Commanding Leadership
By Max Hourigan
This podcast is for anyone who wants a dose of brutal honesty and a serious gut-check of their leadership tactics, techniques, and procedures.
Commanding LeadershipSep 27, 2020
37: Leading with Vulnerability, Humor, and Boldness with Jon Cleck
A Navy SEAL, Top Leadership Consultant, Doctoral Degree Candidate, Stand-Up Comedian.... and the resume just keeps getting better. I'm honored to have Jonathan Cleck on Commanding Leadership. Jon is the Director of Leadership Development at Stronghold Leadership and is also a career Navy SEAL Officer. While balancing his professional and military responsibilities, Jon is also a stand-up comedian, husband, father, and pursuing a Doctoral Degree in Organizational Leadership & Innovation. He has a very diverse blend of military, academic, and business experience that provides him with the ability to personally relate to a wide array of audiences. In this episode we cover vulnerability, humor, boldness, and just about everything in-between.
_____
Get in touch with Jonathan:
Social: @Jonathan Cleck
Business: https://strongholdleadership.net/
36: The Core Value Equation with Darius Mirshahzadeh
Introducing a modern-day renaissance man on acid with a side of french fries....Darius Mirshahzadeh. Darius is a serial entrepreneur, author, conscious capitalist, speaker, and entertainer and has a serious desire to create greatness in the world. His passion is to make the world a better place using his talents and engagement. Darius hate’s bragging about himself—so I’ll do it for him here with some metrics that really speak to his experience in the leadership sector: He’s been on Inc’s 500 list as the number 40th ranked CEO while delivering a 2,500% revenue growth in one of his businesses, he was ranked as the #9 CEO on Glassdoor's Top Ranked CEO’s in America, and most recently he just released his book, “The Core Value Equation” discussing the framework he uses to drive results, create limitless scale, and win the war for talent. If you're interested in learning more about what it takes to lead effectively and how to create a value-driven organization... this episode is for you!
____________________________
You can find Darius here: www.therealdarius.com
You can buy his book here: https://www.amazon.com/Core-Value-Equation-Framework-Limitless/dp/1544506708#:~:text=Thankfully%2C%20there's%20a%20simple%20solution,that%20consistently%20produces%20spectacular%20results
35: Transcend in Life with JM Ryerson
But that's not the case for my guest today. JM Ryerson is the guest on this episode of Commanding Leadership. He has made it his life's work crushing these excuses and helping so many leaders achieve a life of fulfillment.
JM is an entrepreneur who has been building companies and leading teams for over two decades. He is also the co-founder and CEO of Let’s Go Win, a company dedicated to helping people around the world live their best lives. His ultimate goal is to give others the tools that will allow them to transcend their self-limiting beliefs. Listen in today to hear how you, too, can learn to transcend in life and level up, not just your leadership skills, but your life skills!
_____________________________
How to Contact JM:
Website: letsgowin.com/
FB: www.facebook.com/letsgowin365
IG: www.instagram.com/letsgowin365/
LN: www.linkedin.com/company/letsgowin365
Podcast: www.buzzsprout.com/1105955
33: Leading Through Chaos w/ Navy SEAL Thom Shea
Well let's save the debate... because the formula is real... and today on Commanding Leadership, you will get to hear directly from the mastermind behind it. Retired Navy SEAL Thom Shea served with the U.S. Navy for 23 years with distinguished valor before writing his bestselling book, “Unbreakable: A Navy Seal’s Way of Life” and his latest release, “Three Simple Things: Leading During Chaos.” As founder of Unbreakable Leadership, Thom has trained thousands of people around the world to overcome chaos by applying the rule of Three Simple Things to their lives and businesses.
On this episode we discuss how getting to rock bottom can act as a catalyzing event for some people, why leaders must understand their internal dialogue, and how to implement three simple things into five areas of your life to deliver life-changing results.
