Colonel Art Athens joins the Be Worth* Following podcast to share his insights on all things leadership, especially the cultivation of talent. And to be sure, he's sharing with us from a wealth of experience.

Over the course of more than 30 years in the Marine Corps, Colonel Athens held command and staff assignments across all four Marine Aircraft Wings. He also served as an instructor and Academic Dean for the Marine Corps’ equivalent to the Navy’s “Top Gun” school. Following his military career, he became the Naval Academy’s first Distinguished Military Professor of Leadership and later served for over a decade as the Director of the Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership. He also served as Commandant of Midshipmen at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and was selected as a White House Fellow under President Ronald Reagan.

In this episode, you’ll discover why Colonel Athens talks about Dixie cups and crystal glasses in relation to leading well. You’ll see how attending a rainy high school soccer game significantly shifted one of his relationships up the chain of command. And you’ll hear why benches and bullpens are important concepts in how we think about developing those we lead.

Notable links:

Guest: Colonel Art Athens: https://www.linkedin.com/in/art-athens-b210559/

Host: Tim Spiker: https://www.theaperio.com/tim-spiker

The Only Leaders Worth* Following video series on Right Now Media: https://www.theaperio.com/right-now-media-series

The Only Leaders Worth* Following book https://tinyurl.com/TOLWFbook

The Only Leaders Worth Following book Discussion Guide: https://www.theaperio.com/discussion-guide-the-only-leaders-worth-following

The Aperio: https://www.theaperio.com/

Every year in March, the Be Worth* Following podcast gets its leadership lessons from the world of college basketball. And boy do we have a great one for you this year. Purdue University’s Matt Painter joins us to talk about his leadership of one the nation’s most successful men’s basketball programs. When you look at the success Matt and Purdue have had, you might be tempted to think he has always confidently trusted his instincts. And you’d be wrong. Join us for a behind the scenes conversation with one of the nation’s best coaches.

In this episode of Be Worth* Following, Will Graham takes us inside a reality many leaders wrestle with but few openly discuss—workplace dysfunction. Once a sharp critic of workplace culture, Will unexpectedly found himself in a leadership role, facing the very challenges he had spent years analyzing. That experience, along with a near-burnout moment, reshaped his understanding of leadership, productivity, and the power of aligning people with the work that fuels them. His journey—from frustration to insight—offers a compelling look at what it really takes to make work better.

Click Here for a Free Copy (+ shipping) of Will Graham's book, Make Work Better