Team-building – The Mentors Radio

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Jim Steeg, known publicly as “Mr. Super Bowl” and credited with transforming the Super Bowl from a singular championship to a multi-day extravaganza. While many books have been written about Super Bowl games, never has one been written about how the Super Bowl itself became the greatest sporting event created in the twentieth century. Only one person can tell that story definitively, and that is Jim Steeg, who joins host Dan Hesse to give The Mentors Radio show audience a sneak peak into his upcoming book.   Publicly known as “Mr. Super Bowl,” Jim spent almost four decades at the upper-most management levels in professional football, twenty-six of those years leading the NFL’s Special Events Department. During that time, he transformed the Super Bowl from a simple singular championship football game into a multi-day entertainment, marketing, and media extravaganza, as well as a beloved “national holiday.” In his book, entitled Super!, Jim chronicles the history, growth, and behind-the-scenes making of the Super Bowl, with lessons from which we can all learn, including how to build a lasting institution. Currently a consultant across both collegiate and professional sports, Steeg resides in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In his yet-to-be-released book, Super!, Jim chronicles the history, growth, and behind-the-scenes making of the Super Bowl over his tenure, with many never-before-told stories, humorous anecdotes, and poignant moments. He takes readers behind the NFL’s velvet rope on Super Bowl Sunday, as well as the days, months, and years leading up to kickoff. He lets you in on the brainstorming, decision making, politics, issues, and problem-solving that go along with being the one man in charge of the world’s biggest one-day event. Sharing keen observations, revealing moments and thought-provoking conversations with an impressive who’s who of the NFL, sports, entertainment, television, government, and politics, Jim Steeg joins Dan to pull back the curtain for the first time.

JIM STEEG:

In today’s episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Ron Friedman, PhD, award-winning social psychologist, keynote speaker, human motivation expert, and best-selling author, about what the Top 8% of elite teams do that others don’t, from ER rooms, to NFL teams to Wall Street firms. Every executive board in the country talks about culture, collaboration, and high performance. Yet the average knowledge worker spends nearly thirty (30) hours a week drowning in meetings and messages, leaving barely one day to do actual work. We’ve been told the answer is more connectivity, trendy perks, and constant togetherness. But what if almost everything corporate America preaches about teamwork is statistically dead wrong? Dr. Ron Friedman analyzed more than 100,000 data points across elite organizations—from emergency rooms and NFL locker rooms to Wall Street firms—to uncover what the top 8% of teams do that the other 92% miss. Ron Friedman earned a PhD and MA in Social and Personality Psychology from the University of Rochester. His academic and leadership roles including serving on the faculties of the University of Rochester, Nazareth College, and Hobart andWilliam Smith Colleges. He is the founder of Superteams, Inc. and ignite80, and a frequent contributor to Harvard Business Review and has been featured in The New York Times, Fast Company and Forbes. Dr. Ron Friedman is also the best-selling author of The Best Place to Work, and his landmark new book is Super Teams: The Science and Secrets of High-Performing Teams. Listen to THE MENTORS RADIO broadcast on Salem Radio in San Francisco, via live-streaming on iHeart Radio worldwide or anytime, on ANY podcast platform, including Apple Podcast, Spotify, iTunes, TuneIN, Stitcher, Google Play and all the others. Sign up for the podcast here.

RON FRIEDMAN, PhD:

