The Dr. John Bedker Leadership Podcast
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/
Episodes
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.
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 i...
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 w...
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.
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 o...
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 secon...
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 int...
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 le...
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 ...
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 -...
Donald Trump is the President-elect of the United States of America. He has won the Electoral College, the popular vote, The US Senate, and the US House of Representatives. He has literal control of the Supreme Court and is immune from prosecution in his presidential acts. He is in control. Leadership could not be more important in these troubling times. This episode offers a brief response to what leaders can and should do when o...
With one week to go until the Presidential election in the United States, I thought it important to pause, and exhale from the barrage of media to seek votes and final campaign contributions. This episode celebrates an unknown, but truly exemplary leader, Thelma Mothershed Wair. She passed away this past week. She was a member of the Little Rock Nine, and the first black girl to integrate a previous white-only high school.
The 2024 Nobel Prize for Economic Sciences was awarded to Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James Robinson. Their work “for studies of how institutions are formed and affect prosperity” is particularly timely as we approach election day in the United States. “Societies with a poor rule of law and institutions that exploit their population do not generate growth or change for the better.” A very timely message as we approach the el...
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