The Dr. John Bedker Leadership Podcast
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The art and craft of leadership is more important in today’s turbulent world than ever before. If you want to learn about what makes a great leader and be able to apply leadership skills to enrich your life and those around you, then this podcast is for you.
Dr. John Bedker shares a lifetime of real leadership experiences and unpacks the ins and outs of what makes a great leader...and what does not. Gain actionable insights for your own leadership journey and learn from stories of the world’s most effective leaders across all walks of life.
Visit our website at: https://drjohnbedkerleadership.com/
Dr. John Bedker shares a lifetime of real leadership experiences and unpacks the ins and outs of what makes a great leader...and what does not. Gain actionable insights for your own leadership journey and learn from stories of the world’s most effective leaders across all walks of life.
Visit our website at: https://drjohnbedkerleadership.com/
88 Episodes
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Labor Day should be a day of celebration. To celebrate work and workers. Celebrate all those that make our goods and deliver our services, but today there is a very different reality. Workers and union representation are under assault. President Trump has issued Executive Orders eliminating workers rights, minimising their safety, their working conditions, and their opportunity to address concerns in their workplace. President Trump has made cleat that workers are not to be celebrated. This is a sad Labor Day.
Veterans are one of the Unites States most precious resources. They stood up and answered the call to wear a uniform in the service of our country. Politicians espouse how grateful they are to all that have served, but regularly and routinely vote against Veterans, reducing their benefits. Let me be clear, Republican leaders overwhelmingly are in this camp. They say one thing and do another. This is a failure of leadership.
President Lyndon Baines Johnson addressed a joint session of Congress on March 15, 1965. He said, “In our system the first and most vital of all our rights is the right to vote.” Today is the 60th anniversary of passage of the Voting Rights Act and today the rights of peoples vote to be heard is under attack. President Donald Trump and the Texas Governor, Greg Abbott are seeking to redraw the states congressional lines to silence the voice of Democrats. President Trump says the Texan Republicans are “entitled.” This is not democracy. This is not “the right thing."
James Carville makes the case for unifying leadership in a New York Times guest essay. It is a simple argument with a simple message. Repeal President Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill.” This simple messaging from an iconic political strategist is a messaging lesson for all leaders. Keep it clear, keep it simple, have it have meaning and actual impact on voters. And, conclude with hope.
In our turbulent world catastrophe is all around. Do catastrophic events change us, or not? This is the leadership question for today. We all know what is right and what is not, but will we change course after a catastrophe, or will we persist on abdicating our role and our responsibility as leaders. We put our country and or world in peril when we do.
Did President Trump succeed in spite of himself or because of himself in the current Iran, and Israel conflict? Time will tell. This episode make the case for leaders to be process driven rather than outcome based. The reliability, sustainability and efficiency of a process driven approach are clear. An outcome based approach may provide short term gains, but is susceptible to long term risks.
I love listening each year to the commencement speakers at universities around our world. Great thoughts, great ideas. Often funny, but routinely from the heart. This year, at Class Day for the Harvard Class of 2025, the speaker was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. His thoughts were an exemplar for each of us in our leadership journeys. He drew upon history, Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr., he gave a call to action, and challenged each in the audience to be doers of “the right thing” for life. An exemplary leader, speaking to tomorrow's leaders.
As Bob Dylan said, “The Times They are a Changing.” Our world is definitely changing. It is more turbulent, more chaotic, more unstable, and more uncertain. The clinging to rigid ideologies, and the fealty to leaders that espouse these ideologies are a source of concern for our turbulent world. Dr. Leor Zmigrod and her book, “The Ideological Brain” inform this episode.
The Catholic Church has a new leader, Pope Leo XIV. An American citizen and Peruvian citizen. He has training, knowledge, and experience that prepares him well for this new position of leadership. Time will tell his capacity to navigate our troubled and turbulent world. Time will also tell his capacity to navigate a divided Catholic Church. Doing the right thing, the ultimate call to leadership, will be ever-present in his papacy.