Superteams: The Science and Secrets of High-Performing Teams

In this episode of The Mentors Radio, host Dan Hesse talks with General Stanley McChrystal, U.S. Army General (Ret.), Commander of U.S. and International Forces in Afghanistan, Leader of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), co-founder and CEO of McChrystal Group, and noted, best-selling author of several books. A one-of-a-kind leader with a new perspective on collaboration and teamwork, General Stan McChrystal is known for helping organizations tap into the potential of their people to better compete in a complex and interconnected world. Following thirty-four years of service in the U.S. Army—including as commander of U.S. and International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) Afghanistan and commander of the nation’s premier counter-terrorism force— General McChrystal delivers his unique blend of on-the- ground experience with decades of leadership to provide practical insight and wisdom to help organizations transform and succeed in challenging, dynamic environments. General McChrystal now leads the McChrystal Group as its founder and CEO, which helps organizations of all types transform how their people, processes, and technology work together to unlock greater speed and adaptability. As the author of several best-selling books, General McChrystal latest examines the character of leaders and what makes someone who they are and, importantly, how they will be remembered. Listen to THE MENTORS RADIO broadcast on Salem Radio in San Francisco, via live-streaming on iHeart Radio worldwide or anytime, on ANY podcast platform, including Apple Podcast, Spotify, iTunes, TuneIN, Stitcher, Google Play and all the others. Sign up for the podcast here.

GENERAL STANLEY “STAN” McCHRYSTAL, General Ret., U.S. Army:

In this episode of The Mentors Radio, Host Tom Loarie talks with Craig Bergman, a legendary Hall of Fame coach and athletic director who spent more than 30 years mentoring thousands of young men and women at Monte Vista High School in Northern California.  Craig had a front-row seat to the cultural shift that reshaped an entire generation. In this candid, unvarnished conversation, they look directly at what is happening to our kids, our parenting culture, and our future workforce:  

Whether you are leading an organization, managing a team, or raising the next generation, this episode is an urgent wake-up call on stewardship, authentic authority, and the lost value of constructive struggle.   Listen to episode below, or on ANY PODCAST PLATFORM here. BE SURE TO LEAVE US A GREAT REVIEW on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share with friends and colleagues!

CRAIG BERGMAN:

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Peter Banko, CEO of Baystate Health and author of “The Necessary Goodbye: How Great Leaders Fire with Clarity, Confidence and Compassion“. In this conversation, Peter joins Dan to explain why firing the right people is not only ethical, but often necessary for the well-being of the company and especially for its employees. Peter is the CEO of Baystate Health, which is a connected ecosystem of 13,000 caregivers who individually and together are on a mission to redefine health and health care.  Baystate Health is a not-for-profit, integrated health system serving more than 800,000 individuals in western Massachusetts with a service area stretching from Connecticut to Vermont. Baystate’s mission is to deliver compassionate, quality and accessible care. Listen to episode below, or on ANY PODCAST PLATFORM here. BE SURE TO LEAVE US A GREAT REVIEW on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share with friends and colleagues!

PETER BANKO:

In today’s episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Patrick Lencioni, the world’s foremost thought leader on organizational health, about what makes an excellent leader, the critical importance of focusing on responsibility-centered leadership that is service-driven, other-driven vs. self-serving, reward-centered leadership. You’ll learn how this difference affects—and transforms—literally everything in an organization. His many best-selling books have sold more than 10 million copies and are translated into more than 30 languages. These books are short, immediately engaging and powerful, focusing on how to reduce organizational politics, silos, confusion and dysfunction while increasing organizational clarity, alignment and productivity. Pat’s current focus is on why some leaders have an unconscious unwillingness to do the difficult tasks and confront the challenging situations required to bring about a healthier and more productive organization. During this lively episode, Pat talks about his career, his observations and team-, individual- and business-changing solutions, and about his new, simple and EASY “Working Genius” assessment tool that enables anyone to increase their contribution to work and life by overcoming their unconscious unwillingness to do difficult tasks and confront challenging situations. It’s a game-changer, and immediately useful. Listen to episode below, or on ANY PODCAST PLATFORM here. BE SURE TO LEAVE US A GREAT REVIEW on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share with friends and colleagues!

PATRICK LENCIONI:

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Colonel Justin “Astro” Elliott, the Commander of the 96th Operations Group at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Colonel Elliot is the only person in history to complete all three of the Air Force’s elite flying programs: Fighter Weapons School, Test Pilot School, and the Thunderbirds. He is a Yale University ROTC graduate with three engineering degrees. His combat time in the F-15E during OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM is featured in the book Red Platoon. As a test pilot, he flew more than 3,000 hours across 33 aircraft, with operational experience in the F-15, F-16, and F-35. Colonel Astro Elliot’s command as “Thunderbird 1” is featured in the Emmy- nominated Netflix documentary Air Force Elite: Thunderbirds, showcasing the team’s commitment to values, culture and a shared purpose of being a beacon of excellence demonstrating the uniting force of human achievement in the name of selfless service. Listen to episode below, or on ANY PODCAST PLATFORM here. BE SURE TO LEAVE US A GREAT REVIEW on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share with friends and colleagues!

