Coaching Through Stories

Today's Coaching Through Stories episode features guest Chip Huth who has been an active member of the Kansas City Police Department (KCPD) for the past 28 years. Currently, Chip serves as a Major for KCPD's Traffic Division, the State of Missouri's defensive tactics subject matter expert, and as a senior consultant with Arbinger Institute. Chip has planned, coordinated, and executed over 2500 high-risk tactical operations and takes the lessons he learned on the force and shares them through powerful stories and speaking engagements. In today's podcast, Chip discusses how he shifted his mindset to become a high performing leader in the field, at home, and as a father.

Three Key Points:

1. Leading with an outward mindset allows a leader to support others and be open to new solutions and possibilities.
2. Having more research-based training is ideal so we can see what really works.
3. From the outward mindset perspective, leaders should incentivize members of the team not based on what they did but based on what other people were able to accomplish because of what they did.

Episode Highlights:

• Chip reflects on some of his life's transformative experiences.
• Chip talks about his experience leading the Street Crimes Tactical Enforcement Team for a decade and why he feels it's one of his life's defining moments.
• Chip points out what it means to "grow where you are planted."
• There are two kinds of people in an organization: the person in charge and the person that knows what's going on.
• What's inside Chip that has enabled him to look within?
• How Chip handles missteps and inconsistencies by becoming vulnerable.
• Chip discusses a moment that he defines as his "tipping point."
• Chip shares how leaders can help their teams exercise discretion.
• Chip shares concrete tips leaders can try to lead with an outward mindset.
• Chip identifies ways that leaders can make relationships better and what the acronym S.A.M. (See People, Adjust Efforts, Measure Impact) is all about.

Resources Mentioned:

• The Outward Mindset: How to Change Lives and Transform Organizations (book)
• Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box (book)
• Man's Search for Meaning (book)
• Chip Huth Website, LinkedIn, Twitter

During this episode of the Coaching Through Stories podcast, host Eric Bean interviews Becky Halstead, a retired brigadier general who founded her own leadership consultancy company, STEADFAST Leadership. Becky has endured a lot of adversity throughout her life and her career. Learn how Becky overcame that adversity to become a deliberate leader who earned respect beyond her rank through helping others succeed.

Episode Highlights:

• Becky speaks about adapting and overcoming during the pandemic.
• Becky shares the devastating story that after her high school coach died, her light went out.
• When we're going through adversity, we don't always understand the impact it will have on the future.
• Becky read the recommendation her coach wrote for her when she applied to be in the second group of women admitted to West Point and her light went back on.
• Her family focused on faith as they hoped for her switch to go back on after the tragedy.
• You can't always be the cheerleader and you can't always be the butt-kicker.
• When you need to turn your light back on, uncover what's turning that light switch off and then expose the faulty thinking in how you're addressing that problem.
• We all have regrets. Becky works with people and gives them the benefit of the doubt.
• When Becky looks at people, she tries to remember all the connections behind them.
• If we would all look at other people and see the host of people behind them, we will remember that how we're interacting with the person in front of us will affect other people.
• Becky is extremely deliberate in order to make the best use of every moment.
• She had a mentor that taught her two think about two jobs out and one promotion up. This helped her look at other jobs and absorb what other people were doing well.
• You'll never feel whole or feel peace if you define yourself by external rewards.
• Humor played a huge role in how Becky approached her male-dominated workplace.
• What disappoints Becky is when women turn into the men they couldn't stand.
• She earned respect with connection and relationships.
• People respect you when you listen to their ideas and hear their perspective. They will also look for more ways they can be influential.
• When a three-star general questioned her ability to lead, she first wondered if he was right. She pulled in 4-6 people she trusted in confidence to explore the truth and make a plan.
• You may never change your critics. All you can do is work to earn their respect.
• Leading others as she would like to be led is at the heart of Becky's leadership philosophy.
• People forget that leadership is about the people you lead, not about the status, the paycheck, and the title.
• Never forget those you lead.
• Becky thinks that discipline is the most important trait of a leader.
• Discipline keeps your attitude positive.
• Discipline is an internal construct. Start within and keep your word to yourself.
• Ask if your behaviors are what you'd like your workforce to repeat. Be the example.
• She chose certain people in her life that would hold her accountable. Sometimes we don't see ourselves and need feedback.
• We need to be a calming force while being honest, truthful, and transparent.
• Have one foot in current operations and one foot in future operations.
• Her advice to corporate leaders right now is to bring in experts to consider all the possible solutions for helping your team.
• You can deliver bad news in a calm and transparent way.
• Becky incorporates her physical, mental, and spiritual health into her self care practice. She uses a personal battle rhythm to keep herself accountable to her personal goals.
• When she was in the military she used a matrix. She numbered 1-31 and had 12 different things across the top. This matrix kept her centered.
• Becky recommends her top resources for leaders.

