This spring I'm releasing bonus episodes of The Take Home. No new lectures on leadership, instead I'm sharing the amazing podcasts created by the students in my Leadership for Sport Professionals class.

In this bonus episode of Season 5, I'm sharing "Shaping Champions" which was created and produced by Seth Jacobs and Joe Mehary. Here are their liner notes:

Shaping Champions is a podcast formed by Seth Jacobs and Joe Mehary; the objective of the podcast is to interview sport industry leaders seeking insight about their perspectives on developing leadership skills. In Season 1 Episode 1, Seth and Joe look at the textbook "Leadership: Theory and Practice," to draw inspiration from the Leader Membership Exchange (LMX) and chapter 16, team leadership. More specifically, Seth and Joe, talk about the dyadic relationships and building trust between players and coaches, and how heterarchical (lateral) oriented teams can have advantages compared to hierarchical teams.

In this episode, Seth and Joe are joined by Todd Wildman. Todd is a Trinity University alumni who is a multiple time national champion, competing numerous events, including multis. Todd graduated from Trinity with a double major in finance and accounting, receiving a masters degree in accounting from Trinity as well. Todd now owns a real estate company along with his wife, a fellow Trinity alumni. In his spare time, Todd raises his two boys, and coaches for the Trinity track and field team. Specifically coaching hurdlers and supplementing in other areas when needed.

In the episode Todd discusses his time at Trinity, being a leader on the Track team, a student, a professional, and lastly, a coach. Todd puts an emphasis on the discipline that being a high performing athlete taught him, as well as, the organizational skills that being a student at a rigorous university taught him, and how these skills were a catalyst for a successful professional career. Being a coach, Todd tries to build relationships with his athletes to the point where it feels like a mutual respect between both parties. He also believes effective team leaders are those who are committed to the team and approach each day with a purpose, it is not about vocalness or popularity, it is simply about one's will to success for themselves and their teammates.

We hope that our conversation with Todd will give you some useful insight on leadership within sports and the application of those same skills in the professional and academic environments. We really enjoyed our conversation and hope that you will as well.

Music Credits: Getting Wild Instrumental by jonworthymusic

This spring I'm releasing bonus episodes of The Take Home. No new lectures on leadership, instead I'm sharing the amazing podcasts created by the students in my Leadership for Sport Professionals class.

In this bonus episode of Season 5, I'm sharing "Tower Talk" which was created and produced by JonConnor Rule and Samuel Colombowala. Here are their liner notes:

"Tower Talks" is a podcast hosted by JonConnor and Samuel, dedicated to exploring the insights and experiences of leaders in the sports industry. The podcast's mission is to provide valuable perspectives on cultivating leadership skills and fostering personal and professional growth within the world of sports. In Season 1, Episode 1 of "Tower Talks," JonConnor and Samuel draw on Peter Northouse’s Leadership: Theory and Practice to explore the Situational Leadership Model and its practical application in sports management. Specifically, they focus on the importance of the supporting style, which emphasizes stepping while remaining available to guide and assist—especially when things go wrong. They also reflect on leadership practices from The Student Leadership Challenge, particularly the concept of "Enabling Others to Act", which focuses on empowering individuals through trust, collaboration, and mutual respect. Marco discusses how he integrates these principles, ensuring that every team member feels valued and equipped to succeed.

In this episode, JonConnor and Samuel are joined by Marco Ferruzzi, the Director of San Antonio FC (SAFC). Marco brings a wealth of experience, having transitioned from a successful ten-year professional playing career to key leadership roles in Major League Soccer and beyond. During this conversation, we explore Marco’s journey in sports management, starting from his early days as a professional soccer player to his current role at SAFC. We discuss the intricacies of managing a team, building a winning culture, and fostering a deep connection between a team and its community.

Marco shares insights into his leadership philosophy, emphasizing collaboration, communication, and trust. Importantly, Marco dives into how he builds a strong team culture by fostering an inclusive and positive atmosphere for players and staff, ensuring everyone feels connected and valued. He highlights the importance of community engagement in creating a deeper bond between SAFC and its passionate supporters in San Antonio, emphasizing that teams thrive when the community is part of their identity. When discussing leadership under pressure, Marco shares his decision-making strategies for handling situations, offering valuable insights on creating a comfort system that surrounds employees, players, and fans when things go wrong.

As the episode concludes, Marco offers advice to young professionals aiming for a career in sports management. He emphasizes the importance of versatility, a willingness to embrace challenges, and building meaningful relationships in the industry.

