ABOVE CENTER® Leadership Podcast

In this ABOVE CENTER® episode, Michael Muhlfelder argues that stalled revenue rarely starts with the pipeline. It begins earlier, when teams work the wrong leads, qualify loosely, and miss details during discovery. By the time a deal reaches the forecast, the mistake is already built in.With 35-plus years in B2B sales, Michael sees salespeople who were never taught to sell and leaders who were never taught to lead. Abundant funding and the shift to Zoom helped create that gap. Now AI note-takers populate CRM fields, but completing the record doesn't mean anyone has necessarily thought about the deal.Through Calm Ocean Sales, Michael helps founders, CEOs, and CROs understand why deals aren't closing. His message: sales is human-to-human, focus matters, and leaders must ask question before betting the quarter on it.KEY TAKEAWAYSRevenue Stalls Start at the BeginningA full funnel can hide weak qualification. When teams pursue people who can't or won't buy, they spend time on demos, travel, and proposals that still land in the forecast. Michael starts his diagnosis with lead quality and discovery.AI Can't Teach You to SellMichael embraces AI but recognizes its limits with context and emotion. A buyer folding their arms might signal concern—or simply a comfortable posture. Complex sales require people who can ask questions, interpret responses, and understand each buyer's priorities.Question the DataA complete CRM record is not a qualified deal. Have the buyer's desired outcomes changed? Has the economic buyer confirmed them? A proposal to spend $1 million to save $10 million can still lose when a CFO protects a larger priority. Leaders need to examine both the numbers and the assumptions behind them.Be Maniacal About FocusTrying to do everything is a costly mistake. Choose an industry and pursue it long enough to learn whether it's right. Don't build features simply because one customer or salesperson asks. His early payroll sales experience taught him the value of knowing exactly what he was there to sell.Every Sale Is a Transfer of EmotionEven highly analytical buyers worry about whether a purchase will work, whether they'll have to defend the expense, and whether their reputation is at risk. People may be betting their careers on what you sell. Revenue teams need to recognize those concerns.There Are No Overnight SensationsAmazon began with books, Netflix with movies, and NVIDIA spent decades building its business. Markets take time to develop. A leader's job is to keep the team's attention on the main thing to make progress.FAVORITE QUOTE"Memento mori."Michael keeps this Stoic reminder—"remember you will die"—on his mug. For him, it sharpens decisions about what matters, who matters, and how to spend today. He pairs it with amor fati, or "love your fate," and asks whether the situation in front of him deserves his time and energy.ABOUT MICHAEL MUHLFELDERMichael learned sales face to face, beginning with payroll and payroll tax filing before selling for major technology companies, including Siebel Systems.After forecasting a quarter at 105% and delivering 80%, he had to explain the shortfall to a board. That experience shaped his standard: trust, but verify. Collect the information, then check that it's right, especially with large deals.Today, the founder of Calm Ocean Sales advises leaders on go-to-market strategy, sales leadership, and revenue performance. He also co-hosts a podcast exploring AI governance, deployment, and business vision. He welcomes disagreement to learn.ABOUT ABOVE CENTER®ABOVE CENTER® is brought to you by REVEL®, an Executive Search and Coaching firm that helps people and companies grow through great leadership.Our conversations explore how corporate leaders stay grounded, clear, and resilient under pressure. Guests share strategies and philosophies that help them lead themselves and their teams while building careers and lives with purpose, impact, and joy.

Guest: Larry Coval | Founder, Arcane Leadership Concepts & Author of Misled

Theme: Leadership as a Skill, Accountability, and Helping People Thrive

In this Above Center® episode, Larry Coval challenges the assumption that strong leaders are born with the right personality.

Drawing on nearly four decades of experience, including 21 years at Cox Business, where he rose to Division Vice President, Larry argues that leadership is a learnable skill built through observation, structure, accountability, and difficult decisions.

His forthcoming book, Misled: Why Almost Everything We Learned About Leadership Is Wrong and How to Fix It, questions advice that prioritizes likability without giving managers practical tools. His message is direct: empathy matters, but it cannot replace the ability to set expectations, address underperformance, run effective meetings, and help people thrive.

