Front Lines of Leadership | Dr. Rick Muma, President of Wichita State University

Dr. Rick Muma started his career in 1985 as a physician assistant caring for HIV and AIDS patients. Today he is the 15th president of Wichita State University, and the lessons from those early days still shape how he leads.

In this episode, Dr. Muma shares what a mentor taught him about grace and integrity in hard moments. He also explains why the best leaders give their people a clear path, and how his healthcare background helps him diagnose problems on campus. We talk about his book, Student Centered, Innovation Driven, and WSU’s Innovation Campus, where more than 12,000 students gain paid, real-world experience. He also explains why leadership is an activity, not a title.

His advice to the rising generation: walk through open doors, show up, and stay curious.

🎧 Listen now, and share it with a leader in your life.

Rob Morris has seen leadership from every angle: first-team All-American linebacker at BYU, first-round draft pick, and Super Bowl XLI champion with the Indianapolis Colts. His toughest season started after football. Seventeen surgeries, personal loss, and the collapse of an identity built on performance taught him that pushing harder isn’t always the answer.

In this episode of Front Lines of Leadership, Rob talks about what the NFL taught him about pressure, what life after the game taught him about real strength, and how he now helps leaders and organizations move forward when the old playbook stops working. His central lesson is that resilience isn’t about enduring uncertainty. It’s about learning to act before certainty arrives.

What if the biggest leadership breakthroughs come from the smallest moments?

In this episode of Front Lines of Leadership, I sit down with Dr. Spencer Holt: leadership speaker, coach, and Managing Director of Leadership & Development Advisory at Red Nucleus. Spencer is the former Chief People Officer at Merlin Entertainments and has spent his career helping leaders and teams grow around the world.

We talk about the everyday habits and principles that set transformational leaders apart, the research behind what makes leadership stick, and the ideas in Spencer's new book, Small Things Make a Big Difference. Spencer explains why the way we show up for others each day can matter more than any big gesture, and how anyone can build five simple habits that make a lasting impact.

Whether you lead a team of hundreds or you're just starting out, this conversation will give you practical ways to lead better starting today.