Tales of Leadership
Tales of Leadership is a veteran-owned podcast built to help you learn, grow, and tell your story—so you can lead with purpose, integrity, and inspired action. If you’re ready to expand your influence, sharpen your character, and become a more Purposeful Accountable Leader (PAL), you’re in the right place. This is your tribe—real conversations, real lessons, and practical tools to become the leader your family, your team, and your future deserve.
Episodes
Failure doesn’t knock most leaders out, drifting does. We’re walking straight into that fine line where not enough action keeps you stuck and too much unplanned action creates avoidable mistakes, then we rebuild the one thing that decides how it all turns out: your perspective.
I lay out eight ways to harden your mindset and build a “mental fortress” so setbacks stop feeling...
Dr. Travis Bradberry is the award-winning author of the #1 bestselling book The New Emotional Intelligence and the world’s leading authority on emotional intelligence, with more than 5 million books sold worldwide. With dual Ph.D.s in clinical and industrial psychology, he has dedicated his career to making emotional intelligence practical and accessible. His work has been featured in major outlets ...
Failure can either harden you or sharpen you, and the difference usually comes down to what you believe failure means. I’m Josh McMillian, an active duty Army officer, and I’m kicking off a new leadership series called Defining Failure to help you stop treating setbacks like a verdict. If you’ve ever wondered, “Could I have avoided this?” or felt crushed by a label someone el...
Jason “Buzz” Lewis is a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, coach, mentor, and leadership practitioner with more than 26 years of experience developing people and leading organizations. Today, he serves through youth sports, faith-based leadership development, and business consulting while co-founding Home Team Standard alongside his wife, Des. His passion is helping strengthen the homes, te...
Most teams don’t fail because they lack talent. They fail because leaders chase quick wins, cling to control, and create distance from their people. We’re raising the standard above the bar and getting specific about transformational leadership: the kind that builds trust, grows future leaders, and chooses significance over temporary success.
I walk through 10 concrete traits you can prac...
Christina Flach is a makeup artist and the CEO and founder of Pretty Girl Makeup. Her celebrity clientele includes Condeleeza Rice, Hilary Swank, Isiah Washington, Melissa McCarthy, Rita Moreno, Renee Zellweger, Tyler Florence and more. She has worked with high end brands such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton, has been featured in campaigns for Macy's, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue , and Bloomingdales, and h...
In this solo episode of Tales of Leadership, Joshua McMillion challenges listeners to stop waiting for the "right time" and start doing the work they were created to do. If you've ever felt busy but unfulfilled, capable yet stuck, this conversation will help you find the clarity to move forward with purpose. Joshua introduces a practical leadership framework built on passion, purpose, and precision—...
Jason Lee Sharp (born November 23, 1986) is a Chicago native, businessman, author, and soldier. He is the founder and CEO of Sharp Leader and Sherris Lounge, an infantry company commander in the Kansas Army National Guard, and the author of Eyes Wide Open: Learning to Suffer. Sharp also serves as a principal program manager at Leonardo DRS and is a member of the board of trustees at St. John’s North...
In this solo episode of Tales of Leadership, Joshua McMillion breaks down what it truly means to be “all in” as a leader, husband, parent, teammate, and human being. Leadership is not built in comfort. It’s forged through adversity, discipline, accountability, and the willingness to move forward even when life feels heavy. Joshua shares the mindset and routines that have helped him navig...
Tales of Leadership is a leadership platform dedicated to developing Purposeful Accountable Leaders (PALs) through real stories, shared experiences, and practical insight. Each episode breaks down the decisions, failures, and defining moments that shape leaders in the arena—offering honest, experience-driven lessons you can apply immediately. It’s built for those who want to grow with intentio...
David Brownis a graduate of BUD/S class115 and member of Underwater Demolition Team 21 and SEAL Team 4. David went on to conduct Navy special warfare deployments in Central and South America, Europe the middle east and Africa. Later he served the federal government as a Special Agent for 28 years, retiring as a Senior Executive. David’s latest venture is a new book about perseverance, overcoming obs...
Joe Byerly is a combat arms officer with over 20 years of experience in both combat and training environments, serving at levels ranging from the tactical to the strategic. Passionate about leader development, he created this platform to help leaders share lessons learned from their own experiences, captured in their "green notebooks." Throughout his career, he has been fortunate to have mentors who encou...
Brad D. Smith became president of Marshall University in January 2022 after a globally recognized career in leadership and philanthropy. Formerly CEO and executive chairman of Intuit, Brad co-founded the Wing 2 Wing Foundation with his wife, Alys, to support education and entrepreneurship in Appalachia. The foundation's Ascend WV program recruits remote workers to West Virginia. A Marshall alumnus with a ...
Mike has dedicated his career to higher education, serving as a football coach, instructor, and administrator at multiple colleges and universities. Throughout his tenure, he contributed to several conference championships, coached numerous All-Conference and All-American athletes, and mentored countless current teachers and coaches across the Midwest and beyond. As the President and Founder of Via Crucis...
Ben Eden is a keynote speaker, leadership consultant, and the creator of the Eden Model, a transformative framework designed to help high-achieving leaders evolve from the inside out. With a background as an HR executive and as the author of How We See Ourselves, Ben has developed a unique ability to guide successful business owners and corporate leaders who, despite their outward achievements, seek great...
Robert Yarnall is the VP of Development & Impact at the Robert Irvine Foundation. A retired Master Gunnery Sergeant with 25 years of service in the USMC, Robert also spent 20 years as a civics teacher and coach. In addition to his military and teaching career, he is a community leader, involved in local government and charitable organizations, and a small business owner.
Connect with Robert Yarnall:
Isaac G. Lee, a native of Lubbock, Texas, is a graduate of Texas Tech University and a retired Marine Corps officer and aviator. Over his two decades of service, Isaac completed seven overseas deployments, including four combat tours in the Middle East. He served as the Commanding Officer of an operational CH-53E squadron before retiring in 2017. Now residing in San Diego, California, Isaac works as an op...
Dave Rosenberg, a former F-14 naval officer and founder of Locked on Leadership, is a top authority on radical accountability. As the premier expert in this field, he equips military-minded leaders with tactical strategies to build high-performance teams that exceed expectations. His approach goes beyond transforming individuals into self-directed achievers; it fosters a culture of excellence that remains...
Dr. Christina Bates is a mom to two sweet girls, an entrepreneur, a leader, and an animal lover with three dogs, two cats, one bunny, and one guinea pig. Passionate about all things military, especially weapons systems, she is dedicated to helping leaders and organizations excel and realize their full potential. She believes that God has a purpose for each of us, and in small but impactful ways, she suppo...
Rob Roy is a 25-year veteran of the U.S. Navy, with 21 years of service in the SEAL teams, including over a decade with the elite SEAL Team Six. After retiring, he transitioned to entrepreneurship, founding Trident Coaching and Consulting to deliver transformative leadership programs. Rob is an award-winning executive coach, a sought-after public speaker, and the author of Leadership Lessons of the Navy S...
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