Key Takeaways from Larry’s Leadership Philosophy

🧭 Leadership Is a Skill, Not a Personality Trait
Empathy, vulnerability, and likability may help, but they do not teach leaders how to manage performance, build accountability, or guide a team through difficult situations.

⚖️ Evaluate Both Will and Skill
When someone struggles, leaders should ask two questions: Do they have the will to succeed, and do they have the skills required for the role? The answers help determine whether the person needs coaching, clearer expectations, a different environment, or a different role.

🎯 A Leader’s Job Is to Enable Success
Larry’s leadership standard is simple: his job is to make his people successful. Sometimes that means helping someone grow in the current role. Other times, it means recognizing that the person may thrive somewhere else.

📋 Define What a Good Day Looks Like
Leaders should define what a strong, average, and poor day look like in each role. Clear standards help employees understand expectations and allow leaders to address small issues before they become major problems.

🤝 Trust Requires Support and Accountability
Employees need to know their leader has their back and will offer help. They must also know that the leader will hold them accountable. Strong leadership balances freedom with structure and support with responsibility.

🔁 Failure Is Part of the Process
Larry developed his approach by experimenting, learning from mistakes, and refusing to let failure end the process. Reflection, positive intent, and a willingness to take risks helped him discover what worked.

💬 Favorite Quote
“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”

For Larry, failure is part of learning. Leaders grow by testing new approaches, acknowledging what did not work, and continuing to improve.

About Larry Coval

Lawrence “Larry” Coval has lived leadership for nearly four decades. He started at the bottom, worked his way up, and spent years leading large organizations, managing significant revenue, and being accountable for hundreds of people.

At 23, Larry was given a leadership role he knew he was not ready for. Rather than relying on theory, he learned through real outcomes, pressure, and consequences.

Over time, he developed a demanding standard: his job was to make his people successful. If they won, he won.

Today, as founder of Arcane Leadership Concepts and author of the forthcoming Misled, Larry brings an operator’s mindset to leadership development. His work replaces conventional advice with practical skills, clear accountability, and approaches designed for the real world.

ABOVE CENTER® is brought to you by REVEL®, an Executive Search and Coaching firm that helps people and companies grow through great leadership.

Our ABOVE CENTER® approach is about staying grounded, clear, and resilient when the stakes are high. We feature corporate leaders who share the mindsets, strategies, and philosophies that help them navigate pressure, lead effective teams, and build careers and lives with purpose, impact, and joy in the journey.

Guest: Robin Green | Author of The Intelligence Loop

In this Above Center® episode, Robin Green explores one of the most important leadership questions of our time: as AI gets smarter, what becomes more important about being human?

As the author of The Intelligence Loop: A New Model for Growth and How We Get Smarter Together, Robin brings decades of experience helping organizations navigate technology, data, AI, and growth. The future will not belong to the people with the best tools alone. It will belong to the people who know how to keep humans at the center while using technology to expand learning, insight, and impact.

Robin challenges leaders to slow down before they speed up. AI can make work faster, but speed without purpose can simply make us more efficient at wandering. True leadership requires judgment, curiosity, humility, and the courage to ask not just “Can we?” but “Should we?”

Key Takeaways from Robin’s Leadership Philosophy

🧠 Keep Humans at the Center Both AI cheerleaders and AI doomers make the same mistake: they put the machine at the center. Real progress happens when human dignity, judgment, and meaning stay at the core.

🔁 Intelligence Is a Loop, Not a Line The Intelligence Loop is about learning, applying, reflecting, refining, and then learning again. AI can support that process, but humans must bring the insight, purpose, and judgment that make the work meaningful.

❓ Ask “Should We?” Before “Can We?” Many organizations rush straight to the how and can of AI adoption. The better leadership question is why. Without purpose, efficiency can create more confusion, not better outcomes.