COLONEL JUSTIN “ASTRO” ELLIOTT:

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Jim Tracy, founder and Chairman of the Legacy Companies and former CEO of Legacy Telecommunications, to discuss the importance of purpose and culture in business. Jim Tracy has been called the “Curator of Culture” and is also known as “The Grampion,” the title of his podcast, for his stories reflecting real life leadership experience. Legacy Telecommunications, where he served as CEO, is an infrastructure and technology services firm is a company he co-founded to make his son’s work safer. Prior to this, Jim spent 16 years leading firms in the manufacturing, sales and distribution of engineered construction products internationally. He was inducted into the Wireless Hall of Fame in 2021, honored with the Bill Carlson Lifetime Service Award from NATE in 2022, and received the Business ICON of Idaho Award in 2024. He has also been recognized for his volunteerism including Habitat for Humanity, Ducks Unlimited and SIPA. His best-selling book, “Building Men – Character Lessons From Influencers” has garnered widespread praise from critics and won multiple prestigious awards leading to a three-book deal with Morgan James Publishing. His next work, Management by Cliché publishes soon. LISTEN TO this radio broadcast live on iHeart Radio, or go to “THE MENTORS RADIO” podcast any time, anywhere, on any podcast platform – subscribe here and don’t miss an episode!

JIM TRACY

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Ed Hawkins, former All-American soccer player and Founder and CEO of SixBeacons Partners. As we watch the World Cup, it’s fitting that Ed Hawkins, a former All-American soccer player and the first US born African-American to wear the USA jersey, joins Dan Hesse on The Mentors Radio to describe the business lessons that the game of soccer can teach us. Ed explores how leadership, culture and human development intersect in organizational life. He’s the CEO of SixBeacon Partners where his work focuses on helping organizations design environments that allow people and systems to grow with purpose in the age of artificial intelligence. They discuss Ed’s fourth book, Beacon of Hope—Cultivating Excellence Across Generations, which also serves as a tribute to a special mentor.  LISTEN TO this radio broadcast live on iHeart Radio, or go to “THE MENTORS RADIO” podcast any time, anywhere, on any podcast platform – subscribe here and don’t miss an episode!

In this episode of The Mentors Radio, Host Dan Hesse talks with General (Ret.) Stanley McChrystal about his career, leadership, building teams, risk management and more. A one-of-a-kind commander with a new perspective on organizational dynamics, Ret. General Stan McChrystal is known for helping elite teams tap into the potential of their people to better compete in a complex and interconnected world. Few can speak about leadership, teamwork, technology and international affairs with as much insight can he. Ret. General McChrystal is the former Commander of U.S. and International Forces in Afghanistan, former leader of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) and co-founder of The McChrystal Group. His exceptional and innovative understanding of organizational dynamics has led to remarkable achievements in both military and business applications. McChrystal is the author of several best-selling books on leadership, building teams, engagement and risk management. After retiring from the U.S. Army as a four-star general, General McChrystal turned his expertise to the business world. He is the Founder and CEO of the McChrystal Group, which helps Fortune 500 Companies strike the right balance between hierarchical and decentralized team mindsets and structures. He and his firm focus on the power of network analysis and machine learning to strengthen how companies connect, internally and externally. As the author of several best-selling management books, General McChrystal offers a battle-tested system for detecting and responding to risk.

LISTEN TO the radio broadcast live on iHeart Radio, or to “THE MENTORS RADIO” podcast any time, anywhere, on any podcast platform – subscribe here and don’t miss an episode!

GENERAL (RET.) STANLEY A. McCHRYSTAL: