What does it actually feel like to carry the weight of leadership?

In the series finale of The Path Less Traveled Leadership Roundtable, Craig Heatherly sits down with Dr. Dee McDonald (President, Bethel University), Jeremy Lugbill (CEO, Career Academy Network), and Jon Morningstar (CEO, MapleTronics) for the most personal conversation of the series — failure, hard decisions, and the emotional weight that comes with leading others.

Key frameworks from this session:

Books mentioned: Atomic Habits (James Clear), The Go-Giver (Bob Burg), Crucial Conversations, Gentle and Lowly (Dane Ortlund)

This session is sponsored by Gibson and United Beverage.

How do you develop the next generation of talent on purpose — not just by accident?

In Session 3 of The Path Less Traveled Leadership Roundtable, Craig Heatherly is joined by Jason Lippert (President & CEO, Lippert/LCI), Shaun Phy (President, C&S Machine), and Dr. Marco Clark (President, Holy Cross College) for a practical, honest conversation about identifying, developing, and accelerating talent in your organization.

Key frameworks from this session:

This session is sponsored by Gibson and Performance Plus.

The hard conversation you keep putting off? It's costing you more than you think.

In Session 2 of The Path Less Traveled Leadership Roundtable, Craig Heatherly is joined by Laurie Nafziger (President & CEO, Oaklawn), Todd Yeoman (President, American Technology Components), and Dr. Rebecca Stoltzfus (President, Goshen College) for an honest, unscripted conversation about navigating difficult conversations in leadership.

Key frameworks from this session:

This session is sponsored by C12 West Michigan & Northern Indiana and Gibson.

What separates good leaders from great ones? Discipline. The daily choices nobody sees.

In Session 1 of The Path Less Traveled Leadership Roundtable Series, Craig Heatherly brings Craig Brummell (COO of ABRO Industries), Dustin Holland (President & CEO of Better World Books) and Steve Brenneman (Founder of ATC Trailers & Aluminum Insights) together for one unscripted conversation about the daily disciplines that actually move the needle in leadership.

Highlights from this session:

This session is sponsored by Chrome Group and Gibson.

Ben Duke, President of Polaris Marine, leads a $1B division responsible for iconic brands like Bennington, Godfrey, and Hurricane ... operating at scale, under constant pressure.

In this episode, Ben shares what it takes to lead through real disruption, from COVID demand shocks to supply‑chain volatility and market correction without breaking trust or losing strategic focus.

He walks through how disciplined leaders stay out of the weeds, why relationships matter more than dashboards when stakes are high, and how simplicity, accountability, and long‑term thinking create durable organizations.

A conversation for leaders who make consequential decisions—and want to make them better.

Kelly Ball, CEO of Pathfinders Advertising, leads a 47-year-old agency built on one core idea: help companies tell their story in a way that connects.

In this episode, Kelly shares lessons on stepping into the CEO role, aligning teams, and leading through rapid change—especially with the rise of AI.

He breaks down why most companies get marketing wrong, how AI is reshaping workflows, and why the best leaders focus on clarity, simplicity, and execution.

A conversation on leadership, adaptability, and thinking differently in a noisy world.

Dustin Holland, President and CEO of Better World Books, leads one of the world’s largest online booksellers with a mission to keep books in circulation and out of landfills.

What began as college book drives at University of Notre Dame has grown into a global operation processing hundreds of thousands of books each week and partnering with thousands of libraries around the world.

In this episode, Dustin shares the leadership lessons behind building a mission-driven company—making hard decisions in real time, investing in relationships, and staying focused on long-term sustainability.

This conversation highlights how purpose, perseverance, and hands-on leadership can turn a simple idea into global impact.

Kory Lantz, founder of Transformation Ministries, builds change slowly and intentionally.

What began 17 years ago as a choice to live in a neighborhood and be present has grown into a nonprofit serving hundreds of South Bend kids and families. Kory's approach centers on depth over scale, offering education, mentoring, job training, spiritual guidance, and family support to children from infancy through young adulthood.

In this episode, Kory shares how the organization expanded through small, faithful steps—developing after-school programs, youth-run microbusinesses, alumni support, and early learning initiatives—creating generational impact.

He reflects on long-term leadership: naming seasons, grieving losses, protecting clarity, and developing others. His leadership blends grit, faith, coaching, and the courage to take the next right step.

This conversation highlights leadership that values presence over shortcuts, proving transformation is built one relationship at a time.

Craig Brummell, COO of ABRO Industries, is stepping into leadership with a long-term mindset.

Just weeks into the role, Craig reflects on joining a 75+ year, globally respected company headquartered in South Bend, operating in 150 countries with a small but mighty team. His focus isn’t fixing what’s broken. It’s strengthening alignment, supporting people, and helping shape the next 45 years of generational leadership.

In this episode, Craig shares how a non-linear career, deep self-reflection, and daily anchoring practices have shaped his leadership philosophy: do the inner work, seek discomfort, and lead from the inside out.

His message is clear: stay curious, invest in people, and show up present — at work and at home.

Gene Crusie, CEO of Surf Internet, measures success by impact, not just growth.

From repairing printers in the 90s to leading a 400-person fiber company across the Midwest, Gene shares how faith, resilience, and a defining wrestling moment shaped his mindset: stop playing not to lose — start playing to win.

In this episode, he reflects on bold pivots, investing in people, and the daily reminder he keeps on his desk — a jar of marbles representing the finite days of life.

His message is simple: do hard things, lead with intention, and use your day well.