32: Going Further, Faster with Chief Catalyst Bill Flynn
31: Communicating Effectively During a Pandemic
But business and leaders are resilient! And many have found creative ways to take their employee engagement to new heights during this difficult time. Like the small business owner from Belmar, NJ, who took out a $50,000 loan to be able to pay his employees in case their business was closed down. Today, I share another way to effectively engage employees -- especially those in remote work environments-- with a communication tactic called a "Back Brief". This tactic is an excellent way to ensure that communications are understood from the bottom-up and the top-down. Tune in to hear more!
30: How a Lack of Sleep Shaped My Perspective
The way a leader gains perspective, I believe is a defining feature of his leadership ability. What we’re going to discuss in this episode is why it’s so important as a leader to be able to take a step back from everything that’s going on around you, and reshape your perspective so that it better aligns with your mission and values.
It's great to be back in the studio and connect with you again. If you have any comments, suggestions or just want to chat about leadership, connect with me on social media, or on my site @ www.commandingleadership.com
29: Defining Intent with a Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich
What do leadership and a peanut butter & jelly sandwich have in common? A lot.
This week's episode dives into what I classify as the most important thing any leader can do when communicating with their teams--providing the intent or the "why" behind a mission.
If you want to hear how I liken a peanut butter & jelly sandwich to this leadership concept, tune in for a quick dose of fun insight.
I hope you stay safe out there and enjoy the show!
28: Establishing Trust, Respect, and Culture with Bill Craig
Hard Charger? Check. Senior Military Leader? Check. Business Owner? Check. Incredible People Motivator? Check.
Tune in today to hear about what Bill Craig has to say on all of those things and more. Bill is my Company First Sergeant in the Army National Guard. He has served over 18 years in the Army with 9 of them being on Active Duty. One of my favorite things about Bill is that he has mastered the art of leadership transformation—tailoring his leadership delivery to his audience for a masterful effect. He has a keen knack for developing and molding junior soldiers and employees into phenomenal leaders and it was a pleasure to share a discussion on Commanding Leadership with him.
See you on the podcast!
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are those of the host and guest and do not reflect the official policy or position of the MAARNG, US Army, Department of Defense or the US Government.
__
01:35- Introduction
04:15- Borrowing Brilliance, Effective Leadership, Developing Trusting Relationships with Teammates, Tailoring Leadership Approach
10:20- Cultivating a Culture of Approachability, Setting Expectations, Establishing Mutual Trust
12:58- How a Leader Can Begin Establishing Trust
15:33- Getting in the Trenches, Being in the Most Impactful Place at the Right Time
20:21- Work Ethic, Balancing Obligations, Responding vs. Reacting
24:06- Train your Replacement, The Leadership Wheel, Leadership is a Circle, Not a Ladder
31:57- Teaching Point on Handling Failure
34:15- Lightning Round of Questions
__
If you enjoyed hearing about Bill's journey, you can reach out to me at any of my social media links or on my website, www.commandingleadership.com and I can put you in touch.
27: Brotherhood, Overcoming Adversity, and Leading Teams with Ryan Hourigan
What happens when you mix Irish Twins, a microphone and nearly 6 decades of life experiences? A killer podcast episode. On today's episode, Ryan Hourigan-- my brother, and I discuss everything from brotherhood, to overcoming family alcoholism, to growing as leaders in Corporate America. Tune in for an awesome show on life and leadership!