This episode is packed with actionable insights for sports enthusiasts, aspiring managers, and anyone looking to improve their leadership skills. Marco’s passion for prioritizing people over results and creating a culture of empowerment is both inspiring and practical for listeners across all fields.

Song: Breaking the Rules, Thesieryj

This spring I'm releasing bonus episodes of The Take Home. No new lectures on leadership, instead I'm sharing the amazing podcasts created by the students in my Leadership for Sport Professionals class.

In this bonus episode of Season 5, I'm sharing "Leading on All Fronts" which was created and produced by Eric Liao and Kathryn Detweiler. Here are their liner notes:

In the premiere and only episode of Leading on All Fronts, hosts Eric and Kathryn explore the critical themes of Inclusive Leadership and Team Leadership from chapters 12 and 16 of Peter G. Northouse's Leadership: Theory and Practice (9th Edition). They discuss key leadership strategies such as embracing responsibility, mastering clear and consistent communication, fostering a collective “bought-in” mentality, and exemplifying qualities that inspire others to follow.

Their guest, Jeff Mueller, brings a wealth of experience and insight to the conversation. As a partner at Polen Capital and co-portfolio manager of the firm’s Global Growth strategy, Mueller combines deep expertise in finance with a disciplined approach to leadership. He also serves as an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School, where he teaches Compounders in the renowned Value Investing Program.

Mueller’s path to leadership is both dynamic and inspiring. Over a decade of service in the U.S. Marine Corps, he flew more than 200 combat missions in F/A-18 aircraft, honing his skills in high-pressure, mission-critical environments. He later transitioned to finance, earning his M.B.A. with honors and distinction from Columbia Business School while being recognized as a Tillman Scholar. Before that, he graduated from Trinity University with a Bachelor of Arts in communication and business administration, captaining the men’s tennis team, achieving All-American status, and contributing to a national championship victory. Today, he resides in Florida with his wife and two children.

In this episode, Mueller reflects on the lessons learned throughout his career, emphasizing the importance of continuous growth and embracing the question, “What’s next?” He also shares a powerful insight from his Marine Corps experience: the motto, “Mission first, Marines always.”

This guiding principle underscores the need to prioritize team cohesion as the foundation for achieving a shared mission—wisdom that resonates far beyond military service. Through engaging dialogue and actionable insights, this episode provides a thoughtful exploration of leadership and its impact. It’s a fitting way to both introduce and conclude Leading on All Fronts.

Music Credits:

● Intro: "Epic" by BlackTrendMusic ● Outro: "Epic" by Lite Saturation

This spring I'm releasing bonus episodes of The Take Home. No new lectures on leadership, instead I'm sharing the amazing podcasts created by the students in my Leadership for Sport Professionals class.

In this first bonus episode of Season 5, I'm sharing "Beyond the Scoreboard" which was created and produced by Carmen Kennett, Brody Grieb, and Cam Smith. Here are their liner notes:

In the premier of the first season of Beyond The Scoreboard, we were lucky enough to spend 25 minutes speaking with Drew Bledsoe, the first overall draft pick of the 1993 NFL draft and 2002 Super Bowl champion. Drew's leadership both on and off the field has left a lasting impact on many people worldwide. Alongside his wife Maura, Drew is also an entrepreneur as he now spends most of his time managing his company, Doubleback winery.

Drew spends time telling us a bit about what it was like to be a young man charged with the task of leading an NFL team and the difficulties he faced when forced to sign with other teams. Pay attention as he continuously relates his experience as a leader in the NFL to his experience as a leader in the business world. We introduce Drew to chapter 12 and chapter 13 of Peter G. Northouse’s Leadership, which discusses the ideas of inclusive leadership and the importance of followership. Listen as Drew tells us a couple of personal experiences that relate exactly to those topics, and the importance that those experiences were throughout the remainder of his career. He spends time talking about the importance of diversity amongst a team, the value in proving your worthiness through work ethic, and how the best thing an aspiring leader can do is find influential mentors.

You can reach Drew at @DrewBledsoe via X, and @drewbledsoe via Instagram. Doubleback winery can be found at https://www.doubleback.com/

Music used in this episode of Beyond the Scoreboard comes from Free Music Archive! It is titled “Breaking Bad” by Jahzzar. Find it at this link: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/Crime_Scene/Breaking_Bad_1051/

In the season 5 finale episode, I explore Hill's approach to Team Leadership as detailed in chapter 16 from the 9th edition of Peter G. Northouse's "Leadership: Theory and Practice." During the segment, I highlight connections to our class' definition of leadership, discuss the importance of a strong culture, provide an overview of the model, and conclude with strengths and criticisms of the model.

