Team-building – The Mentors Radio

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Ginni Rometty, who was the ninth Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of IBM. Under her leadership, the 100-year-old company reinvented 50 percent of its portfolio, built a $25 billion hybrid cloud business, and established leadership in AI and quantum computing.  IBM acquired 65 companies during Ginni’s tenure as CEO, including Red Hat, the largest acquisition in the company’s history.  She also drove record results in workforce transformation and supported the explosive growth of an innovative high school program to prepare the workforce of the future in over twenty-eig...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Dr. Sunita Sah, national bestselling author, award-winning professor at Cornell University and an expert in organizational psychology. Dr. Sunita Sah joins Dan Hesse to discuss her bestselling book, Defy: The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes, which teaches us how to say “No” when saying “Yes” conflicts with our personal values.  Dr. Sah leads groundbreaking research on influence, authority, trust, compliance and defiance. A trained physician, she currently teaches executives, leaders and students in healthcare and business. Dr. Sah is a sought-after international speaker and consultant...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Ashley Goodall, former Cisco executive and co-author of Nine Lies About Work, about lies we are told about work. For example, we are told that the best companies cascade goals and the best people are well-rounded. We are told that people leave because of ‘culture’ and that feedback is a gift. But what if every one of those statements is a lie?! In this episode, often-repeated work ‘dogmas’ will be dismantled—including the myth of “Company Culture” and the trap of “Work-Life Balance”. Ashley Goodall culls from two decades workin...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks withAndy Beckstoffer, named “the most powerful grapegrower by Wall Street Journal and the Wine Spectator. Few people have played a more pivotal, pioneering role in Napa Valley’s evolution into a world class wine region than Andy Beckstoffer, who owns Beckstoffer Vineyards. Beckstoffer Vineyards includes six Napa “Heritage sites” which consistently produce some of the best wines in the world, being awarded 100 point scores year after year. Perhaps most notably, Andy introduced an innovative and radical new grape pricing structure in 1976, which created a major and lasting shift in how t...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with former U.S. Senator Jack Danforth about Senator Danforth’s book, The Relevance of Religion, and why and how religious congregations of all faiths should endeavor to heal the political divide in America. An ordained Episcopal priest and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Senator Danforth explains religion’s gift of “virtue” to politics, and his unique views on success and happiness. Former Senator John C. Danforth (Jack) is a partner at Dowd Bennett LLP and brings the strategic insights and wisdom gained from a distinguis...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Jerome Bettis (also known as “The Bus”), who is a Hall of Fame running back and Walter Peyton NFL Man of the Year. Jerome describes how he “broke the cycle” of shunning rookies in the locker room and instead focused on encouraging and mentoring them. He also talks about how the generosity of one pro football player he met as a kid drove him to develop the habit of giving a “hand up” to those in need; a habit that he knows he will continue for the rest of his...

In this episode of The Mentors Radio, Host Tom Loarie talks with Thom Weisel, a guest whose influence has not only shaped companies, but also culture. A financier and sports leader, Weisel is both Senior Managing Director and a Director of Stifel, a diversified global wealth management and investment banking company. Previously Thom was Chairman and CEO of Thomas Weisel Partners Group, Inc. and Montgomery Securities, one of Silicon Valley’s famed “Four Horsemen”. Thom helped build the financial infrastructure that fueled Silicon Valley’s explosive rise, often referred to as “Wall Street West”. He led the financings behind companies that...

In this episode of The Mentors Radio, Host Tom Loarie talks with Daniel Levintin, PhD, a neuroscientist, cognitive psychologist, musician and best-selling author whose newest book, I Heard There Was a Secret Chord: Music as Medicine, explores how music changes the brain, strengthens memory and restores joy. Dr. Levitin’s research explains why that happens. He’s a Founding Dean of Arts and Humanities at Minerva University in San Francisco, James McGill Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Neuroscience at McGill University in Montreal, and the author of ten acclaimed books, including This Is Your Brain on Music and The Orga...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Carmen Policy, former President and CEO of the Cleveland Browns. But Policy is best known for his years as President and CEO of the San Francisco 49ers where he played a key role in all five of the 49ers’ Super Bowl winning teams — helping shape an organization that became widely viewed as the hallmark sports franchise of the ’80s and ’90s. Both The Sporting News and Pro Football Weekly named Carmen Policy the NFL Executive of the Year in 1994, the latter award having been determined by a vote of...

