Activating Greatness: A Leadership Podcast

In this episode of the Activating Greatness Podcast, host Alec McChesney sits down with Jon Stenberg, CEO and President of Citizens Inc., to explore what modern leadership really requires in complex organizations. Jon shares his philosophy of keeping leadership teams “appropriately annoyed” — pushing leaders to think critically, challenge assumptions, and avoid complacency. The conversation dives into decision-making, accountability, and why leaders must balance the concept of “good enough” with the pursuit of excellence. Drawing from his experience leading Citizens Inc., Jon explains how clarity, healthy tension, and disciplined thinking create stronger teams and better outcomes in today’s fast-changing business environment.

In this episode of Activating Greatness, Alec McChesney sits down with José Suquet, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Pan-American Life Insurance Group, to explore what it takes to lead across 22 countries while staying anchored in one clear set of values. With more than two decades at the helm, José shares how he navigated Hurricane Katrina, the financial crisis, COVID, acquisitions, and global expansion — all while building a culture rooted in financial strength, leadership development, and trust.

You can find the Spanish Transcript here: Spanish Transcript.

From instituting peak leadership programs to protecting company values during rapid growth, José explains why investing in people is the ultimate competitive advantage. This conversation is a masterclass in long-term thinking, succession planning, community impact, and leading with consistency in complex environments. If you care about sustainable growth, culture alignment, and resilient leadership, this episode delivers.

In this episode of Activating Greatness, Addison Watson, Chief Partnership Officer & General Counsel at ClickFunnels, shares why relationships are the ultimate competitive advantage in an AI-driven world. With over $1 billion in transactions completed, Addison explains why knowledge alone is no longer enough—and how leaders can make themselves indispensable by building real, trusted human connections. From overdelivering in business to showing up intentionally in person, Addison breaks down how authenticity, presence, and strategic relationship-building separate replaceable professionals from irreplaceable leaders. If you’re wondering how to thrive as AI reshapes the workplace, this episode is your blueprint.

In this episode of Activating Greatness, Alec McChesney sits down with Matt Ulliman, co-founder of Ulliman Schutte, to explore why construction projects don’t fail in the field first — they fail in alignment. Matt shares how structured partnering sessions create clarity, accountability, and trust across owners, designers, and contractors before pressure hits. If you lead complex projects and care about communication, conflict resolution, and execution, this conversation is a masterclass in building alignment that lasts.

In this episode of Activating Greatness, Alec McChesney sits down with Tony Greco to explore what it really takes to build alignment, accountability, and connection across remote and globally distributed teams. Drawing from his leadership experience at Wyndham Hotels and the United States Golf Association, Tony shares how intentional communication structures, predictable cadences, and clear expectations replace the “watercooler moments” that remote teams lose. His perspective is practical, disciplined and deeply human.

What if the way most companies lead, hire, and scale is fundamentally broken? In this episode of Activating Greatness, host Alec McChesney sits down with Parry Headrick, Founder and CEO of Crackle PR, to challenge hustle culture, outdated agency models, and leadership practices that burn out great people. Parry shares how building a values-driven, fully remote PR firm—with no hourly billing, no time tracking, and no tolerance for toxic clients—has led to exceptional retention, stronger partnerships, and sustained growth. The conversation explores why earned media matters more than ever in the age of AI, how trust and credibility are built through truth-telling, and why leaders must be willing to protect their teams even when it costs revenue in the short term. This episode is a candid look at modern leadership, ethical growth, and what it really means to build a business that works for people, not against them.

Why do so many well-intentioned leaders accidentally micromanage? In this episode of Activating Greatness, host Alec McChesney sits down with Jason Casarella, Chief Commercial Officer at CRC Cognitive Research Corporation, to break down the real difference between coaching and micromanaging—and why that distinction determines whether teams thrive or stall. Drawing on decades of experience leading commercial teams in high-pressure, regulated environments, Jason shares how situational leadership, role clarity, and trust-based accountability create empowered, high-performing teams. This conversation explores why micromanagement often stems from fear or pressure, how leaders can develop decision-makers instead of dependency, and why progress beats perfection when building sustainable performance. If your team feels busy but stuck, this episode offers practical insight into restoring momentum through clear expectations, disciplined cadence, and leadership by design.

What happens when growth, private equity pressure, and mission collide? In this episode of Activating Greatness, host Alec McChesney sits down with Julie Blasingim, CEO of Univo IRB, to explore what it truly means to lead with purpose while building and scaling a company in the life sciences industry. Julie shares how she built Univo from the ground up with a patient-first mission, why people must come before strategy, and how leaders can protect culture, trust, and clarity as complexity increases. The conversation dives into intentional hiring, storytelling as a leadership tool, saying no to growth opportunities that don’t align, and why success isn’t defined by size but by being the best at what you do. This episode is a powerful look at purpose-driven leadership, culture building, and leading under pressure without losing the soul of the organization.

In this episode of Activating Greatness, Alec sits down with Harry Barnick of the Third Bridge Group to explore what real leadership looks like during periods of intense change. Harry shares his firsthand experience navigating turnover at the leadership level, building a new team, relocating, and adapting to new cultures—and the lessons he learned along the way.

 In this episode of Activating Greatness, host Alec McChesney sits down with Ryan Payne, Director of Leadership & Development at Velocity Advisory Group, to unpack how culture is built through everyday conversations—and how leaders can improve performance by getting intentional about the micro-moments that shape trust. Ryan draws on 13 years at GEICO leading teams as large as 250 people and shares practical, repeatable approaches to developing leaders, reducing turnover, strengthening engagement, and rebuilding momentum during challenging periods. You’ll hear why “energy” is a learnable leadership behavior, how to create connection in remote and distributed teams, what it looks like to lead with emotional awareness, and how small habits like consistent check-ins can drive measurable results in service, execution, and culture.