3 Key Points:

1. When you're a leader helping someone through adversity, align around problem solving.
2. You can earn respect as a leader through connection and empathy.
3. Lead others as you would like to be led.

Resources Mentioned:

• 24/7: The First Person You Must Lead Is You (book)
• The Maxwell Leadership Bible (book)
• Becky Halstead website, LinkedIn

During this episode of the Coaching Through Stories podcast, host Eric Bean interviews Austin Moss, Director of Player Engagement with the San Francisco 49ers. Austin shares how he uses his role to educate, empower, and guide players to reach their potential both on and off the field. Austin demonstrates his passion for greatness throughout this conversation as we discuss hard work, the importance of bringing more diversity to the NFL, and the value of creating a culture with a team first approach.

Episode Highlights:

• Austin shares about his experience growing up in the small town of Hopkinsville, Kentucky in a multi-generational household.
• His family instilled a work ethic in him that helped him achieve his goals.
• He first fell in love with football while competing with his older brother. They both dreamed of playing for the University of Kentucky. He went there as a preferred walk-on and was eventually awarded a scholarship.
• Having a strong work ethic, teamwork, perseverance, and faith were emphasized in his home growing up.
• Faith helped him respond to doubt.
• When you practice, you can gain the ability to achieve at a high level.
• Austin believes his passion for the game was given to him for a reason.
• He knew his odds of making it to the NFL were slim but he wanted to stay as close to the game as he could without playing.
• Austin grew up in a small town without much diversity. He was often the only black person in his class.
• Looking at the history of executives in the NFL, there's a lack of diversity. Austin set out to be part of changing that as his next goal when he stopped playing.
• Austin received an MBA and a master's degree in Sports Management at the University of Central Florida. This program focused on bringing diversity and equality to sports.
• In his role with the 49ers, Austin is responsible for building culture. He is also responsible for helping players with personal development, decision making, life skills, financial education, continuing education, and career development.
• The average NFL career is three years. They help players see possibilities outside the game.
• He starts with rookies to help them find balance and broaden their thinking about their lives. They talk about the on-field component, but they also talk about the off-field.
• The 49ers create touchpoints for their players with tech companies in Silicon Valley.
• When they're talking to veteran players they talk about what they want to do when they're done with the game.
• They also encourage peer-to-peer conversations between veterans and younger players.
• The biggest transition from being an amateur to a pro is understanding the time and dedication it requires to be elite.
• Many people grow up naturally gifted but in the NFL you can set yourself apart with your mindset and how you take care of your body.
• You've got to love doing the stuff that people don't see. That's part of the process to become elite.
• In the 49ers' culture, they want contagious competitiveness and people who are passionate about the game.
• They believe that smarter football players make better teams.
• Everyone focuses on doing their part and it isn't about who receives the credit. This is key.
• To buy into a team first mentality, you must be self-critical.
• In their business, film is the #1 evaluator. Leaders can think about their meetings and assess what would undeniably show up on tape if their meetings were recorded in a similar manner.
• Successful athletes hold themselves to a high standard and put systems and processes in place to consistently meet those standards.
• Even after a successful year, you have to re-evaluate yourself to make sure you approach each day with intensity.
• Players will make mistakes. It's important to make sure they know how their decisions can impact their goals and their team.
• Austin wants to be the best player engagement director in the league that he can be. He knows if he can take his skill set and apply it to any business or industry.
• Great leaders clearly communicate their standards, create a team environment, and stay ahead of the game.
• Austin recommends helpful books on leadership.

