The Unconventional Leadership Podcast

The Father, The Founder, and 50 Years of Unconventional Leadership

Season 3, Episode 249 The Father, The Founder, and 50 Years of Unconventional Leadership (feat. Mike Sipple, Sr. & Mike Sipple Jr.) Connect & ask your leadership question here: https://www.talentmagnet.com/contactus Mike Sipple, Sr. walked into a Cincinnati recruiting firm in 1975 with no suit and no plan -- and spent the next 50 years building one of the region's most trusted executive search firms into a multigenerational legacy. This episode answers the question every leader avoids: what does it actually mean to build something that outlasts you? In this episode: - Mike Sr. answers the call to lead Centennial after founder Jim Morris's unexpected death in 1980 -- chosen not for experience, but for character and trust - Why leadership, in his words, has always started with two things: character and trust -- and why that hasn't changed in five decades - The "4C Recruiting Process®" framework (Character, Culture, Chemistry, Competence) that was born out of a post-9/11 strategic planning session and still defines how Centennial's client's hire today - How Mike Sr. spent years advising other business owners on succession planning before realizing he had never thought about his own - The role faith played at every inflection point -- from Jim Morris's death to the support of founding Talent Magnet Institute® to transitioning the keys to his son - What it looked like to bring Mike Jr. from computer-building intern to company CEO -- and the advisor who first asked, "Have you ever considered Michael as a recruiter?" - Why legacy isn't a building, a balance sheet, or a brand -- it's the leaders who say yes before the proof shows up Timecodes: 00:01 -- Mike Sr. walks into Centennial in 1975 and why he stayed 00:27 -- Jim Morris passes away; Mike Sr. is named president at 30 with no warning 00:30 -- Defining leadership before he had the title: character and trust 00:55 -- The compounding power of 50 years of client relationships 01:04 -- Watching Mike Jr. grow up in the business and the question that changed everything 01:10 -- The Goering Center succession process and why Mike Sr. insisted Mike Jr. choose freely 01:30 -- What "unconventional leadership" actually means to someone who has practiced it for five decades 01:37 -- What legacy means personally to Mike Sipple, Sr. The Living Room Cincinnati (episode sponsor): https://hellolivingroom.com/unconventional ___ Subscribe & Listen to more content here: Web: https://www.talentmagnet.com/podcast YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGtiiP79wCZ2ALPztpr-7XWMl7uQUFRvB Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4O6tNE9H2cuWba5Ovnum8C_ __ Connect with the Mike Sipple, Jr! LinkTree: https://www.linktr.ee/mikesipplejr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesipplejr ___ Connect with the Talent Magnet Institute! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@talentmagnetinstitute LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/talentmagnetinstitute ___ Connect with the Centennial on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/centennial-inc

Stop Trying to Retain Your People

Season 3, Episode 248 Stop Trying to Retain Your People (feat. Travis Dommert & Mike Sipple Jr.) Connect & ask your leadership question here: https://www.talentmagnet.com/contactus Travis Dommert, Senior Client Executive, People & Performance, of One Digital has spent years sitting across from CEOs navigating the most personal transition in business: stepping into the top job. What he sees isn't a strategy problem -- it's an identity problem. The leaders who get it right stop trying to be who the role was and start figuring out who the role needs to become. Mike and Travis unpack the CEO's one non-delegatable job -- making meaning -- and trace how trust, clarity, accountability, and the way you handle someone's first and last day all compound into the culture that either activates your people or quietly burns them out. In this episode: - Why stepping into the CEO role is an identity crisis before it's a strategy question -- and what family business succession makes even more complicated - The one thing no CEO can delegate: making meaning out of every experience your people have at work - How the "marble jar" model explains why trust is built in moments, not gestures -- and why some people need a thousand of them - Why accountability without trust creates fear -- and what "positive accountability" looks like when it's actually working - Survey response rates as the loudest signal of organizational health: below 50% means half your people don't think their voice matters - Why Day One and Last Day are the two highest-leverage moments in any employee's tenure -- and what most leaders get completely wrong on the last one - The infinite talent strategy: grow people so well some of them leave -- and why most of them won't, and the ones who do build your alumni network Timecodes: 0:01:11 - Episode framing: CEO identity, role, and succession 0:02:10 - Introducing Travis Dommert, One Digital 0:03:29 - The CEO identity crisis: when role and person collide 0:16:05 - The one non-delegatable CEO job: making meaning 0:20:07 - Curiosity and listening strategies -- how to know if you're losing the room 0:34:42 - Journey to Mastery: trust, clarity, accountability, and what goes first 0:47:33 - Positive accountability: why it goes last, and how to build toward it 0:58:05 - Day One as a top-ten life moment -- and why Last Day echoes forever 1:01:29 - Travis defines unconventional leadership Resources mentioned: - One Digital (Travis's company: https://www.onedigital.com - Centennial Inc. (Mike's family business): https://centennialinc.com - "The Go-Giver" by Bob Burg and John David Mann - Brené Brown -- marble jar metaphor for trust - Simon Sinek -- The Infinite Game - Andy Stanley -- "Later is Longer" - Jim Lehrer (sports psychologist) -- research on self-deception Links and Resources: - Connect with Travis Dommert: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travisdommert/ ___ Subscribe & Listen to more content here: Web: https://www.talentmagnet.com/podcast YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGtiiP79wCZ2ALPztpr-7XWMl7uQUFRvB Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4O6tNE9H2cuWba5Ovnum8C ___ Connect with the Mike Sipple, Jr! LinkTree: https://www.linktr.ee/mikesipplejr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesipplejr ___ Connect with the Talent Magnet Institute! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@talentmagnetinstitute LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/talentmagnetinstitute ___ Connect with the Centennial on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/centennial-inc