Empathy is a critical leadership core competency. Empathy enhances trust, improves your communication, and aids in optimising the performance of those you serve. Skills such as active listening and displays of compassion and vulnerability contribute to the effectiveness of the empathetic leader. Where is President Trump in his first 100 days as an empathetic leader? This podcast addresses his actions and performance.
Decoupling is the elimination, alteration, or removal of a long-standing practice or arrangement. Trade and tariffs are sparking this debate about whether to decouple from China and/or other countries that have been trading partners for the United States. But decoupling is pervasive. It impacts not only business but also politics, personal relations, academia, and even institutions as deeply rooted as religion. The courses chosen will significantly impact our world going forward. Decoupling awareness, understanding, and management are essential for leaders.
Senator Cory Booker spoke for over 25 consecutive hours on the floor of the United States Senate this week. He Spoke Up and he Spoke Out. It was not a partisan speech. It was a speech about right and wrong. As leaders, we are all called to do the right thing. This is our call to action. Speaking Up and Speaking Out is a leader's call to action. We do this with our voice and with our vote. Speak Up and Speak Out.
Michael Lewis’s new book Who is Government, The Untold Story of Public Service, is highlighted in this episode. One essay from Casey Cep called The Sentinel is focused on and read from. The essay highlights the good of public survival and public servants. Ronald E. Walters, the leader of the National Cemetery Administration (NCA) is highlighted. Ron Walters is an exemplary public servant. Ron Walters is an exemplary leader.
The first impression of the Trump administration’s effort to negotiate a peace between Ukraine and Russia was an abysmal failure. This makes getting the next steps, even more important. The Finnish President, Alexander Stubb, in an interview with the Atlantic Council’s Frederick Kempe at the Munich Security Conference, details three key points to advancing peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. This episode discusses each of these three key points.
You never have a second chance to make a first impression. This is key in negotiations. This week President Trump began negotiations with senior representatives from the United States and Russia in Saudi Arabia. Absent were representatives from Ukraine. Also absent were representatives from Europe and the NATO alliance. This first impression and what President Trump has said has caused alarm around the world. You never have a second chance to make a first impression. Trump’s first impression was a resounding leadership failure.
This first two weeks of the Trump Presidency 2.0 has been appalling. The words fealty and autocrat are commonly used to describe President Trump's actions and conduct during his first two weeks. Real estate transactions as American policy is anything but leadership. The many and varied attempts to remove people, services, offices, and entire agencies from the federal government are not what voters expected when they voted Trump into office. They expected him to help them. He has not.
A call to action is an important and effective leadership tool, a tool essential for us all to engage as we enter 2025. Misinformation, disinformation, and lying must be challenged. Leaders from any and all political persuasions must speak the truth, be grounded in facts, and call out that which is simply not true. Leaders are not perfect, but seeking to do the right thing is their halcyon call. 2025 is a Call to Action time for leaders.
The 39th President of the United States will be laid to rest this week in Plains, Georgia. Jimmy Carter was a man of faith and resilience. Steadfast in his core values, his respect for others, and his lifelong quest to do the right thing are cornerstones for Jimmy Carter, the leader. He has been attributed to living a life of the beatitudes. It seems an appropriate and accurate description. Jimmy Carter’s post-presidency, without the backdrop of the political stage, shows Jimmy Carter as a true leader.
Happy Holidays! As we close out 2024 I encourage everyone to think about this past year - where we’ve been, when we are, and to think about charting the course for the coming new year. This episode focuses on a Thought Leader, Paul Krugman, who has done just that. For the past 25 years, Paul Krugman has written opinion pieces for the New York Times. He is retiring. Today, we read his last column.
Innovation is the foundation of America’s success. From our very beginnings to today we have ridden innovation wave to innovation wave. We are now entering our sixth wave of innovation, the move from fossil fuels to green and sustainable technologies. Highlighted in this episode are two companies, Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation. Each seeks to bring electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles (eVTOL) to public transportation - piloted vehicles carrying up to four passengers, and payloads up to 1,000 pounds.
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