3 Key Points:

1. Working hard will help you achieve your goals. Success is earned, not given.
2. Pros differentiate themselves from amateurs by their level of commitment and dedication.
3. Great leaders cultivate a team first mentality where everyone focuses on doing their part.

Resources Mentioned:

• Leaders Eat Last (book)
• Can't Hurt Me (book)
• Detail: Peyton Manning (documentary)
• Austin Moss LinkedIn

During this episode of the Coaching Through Stories podcast, host Eric Bean speaks with Rocky Novak, CEO of Fallon, a fully-integrated creative, media and production agency, headquartered in Minneapolis. Rocky's perspective on leadership is refreshing because he delicately strikes a balance between being focused on results while emphasizing relationships and vulnerability. He leads from a place of authenticity and does it with humility. Rocky discusses how he has risen in the company by staying focused solely on the company's needs. His authenticity is palpable throughout the conversation.

This episode was recorded prior to COVID-19.

Episode Highlights:

• Rocky describes Fallon's history as a successful agency in flyover territory.
• If we do work we're proud of, a lot of the noise starts to sort itself out.
• Rocky took on the role of CEO about a year ago. He describes reconciling the human element of his job with business decisions.
• In his view, the spotlights that are good are not where the leaders should be standing.
• Making the distinction between leadership and humanity feels inauthentic to him.
• When you come from the inside of an organization, suddenly coming up with new leadership frameworks can feel false.
• He doesn't pull punches but there's also a personal relationship.

• He hires people for the weird side of them. He wants people to approach problems as humans.
• He tries to be human whenever possible. Empathy and humanity work regardless of the situation you are in.
• Rocky talks about the role of common sense in leadership.
• He always tries to approach his day with genuine enthusiasm, genuine intent, genuinely trying to do the right thing for the business and the clients.
• He started in media strategy and planning. Then he was moved where he led the digital and social practice. After that, he was a managing director.
• Rocky found success by recognizing needs for the agency and trying to meet those needs.
• He wants to build a place that engenders that kind of growth in others.
• There's a generation that has been focused on individual success. But now Rocky sees some movement toward people growing tired of that and wanting to be part of something larger.
• One of the Fallon values is family as a business model.
• Advertising has been in a liminal space for about twenty years with the major disruption of the internet.
• He needs employees to love the work. If you're not genuinely excited to do the work every day, advertising is a tough job to do.
• When people are having fun and enjoy their work, you can feel that in the end product.
• Have great people that do great work and control what you can.
• The success of taking a familial approach to company culture may depend on the industry.
• He can't ask people to be vulnerable without insisting on a familial approach.
• Rocky describes working with a young female copywriter on work for a bourbon brand.
• You can push for vulnerability and show people that there's something in them that will make the organization better.
• Rocky recommends resources for further study.

3 Key Points:

1. Leading from authenticity privileges humanity and empathy.
2. You can create opportunities for growth by identifying needs in your company and trying genuinely to fulfill them.
3. A familial approach can allow you to push for vulnerability that can improve the organization.

Resources Mentioned:

• Fallon Worldwide
• The West Wing
• The Ride of a Lifetime (book)
• Rocky Novak LinkedIn
• HigherEchelon.com

During this episode of the Coaching Through Stories podcast, host Dr. Eric Bean discusses how to get the most out of your time at home and the office and why that matters. Dr. Bean challenges the eight-hour workday and asks questions you can reflect on so you can become more aware of how you're spending your time as a leader or as an employee but also how you're spending your time in other areas of your life, using the "1000 Marbles" story to inspire us.

