Colonel Art Athens joins the Be Worth* Following podcast to share his insights on all things leadership, especially the cultivation of talent. And to be sure, he's sharing with us from a wealth of experience.

Over the course of more than 30 years in the Marine Corps, Colonel Athens held command and staff assignments across all four Marine Aircraft Wings. He also served as an instructor and Academic Dean for the Marine Corps’ equivalent to the Navy’s “Top Gun” school. Following his military career, he became the Naval Academy’s first Distinguished Military Professor of Leadership and later served for over a decade as the Director of the Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership. He also served as Commandant of Midshipmen at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and was selected as a White House Fellow under President Ronald Reagan.

In this episode, you’ll discover why Colonel Athens talks about Dixie cups and crystal glasses in relation to leading well. You’ll see how attending a rainy high school soccer game significantly shifted one of his relationships up the chain of command. And you’ll hear why benches and bullpens are important concepts in how we think about developing those we lead.

Notable links:

Guest: Colonel Art Athens: https://www.linkedin.com/in/art-athens-b210559/

Host: Tim Spiker: https://www.theaperio.com/tim-spiker

The Only Leaders Worth* Following video series on Right Now Media: https://www.theaperio.com/right-now-media-series

The Only Leaders Worth* Following book https://tinyurl.com/TOLWFbook

The Only Leaders Worth Following book Discussion Guide: https://www.theaperio.com/discussion-guide-the-only-leaders-worth-following

The Aperio: https://www.theaperio.com/

Every year in March, the Be Worth* Following podcast gets its leadership lessons from the world of college basketball. And boy do we have a great one for you this year. Purdue University’s Matt Painter joins us to talk about his leadership of one the nation’s most successful men’s basketball programs. When you look at the success Matt and Purdue have had, you might be tempted to think he has always confidently trusted his instincts. And you’d be wrong. Join us for a behind the scenes conversation with one of the nation’s best coaches.

In this episode of Be Worth* Following, Will Graham takes us inside a reality many leaders wrestle with but few openly discuss—workplace dysfunction. Once a sharp critic of workplace culture, Will unexpectedly found himself in a leadership role, facing the very challenges he had spent years analyzing. That experience, along with a near-burnout moment, reshaped his understanding of leadership, productivity, and the power of aligning people with the work that fuels them. His journey—from frustration to insight—offers a compelling look at what it really takes to make work better.

Click Here for a Free Copy (+ shipping) of Will Graham's book, Make Work Better

We've added to our subscriber list over the past two years. That means there are some great episodes that some of you have missed. So to finish up 2024 on the Be Worth* Following podcast, we are doing a throwback episode from October 2022. That's when we got to visit with Tria Deibert.

As the Vice President of Culture at Hackensack Meridian Health, Tria says that her job sets her soul on fire, and that she’s using the position to help others find the same excitement. Tria never expected to end up in the culture field. Her background is in marketing, but a leader saw potential in her, and she decided to take a big, bold leap.

In this episode, Tria shares how her marketing experience enables her to use meaningful messaging to engage and inspire people in her organization. Listen in to learn more about how to elicit authentic buy-in and hear how that strengthens an organization from the inside out.

When people genuinely love their work, they are able to achieve more and help businesses grow. How do we know this? Just give Tria a listen.

In this episode of the Be Worth* Following Podcast, host Tim Spiker welcomes back for his second appearance on the show psychologist Jason Cochran. Together they take a deep dive into Jason’s original work on the four principles of connection in the workplace. This thoughtful discussion explores the strategic advantages of connection at work and includes practical applications that leaders can engage in immediately to increase connection at work for everyone they lead.

Tim Spiker hosts Chad Johnson on the Be Worth Following Podcast, discussing how unique abilities can significantly boost leadership effectiveness. Chad, a successful entrepreneur and coach, emphasizes identifying and honing these abilities in oneself and others to create maximum value and impact. Reflecting on his own journey from homeschooling and early inspirations like Zig Ziglar to his current role with Strategic Coach, Chad shares how understanding and leveraging unique abilities has transformed his approach to leadership and personal growth. He also delves into the importance of applying these principles at home, advocating for leadership development around the dinner table to raise confident, capable, and inwardly sound individuals. The conversation underscores the importance of proactive, self-directed development and the potential to extend these transformative leadership practices beyond the workplace into family life.

An eye-opening episode of the Be Worth Following Podcast! Dr. Brent Fessler, Principal at Integreaters, shares what it looks like for leaders to prioritize the flourishing of their employees and company culture. Dr. Brent is an integrator, which means he helps organizations integrate values, purpose, organizational change, and character development. In this episode, Brent shares about an idea called trauma informed leadership, explores what it looks like to value employee flourishing, and talks about how to get company values off the walls and into the people.

Additional Resources can be found on the Be Worth* Following Podcast Website.

In this episode of the Be Worth* Following podcast, host Tim Spiker sits down with Bennett Bratt, author of The Team Discovered and former Vice President of HR Talent and Organizational Capability at T-Mobile. Bennett's extensive experience has led him to develop a perspective on teams and leadership that challenges the status quo. In this discussion, Bennett shares stories and insights that will invite you rethink how teams work. If you've ever wondered what really drives team success, this episode promises to offer fresh, thought-provoking viewpoints that just might change the way you approach both leading teams and being an effective team member.