For the final Living Leadership interview of the year I'm joined by Deb Boughton, the Deputy Athletic Director at Marshall University. Before arriving at Marshall, she had a similar role at Northern Illinois University. Deb is a 1997 Trinity University alumna. While at Trinity she was a standout on the women's soccer team and was in the first class of Trinity Master's of Accounting program. 

She speaks glowingly about role models and mentors like her head coach Nick Cowell, accounting professor Dr. Petrea Sandlin, and Trinity's longtime Director of Athletics Bob King. Deb firmly believes that nothing gets done if you haven't built strong relationships and emphasizes the difference between management and leadership. Speaking about relationships and the value of intercollegiate athletics, Deb says "A coach connects you to a program, but your teammates keep you there."

She highlights that great leaders see no boundaries or limitations, but that they need strong colleagues to help them be aware of the pitfalls or proverbial alligators. I love how she describes what college athletics was for her and what it is for so many others - a place to learn, overcome fears, and develop confidence. During the conversation we discuss fruit salad versus gumbo as metaphors for why diversity matters and her two tenets of leadership: 1) reliability and 2) trust.

This is an amazing conversation to conclude season 5 and I hope you enjoy!

In episode 7 of season 5, I lecture on chapter 6 from the 9th edition of Peter G. Northouse's "Leadership: Theory and Practice." During the segment, I describe the Path-Goal leadership approach, highlight the basics of how Path-Goal theory works, and conclude with strengths and criticisms of the model.

Before the lecture, I was joined by Elizabeth Eder Northern for the Living Leadership segment. Liz graduated from Trinity University in 2009 with a Bachelor's degree. As an undergrad, she double majored in Religion and math, was an three time National Qualifier on the cross country team, and took full advantage of all that Trinity has to offer. She was a true Renaissance person and embraced the university's Liberal Arts ethos. After leaving Trinity she completed a Master's degree at Penn State and has served as the longtime Director of Research at Tarrant County College (TCC). In addition to being recognized by the Fort Worth Business Press with 40 Under 40 Award, Liz was also named as one of the Trinity University Alumni Association Tower 5 Award recipients in 2019.

In our conversation she talks about the importance of mentors and friends, both in terms of pushing her to achieve things she never would have dreamed of and for holding each other accountable. As a leader of a team at TCC, she details the importance of hiring for complementary skill sets, helping team members maximize their strengths, and finding meaning in the work. Liz describes why setting developmental goals is good, both for the individual and the organization, and why having a leader that trusts their followers is paramount.

Liz and I also talk about her successful distance running career (which isn't over!). While her accomplishments as a distance runner are wildly impressive, I hope you'll agree that her leadership approach and philosophy make her the kind of person we'd all like to work and learn with.

She is a great role model for leaders everywhere. I hope you enjoy our conversation. And please, drop us a note on LinkedIn - or send me a tweet (@TingleJK) - to let us know your Take Home.

This week I was so lucky to sit down with Scott Williams, Trinity alumnus '89, for the Living Leadership Interview segment. Scott and I met when I was 19 and was one of my early mentors at Trinity. Since that time, we've maintained a close relationship, which was heightened during his time serving on the Trinity University Alumni Association Board.

 Scott and I discuss the Situational Leadership model and his leadership philosophy and principles. He details important in and out-of-class mentors he had at Trinity and the value of meeting others where they are and seeing them for who they are. Scott describes why leaders must connect with individuals and why it would actually be unfair to treat everyone the same. He says that if you treat everyone with respect and build a foundation of trust, you can meet people where they are and bring out the best in them. This conversation about focusing equity, rather than equality, is important for us all to hear.

Four years ago, Scott and I appeared on the Trinity University Podcast Network for a discussion on race, education, mentors, and modern-day athlete activism. I encourage you to give that conversation a listen as it is really different from this episode, but can provide you important context for what makes Scott tick. Reflections on Life, Trinity, and the American Dream (https://soundcloud.com/user-936731397/reflections-on-life-trinity-and-the-american-dream) 

The episode concludes with my lecture on chapter 5 of the 9th edition of Peter G. Northouse's "Leadership: Theory and Practice." During the segment, I provide an overview of Hersey and Blanchard's Situational Leadership Model, discuss details about the connection between a leader's style and the follower's developmental level, and why it's essential that leaders engage in conversations with their team members.