⚖️ Judgment Cannot Be Automated AI can process, summarize, and accelerate—but it cannot fully replace human judgment. Leaders must bring context, ethics, empathy, and responsibility into every decision.

🤝 Curiosity + Humility Wins The strongest leaders are not the ones who claim to know everything, but the ones who say, “I don’t know, but I’ll go find out.”

📊 Data Matters, But Insight Matters More Numbers alone are not enough. Leaders must be able to interpret what the data means, what it implies, and what action it calls for.

💬 Favorite Quote “Everything civilization has to offer is a product of human intelligence.” — Stephen Hawking

Technology should enhance—not replace—the human experience. Progress without purpose is just a faster form of wandering. Human intelligence gives motion direction.

About Robin Green

Robin Green builds and scales revenue engines at the intersection of data, AI/technology, strategic partnerships, and leadership—delivering outsized results from startups to global enterprises. His passion is helping organizations close the gap between what they have and what they’re capable of.

Robin has led global organizations of 100+ professionals, managed enterprise relationships with the world’s leading systems integrators, and operated across 80+ U.S. markets. Across all of it, his belief remains consistent: growth doesn’t come from having the best data or the biggest team. It comes from building organizations that know what to do with what they have—and executing with discipline, integrity, and human judgment.

ABOVE CENTER® is brought to you by REVEL®, an Executive Search and Coaching firm that helps people and companies grow through the power of great leadership. Our ABOVE CENTER® approach is about staying grounded, clear, and resilient, especially when the stakes are high. In this podcast, we feature leaders in corporate America who share how they navigate the pressures of leadership while living ABOVE CENTER®. We uncover the mindsets, strategies, and personal philosophies that drive high-performing executives to lead themselves and their teams to success. From hiring and retaining top talent to thriving in the first 90 days of a new role, these conversations go beyond leadership—they’re about building a career and a life with purpose, impact, and joy in the journey.

Guest: Georgia Groc | AI Automation & Process Transformation Leader, U.S. Bank

In this Above Center® episode, Georgia Groc shares a grounded, real-world view of what leadership looks like when the pace of change is relentless and the stakes feel personal. Georgia makes the case that leaders don’t need to be experts overnight, but they do need to get in the arena. Her advice: block time to learn, start experimenting, and let AI handle the “nonsense work” so people can double down on what makes them uniquely valuable.

Georgia connects the fear many professionals feel about AI to a fear she knows intimately: a stage 3 breast cancer diagnosis at 36. What helped her move forward wasn’t pretending the fear wasn’t there. It was getting informed, building clarity, and choosing a mindset that refused to let a hard season become her identity. The result is a leadership posture that is both resilient and human: acknowledge what’s real, learn what we can, and keep choosing the path that aligns with our best self.

🧠 Don’t Wait to “Be Ready” for AI

The biggest risk is not starting. Leaders don’t need massive budgets or advanced expertise; they need intentional practice. An hour a week of learning and tinkering builds fluency, confidence, and momentum.

🧩 AI Raises the Bar on Human Value

Georgia encourages teams to focus on what can’t be automated: judgment, vision, relationship-building, creative problem solving, and leadership presence. Let AI do the repetitive work so people can lead at a higher level.

🤝 Psychological Safety Is the New Adoption Strategy

Georgia emphasizes creating a team environment where people can voice skepticism, fears, and frustrations without shame. Real progress happens when leaders “double-click” on what’s underneath the resistance.

🧭 Knowledge Reduces Fear

From navigating AI uncertainty to navigating cancer, Georgia returns to one theme: information is empowering. When people understand what they’re facing, fear quiets down enough for clear action to emerge.

🔥 Choose Your Life—Daily

Georgia’s resilience is rooted in choice. When life feels fragile, clarity sharpens. Her approach is to go all-in on what matters: family, impact, career, and presence. Choosing above center is not denial of hardship; it’s ownership of response.

Favorite Quote“What a day, what a life!”

For Georgia, this quote is a reset. The day might be hard, messy, or exhausting, but the larger story is still worth celebrating. It’s a reminder to hold both truths at once: reality can be heavy—and life can still be beautiful.