__
01:20 – Brotherhood, Growing Up, and “Do Today What Other’s Won’t So Tomorrow You Can Do What Others Can’t”
06:42 – Overcoming Alcoholism, Demons, and Developing Grit
10:51 – Transitioning from being an Individual Contributor to Manager, Bottom-Up Leadership, and Empowering Employees, Check Your Ego
16:27 – Leading Friends, Developing Trust, and Learning What Makes People Tick
20:50 – How A Tough Dude from Queens Gave the Best (and unexpected) Leadership Advice Ever
24:37 – Learning from the Good, Bad, and the Ugly of Leadership
28:55 – Good Leaders Make an Average Team Great, Jocko Willink Story 32:40 – Setting Expectations and Mentorship Insight
34:01 – Lighting Round of Questions
39:50 – How to Contact Ryan
__
Ryan's Contact Info:
Instagram: @ryhourigan Facebook: Ryan Hourigan LinkedIn: Ryan Hourigan
26: Becoming a Leader Worth Following with Jon Rennie
__
02:47: What Life and Leadership is Like on a Cold War Submarine
06:53: The Problem with Leadership in Corporate America
12:18: Why Passion and Persistence Equates to Success
14:57: Why Effective Leadership is so Important for an Organization
21:16: You Should Never be Too Busy to Appreciate and Recognize Employees
25:08: How to Make the Transition from an Individual Contributor Role to a Leadership Role
30:40: Lighting Round of Leadership Questions
34:01: How to Get in Touch with Jon S Rennie
__
If you want to get in touch with Jon, here are links to all of his incredible content.
Twitter: @jonsrennie
Book: www.ihavethewatch.com
Website: www.jonsrennie.com
25: Why Leading Yourself First is the Best Way to Lead By Example
The best leaders lead by example, right?
I’m sure you’ve heard this phrase countless times in any community that you’ve been a part of. I actually received a message from one of my dear friends the other day requesting that I talk about this topic on the show. There seems to be a large debate over what leading by example really is-- and how leaders, as they climb the proverbial ladder and get further away from the front-line tend to do less and less of this.
So what exactly does it mean, to lead by example? What does it look like when a leader does that? Why is it so important? And how can you start leading by example today? Those are just a few of the topics that we’ll dive into today.
24: Abraham Lincoln's Wise Words
In the spirit of Presidents Day, today we’re going to take a look at one of my favorite quotes from Abraham Lincoln. “Leave nothing for tomorrow that can be done today.”
Abraham Lincoln was a wise man of course and it’s especially evident in these words that he said in Law Lecture Hall in 1850. Procrastination, as he alludes to here, is one of the greatest productivity killers known to man so today we’re going to allow Honest Abe to help springboard us into our discussion.
Tune in today to hear about the real root cause behind procrastination and to learn about a tactic that can help you avoid procrastinating now!
23: Why a Street Lamp Made Me Appreciate The Little Things
Tune in today to hear about how a street lamp reinvigorated my appreciation for the little things!
22: Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS)
My Platoon Sergeant continued, “Sir, you’re trying to do too much here. We have 5 trucks to move from point A to B… there is no need to make this into an A to B to C to D movement. Focus on the basics… because when you’re leading men into combat, simple plans are the easiest to follow.”
This was one of the best lessons I had ever been taught as a junior officer, so I wanted to share a little bit about it with you today.
21: Stay True to Your Word...It Defines You.
As leaders, when we forget about our employees requests… we fail. It’s that simple. It is our job to serve our people-- so that they can do their jobs and bring us across the finish line. Additionally, when we fail to uphold our own word to ourselves... we fail. Tune in today to hear more about why keeping your word is so important.
20: Leadership Happens When You Serve Others
The other day I was at an Officer Professional Development session for the military and one of the guest speakers was a retired Major General. He was providing a lecture to us about learning how to lead. The general theme of the presentation was that leadership is a constant lifelong episode of learning and what got us to where we are in life now, might not get us to where we want to go. What really stuck out to me most from his presentation, was when he spoke about the moment he learned what leadership really truly meant. And that moment was when he realized that leadership is about serving others.
Today, I'll discuss something called Servant Leadership and why this is such an effective leadership style. See you on the podcast!
19: Why Every Leader Needs a Mentor
But why is having a mentor so important? Tune in to hear my thoughts.
18: How to Handle a “Problem Employee”
Today’s question asks me to dive into how to handle a “problem employee” who keeps making the same mistake over and over again.
Tune to hear my 5-Step process for dealing with this situation!
17: Why Loving Your Enemy Might Actually Be a Good Idea
When our enemies get in the way of our objectives, our pursuit of happiness, we have a choice to make: do we give in to the hate and quit or do we take their hate and use it to fuel our desire for greatness?