Let me know your reactions to my chat with Scott. Reach out to both of us on Twitter (@TingleJK and @scottwilli75or LinkedIn and let's keep the conversation going

In episode 5's Living Leadership segment, I was joined by my teaching partner and outstanding Trinity University alumna '88, Allison Hawk. Allison is the founder of AHC Consulting LLC and was previously the Director of Corporate Communications and Community Outreach at the National Football League's St. Louis Rams.

Allison highlights how her in and out of class experiences at Trinity shaped her leadership philosophy and that studying abroad is the single most important thing any student can do. She says that great leaders have the ability to learn, the ability to write, intercultural awareness, and adaptability. Her approach is to model the way, have an open door, to inspire with a detailed vision, and make sure that her team has the tools they need to be successful. 

Allison highlights her own journey through the leadership labyrinth and tells stories about important mentors who made sure she was invited into the room AND had a place at the table. She also eloquently pushes against traditional notions of success by debunking the myth of the success narrative. Most importantly, Allison emphasizes the need to be kind - to others AND to yourself. 

To conclude the episode, I lectured on chapter 14 of the 9th edition of Peter G. Northouse's "Leadership: Theory and Practice." During the segment, I discuss the Glass Ceiling and Leadership Labyrinth metaphors which are used to describe the intersection of gender and leadership in the sports world. Those interested in learning more are encouraged to read these two research articles:

1) Gendered Leadership Networks in the NCAA: Analyzing Affiliation Networks of Senior Woman Administrators and Athletic Directors (request full text here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323505935_Gendered_Leadership_Networks_in_the_NCAA_Analyzing_Affiliation_Networks_of_Senior_Woman_Administrators_and_Athletic_Directors)

2) Passage Through the Leadership Labyrinth: Women’s Journey in the Collegiate Recreation Profession (request full text here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352483507_Passage_Through_the_Leadership_Labyrinth_Women's_Journey_in_the_Collegiate_Recreation_Profession)

I hope you enjoy the episode. Drop me a note; I'd love to hear your thoughts so I can bring them into our class. 

In episode four's Living Leadership segment I'm joined by Leah Kareti a Principal Consultant at 3 Fold Group, which specializes in NCAA Division III intercollegiate athletics and small college strategic initiatives. Before co-founding 3 Fold, Leah worked for the NCAA including six years as the Director of Division III. 

During our conversation, Leah details why relationships are key to a leader's success, the role and importance of a mutually beneficial mentee-mentor relationship, and how being benevolent becomes easier over time. She boils her leadership philosophy down to Vision and Accountability and that the work is so much easier (and better) when done with a group.  I love how she describes taking risks in her career and why "Challenging the Process" must be done with intentionality, care, and with the aim of improving - not just complaining. 

The episode concludes with my lecture on chapter 4 of the 9th edition of Peter G. Northouse's "Leadership: Theory and Practice." During the segment, I discuss behavioral approaches to studying leadership, the DISC behavioral profile, and highlight the Blake-Mouton Leadership Grid. 

There's so much leadership gold in the episode. Enjoy! 

Episode 3 of Season 5 begins with the Living Leadership Interview segment. This week I had the joy to discuss leadership philosophy, the skills great leaders utilize, and the importance of lifelong learning with Trinity alumnus Rush Olson. 

Rush is the Co-Founder of Mint Farm Films (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mintfarmfilms/) and the Principal at Rush Olson Creative & Sports (https://www.linkedin.com/company/rush-olson-creative-&-sports/). Before venturing out on his own, Rush worked as the Texas Rangers Media Team's Creative Director. During our conversation Rush shares insights gained from more than three decades in the sport marketing, media, and creative spaces.  

He details how his Trinity experience as a Communication and History double major shaped his professional and leadership philosophies and how his experience as the co-founder of Kappa Kappa Delta social fraternity continues to serve as a strong link to campus. 

Rush highlights that no matter whatever your level in the organization, "the better you understand the big objectives (the why), the better you'll be." He emphasizes that leaders must help their followers be mindful of how they fit into the big picture, but also highlights it is incumbent on less experienced staff to scan the environment and look for ways they can contribute. 

We also discussed the importance of LinkedIn, the skills great leaders need to possess, and why leadership is a constant learning experience. He concludes with a discussion of Type 1 and Type 2 egos and I just love the way he describes why the latter should drive our actions. 

The episode concludes with my lecture on chapter 3 of the 9th edition of Peter G. Northouse's "Leadership: Theory and Practice." During the segment, I highlight the evolution of skills-based approaches to studying leadership and detail Mumford et al.'s Skills Model of Leadership.

Send me your thoughts and let's keep the conversation going on Twitter / X (@TingleJK) or on LinkedIn.