Georgia Groc is an AI Automation and Process Transformation leader who turns complex problems into scalable solutions. Over the past decade, she has helped highly regulated financial organizations reimagine how work gets done—delivering millions in cost savings and revenue, accelerating operational efficiency, and empowering teams to do their best work.

Today, Georgia leads an AI Automation Solutions Team at U.S. Bank, managing a team of eight and overseeing high-visibility AI and automation use cases across Operations for Consumer, Business and Treasury, Wealth Management, Contact Center, and Transaction Processing & Shared Services.

ABOVE CENTER® is brought to you by REVEL®, an Executive Search and Coaching firm that helps people and companies grow through the power of great leadership.

Our ABOVE CENTER® approach is about staying grounded, clear, and resilient, especially when the stakes are high. In this podcast, we feature leaders in corporate America who share how they navigate the pressures of leadership while living ABOVE CENTER®. We uncover the mindsets, strategies, and personal philosophies that drive high-performing executives to lead themselves and their teams to success. From hiring and retaining top talent to thriving in the first 90 days of a new role, these conversations go beyond leadership—they’re about building a career and a life with purpose, impact, and joy in the journey.

Guest: Warner Siebert | Entrepreneur, Sales Leader,Advisor

Warner Siebert brings hard-earned wisdom from the trenches of entrepreneurship, tech startups, and high-performance sales teams. With a career spanning food & beverage, wellness, and SaaS, Warner shares his story with humor, honesty, and a deep belief in the power of simplicity.

From building venture-backed companies to leading nationalsales teams, Warner’s approach: know your must-haves, scale through delegation, and never underestimate the power of picking up the phone. Looking to lead with purpose—and stay above center when the pressure’s on, this is the episode for you.

Key Takeaways from Warner’s Approach to Leadership & Growth

📈 Sales Is a Crash Course in Confidence

Warner began his career with a phonebook and a commission-only job at a rock radio station. That first sales meeting? He froze and walked out. But those early no’s built his grit—and shaped how he leads others through fear and failure today.

📚 Leadership Is Clarity + Empowerment

Great leaders set a clear direction, communicate expectations, and then get out of the way. Warner learned that scaling isn’t about doing more—it’s about hiring great people, delegating well, and aligning on what success looks like.

💬 Storytelling Builds Trust

Warner uses storytelling to show he’s been there too. From botched pitches to tough transitions, his stories aren’t just lessons—they’re bridges of empathy that help others grow without fear.

📊 Data + Gut = Smart Decisions

Whether hiring, launching, or investing, Warner blends analytics with instinct. He believes in stress-testing hires with small projects and looking beyond résumés to see how people think, communicate, and recover from setbacks.

📞 Pick Up the Phone

In a world of automation and inbox overload, Warner reminds us that connection builds momentum. Sometimes, the next deal, breakthrough, or relationship is just one phone call away.

🧭 Fear Is Paper-Thin

Warner’s philosophy on fear? It only feels like a brick wall. Push through, ask for help, try again. Whether mentoring young founders or guiding his kids through Lego frustrations, Warner shows that resilience is a muscle we all can build.

💬 Favorite Quote

“Life is really simple, but we insist on making itcomplicated.” – Zhu Xi

This quote from a Chinese philosopher—discovered duringWarner’s senior thesis—guides how he leads, lives, and prioritizes. It’s his weekly gut check: Is this a must-have or a nice-to-have?

About Warner Siebert

A seasoned entrepreneur, advisor, and sales executive, Warner Siebert scales revenue, simplifies systems, and builds high-performing teams. He’s the former Co-Founder & CEO of Good Day (CBD wellness), former SVP at Sysco LABS, and founder of multiple startups, including BuzzTable (acquired by Sysco). Warner blends creative hustle, operational rigor, and human-centered leadership to every venture. He’s currently Chief Revenue Officer at ColdTrack, a direct-to-consumer perishable logistics company.

When he’s not building businesses, Warner’s playing club lacrosse, cycling, or parenting twin boys. His personal mantra? Try again—or ask for help.

