The Path Less Traveled Podcast

The Blind Spots Nobody Mentions | Leadership Roundtable Series | S2:E2

How do you find the blind spots you can't see by yourself? In Session 2 of The Path Less Traveled Leadership Roundtable, Craig Heatherly sits down with Scott Clark - CEO, Tire Rack, Hayley Boling - CEO, Boling Vision Center, and Kory Lantz - Founder, Transformation Ministries for an honest, unscripted conversation about the blind spots nobody mentions — the feedback that dries up the higher you climb, and how great leaders go looking for it anyway. Key frameworks from this session: * Make the Posture Invite It — feedback is a gift, but an open door isn't enough; you have to want it and respond well, or you won't get it twice (Scott) * Tailor the Style, Keep the Self — adapt how you lead to the culture and the person in front of you, without losing who you are (Scott) * Close the Intention–Experience Gap — how you mean to show up and how people actually experience you are two different things (Hayley) * Ask "What Am I Not Seeing?" — swap "any questions?" for an open door, because an emotional reaction to feedback is usually the signal you needed to hear it (Hayley) * Find Your Foxhole Friends — character feedback is the hard, blind kind; it comes from people who love you and have nothing to gain (Kory) * Crave Feedback, Don't Just Value It — build it into the culture as a system, not a moment (Kory) The line from the room that stuck: "You're in a dangerous place when your charisma outruns your character." This session is sponsored by Gibson, Rippling & The Ascent Collective.

AI, Change, and Not Overreacting | Leadership Roundtable Series | S2:E1

How do you lead through something nobody has a playbook for yet? In the Series II opener of The Path Less Traveled Leadership Roundtable, Craig Heatherly sits down with Kreg Gruber - CEO, Beacon Health System, Nate Staley - President, PolyJohn Enterprises, and Kelly Ball - CEO, Pathfinders Advertising for an honest, unscripted conversation about AI, change, and how to engage with it without overreacting — across healthcare, advertising, and manufacturing. Key frameworks from this session: * Start With the Problem, Not the Tool — the leaders winning with AI get clear on what they're solving before chasing the technology  * Permission to Experiment — give your team room to try things without fear of getting it wrong  * Don't Overreact in Either Direction — the real risk isn't AI, it's panic or hype  * Keep the Human Part Human — technology moves fast, but people don't  This session is sponsored by Gibson, Rippling & The Ascent Collective.

Failure, Decisions & The Weight of Leadership | Leadership Roundtable Series | S1:E4

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.

Developing the Next Generation of Leaders | Leadership Roundtable Series | S1:E3

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.

Navigating Difficult Conversations | Leadership Roundtable Series | S1:E2

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.