Tune in today to hear more!
16: “That’s Not My Job!”
Nothing is more polarizing within a company culture than someone saying “That’s not my job.” Today’s episode digs into why establishing a culture of teamwork is the key to victory.
15: Curiosity is Your Weapon
I cannot even begin to tell you how incredibly important it is to remain curious in life. Life has so much to offer and we would be doing ourselves a great disservice by accepting things only as they were given to us. I’m talking about education, career opportunities, military service, love, relationships-- anything. If you’re interested in something, you must pursue it.
Coming from a guy who used to see things in strictly black and white, I used to define my life by boundaries that I established-- kind of like a box that I placed myself in. I realized that this concept was actually hurting my ability to grow. Please tune in to hear more about this realization and how you can leverage curiosity to achieve your goals.
14: The Most Dangerous Phrase In The Language
Want to make more sales? Want to increase warehouse throughput? Want to develop a more agile company? There’s no way to do any of those without CHANGE and KILLING the mantra of “we’ve always done it that way.”
Tune in today to see why challenging the status quo is so important.
13: Fundamental Two - Extreme Ownership
leadership fundamentals that I have learned from others and want to pay forward. These fundamentals have guided me along my leadership journey and I hope they can do the same for you.
Today’s fundamental is “Extreme Ownership”. For those of you that know me, I’m a huge proponent of this principle coined by Jocko Willink.
There are so many benefits to taking this approach towards leadership. If you want to hear a few of them, please tune in to the podcast.
12: The One-Third Two-Thirds Rule
When first learning of this principle, it sounds like it will be easy to implement, but let’s be real, most principles in life SOUND EASY in theory but they’re typically much more difficult to implement in reality.
This episode dives into an example of that.
11: Rejection = Redirection
I’ve got a great story to tell you today about a time when I was rejected. Please tune in to see how I transformed rejection into something exponentially better.
10: Reality Gives Nothing Back
So how can we make the most of what we have, when we still have it? If you will allow me, I’d like to share with you the three ways that I think we can accomplish just that.
9: You Are The Average of The People You Spend The Most Time With
There’s that saying from Jim Rohn that goes something like you are the average of the 5 people that you spend the most time with.
And I totally believe that to be true. In my case, I have been blessed with a brilliant wife who encourages me to be a better human every day, a team of managers and employees who motivate me to never stop learning, and an incredible community of soldiers and leaders in the military who have taught me to never give up no matter what the stakes. These teams have impacted me more ways that they even know and are the reason why I’m even on this podcast talking about the lessons I’ve learned.
8: Fundamental One; The Mission, The Men, and Me
This Friday, I’m talking about a prioritization principle called “The Mission, The Men, and Me”. Come check it out!
7: Ego Creates Blind Spots
Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google, said, “Ego creates blind spots.”
When we allow our ego to create blind spots, we give power away to our worst enemy.
I think the key to avoiding that is to be aware of our inner dialogue...are we letting our ego control our thoughts?
In having awareness of our inner dialogue, we unlock the potential to achieve remarkable things
6: It’s Not What You Preach, It’s What You Tolerate
Leif Babin, coauthor if Extreme Ownership said “It’s not what you preach, it’s what you tolerate.”
What do you do when you find a teammate making the same mistake over and over and over again?
Do you stand idly by and allow them to continue bringing your team down? Or maybe you pick up their slack and do their work for them.
Now what if you discover that one of your most productive employees is actually one of your most toxic employees?
How do you handle that situation?
5: It’s Okay to Make Mistakes
There’s a great quote by Richard Branson about making mistakes, and that is: “You don't learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.” It’s great to make mistakes because it is from our mistakes that we grow...as leaders, as businesses, as organizations!
When we make mistakes… and truly learn from them (and don’t make them twice) we set ourselves up to achieve remarkable success!
It is mistakes that transform our basic characters into strong, resilient, and knowledgeable beings capable of incredible things.
We must make mistakes in order to win!