ABOVE CENTER® is brought to you by REVEL®, an Executive Search and Coaching firm that helps people and companies grow through the power of great leadership.

Our ABOVE CENTER® approach is about staying grounded, clear, and resilient, especially when the stakes are high. In this podcast, we feature leaders in corporate America who share how they navigate the pressures of leadership while living ABOVE CENTER®.

We uncover the mindsets, strategies, and personal philosophies that drive high-performing executives to lead themselves and their teams to success. From hiring and retaining top talent to thriving in the first 90 days of a new role, these conversations go beyond leadership—they’re about building a career and a life with purpose, impact, and joy in the journey.

Guest: Kirsten Moorefield | Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer, Cloverleaf.

In this ABOVE CENTER® episode, Kirsten Moorefield shares how she went from a first-time manager drowning in self-doubt to co-creating one of the most powerful psychology-based coaching tools in the workplace: Cloverleaf.

With deep empathy and bold vision, Kirsten takes us inside the messy, human reality of leading in high-growth environments—and how AI can become an unlikely but powerful ally in fostering emotional intelligence, trust, and performance.

Kirsten’s story is a testament to what happens when you stop labeling people and start seeing them. She believes thriving teams don’t just need better tools—they need better understanding.

Key Takeaways from Kirsten’s Leadership Philosophy

🧭 Stress Is a Signal, Not a SetbackFor Kirsten, stress isn’t failure—it’s information. When tension arises, it’s often a cue to pause, reflect, and recalibrate—not power through.

🧠 AI Can Deepen Human ConnectionWhile others feared AI, Kirsten saw its potential to support—not replace—people. Cloverleaf uses psychology and automation to give teams real-time coaching tips that foster awareness and reduce friction.

💬 Communication Needs ContextHer breakthrough? Conflict often isn’t about competence—it’s about clashing styles. Tools like Cloverleaf help leaders understand not just what happened, but why someone reacted a certain way—and how to respond with clarity and care.

🔁 Rupture and Repair Builds TrustKirsten’s guiding quote—“All trust is built through rupture and repair”—reminds us that tension isn’t the enemy of strong teams. Avoiding conflict kills momentum; facing it with empathy fuels growth.

📊 Data-Driven, Human-CenteredCloverleaf analyzes over 214 personality traits across multiple assessments, making it nearly impossible to box someone in. The result? Less labeling, more listening—and better performance across diverse teams.

🤝 Above Center Starts With YouWhether she’s noticing a pattern of defensiveness or guiding a stressed-out team through a product launch, Kirsten uses Cloverleaf herself. The goal? To lead by example—embracing self-awareness as a daily practice, not just a leadership buzzword.

💬 Favorite Quote“All trust is built through rupture and repair.”This psychology insight grounds Kirsten’s approach to leadership. Conflict isn’t a sign of failure—it’s an invitation to build something stronger. Real trust isn’t built through comfort. It’s built through courage.

About Kirsten Moorefield:

Kirsten Moorefield is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Cloverleaf, a technology company pioneering Automated Coaching™ to help teams thrive. Launched in 2018, Cloverleaf now delivers over 5 million coaching insights per month to more than 45,000 teams. With a background in leadership, psychology, and people-first innovation, Kirsten leads with both vision and vulnerability—empowering organizations to turn human differences into team strengths. Her mission? To make self-awareness, empathy, and high performance a normal part of every workday.

ABOVE CENTER® is brought to you by REVEL®, an Executive Search and Coaching firm that helps people and companies grow through the power of great leadership.

Our ABOVE CENTER® approach is about staying grounded, clear, and resilient, especially when the stakes are high. In this podcast, we feature leaders in corporate America who share how they navigate the pressures of leadership while living ABOVE CENTER®. We uncover the mindsets, strategies, and personal philosophies that drive high-performing executives to lead themselves and their teams to success. From hiring and retaining top talent to thriving in the first 90 days of a new role, these conversations go beyond leadership—they’re about building a career and a life with purpose, impact, and joy in the journey.