Episode Highlights:

• Eric reads the "1,000 Marbles" story. This story comes down to presence, priorities, and perspective. How many marbles do you have left and how are you going to spend them?
• How are you using your time? Are you in it, or are you elsewhere?
• What are your priorities in life? What really matters to you and those you love?
• Eric shares the history of the eight-hour workday.
• On average, people are focused for 2 hours and 53 minutes of their workday.
• How can we be more productive and present at work so we can complete our daily duties in a timely fashion and leave work at work?
• Employees reported positive results on productivity, team engagement, work-life balance, and more when their company implemented a flexible 4-day work week.
• Eric works with high performers to maximize the time they spend in a flow state.
• Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task.
• Most people surveyed said they were five times more productive in a peak state.
• What are you like at your best? What enables you to be at your best?
• Focus and concentration allow you to be at your best.
• Protect periods of high-quality focus.
• Temporally, when are you at your best? What time of day? Identify that time and figure out how to protect it.
• You could establish office hours instead of having an open-door policy.
• Establish a pre-performance routine. Examine the activity you're about to embark on and determine the ideal mental, physical, and emotional state.
• If you're present and focused, you can complete more work during your workweek, in turn making your time at home more meaningful.
• Fear can hinder your best interests and the best interests of your team.
• One way to discover your true priorities is to look at your values and look at what's really important to you.
• The NFL is filled with hard working coaches who take pride in prioritizing football over other aspects of their life. Eric shares a moving quote from a coach who told his staff to prioritize time with their children.
• Explore your own definition of success.
• Sometimes you will have to use your marble for work, but be conscious about that choice.
• Kevin Hart talked about how his priorities completely shifted after experiencing a life-altering accident.
• Shift your mindset by examining your true definition of success.
• Be thoughtful about how you're choosing to spend your time.
• The answer to better productivity is less waste and fewer things that induce distraction and stress.

3 Key Points:

1. When you are present, you can be more productive.
2. Learn to protect periods of high-quality focus.
3. Evaluate your priorities. Spend your time and energy on what really matters to you.

Resources Mentioned:

• Deep Work (book)
• The Only Way to Win (book)
• It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work (book)
• HigherEchelon.com

During this episode of the Coaching Through Stories podcast, host Eric Bean coaches us on how to overcome self-imposed limitations using a story from Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman. Learn about how to push through plateaus, set goals that drive you, and how to be emotionally agile to overcome your perceived limitations.

Episode Highlights:

• Today's story is taken from Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman. This story deals with Thor and Loki. They visit the land of the giants and lose every impossible challenge they are presented. However, their efforts still create massive changes that demonstrate their power, although they don't see these consequences at first.
• Takeaway #1: Big, audacious goals can have a tremendous impact on our performance even if we fall short of achieving our goal.
• Takeaway #2: Knowing our strengths and weaknesses is critical to true self-awareness.
• Takeaway #3: If we only focus on results, we might miss indicators of improvement and growth.
• If you think of a big goal but then you stop yourself before you even start, that's an indicator of a psychological barrier you've imposed on yourself.
• Shooting for goals beyond our reach allows us to test where our limits are and push beyond them.
• This will help us rethink the process by which we attain goals which can lead to leaps in innovation.
• Jim Collins talks about "big, hairy, audacious goals" in his book Good to Great.
• Roger Bannister's effort to run a four-minute mile is an example of a BHAG.
• We have to understand that when we're looking at psychological barriers most of it exists only in our mind.
• Stretch goals are tools to get us past our barriers.
• Dr. Susan David discusses how the human mind is a meaning-making machine that creates narratives.
• What is the core belief that is the source of your negative self-talk?
• What are the false beliefs that are driving your behavior and decision making?
• Dr. David says that we can get unhooked from our false beliefs by living our values.
• Dr. David also encourages us to try mental contrasting. This technique requires visualizing challenges in your way when overcoming a psychological barrier.
• Locke and Latham found that subjects with difficult to reach goals failed to reach their goals more often than those with easier goals. However, those with more difficult goals consistently performed at a higher level.
• Get comfortable with failure because it's an indicator that we're pushing ourselves.
• Setting difficult goals enhances task interest.
• Where are there opportunities for you to create a stretch goal?
• How can you leverage your values and mental contrasting to support you in the process of reaching those stretch goals?
• How many of us know what we're really, really good at?
• How well do you know yourself? What is your understanding of how others experience and think of you?
• There's a prevailing belief that the only way to get better is to focus on our weaknesses. But it turns out, that's not always the most effective feedback for growth and development and for learning.
• We must look beyond outcomes and results.
• Looking beyond wins and losses provides you the opportunity to uncover developmental gains, find teachable moments, and move past the pain of losing.
• A growth mindset leads to a desire for mastery. People with a growth mindset persist in facing challenges.
• If you're not failing, you haven't challenged yourself enough.
• What are times or situations where you largely employ a growth mindset? How about a fixed mindset?
• Take stock of moments when you'll be challenged. Envision yourself in those situations and imagine how you might adopt a growth mindset in that moment.
• While there are limits to what our bodies can do, we often put self-imposed limits on ourselves usually based on false beliefs.
• Overcoming limits can lead to a huge breakthrough in your performance.

