🎙️ New Episode Alert! I had the pleasure of sitting down with Rod Hanners, CEO of Keck Medicine of USC, for the latest episode of Lead for Good. Rod shared powerful insights on what it truly means to drive vision—not just setting direction, but creating alignment, sustaining culture, and leading with clarity and purpose through change. His leadership at Keck Medicine has helped shape one of the nation’s leading academic health systems while keeping people and mission at the center of every decision. If you care about leadership, vision, and purpose in action, you won’t want to miss this conversation. Thank you, Rod, for your thoughtful perspective and for leading with such authenticity and purpose. #LeadForGood #Leadership #Vision #HealthcareLeadership #KeckMedicine #FulcrumNonprofitLeadership

🎧 New Episode Alert: Lead for Good with Baron King, CEO of The CHATT Foundation

This week on Lead for Good, we explore what it truly means to lead with psychological awareness and empathy. My guest, Baron King, brings a rare combination of business acumen, clinical insight, and heart.

As CEO of The CHATT Foundation, Baron leads an organization dedicated to meeting the most basic needs of hungry, homeless, and vulnerable people—while helping them build a clear path toward self-sufficiency. His leadership reflects a belief that understanding human behavior is not just helpful in leadership—it’s essential.

In this conversation, Baron shares how his journey from retail management to psychology to nonprofit leadership has shaped his conviction that every great leader needs a psychological framework. We discuss:

How to read the emotional pulse of an organization

Ways to build resilience and safety through change

Balancing empathy with accountability

What it means to “walk with” people on the journey to independence

Baron’s perspective is both deeply human and powerfully practical—a reminder that leadership begins with understanding people.

Thank you, Baron, for an inspiring and insightful discussion.

🎙️ Tune in to this episode of Lead for Good to learn how psychology can transform leadership and culture from the inside out.

On this episode of the Lead for Good podcast, Corey Dantzler, the Executive Director of the Al Wooten Jr. Youth Center in Los Angeles, shares what leaders need to know when following a founder and how to lead with both respect and innovation. Corey has led the Center for years, guiding it forward after its founder’s passing and carrying on a powerful legacy of serving youth and families. Corey brings firsthand experience in what it takes to step into leadership after a founder, how to honor a founding vision while adapting to today’s challenges, and how to navigate the complexities of founder’s syndrome.

Today on Lead for Good, we welcome Dawn Reese, CEO of The Wooden Floor—a truly groundbreaking nonprofit that transforms the lives of underserved young people through dance, academic support, and family services. 💃📚👨‍👩‍👧 Under Dawn’s visionary leadership, The Wooden Floor has become a national model for arts-based youth development, with stunning results: 100% of students graduate high school on time and immediately enroll in higher education. 🎓✨ Dawn is not just a nonprofit CEO. Dawn is a fundraising CEO, a servant leader, and a champion for young people whose humility and empathy lift everyone around her. In this episode, we dig into: 🎯 What it means to be a “fundraising CEO” 🤝 Why servant leadership is vital in today’s nonprofit sector 💡 The biggest lessons Dawn has learned leading with clarity and passion This is a powerful conversation for anyone who cares about leadership, philanthropy, and impact. #LeadForGood #NonprofitLeadership #Fundraising #ServantLeadership #TheWoodenFloor #Podcast

Today on the Lead for Good Podcast, we welcome Michael Eicher, a nationally recognized leader in higher education advancement. Mike currently serves as Senior Vice President for Advancement and President of The Ohio State University Foundation, where he leads one of the most ambitious and successful fundraising operations in the country. With a career spanning multiple top-tier institutions, including the University of Alabama at Birmingham and UCLA, Mike has consistently guided organizations to new heights in philanthropy, alumni engagement, and strategic vision. His leadership at Ohio State has helped shape transformative initiatives that fuel innovation, expand access, and strengthen the university’s impact on a global scale. This conversation with Mike is broad and far-reaching, and tremendously revealing and insightful, covering advice and wisdom in the areas of leadership and vision, talent management and organizational design, campaigns and philanthropic strategy, and leadership reflections. If you want an advanced degree in leadership, this conversation with Mike is what you need to hear. #leadership #leadforgood #fulcrumleader

Welcome to the ”Lead for Good" podcast, designed for nonprofit leaders at every level. Join us as we connect with top nonprofit professionals, diving deep into the traits, strategies, and actions that drive successful leadership in the sector. Our mission is to empower you with the knowledge and insights needed to elevate your leadership skills and maximize your impact. In each episode, our host, Chris Looney, interviews an inspiring leader committed to making a difference. Today on the Lead for Good podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Chad Nelsen, the dynamic CEO of the Surfrider Foundation, one of the most influential environmental nonprofits in the country dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans, waves, and beaches. Under Chad’s leadership, Surfrider has experienced a remarkable transformation, growing from a $5 million organization with a staff of 30 to a $15 million powerhouse with over 85 team members, while strengthening its grassroots chapter network, policy influence, and national impact. In this conversation, we’ll explore what it takes to scale a mission-driven organization effectively and responsibly, from strategic alignment and culture building to capacity investments, leadership shifts, and infrastructure development. If you're a nonprofit leader seeking to grow without losing your soul, this one’s for you. Get ready for an enlightening conversation that will inspire you to lead for good! Don’t forget to like and share this video with fellow nonprofit leaders! #nonprofitleadership #leadershipdevelopment #nonprofitpodcast #inspiration #leadforgood

