Let Them Lead

In Part III, the final episode of this interview, Mauti and Zordich tell the story of the rest of Penn State’s 2012 season. After almost all the players decided to stay, the team suffered a heart-breaking 0-2 start, followed by a stirring run, including revenge against Illinois, capped by an overtime victory against future Big Ten champion Wisconsin. Then they describe what it all means today.

For info about the book or this podcast please visit our website:

http://www.letthemleadbybacon.com

http://www.johnubacon.com

You can connect with John via these platforms:

https://www.facebook.com/johnubacon

https://twitter.com/Johnubacon

In Part II of this podcast, Mauti and Zordich describe the 24 hours after NCAA sanctions hit, when dozens of teammates were considering leaving and others actually driving off. With Penn State in danger of imploding, these two met this moment of truth head on, working with rookie head coach Bill O’Brien to keep the team together, and the program alive.

For info about the book or this podcast please visit our website:

http://www.letthemleadbybacon.com

http://www.johnubacon.com

You can connect with John via these platforms:

https://www.facebook.com/johnubacon

https://twitter.com/Johnubacon

After a strong Season One (thanks to our great guests and listeners!), we’re ready to launch Season Two of Let Them Lead: a podcast about the risks and rewards of leading today. We’ll have more great guests talking about their mentors, their hardest days, and their most satisfying triumphs leading in just about every endeavor imaginable, including sports, education, health care, business, law, politics – you name it. Some are famous and some are not, but all have done amazing work in their fields, and have lessons to teach us that we can apply to our work every day.

Guests: Mike Mauti and Mike Zordich

Before Penn State’s 2012 football season, Jerry Sandusky was arrested, Joe Paterno resigned and soon died, and the NCAA announced severe sanctions on the program. If you’re a player on that team, what do you do? Seniors Mike Mauti and Mike Zordich decided to stay and fight, and convince their teammates to do so, too. In Part I of this three-part interview, they explain why.

For info about the book or this podcast please visit our website:

http://www.letthemleadbybacon.com

http://www.johnubacon.com

You can connect with John via these social platforms:

https://www.facebook.com/johnubacon

https://twitter.com/Johnubacon

Joe Parker grew up in Battle Creek, Michigan, where a 6th grade teacher recommended him for student council. He never forgot it. Parker went on to win multiple state titles in swimming, became an All-American at the University of Michigan, then embarked on his career in athletic administration, serving for Bill Martin at UM, plus Texas, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech before becoming the AD at Colorado State. There he has built a new football stadium, and led the Rams to great success on and off the field. One key: higher leaders who see themselves first as educators.

For info about the book or this podcast please visit our website:

http://www.letthemleadbybacon.com

http://www.johnubacon.com

You can connect with John via these social platforms:

https://www.facebook.com/johnubacon

https://twitter.com/Johnubacon

This week, with the Helber family’s approval, we’re presenting my eulogy of their husband, father, and grandfather, Paul Helber, who was very well known and respected by anyone who grew up playing hockey (and probably baseball and football, too) in Ann Arbor. Our relationship started, amazingly, after I was the last man cut from his 1978-79 travel team. He handled it so well it became the foundation of a lifelong friendship, one in which he served as mentor to me on many levels – as I know he did for hundreds of other young people, too.

For info about the book or this podcast please visit our website:

http://www.letthemleadbybacon.com

http://www.johnubacon.com

You can connect with John via these social platforms:

https://www.facebook.com/johnubacon

https://twitter.com/Johnubacon

Brenda Ryan grew up in Detroit in the late 1960s, and took a big chance to enroll at Michigan Tech, sight unseen. She started a promising career at General Motors before getting her masters and starting her own companies – three, now, all successful – while becoming the Chair of the MTU Board of Trustees. Some keys: when you become a leader, don’t tell people what to do, ask them to teach you; when you suffer a bad break, take control of your situation; be inclusive of your people’s opinions, then be decisive and own it.

For info about the book or this podcast please visit our website:

http://www.letthemleadbybacon.com

http://www.johnubacon.com

You can connect with John via these social platforms:

https://www.facebook.com/johnubacon

https://twitter.com/Johnubacon

Almost three decades ago, Amanda Macaluso, from Australia, decided to work at Hayo-Went-Ha for Girls just for a year, on a lark – but she never left. Thanks to a dramatic scene on a beach, she was transported her from possibly being fired to becoming Director on Lake Arbutus, near Traverse City, MI, a position she has held for XX() years. Her keys: “Make camp a safe place to be different, and try new things; no one fails camp; ask candidates what they do for fun, and hire interesting people who know how to go the extra mile; and don’t ask them to do anything you wouldn’t.” During Covid, Macaluso wasn’t above cleaning the bathrooms.

For info about the book or this podcast please visit our website:

http://www.letthemleadbybacon.com

http://www.johnubacon.com

You can connect with John via these social platforms:

https://www.facebook.com/johnubacon

https://twitter.com/Johnubacon

Almost three decades ago, Amanda Macaluso, from X() Australia, decided to work at Hayo-Went-Ha for Girls just for a year, on a lark – but she never left. Thanks to a dramatic scene on a beach, she was transported her from possibly being fired to becoming Director on Lake Arbutus, near Traverse City, MI, a position she has held for XX() years. Her keys: “Make camp a safe place to be different, and try new things; no one fails camp; ask candidates what they do for fun, and hire interesting people who know how to go the extra mile; and don’t ask them to do anything you wouldn’t.” During Covid, Macaluso wasn’t above cleaning the bathrooms.

For info about the book or this podcast please visit our website:

http://www.letthemleadbybacon.com

http://www.johnubacon.com

You can connect with John via these social platforms:

https://www.facebook.com/johnubacon

https://twitter.com/Johnubacon

Brad Black grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, where he met people from across the country passing through their train station. He rose up quickly through the ranks at Pitney-Bowes, then re-built the sales side of Stryker Corporation, and transformed the culture so dramatically, the employees voted to decertify their union. He then founded Humanex, which transfers his leadership principles to athletic and academic organizations, to great effect. A few keys: If you don’t think you can do it, don’t expect anyone else to; keep it simple: work hard, work smart, and care about people; promote from within when you can; talent, culture, and teams make the difference, and these ideas are transferrable to any field. 

For info about the book or this podcast please visit our website:

http://www.letthemleadbybacon.com

http://www.johnubacon.com

You can connect with John via these social platforms:

https://www.facebook.com/johnubacon

https://twitter.com/Johnubacon

Today's podcast is the commencement address I gave for Michigan Tech this spring. In it, I discuss what I call "the myth of inevitability. We’re often told our present world was created by enormous, unstoppable forces. Not true. It was often shaped by individuals, in crucial moments." And then I explain why these graduates are uniquely prepared to lead us -- and need to be! I tried to give a 15-20 minute talk that is inspiring, entertaining, occasionally funny, and reassuring, at a time we could use more of all of those things. You can decide if I succeeded.

For info about the book or this podcast please visit our website:

http://www.letthemleadbybacon.com

http://www.johnubacon.com

You can connect with John via these social platforms:

https://www.facebook.com/johnubacon

https://twitter.com/Johnubacon