In this episode of The Mentors Radio, Host Dan Hesse talks with former U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen about leadership during a crisis. Whether it’s a business crisis, family crisis, natural disaster, supply chain nightmare, government-mandated pandemic shutdown or something else, ethical leadership can make all the difference in ultimately navigating to “safe shores.” Our guest mentor today, Thad Allen, has a lot to share about leadership and crisis leadership. During his Coast Guard career, Allen was asked by two U.S. Presidents to take over leadership of the Federal response to two monumental crises—the deva...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse is joined by Lt. General Robert Caslen Jr. (Ret.) and Michael Matthews, Ph.D. to discuss The Character Edge: Leading and Winning with Integrity, a unique book in the way it combines lessons from extensive leadership research—strengthened by experience and real-life examples of leadership in action, and shares practical tools that can both assess and develop character to maximize leadership effectiveness. Robert Caslen served in the U.S. Army for 43 years. His distinguished military career culminated in 2018 as the 59th superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Michael MacCambridge, the award-winning journalist and author featured on the acclaimed ESPN documentary series about the Kansas City Chiefs entitled “The Kingdom.” Today’s discussion will focus on MacCambridge’s biography, Lamar Hunt – A Life in Sports, about the man who started it all. Lamar Hunt did more than launch the Kansas City Chiefs, he founded the American Football League and brought professional soccer and tennis to America. Lamar Hunt has been inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame, the International Tennis Federation Hall of Fame, and the National...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Gerald Nosich, PhD, who is among the most distinguished experts in critical thinking alive today. He authored such foundational works as Reasons and Arguments (Wadsworth, 1982) and Learning to Think Things Through, a book that has been translated into multiple languages and is used in classrooms globally. His latest book, Critical Writing, teaches powerful thinking tools through writing. Over the years, Dr. Nosich has led more than 250 workshops in countries from the U.S. to Singapore, consulted on national assessments of higher-order thinking, contributed to educational programming with...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Mai Nguyen, PhD, the remarkable 36-year-old neuroscientist who is the co-founder and CEO of OptoCeutics and the inventor of EVY LIGHT®, a breakthrough light-based therapy aimed at slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s and other memory disorders. Her journey is anything but ordinary. Born in Vietnam, raised in California as the youngest of nine children in a struggling family, she spent her childhood at a local Flea Market and then went on to earn a PhD in neuroscience. But it was a “chance” conversation with a Danish profess...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Patrick McGee, author of the best-selling book Apple in China, who tells a riveting story about how Apple almost single-handedly built the advanced electronics industry in China only to find itself trapped in a relationship with an authoritarian state making ever-increasing demands, and giving Beijing power that could be weaponized. Even though China’s immense domestic market is hard to resist, this is a cautionary tale for listeners thinking about doing business in China and helps explain how China made progress competing against American tech companies so quic...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with legendary singer-songwriter Neil Young, who is widely regarded as one of the most influential and versatile musicians in history. Young could be the most difficult artist to categorize as he plays rock, folk, country, rockabilly, blues, new wave and electronic music, plus he’s been recognized as the Godfather of Grunge. Neil Young has released more than 60 albums, received multiple Grammy Awards, been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame TWICE, and he’s influenced and inspired countless artists. Rolling Stone magazine includes Neil on thei...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Mark C. Thompson, the Founding CEO and Chairman of The Executive Alliance. For more than 30 years, Mark has been scaling companies and coaching CEOs and entrepreneurs. He has been named the World’s #1 CEO Coach. Success is a funny thing. For many, it means wealth, fame, power, or position. But what if those things aren’t success at all? That’s the question today’s guest, Mark C. Thompson, set out to answer in the bestselling book Success Built to Last: Creating a Life That Matters, by Mark C...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Sabina Nawaz, a former Microsoft executive who worked closely with Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer—and who now coaches leaders at Amazon, Google, the United Nations and beyond. Nawaz’ heavily-researched book, You’re the Boss: Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need), goes far beyond the boardroom.
 It is a practical guide to navigating pressure, power and personal blind spots—whether you are leading a company, raising a family, managing a team, or simply trying to be your best self. You’ll learn how to identify...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Ashley Goodall, outstanding leadership expert, former Fortune 50 executive, former Senior VP at Cisco, former senior executive at Deloitte and author of The Problem with Change, one of Financial Times‘ top business books of 2024. As a thought leader, his work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Harvard Business Review, and more. In this episode, you’ll learn why nonstop disruption drains performance–and how to fix it. You’ll learn how predictability fuels innovation, why “check-ins” beat “performance reviews” and the four questions that make check-ins w...