3 Key Points:

1. Big, audacious goals can have a tremendous impact on our performance even if we fall short of achieving our goal.
2. Knowing our strengths and weaknesses is critical to true self-awareness.
3. If we only focus on results, we might miss indicators of improvement and growth.

Tweetable Quotes:

• "We have to understand that when we're looking at psychological barriers or any barrier of any kind, most of it exists only in our mind." – Eric Bean
• "The problem isn't so much that we make assumptions. The problem is when we treat assumptions as if they were data." – Eric Bean
• "There's a prevailing belief that the only way to get better is to focus on our weaknesses. But it turns out, that's not always the most effective feedback for growth and development and for learning." – Eric Bean
• "If you haven't failed this week, you haven't pushed yourself this week." – Eric Bean
• "Pushing past our psychological limits means overcoming our default ways of thinking...and having the psychological strength to see a new path." – Eric Bean

Resources Mentioned:

• Norse Mythology (book)
• Good to Great (book)
• Measure What Matters (book)
• Emotional Agility (book)
• Insight (book)

During this episode of the Coaching Through Stories podcast, host Dr. Eric Bean speaks with Miguel Gallego, President and CEO of Precision Diagnostics. Miguel shares with listeners how he took risks financially and career wise to start his success at Precision Diagnostics. Miguel has the ability to go all in because he has a high level of trust in himself coupled with humility because he is secure enough to admit when he doesn't know. Miguel shares how his career path shifted from one direction to another after receiving some advice from a mentor. Miguel discusses his perceptions on how companies must shift through periods of growth. This episode will help you think about how companies balance their priorities as they grow and innovate.

Episode Highlights:

• Learn how Miguel got started at Precision Diagnostics.

• From 2005-2011 Miguel was in a Ph.D. program doing stem cell research. He started doing genetic testing on the side. In his thesis defense, he was told that he had presented a sales pitch. This ultimately encouraged him to shift his perspective.
• Miguel shares how he shifted career paths and initially approached sales and business.
• They discuss the initial pain points Precision Diagnostics faced.
• Miguel offers his perspective on how growing companies need to shift from a builder mindset to an innovation mindset.
• When you consistently stress the system it can force innovation.

• Hear Miguel's thoughts on culture and why aiming for a "family feel" may not be helpful.
• In athletics, they talk about task cohesion and social cohesion. For performance, social cohesion is not as necessary as task cohesion.
• It's still possible to have high levels of support and care while challenging each other to innovate.
• Miguel shares how the company's culture has shifted with changing priorities.
• To foster a culture that sees challenges as opportunities, demonstrate your track record of achievement.

