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. 

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Get in touch with Jonathan:

Social: @Jonathan Cleck

Business: https://strongholdleadership.net/

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!

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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

How does one go beyond the limits of self-imposed beliefs? I'm not good enough... I just can't do that... That's too difficult... Those are just a few of the excuses that so many people often let crush their leadership aspirations.  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: https://letsgowin.com/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/letsgowin365 IG: https://www.instagram.com/letsgowin365/ LN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/letsgowin365 Podcast:  https://www.buzzsprout.com/1105955

What if there was a simple formula you could follow that would unlock your deepest potential? Would you get excited? What about if I told you that people who have followed this formula have tripled revenues, reinvigorated their marriages, and went from couch potatoes to marathon runners in months... would you believe such a formula exists? 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. 

Have you ever wondered why some businesses fail and some succeed? My guest today has dedicated his career to this question and discovered the most effective ways to make companies go further, faster. Bill Flynn has more than thirty years of experience working for and advising hundreds of companies, including startups, where he has a long track record of success. After working for ten different high-tech startups in different market segments such as speech recognition, e-commerce, and affiliate marketing where he was a VP of Sales eight times, twice a CMO and once a GM of a division of a $100MM IT services company, he pivoted to becoming a business growth coach at Catalyst Growth. In Bill's Book, Further, Faster: The Vital Few Steps that Take the Guesswork Out of Growth continues to garner a 5-Star Rating and will be the main focus of today's episode. So if you want to learn how you can lead your business to go further, faster-- you don't want to miss this episode! _______________________________________________________ Where to Buy Bill's Book, Further, Faster: The Vital Few Steps that Take the Guesswork Out of Growth: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1544507836/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=further+faster&qid=1582298654&s=books&sr=1-2 Further, Faster Resources (Including the Link to Download A Free Copy of the Book): https://catalystgrowthadvisors.com/catalyst-growth-advisors/further-faster-resources/ Contact Bill: Website: https://catalystgrowthadvisors.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billflynnpublic/ Instagram: @billflynn01776 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bill.flynn.9022

The last five months has fundamentally changed the way most businesses operate. Increased safety measures, decreased productivity, a reduced customer base, and remote working are just a few of the impacts that the Coronavirus has inflicted on businesses. 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!

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

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!

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.

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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

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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.

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! 

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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 

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Ryan's Contact Info: 

Instagram: @ryhourigan Facebook: Ryan Hourigan LinkedIn: Ryan Hourigan

Today marks the first interview on the Commanding Leadership podcast. I'm so grateful for this first interview to be with one of my leadership role models, Jon S. Rennie. In addition to being the CEO of Peak Demand, Inc. and best-selling author of "I Have the Watch: Becoming a Leader Worth Following", Jon has over 30 years of business and military leadership experience. Tune in to hear us talk about how leadership matters and why focusing on people is the key to becoming a leader worth following.  __ 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  

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.

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!

It was Robert Brault that said, “Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” I think so many of us, myself included, get caught up in the day-to-day grind that we forget to enjoy the little things. We let the hustle and bustle of social media, long work hours, or our stressful commutes interfere with our perspective. Tune in today to hear about how a street lamp reinvigorated my appreciation for the little things!

“Keep it simple stupid,” said my Platoon Sergeant after I briefed him my plan as to how we would move our platoon from our current location to the objective. No he wasn’t being rude… he was referencing a principle coined by the US Navy in the 1960’s called the KISS Principle. This principle states that most systems work best when they are kept simple rather than made complicated-- that most systems should be designed with simplicity in mind over complexity. 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.

Has your manager ever said to you he’d get back to you by Friday and he never did? Or have you ever told yourself you would start getting up an hour earlier but never followed through? Today we’re going to talk about keeping your word and why your word is everything. 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.

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!

On today’s episode, I’d like to talk to you a little bit about mentorship and why I believe it is so important for any leader. But why is having a mentor so important? Tune in to hear my thoughts.

This is a special episode for me because today, I’ll be answering a question from one of my listeners. And why is that so special? Well it’s because at the end of the day, my sole intention behind this podcast is to deliver value to you. To deliver tactics, techniques and procedures to you that I’ve found to be effective in my leadership journey. 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!

Have you ever considered that loving your enemy might be more beneficial to you than inserting distance between the two you? When someone causes you pain, suffering, or prevents you from reaching an objective, in today's episode, I propose that they are actually offering you an opportunity to become a stronger person.  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!