In this episode of The Mentors Radio, host Dan Hesse talks with General Stanley McChrystal, U.S. Army General (Ret.), Commander of U.S. and International Forces in Afghanistan, Leader of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), co-founder and CEO of McChrystal Group, and noted, best-selling author of several books. A one-of-a-kind leader with a new perspective on collaboration and teamwork, General Stan McChrystal is known for helping organizations tap into the potential of their people to better compete in a complex and interconnected world. Following thirty-four years of service in the U.S. Army—including as commander of U...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Cathy Lanier, whose amazing story continues to inspire. At age 14, Lanier got pregnant, ran away from home, dropped out of high school. But by age 39, this single mother became Washington D.C.’s Chief of Police, earned two master’s degrees, and now serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Security Officer for the National Football League (NFL). In her role with the NFL, Lanier coordinates the efforts of the League offices—that is, all 32 clubs!—and federal, state and local law entities to ensure the security of the NF...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Terry Hanck, a multi-award-winning blues and soul saxophonist, singer and songwriter whose journey is as raw and real as the music he plays. Terry didn’t follow a straight line to success. He started as a surfer and diver, found his voice through a saxophone at age 21, toured the world with Elvin Bishop, and went on to lead his own band for more than three decades. Along the way, he’s won multiple BMA Awards, that is Blues Music Awards (BMA) and played with legends of the genr...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Dr. Derry Connolly, a visionary entrepreneur, engineer, educator, and the founding president of John Paul the Great Catholic University—a unique university that merges faith, entrepreneurship and creativity. Derry left his home in Ireland to study at CalTech in Southern California, where he not only found a new country but also his future wife. He went from research and development (R&D) labs at IBM and Kodak to teaching innovation and entrepreneurship at the University of California at San Diego—and ultimately to building a university from scra...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Dr. Chris Howard, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Arizona State University and former President of Robert Morris University and Hampden-Sydney College, to discuss his diverse career path on the way to discovering his calling in higher education. Elected student body president at Plano High, where 2% of the student body was African American, he helped Plano win the Texas state football championship. Chris received an appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy where he again excelled in the classroom and on the gridiron and was...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Jerome Bettis (also known as “The Bus”), who is a Hall of Fame running back and Walter Peyton NFL Man of the Year. Jerome describes how he “broke the cycle” of shunning rookies in the locker room and instead focused on encouraging and mentoring them. He also talks about how the generosity of one pro football player he met as a kid drove him to develop the habit of giving a “hand up” to those in need; a habit that he knows he will continue for the rest of his...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Mitch Warner, managing partner of The Arbinger Institute and also an Arbinger author, about how to break free from self-deception to build authentic, thriving relationships. Self-deception is one of the most insidious barriers to success—affecting our leadership, relationships and even our ability to see reality clearly. You will learn how self-deception blinds us to our own impact, fuels conflict, and keeps us stuck in destructive patterns. We’ll explore how shifting our mindset can transform not just our professional lives, but also our families, friendships and comm...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with James Asplund, Chief Scientist at Gallup and one of the world’s leading experts on strengths-based development, diving into one of the most powerful tools for personal and professional growth—CliftonStrengths or more widely known as Strengths-Finder 2.0. Strengths-Finder 2.0 can unlock your own potential, as it has for more than 35 million people worldwide! If you’ve ever wondered why some people thrive while others struggle, the answer often comes down to understanding and using their natural strengths. Asplund spent years researching how focusing on what we naturally do best l...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Greg LeMond, widely considered the King of American Cycling, to share his story of coming back to win the world’s greatest and most demanding race, the Tour de France, after he barely survived a horrific and life-altering accident. You’ll learn how hard work changed LeMond’s psyche from one of despair to pure joy. In yet another battle, this three-time Tour de France champion describes his decade-long fight against the cycling industry’s powers as he fought to clean up his beloved sport from scandal by those...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Daniel Ruettiger—who the world knows as “Rudy”—joins Host Dan Hesse to discuss the movie about his against-all-odds mission for admission to the University of Notre Dame, and his even more unlikely tackle in a football game. The movie “RUDY,” a 1993 American biographical sports film directed by David Anspaugh, captures that now-famous tackle and the remarkable story leading up to it, in what USA Today calls “the greatest football movie of all time.” But some don’t know that Rudy’s greatest achievement might be getting the movie made in the first place – a “Roc...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Mitch Daniels, who was a two-term governor of Indiana, the former Director of the Office of Management and Budget under President George W. Bush and until recently, the 12th president of Purdue University. He was elected Indiana governor in his first bid for any elected office, and then re-elected with more votes than any candidate in the state’s history. A former top executive at Eli Lilly, he was named to Fortune magazine’s list of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders and elected to the American Academy of Art...

