Listening to people is the most powerful tool a leader has! Today on Leadership Blueprints, we head back to the high seas with another Navy guest, Dr. John Cordle.

In this conversation, you’ll hear about John’s fascinating career from active duty in the Navy to writing to coaching other writers. We delve into John’s transition from active duty to working a regular job before he shares why that transition should simply be another part of the journey. Learn all about why John is an advocate for good sleep, the power of passion, patience, and persistence as a leader, how a government position differs from a commercial one, and so much more!

He even tells us what retirement has looked like for him and how he plans to contribute to suicide prevention. Finally, John shares his favorite books and quotes, tells us who his dream dinner guests would be, and shares some words of wisdom on the power of listening. Thanks for tuning in!

Key Points From This Episode:

• His transition from active-duty Navy to a government program.

• The importance of sleep, especially for someone in the military.

• John breaks down the three ‘Ps’ of leadership.

• John shares some marriage advice for anyone in the military.

Quotes:

“I underestimated the institutional resistance to change.” — Dr. John Cordle

“You have to have [an] open discussion with your family, with your spouse – don’t make any – decisions in a vacuum and make sure that what’s important to you is also important to your spouse or find a way to compromise.” — Dr. John Cordle

“Everything that I’ve learned, I’ve learned by shutting my trap and listening to what the other person had to say.” — Dr. John Cordle [

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

John Cordle on LinkedIn

John Cordle on Email

John Cordle Phone Number +1 (767) 632 – 9555

Going Circadian

Extreme Ownership

The Gap and the Gain

On Writing

Lincoln on Leadership

Six Frigates

John (JC) Carter

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

During this episode, we’re speaking with Jill Jamieson, President and CEO of Illuminati Infrastructure Advisors, a boutique advisory firm that specializes in helping public sector entities fund, finance, and deliver complex infrastructure projects. With over 30 years of experience across the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Asia, Jill is recognized globally as a leader in infrastructure finance and delivery.

Join us as Jill shares insights from her work advising clients on more than $40 billion in infrastructure projects, and how she navigates the intersection of policy, legislation, and project execution. We also discuss the challenges of delivering large-scale public projects, the importance of resilience and innovation in infrastructure finance, and the leadership lessons she has carried with her throughout her career.

In closing, Jill reflects on the future of infrastructure funding and delivery, the importance of preparing the next generation of leaders, and why collaboration between the public and private sectors is vital for building resilient communities.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Why innovative finance and delivery structures are essential for today’s infrastructure projects.
• Lessons Jill has learned from advising governments and public authorities worldwide.
• How legislative and policy frameworks directly impact infrastructure delivery.
• The role of resilience and adaptability in tackling infrastructure challenges.
• Jill’s advice for young professionals considering a career in infrastructure and public service.

Quotes:

“Infrastructure is not just about concrete and steel — it’s about building systems that allow communities to thrive for generations.” — Jill Jamieson

“When you’re advising governments, it’s not only about financing; it’s about creating delivery models that are resilient, transparent, and efficient.” — Jill Jamieson

“Public infrastructure demands collaboration. Success only comes when public and private stakeholders align their goals for the greater good.” — Jill Jamieson

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

• Illuminati Infrastructure Advisors

• Northeastern University’s Global Resilience Institute

• Leadership Blueprints Podcast

• MCFA

• BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

During this solo episode, BJ Kraemer reflects on the transition from summer to fall - a season that naturally invites change, renewal, and a re-centering of priorities. Drawing from personal experiences and leadership lessons, BJ explores how leaders can embrace shifts in rhythm, energy, and focus to better serve their teams and organizations.

Join BJ as he shares practical insights on adapting to change, building resilience, and aligning your daily actions with long-term vision. From the symbolic lessons of fall to the realities of leading in uncertain times, this episode challenges listeners to pause, reset, and prepare for what’s ahead.

In closing, BJ offers encouragement for leaders navigating their own transitions, reminding us that true leadership is found not in resisting change, but in harnessing it for growth.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Why seasonal change can be a powerful metaphor for leadership transitions.
• The importance of pausing to reflect before moving into a new phase.
• How to align short-term actions with your broader leadership vision.
• Lessons on resilience, adaptability, and perspective when facing uncertainty.
• Why embracing change strengthens both leaders and their organizations.