Guest: Jamey Maniscalco, PhD | Neuroscientist, Coach, Founder of Manifest Wellness

In this Above Center® episode, Jamey Maniscalco brings clarity, compassion, and brain science to the conversation around wellness and personal growth. As a neuroscientist, former professor, and cancer survivor, Jamey’s perspective is grounded in research and lived experience. His approach? Wellness isn’t the goal—it’s the tool to help you live a purpose-driven, energized life.

From navigating personal health crises to launching a business that makes wellness accessible, Jamey offers a fresh take on how high performers can thrive—without burning out. He blends practicality with neuroscience, showing us that you don’t need a total life overhaul to see real change.

Key Takeaways from Jamey’s Approach to Living Above Center®

🧠 Start With the Brain

Jamey believes peak performance and emotional resilience begin in the brain. Sleep, food, movement, and mindfulness aren’t just “nice-to-haves”—they’re essential for cognitive clarity, emotional regulation, and decision-making.

💡 Your Why Drives Your Wellness

Forget external motivators. Whether your goal is to be a present parent or a high-impact leader, Jamey encourages clients to anchor behavior change in intrinsic purpose. When wellness supports what truly matters to you, it becomes sustainable.

⏳ The Knowing-Doing Gap Is Real

We know what to do—eat better, sleep more, move daily—but the hard part is doing it. Jamey helps close that gap by making change bite-sized, frictionless, and science-backed.

📈 The Difference Between 0 and 1 Is Huge

If you can’t get in a 60-minute workout, do air squats between meetings. Can’t meditate for 10 minutes? Try two. Jamey reminds us that doing something—however small—is far better than doing nothing.

🌊 You’re Swimming Upstream

In a fast, overstimulated world, intentional living requires effort. Jamey describes wellness as a daily rebellion against distractions, urgency, and burnout. Success, he says, is about choosing direction over default.

🧘 Practice in Peace, Use in Chaos

His coaching and mindfulness cards promote “practice before pressure.” Whether it’s naming emotions (“Name it to Tame it”) or calming your nervous system with a physiological sigh, the goal is to build resilience before you need it.

💬 Favorite Quote“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

For Jamey, this quote fuels bold decisions—including his leap from tenured academia to entrepreneurship. It’s a reminder that growth is intentional, not accidental.

About Jamey Maniscalco

Dr. Jamey Maniscalco is the founder of Manifest Wellness, a neuroscience-informed coaching and wellness company. With a PhD in Neuroscience, experience in academia and consulting, and a deeply personal health journey, he empowers individuals and organizations to unlock clarity, energy, and resilience. His latest innovation: a brain-boosting coffee enhancer paired with 2-minute mindfulness cards—making wellness more accessible, one sip at a time. Jamey’s mission is simple: help people do less, better, and build the life they truly want.

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ABOVE CENTER® is brought to you by REVEL®, an Executive Search and Coaching firm that helps people and companies grow through the power of great leadership.

Our ABOVE CENTER® approach is about staying grounded, clear, and resilient, especially when the stakes are high. In this podcast, we feature leaders in corporate America who share how they navigate the pressures of leadership while living ABOVE CENTER®. We uncover the mindsets, strategies, and personal philosophies that drive high-performing executives to lead themselves and their teams to success. From hiring and retaining top talent to thriving in the first 90 days of a new role, these conversations go beyond leadership—they’re about building a career and a life with purpose, impact, and joy in the journey.

A conversation on grind culture, growth, and gettinggrounded with Retired Navy SEAL Commander, Mindfulness Teacher, and Leadership Coach Jon Macaskill.

In this Above Center® conversation, retired Navy SEALCommander Jon Macaskill brings a powerful blend of grit and grace to the conversation on leadership. Drawing from his experience in elite military service and now as a leadership coach and mindfulness teacher, Jon sharespractical tools for navigating pressure with clarity, composure, and compassion.

From combat missions to boardrooms, Jon teaches that trueleadership starts within. Grounded in faith and forged through adversity, his approach combines mental toughness with emotional intelligence.