In today’s episode, The Mentors Radio Host Tom Loarie talks with Teddy W—a recovering alcoholic, now 16 years sober. It’s real. In-depth. Fascinating and Down-to-earth. Together, they talk about alcoholism, its deceptive attraction, how it can take over lives, how Alcoholics Annonymous (AA) works and the absolutely freeing and transformative power of persistent good habits. Many today don’t realize that alcoholism is like the elephant in the room that nobody talks about. Although drug overdose deaths dominate headlines, excessive drinking is the #1 leading cause of preventable death in the United States. From 2015 to 2019, alcohol was responsible for more...

In today’s episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Hubert Joly, a member of the faculty of the Harvard Business School and the former Chairman and CEO of Best Buy. At Harvard, Professor Joly is the co-leader of the Chief Executive Leadership Programs, a portfolio of programs intended to support the growth of CEOs and senior executives of the world’s foremost corporations at a time of unprecedented challenges. He is also a member of the board of directors of Johnson & Johnson and Ralph Lauren Corporation, and he’s a Trustee of the New York Public L...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Mark O. Hubbard, seasoned broadcasting executive and author, to discuss the impact Coach Ara Parseghian had on those around him. The author of four books, including Ara-The Life and Legacy of a Notre Dame Legend, Mark spent more than 25 years in the broadcasting industry, including serving as President of Flagship Broadcasting, President of Fairmont Communications, and Senior Vice President for Corporate Development at Clear Channel.  Mark was most recently an independent consultant providing services exclusively to senior management at established companies and to entrepreneurs at start-up ventures.  Ma...

This week on THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Tim Grunhard, author of View from the Center: My Football Life and the Rebirth of Chiefs Kingdom. Tim was an All-American offensive lineman at Notre Dame and a member of its 1988 National Championship team. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs where he played his entire 11-year NFL career at center, earning All-Pro status, and in 2021 Tim was inducted into the Chiefs Hall of Fame. Perhaps most impressive, Tim was a member of the All-Madden team, which says something about his toughness and tenacity. He has coached...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Chris Lowney, whose extraordinary journey took him from Jesuit seminarian to top executive at JP Morgan, to Chair of CommonSpirit Health, one of the largest healthcare systems in the United States. Discover the timeless principles that have shaped the Jesuit order for 450 years and how they continue to inspire 150,000 employees, serving 30 million people today. Tune in to learn how these same values can transform your own life and career! Listen to THE MENTORS RADIO podcast anywhere, any time, on any platform, just click here!

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In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with multi-award-winning writer Jon Gertner about what many believe was the most innovative institution—public or private—in history, Bell Labs. It is the topic of Gertner’s first book, The New York Times best-seller, The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation. Bell Labs’ inventions and discoveries are too long to list, but include the vacuum tube, the transistor, the silicon chip, the solar cell, microwave and fiber optic transmission, UNIX, and for you TV fans, even the Big Bang Theory.  A seasoned science a...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Lorie talks with legendary Bill George, the former Chairman and CEO of Medtronic and now a Senior Fellow at Harvard Business School. Widely recognized for his leadership, Bill is the author of several best-selling books, including True North, which has helped countless leaders align their personal values with their professional roles. Bill spent his career mentoring executives and leaders, teaching at Harvard and guiding CEOs to discover their own authentic leadership style. In this episode, Tom and Bill dive into Bill’s insights on leading in turbulent times, mentoring the ne...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with retired Johnson & Johnson Chairman and CEO Alex Gorsky about how the Army prepared him for business leadership, how to develop the skills essential to effectively running a large company, the most exciting developments on the horizon in healthcare, and how capitalism can be a force for good.  Listen to our radio podcast anywhere, any time, on any platform, click here!

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In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Catherine Harrington, PhD Renown as an innovator in organization psychology, Dr. Catherine Harrington’s work has profoundly impacted countless lives and organizations. That said, her own journey is nothing short of extraordinary. After earning her doctorate, Catherine found her true calling in executive search and organizational psychology, helping organizations and individuals thrive together. Host Tom Loarie, in his role as CEO of a venture-funded medical startup at the time, experienced Catherine’s work first-hand and saw what a profound difference she made in his company. In a simi...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Renu Khator, Ph.D., Chancellor of the University of Houston system, as they discuss how teaching Gen Z is different from prior generations, and the unintended consequences that paying college athletes might have on University academic budgets and the future of “Olympic” sports on American college campuses. We’ll also discuss the impact AI is having on higher education. In 2008, Renu Khator became the first female chancellor in the state of Texas and the first Indian immigrant to lead a comprehensive research university in the U.S. Under...