• Balancing task completion and relationships is a moving target for Miguel.
• Learn what happened when Precision Diagnostics adopted the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) approach and how that shift altered team cohesion.
• Miguel describes his shift from working in operations to becoming the CEO.
• Hear about Precision's purpose.
• Miguel shares his core values: growth and improvement.

• Miguel provides recommendations for other CEOs who may feel insulated from feedback.
• They discuss recovery, being in the moment, and the satisfaction of deep work.

3 Key Points:

1. At a certain point, growing companies must shift their mindset from a focus on building to a focus on innovation.
2. In a culture that prioritizes innovation, social cohesion may not be as essential as task cohesion.
3. When the focus is on numbers, culture may erode. The balance between social and task cohesion is a moving target.

Resources Mentioned:

• Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard by Chip Heath
• Miguel Gallego LinkedIn

• To learn more about how to become a resilient and adaptable leader please visit https://www.higherechelon.com/

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COL. Katherine Graef is the current Logistics Director of Special Operations Command Africa. Graef has also served as the Director of Logistics in Qatar, she commanded the Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, and taught as a Military Professor at the Nava l War College in Newport, RI. In this episode, Graef discusses how leading a group of high performers can sometimes be more challenging than leading a group of mixed ability level. Graef also presents how authenticity became an explicit value for overcoming her own adversity and through her experiences of working with other leaders that lacked integrity and consistency. She even admits how there were even parts of her career where she felt like a hypocrite. Listen to this Coaching Through Stories episode and learn how Graef found her way to authenticity and how you can discover your own authentic path and be your true self in the workplace.

NOTE: This podcast was recorded in January 2020, shortly after an attack on US forces in Kenya. Kathy mentions this attack contemporaneously as a current event in January. This attack did not occur in April when this podcast airs. Views presented in the podcast as reflective of COL. Katherine Graef's personal opinions and are not those of the Department of Defense or any of its components.

Episode Highlights:

• Graef's current role as Logistics Director of Special Operations Command Africa has been the most challenging but the most reward role so far in her career

• "It takes moral courage to look somebody in the eye and say, 'Hey, you're not meeting the standard."
• When leaders are faced with an employee who does not meet expectations, focus on the outcome you seek.
• Reflect as a leader and ask yourself: 1. Are you providing the right instruction for your subordinates to be successful? 2. Are you as a leader giving an underperforming subordinate the tools needed to be successful? 3. Is your training or leadership style working for all of your subordinates?
• Humans in general tend to gravitate toward problem-focused solutions to resolve issues rather than solution-focused. High performers approach problems with a solution-focused mindset.
• Graef will test people if she feels integrity in compromised in someone and discusses how a lack of integrity is a deal breaker for her.

• Leadership authenticity shows up in a leader's ability to be consistent in the treatment of their superiors, peers, and subordinates. "You have to model and reward the behavior you seek." A lack of consistency in leadership reduces credibility in the organization and the organization's values.
• A lack of alignment of authenticity creates stress, Graef discusses her journey of being fully authentic and how it empowered her to fully enjoy life
• As a leader, you must understand what an organization needs from you and under what competencies are required to prioritize, perform, and thrive.
• Understand what your followers need from you as a leader.
• A leader must set the pace to avoid burnout and live a balanced life.

• A high performing leader has the ability to balance humility and confidence.
• Self-awareness is critical, a leader much learn the physical symptoms that come with self-doubt and lack of confidence.
• Sometimes it takes a situation or some kind of adversity to occur in order to provide the opportunity for a leader to be great instead of just average

Resources Mentioned:

• How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer
• Whistling Vivaldi: How Stereotypes Affect Us and What We Can Do by Claude Steele
• To learn more about how to become a resilient and adaptable leader please visit https://www.higherechelon.com/

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To learn more on how you can take your leadership to the next level, check out our service offerings: Resilient and Adaptable Leadership, Executive Coaching, and Change Management.