Key Takeaways from Jon’s Leadership Philosophy

1. Mental Toughness Starts Early

Jon credits his high school track coach for instilling gritand resilience long before SEAL training. That foundation—built on discipline, consistency, and accountability—shaped how he approached stress and setbacks throughout his life.

2. Know Your Why (Big and Small)

Staying “above center” requires a clear purpose. Jonbelieves leaders need both a broader mission and day-to-day motivation. Whether pushing through cold water in SEAL training or leading a team through chaos, it’s your “why” that keeps you focused.

3. Sleep Is the First Strategy

Jon doesn’t believe in reducing stress—he believes in managing it. And it starts with sleep. As a father of three and former SEAL, he’s seen firsthand how rest impacts patience, clarity, and emotional regulation. Rest isn’t weakness—it’s readiness.

4. Busy ≠ Productive

Grind culture isn’t a badge of honor. Jon challenges leadersto unplug, slow down, and prioritize presence over productivity.  

5.  Presence Is More Powerful Than Perfection

Jon believes leadership is about showing up fully. You don’t need perfect conditions. You need presence, resourcefulness, and the courage to start.

 6.  Start Small With Mindfulness

Jon teaches that meditation doesn’t require silence,incense, or long hours. Start with two minutes. Sit still. Be with your thoughts.

7.  Lead with Awareness and Action

From pulling teeth in Nepal to managing morning chaos with his kids, Jon shows that leadership isn’t about titles—it’s about how you show up in the hard moments.

Favorite Quote

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” –Theodore Roosevelt

This quote grounds Jon through life’s transitions—combat,career change, even divorce, and reminds him that leadership is about movement,not perfection.

 Jon Macaskill is a retired Navy SEAL Commander turnedmindfulness teacher, leadership coach, and resilience practitioner. He blends elite military experience with deep emotional intelligence to help leaders manage stress, sharpen clarity, and lead with heart. Through keynotes,workshops, and 1:1 coaching, Jon works with top-performing teams at companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and PepsiCo. He’s also the co-host of Men Talking Mindfulness, a podcast on showing up fully—especially when it’s hard. His mission?To help leaders integrate grit and compassion in service of something greater.

ABOVE CENTER® is brought to you by REVEL®, an ExecutiveSearch and Coaching firm that helps people and companies grow through the power of great leadership.

Our ABOVE CENTER® approach is about staying grounded, clear, and resilient, especially when the stakes are high. In this podcast, we feature leaders in corporate America who share how they navigate the pressures of leadership while living ABOVE CENTER®.

We uncover the mindsets, strategies, and personal philosophies that drive high-performing executives to lead themselves and their teams to success. From hiring and retaining top talent to thriving in the first 90 days of a new role, these conversations go beyond leadership—they’re about building a career and a life with purpose, impact, and joy in the journey.

Theme: Mental Toughness, Presence, and Purpose-DrivenLeadership

Guest: Kyle Dorsey, President, Baptist Medical Center South

In this ABOVE CENTER® Leadership Podcast, hospital president Kyle Dorsey shares his powerful insights on leading through complexity, nurturing a values-driven culture, and building trust with both patients and teams. As President of Baptist Medical Center South—one of the top 5 hospitals in Florida—Kyle knows firsthand what it means to lead with clarity and care under pressure.

From staffing shortages to emotionally charged environments, healthcare leadership demands resilience and relational intelligence. Kyle leads by example, modeling the belief that everyone on the team is a care provider—from surgeons to housekeepers. And when the stakes are high, he believes it's not just about what you do, but how you make people feel.

Key Takeaways from Kyle’s Leadership Philosophy

🎯 Trust and Communication Are EverythingKyle emphasizes that every interaction in healthcare hinges on trust—between leaders, teams, and patients. Communication is critical, especially when expectations are high and outcomes matter.

💫 Culture is Built on ConsistencyFrom hiring practices to team accountability, Baptist South centers culture through "culture keepers" and shared rituals like open forums and leadership rounding. Everyone—regardless of role—contributes to the patient experience.