Today on the Lead for Good Podcast, we’re joined by John Mangum, President and CEO of the Lyric Opera of Chicago. John has a remarkable background in arts leadership, with previous roles at the Houston Symphony and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. In this conversation, we’ll dive into the critical first six months of a CEO’s tenure—what it takes to listen, learn, set direction, and begin leading effectively. Whether you’re stepping into your first executive role or transitioning to a new organization, John’s insights will help nonprofit leaders think strategically about how to start strong and build trust from day one.

Welcome to the ”Lead for Good" podcast, designed for nonprofit leaders at every level. Join us as we connect with top nonprofit professionals, diving deep into the traits, strategies, and actions that drive successful leadership in the sector. Our mission is to empower you with the knowledge and insights needed to elevate your leadership skills and maximize your impact. In each episode, our host, Chris Looney, interviews an inspiring leader committed to making a difference. Today on Lead for Good, we are thrilled to be joined by Betsy Biern, the Chief Executive Officer of Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area. With a dynamic background in nonprofit leadership and a deep commitment to transformative impact, Betsy has helped guide one of the most beloved nonprofit organizations in the world through innovation, strategic growth, and unwavering mission focus. Under her leadership, Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area continues to bring hope, strength, and joy to children with critical illnesses. On this episode we’ll explore Betsy’s leadership journey and her insights around how to empower and support nonprofit board members to lead with clarity, purpose, and accountability. Get ready for an enlightening conversation that will inspire you to lead for good! Don’t forget to like and share this video with fellow nonprofit leaders! #nonprofitleadership #leadershipdevelopment #nonprofitpodcast #inspiration #leadforgood

Welcome to the ”Lead for Good" podcast, designed for nonprofit leaders at every level. Join us as we connect with top nonprofit professionals, diving deep into the traits, strategies, and actions that drive successful leadership in the sector. Our mission is to empower you with the knowledge and insights needed to elevate your leadership skills and maximize your impact. In each episode, our host, Chris Looney, interviews an inspiring leader committed to making a difference. Today we welcome Nicole Suydam, who has devoted more than three decades to empowering individuals through human service leadership. Nicole currently serves as the CEO of Goodwill of Orange County and was before that the CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County. To talk about Nicole as an expert leader in the nonprofit sector is a compliment but just too limiting for all that Nicole is as a person and has achieved professionally. Nicole has been a good friend for decades and I’m thrilled to be able to dig into her leadership journey with you all. We’ll also explore the perceptions versus realties of the nonprofit sector and then have a discussion about how collaborations among nonprofits are not competitive but expansive. Get ready for an enlightening conversation that will inspire you to lead for good! Don’t forget to like and share this video with fellow nonprofit leaders! #nonprofitleadership #leadershipdevelopment #nonprofitpodcast #inspiration #leadforgood

Lead for Good featuring Bill Bracken, Founder and Executive Director of Bracken’s Kitchen

In this powerful episode of Lead for Good, Bill Bracken shares a leadership journey shaped by grit, faith, humility, and a deep belief that leadership is influence.

Bill is the founder of Bracken’s Kitchen, launched in 2013 to rescue, repurpose, and restore both food and lives. What began with a food truck and a calling to do something more meaningful than serving luxury hotel guests has grown into a transformative nonprofit serving thousands across Southern California .

But this conversation is not just about food. It is about the heart of leadership.

Bill reflects on his early years in high pressure culinary environments, where technical excellence was prized but leadership development was not . From that experience, he learned a critical lesson many nonprofit leaders understand firsthand: being exceptional at a craft does not automatically prepare you to lead people.

Through personal struggle, rediscovered faith, and an unexpected season of unemployment during the 2008 economic crisis, Bill found clarity in a simple but profound realization. Food was the conduit. Influence was the calling .

Throughout the episode, Bill unpacks what leadership as influence truly means:

He also shares practical habits that ground his leadership every day, from personally greeting each team member to writing handwritten notes of encouragement .

This episode is a reminder that influence does not require a title. It requires intention. It requires courage. It requires the willingness to be inconvenienced for the sake of others.

If you are a nonprofit leader navigating growth, culture, accountability, and mission, this conversation will challenge and encourage you.

Listen now on YouTube, Podbean, or your favorite podcast platform.