Quotes:

“Change isn’t something to resist; it’s an invitation to realign your purpose and energy.” — BJ Kraemer

“Fall reminds us that letting go is not the end — it’s the beginning of something new.” — BJ Kraemer

“As leaders, our responsibility is not just to weather transitions, but to guide others through them with clarity and courage.” — BJ Kraemer

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

• Leadership Blueprints Podcast

• MCFA

• MCFA Careers

• BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

During this episode, we're speaking with an owner who oversees a large-scale operation, managing not only the organization's mission but also its extensive facilities and infrastructure. Ashley Johnson is the Senior Manager for 2700 individuals in the command at the Naval Surface Warfare Centre, a large industrial facility with full-spectrum capabilities.

Join us as Ashley offers insights into his career path from engineering to the Navy, how he arrived in the role of Senior Executive Service and Technical Director, and what his responsibilities entail today. We also unpack political undertones and industry competition before delving into the legacy of Indian Head and why it is important.

In closing, Ashley shares why he highly recommends a career in civil service and relishes the opportunity to encourage others to pursue a similar path to his own.

Key Points From This Episode:

• The intangibles that can be learned while applying one’s self and perfecting certain skills.

• Ashley’s mission to reinvigorate the facility and workload, and how he has executed on this.

• Understanding the political undertones and the element of competition with the industry.

• The elevator pitch for Indian Head and why it is important.

• What he wants the legacy at Indian Head to be.

Quotes:

“It’s political for sure, it always is. We serve for the executive branch, and obviously, there’s been changes, but the other issue is really one of trying not to be competitive with the industry.” — Ashley Johnson

“Indian Head is important to the nation because of the adjacency issue. If we don’t do it, not a lot gets done on the front end part of the business because there’s not a lot of money to be made in coming up with innovative munitions.” — Ashley Johnson

“[Indian Head] is a national asset. We’ve worked really hard over the last ten or twelve years to recover that. My legacy, if there is one, is to make sure that we take care of it.” — Ashley Johnson

“I’ll tell anybody that will listen, you can have a fabulous and meaningful career as well as something that’s important to the nation by being part of that apparatus [in civil service].” — Ashley Johnson

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Ashley Johnson

Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Division
Leviathan Wakes
The Expanse Series
Leadership Blueprints Podcast

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

Do you ever wonder how we can help students become their best selves, build positive relationships, and help them see that being ‘good’ is actually cool?

In this episode of Leadership Blueprints, we are joined by Jeff Bryan, co-founder of the Positivity Project, an organization that empowers students to build character, take accountability, and strengthen relationships within school. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about Jeff’s experience at West Point and on deployment, how he and Mike Erwin started the Positivity Project, their mission, and how they achieve their goals.

We delve into how schools partner with them in person and online before discussing how sports coaches and teachers can make positive character traits aspirational. He even tells us how he has turned his experiences as an athlete into memorable moments of self-growth and awareness. Finally, he shares his advice on relationships, character, and making hard work fun.

To hear all this and so much more, press play now!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Helping kids cultivate positive relationships and be their best selves.

• How their partner schools engage with them and what they receive.

• Jeff explains their in-person training and digital on-demand training courses.

• Making being a good kid cool, and how coaches can do that on the sports field.

• His biggest piece of advice as an athlete who became a leader.

Quotes:

“What we lay out are daily 15-minute lessons – and we help [schools] understand, engage, and connect their character skills over the course of the week.” — Jeff Bryan

“Consistency over time is what really makes kids understand what character is.” — Jeff Bryan

“Failure isn’t final – it’s not the end. You’ve just got to keep going and keep putting in the effort.” — Jeff Bryan

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Jeff Bryan on LinkedIn

Jeff Bryan on X

The Positivity Project

Deep Work

Why Self-Awareness Should Be the First Step in Every Leader’s Development Journey with Mike Erwin

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

After you retire, the most important thing you take from your career is the legacy you leave.