✔️ Relationships Before ResultsWhen onboarding new leaders, Kyle prioritizes relationships over performance in the first 90 days. Getting to know the team and building trust are foundational to long-term success.

➡️ Presence Over PerfectionKyle believes in being physically present—on nights, weekends, and across shifts. The result? People feel seen, heard, and valued. That presence builds emotional safety and deepens connection.

💌 Lead with Heart (and Handwritten Notes)During weekly rounds, Kyle and his team write personal notes to team members and mail them to their homes. This simple gesture creates a ripple effect of gratitude and meaning beyond the hospital walls.

📖 Favorite Quote“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

From building high-performing leadership teams to supporting individuals who fall "below center," Kyle's leadership centers on empathy, accountability, and service. His story is a masterclass in leading from within—with purpose, perspective, and the courage to care.

___________________About Kyle DorseyKyle Dorsey is the President of Baptist Medical Center South, one of Florida’s top-ranked hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. A seasoned healthcare executive, Kyle leads with a deep commitment to compassionate care, operational excellence, and team culture. His leadership oversees key hospital services including Labor & Delivery, Emergency, Surgery, Imaging, and the pediatric Wolfson Children’s ER. With a strong background in physician relations and healthcare management, Kyle is known for fostering collaboration, trust, and high-impact leadership in every corner of the hospital.

ABOVE CENTER® is brought to you by REVEL®, an Executive Search and Coaching firm that helps people and companies grow through the power of great leadership.

Our ABOVE CENTER® approach is about staying grounded, clear, and resilient, especially when the stakes are high. In this podcast, we feature leaders in corporate America who share how they navigate the pressures of leadership while living ABOVE CENTER®. We uncover the mindsets, strategies, and personal philosophies that drive high-performing executives to lead themselves and their teams to success. From hiring and retaining top talent to thriving in the first 90 days of a new role, these conversations go beyond leadership—they’re about building a career and a life with purpose, impact, and joy in the journey.

Guest: Christine G. Johnson, CHRO, Baptist Health Care

Theme: Compassionate Leadership, Centering Through Chaos, and Building a Culture of Care

In this ABOVE CENTER® episode, Christine Johnson—Chief Human Resources Officer at Baptist Health Care—shares what it takes to lead with heart in one of the most high-stakes, high-stress industries: healthcare.

With a team of 40 and influence across the entire hospital system, Christine has anchored her leadership in empathy, clarity, and presence.

Her leadership philosophy is shaped by years of experience—and by the quiet power of watching her own mother lead with grace. For Christine, being Above Center® means showing up with intention, even when the day starts in chaos. From greeting her team with genuine energy to making space for difficult emotions, she models a form of leadership that is both kind and unshakably clear.

Key Takeaways from Christine’s Leadership Mindset

🔑Culture Starts with the Baptist Way: Christine leads through a cultural framework that puts people first—patients and staff alike. She believes in meeting individuals where they are, especially in their most difficult moments.🔑Living ABOVE CENTER® Is a Choice: Christine starts each day with intention—centering herself before she centers others. She reminds her team that no two days are the same and creates space for resetting and asking for support when needed.🔑Transparency in Tough Decisions: When facing hard choices, Christine leads with empathy and clarity. She emphasizes the importance of explaining the “why,” speaking genuinely, and painting a hopeful path forward for her team.🔑Reframing Negativity with Empathy: When team members are stuck or below center, Christine meets them with breathwork, one-on-one honesty, and reframing. She encourages naming the feeling, creating space for it, and then finding the energy to rise again.🔑Deep Connections Drive Results: Christine uses intentional rounding, personal check-ins, and team-building days to foster a strong culture. Her secret? Remembering names, celebrating wins, and being present—without always leading with her title.Her Grounding Quote: “Live in the sunshine, swim in the sea, and drink in the wild air.”To Christine, it’s a reminder to embrace light, energy, and breath—even amidst chaos. She brings that same spirit into her leadership, helping her team find joy in the moment and clarity in the chaos.