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During the third episode of the Coaching Through Stories podcast, host Eric Bean coaches us on the importance of mission using the 1980s Tylenol crisis as a case study. Learn about the power of having a mission, especially during a crisis. This episode will help you consider why missions are meaningful and why they should be used when you encounter non-routine situations.

NOTE: This episode was recorded prior to the COVID-19 pandemic

Episode Highlights:

• Learn the story of the 1980s Tylenol crisis that proved the value of Johnson & Johnson's mission.
• Learn how Johnson & Johnson managed the crisis using their mission statement to filter their decision-making.
• Missions matter and need to be used.

• Eric defines vision, mission, and philosophy.
• Your behavior is a good indication of your values.
• Organizations need to leverage their mission.
• If you're a leader, review your mission with your employees regularly.
• 11,000 senior managers were asked their company's top 3-5 priorities and only about 1/3 could name their company's top three goals.

• Get to know your priorities and reflect on them.
• Mission improves strategic alignment.
• Leaders must consider if they are rewarding behaviors that are aligned with company values.
• Employees can align their work with the company's values.
• We want to have purpose and meaning in our lives.

• Why we're working matters.
• Meaning attracts talent.
• A strong mission fosters customer engagement.
• You have control over your mission, value, purpose, and philosophy.
• Gallup found that margin and mission are not at odds with each other.

• The why matters because the why will get others to buy into your ideas and initiatives.
• Finding purpose as an employee will give you opportunities to lead.
• Challenge your mission from time to time.
• Your mission can serve as a guide to make decisions during challenging and non-routine situations.
• Eric recommends The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle for additional reading.

3 Key Points:

1. Mission matters and needs to be known to help employees align their work.

2. There are major benefits to showing up to work with a purpose.

3. Your mission can serve as a guide to make decisions during challenging and non-routine situations.

Resources Mentioned:

• Simon Sinek's "Start With Why" TED talk
• The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle

• HigherEchelon

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To learn more on how you can take your leadership to the next level, check out our service offerings: Resilient and Adaptable Leadership, Executive Coaching, and Change Management.

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Today's episode features Ret. Lt. Gen. Robert (Bob) Caslen. Caslen is the current University of South Carolina President, he served 43 years in the U.S. Army, and is the former Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Rarely leaders' step into a position with unanimous support, Caslen will discuss how he overcame strong opposition during the hiring process to become the President for University of South Carolina. Our host, Dr. Eric Bean brings out tips and stories from Caslen on how a leader can be resilient, improve buy-in, and create a strong collaborative culture even in an unsupportive environment. To learn more about building your winning work culture, reach out to higherechelon.com.

NOTE: This episode was recorded prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic

Episode Highlights:

• Caslen faced strong opposition during the hiring process for University of South Carolina President

• Character is a set of values that you embrace and define you

• Selflessness is critical for effective leadership

• Honor is to embrace the integrity to do the right thing when no one is looking in both your personal and professional life

• Make the case why winning is important, create a culture of winning, live a life of excellence

• Perform to the upper level of your potential in everything that you do; perform well, consistently

• Strive for excellence and success will naturally happen

• Build a culture of winning by rewarding excellence

• The opposite of average or mediocrity is excellence

• A leader needs to lead change by articulating a purpose and vision, put the plan in place, assess and make changes to move in the direction you want

• How to work through oppositions and face critics that you have regular contact with, in order to do your job

• Be transparent and collaborate to unify the group and secure buy-in

• Transparency, engagement, and communication

• You're always part of someone else's team, leaders need to earn their bosses trust and be able to understand when the boss wants the subordinate's subject matter expertise and when your boss has made a decision and wants the subordinate to understand the decision and execute it

• Culture needs to align and support strategy in order to achieve excellence

Resources Mentioned:

• From Good to Great Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't by Jim Collins

• The Speed of Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey

Caslen's Upcoming Book:

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To learn more on how you can take your leadership to the next level, check out our service offerings: Resilient and Adaptable Leadership, Executive Coaching, and Change Management.

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