In this episode, we’re joined by John Carter, a retired Navy Captain and the Founder of the Leadership Bridge Institute, for a deep dive into the power of leadership and legacy, from the key skills that facilitate organizational impact to the paradox of becoming a confident leader who keeps their people both accountable and protected. Although he takes great pride in having commanded ships in the Navy, John shares that the Junior Officers he mentored coming to the pinnacle of their careers today are his greatest source of joy.

Our conversation also explores John’s approach to leadership and the practices that keep him connected to his people. Tune in for plenty of insights from a seasoned leader who continues to create a powerful legacy!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Navigating the transition from active duty to a new chapter of purpose.

• Why leadership skills are key for organizational impact.

• What the Leadership Bridge is and who it’s built for.

• How great leaders empower others by letting them make mistakes.

• Staying grounded in day-to-day operations while keeping your eyes on the future.

• Why focusing on what you stand to gain is more powerful than fixating on what's missing.

Quotes:

“After you retire, the most important part and piece is your legacy.” — John Carter

“Confidence is generated [through] action.” — John Carter

“Lead by example. You set the standard.” — John Carter

“You’ve always got to have one hand in the day-to-day operations and one hand in the future.” — John Carter

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

John Carter on LinkedIn
Leadership Bridge Institute
The Bridge Builder
The Gap and the Gain

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

Have you ever paused to consider the real reason you’re not growing- personally, professionally, or as a business?

In today’s solo episode of Leadership Blueprints, host BJ Kraemer shares a personal and powerful reflection on the limiting beliefs that often hold us back. From insecurities to self-doubt, BJ explores how these internal narratives can keep even the most capable leaders stuck- and how to break free from them.

Tune in as BJ walks through the importance of mindset, momentum, and intentional growth, drawing from real-world experience building MCFA and coaching leaders. You’ll hear candid thoughts on what it takes to become the kind of person your goals require, the risk of settling for comfort, and how to get unstuck when your vision feels bigger than your reality.

Whether you're leading a team or trying to lead yourself, this episode will challenge and inspire you to take your next step forward- because growth doesn’t happen by accident.

Key Points From This Episode:

• The limiting beliefs that often hold leaders back- and how to reframe them.
• The importance of momentum: why getting stuck often starts in your mind.
• Why growth is uncomfortable, and why that’s a good thing.
• How to tell if you’ve “outgrown” your environment- or your mindset.
• Practical ways to break through a plateau and build belief in yourself.
• What it really means to “get in the arena” and lead with intention.

Quotes:

“We stay stuck because we’re not willing to do the things that move us forward.” - BJ Kraemer

“Oftentimes, the biggest thing holding us back is us.”- BJ Kraemer

“You’re not behind. You’re just at the point in your story where you get to decide: Are you going to grow into the person you’re called to be?” - BJ Kraemer

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

• Leadership Blueprints Podcast
• MCFA
• MCFA Careers
• BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

What’s the point of reading if it doesn’t improve your life and work?

In the second installment of the Pages to Projects summer series, BJ Kraemer explores why reading alone isn't enough; true leadership development requires learning. Drawing from personal experience, business coaching insights, and frameworks like the West Point leadership development model, BJ offers a practical breakdown of how to convert ideas from books into action, habit, and growth. If you’re ready to transform your reading habit into a leadership accelerator, this episode gives you the tools to make every page you read count.

Tune in to learn how to build a learning culture for yourself and your team!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Why "leaders are learners" goes beyond passive reading or listening.

• Insight into West Point’s leadership development model.

• A 4-step learning method: absorb, apply, reflect, reinforce.

• The power of teaching what you’ve learned to others.

• Tactical, operational, and strategic ways to embed learning into your life and work.

Quotes:

“If we don't make the bridge between what we [read] and how we can apply it, we're actually not taking the action to learn or to improve ourselves.” — BJ Kraemer

“When you're looking at the world through the lens of who you're trying to become and you're looking at all of the books that you're reading from that lens, the nuggets will start coming to you: – ‘I can change this. I can get better here.’” — BJ Kraemer

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

E214: Leaders are Readers

Who Not How

10x is Easier Than 2x

The Science of Scaling

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn