The Path Less Traveled Podcast

Leadership Roundtable Series | Failure, Decisions & The Weight of Leadership | Session 4

What does it actually feel like to carry the weight of leadership? In the series finale of The Path Less Traveled Leadership Roundtable, Craig Heatherly sits down with Dr. Dee McDonald (President, Bethel University), Jeremy Lugbill (CEO, Career Academy Network), and Jon Morningstar (CEO, MapleTronics) for the most personal conversation of the series — failure, hard decisions, and the emotional weight that comes with leading others. Key frameworks from this session: * Know Your Warning Lights — recognize your signals before the weight shows up in your work (Dee) * Leadership Is Chosen, Not Assigned — trust is the currency; earned through consistency over time (Dee) * Protect Your Physical Health Like a Strategy — clarity breaks aren't optional, they're maintenance (Jeremy) * Fail Fast — Then Move — recovery speed defines leadership more than the failure itself (Jeremy) * Build a Council of Truth-Tellers — people who tell you what you need to hear, not what you want (Jon) * Anchor to Your North Star — when decisions are rooted in mission, they become less personal (Jon) Books mentioned: Atomic Habits (James Clear), The Go-Giver (Bob Burg), Crucial Conversations, Gentle and Lowly (Dane Ortlund) This session is sponsored by Gibson and United Beverage.

Leadership Roundtable Series | Developing the Next Generation of Leaders | Session 3

How do you develop the next generation of talent on purpose — not just by accident? In Session 3 of The Path Less Traveled Leadership Roundtable, Craig Heatherly is joined by Jason Lippert (President & CEO, Lippert/LCI), Shaun Phy (President, C&S Machine), and Dr. Marco Clark (President, Holy Cross College) for a practical, honest conversation about identifying, developing, and accelerating talent in your organization. Key frameworks from this session: * Stop Doing. Start Teaching. — your job is to develop people, not do things (Jason) * The Leadership Action Plan (LAP) — a 3x5 card. Personal goals first. Always. (Jason) * Hungry, Humble, Smart — Lencioni's filter for identifying who actually has it (Shaun) * You Can't Afford Not To — the real cost of not investing in development (Shaun) * Lead Yourself First — authenticity and self-awareness aren't soft skills (Dr. Clark) * Invite Them to the Balcony — help people see the bigger picture so they can lead from it (Dr. Clark) This session is sponsored by Gibson and Performance Plus.

Leadership Roundtable Series | Navigating Difficult Conversations | Session 2

The hard conversation you keep putting off? It's costing you more than you think. In Session 2 of The Path Less Traveled Leadership Roundtable, Craig Heatherly is joined by Laurie Nafziger (President & CEO, Oaklawn), Todd Yeoman (President, American Technology Components), and Dr. Rebecca Stoltzfus (President, Goshen College) for an honest, unscripted conversation about navigating difficult conversations in leadership. Key frameworks from this session: * Clear is Kind — why directness is an act of respect, not aggression (Brené Brown, via Laurie) * What You Permit, You Promote — silence is never neutral * Anchor to Purpose, Not Feelings — how to stay steady when the room gets emotional * Push Pause — slowing down isn't weakness, it's strategy * Get Curious When They Get Furious — intense emotion signals deep caring * Relationship Health = Response Time — the shorter the lag, the stronger the relationship This session is sponsored by C12 West Michigan & Northern Indiana and Gibson.

Leadership Roundtable Series | The Daily Discipline of Leaders | Session 1

What separates good leaders from great ones? Discipline. The daily choices nobody sees. In Session 1 of The Path Less Traveled Leadership Roundtable Series, Craig Heatherly brings Craig Brummell (COO of ABRO Industries), Dustin Holland (President & CEO of Better World Books) and Steve Brenneman (Founder of ATC Trailers & Aluminum Insights) together for one unscripted conversation about the daily disciplines that actually move the needle in leadership. Highlights from this session: * Why letting go of control is one of the hardest — and most important — things a leader can do * The discipline of slowing down to fully understand a problem before acting on it * Why your personal life and your leadership are more connected than most people admit * What separates leaders who grow from those who plateau This session is sponsored by Chrome Group and Gibson.

Ben Duke | President, Polaris Marine | S3:E22

Ben Duke, President of Polaris Marine, leads a $1B division responsible for iconic brands like Bennington, Godfrey, and Hurricane ... operating at scale, under constant pressure. In this episode, Ben shares what it takes to lead through real disruption, from COVID demand shocks to supply‑chain volatility and market correction without breaking trust or losing strategic focus. He walks through how disciplined leaders stay out of the weeds, why relationships matter more than dashboards when stakes are high, and how simplicity, accountability, and long‑term thinking create durable organizations. A conversation for leaders who make consequential decisions—and want to make them better.