The Global Church Developer," a ministry that partners with indigenous people in the poorest regions of the world to build churches and disciple people.

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Charlie Watkins is a Christian husband, father, grandfather and leader. He came to Jesus in 1980 while serving as a nuclear trained officer aboard a US Navy Cruiser, where he was led to the Lord by the ship's doctor. After leaving the Navy in 1982 he has held senior leadership positions in several businesses.

God has rescued, healed and mentored him through many trials, including cancer, open heart surgery, business failures and successes, transitions and many household moves. His heart's desire is to impart the most important truths to men so that they can find true success as God's husbands, fathers and leaders, and change the trajectories of their lives, marriages, families and the nations.

Charlie has led men's groups, home groups and spoken in churches. He currently leads a men's group at his local church, The Point, in Charlottesville, Virginia.

He's been married to Blythe, the love of his life, since June of 1977. Blythe and Charlie have two grown Christian children. They love the people their children married and count their children as their closest friends. They have five terrific grandsons, all mighty men of God in the making.

For most of the past 25 years, Charlie has mentored and worked with leaders. Since October of 2018 he has been serving as President and CEO of Landmark Media Enterprises and Dominion Enterprises, a private conglomerate of data and software businesses.

Charlie is a graduate of the US Naval Academy and holds a master's in business from William & Mary. He also serves on the board of ICM, "The Global Church Developer," a ministry that partners with indigenous people in the poorest regions of the world to build churches and disciple people.

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@intentionalleader_calwalters

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Julian Treasure is a top-rated international speaker on sound and the critical communication skills of listening and speaking.

Collectively, Julian's five TED Talks have been viewed over 150 million times. How to speak so that people want to listen is the sixth most-viewed TED talk of all time. In live or virtual keynotes, or in bite-sized appearances via ThinkersOne, Julian delivers engaging, entertaining and transformational content, and is equally potent and effective with live or virtual delivery. ‍

His talks enhance business effectiveness, particularly for those in sales or leadership roles, as well as enriching relationships at work and at home.

His presenting skills and innovative use of sound make his talks visceral and potent experiences that are always highly rated by delegates.In addition to keynote speeches, Julian can also arrange structured training or workshops for your company.

Follow Julian Treasure: https://www.juliantreasure.com/