How Great Leaders Challenge the Status Quo

Connect & ask your leadership question here: https://www.talentmagnet.com/contactus Take the FREE Self-Care Inventory Quiz: https://www.talentmagnet.com/quiz Season 3, Episode 247 How Great Leaders Challenge the Status Quo (feat. Mark Fisher & Mike Sipple Jr.) What does it really take to create meaningful change inside an organization? In this episode of the Unconventional Leadership Podcast, Mike Sipple Jr. sits down with Mark Fisher, Chief Operating Officer of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, for a conversation about vision, courage, operational excellence, and what it means to lead with a willingness to challenge the status quo. Mark shares why inspiring teams takes more than a strategic plan, how leaders can create momentum through quick wins, and why some of the best ideas often come from the front lines. Together, Mike and Mark unpack what it looks like to break rules in the right way, build a culture that allows calculated failure, and stay relentless in pursuit of progress that benefits both the organization and the broader community. They also explore succession planning, sustainability, innovation, team development, and the kind of leadership energy required to move people from ideas into action. If you are a CEO, founder, HR leader, executive, or people manager trying to lead change, improve culture, and build a team that is willing to think differently, this conversation will challenge and encourage you. 🔗 Links and Resources: • Learn more about the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden: https://cincinnatizoo.org • Connect with Mark Fisher: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoodude • Learn more about the Cincinnati Zoo leadership team: https://cincinnatizoo.org/about-us/zoo-leadership/ TIMECODES: 00:00 - Why meaningful progress requires challenging the rules 01:24 - Why strategy alone does not inspire people 03:37 - Breaking the rules and challenging the status quo 06:25 - The Cincinnati Zoo’s transformation over the last 20 years 08:35 - How long-term vision became reality 11:37 - Leadership stamina and casting vision over time 14:32 - Sustainability, purpose, and operational excellence 16:13 - The water bill that changed everything 20:14 - Why frontline teams often see the real problems first 22:47 - Leading sustainability through practicality and ROI 28:01 - Relentless leadership and the stamina to keep going 29:17 - Why great leaders invest in what is working 33:02 - Creating a culture where people can fail forward 37:05 - Succession planning and building the bench 39:14 - Challenging everything without losing your values 41:37 - Using feedback loops and quick wins to build momentum 44:40 - Inspiring by doing, not just talking 48:14 - Community impact, partnerships, and leading beyond your walls ⸻ Subscribe & Listen to more content here: ➡️ Web: https://www.talentmagnet.com/podcast ➡️ YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGtiiP79wCZ2ALPztpr-7XWMl7uQUFRvB ➡️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047 ➡️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4O6tNE9H2cuWba5Ovnum8C ⸻ Connect with the Mike Sipple, Jr! LinkTree: ➡ https://www.linktr.ee/mikesipplejr LinkedIn: ➡ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesipplejr ⸻ Connect with the Talent Magnet Institute! YouTube: ➡ https://www.youtube.com/@talentmagnetinstitute LinkedIn: ➡ https://www.linkedin.com/company/talentmagnetinstitute ⸻ Connect with the Centennial on LinkedIn: ➡ https://www.linkedin.com/company/centennial-inc

Why Do Leaders Need to Think More Like Conductors?

Connect & ask your leadership question here: https://www.talentmagnet.com/contactus Take the FREE Self-Care Inventory Quiz: https://www.talentmagnet.com/quiz Season 3, Episode 246 Why Do Leaders Need to Think More Like Conductors? (feat. Daniel Wachter & Mike Sipple Jr.) What can business leaders learn from a conductor leading an orchestra? In this episode of the Unconventional Leadership Podcast, Mike Sipple Jr. sits down with Daniel Wachter, President & CEO of the Colorado Symphony, to explore one of the most compelling leadership analogies you will hear: why leading a team is often less about doing the work yourself and more about creating alignment, context, trust, and performance across talented people. Daniel shares how watching a conductor changed the way he thought about leadership, communication, and team performance. Together, Mike and Daniel unpack what leaders often get wrong about vision, why teams need more than a strategy on paper, how freedom of action is built through alignment, and what executives can learn from musicians who must perform at the highest level together. They also explore leadership development, workplace culture, employee engagement, accountability, and how the arts can influence business, healthcare, and community impact in unexpected ways. If you are a CEO, founder, HR leader, executive, or people manager trying to build a healthier culture and stronger team performance, this conversation will challenge and encourage you to lead with more clarity, intention, and humanity. 🔗 Links and Resources: • Learn more about the Colorado Symphony: https://coloradosymphony.org • Connect with Daniel Wachter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielwachter Previous Episodes: • 6/14/2018 – Daniel Wachter and Mike Sipple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047?i=1000413752855 • 7/16/2020 – Daniel Wachter and Mike Sipple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047?i=1000485158234 • 2/25/2021 – Daniel Wachter and Mike Sipple – we started the series here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047?i=1000510578657 • 3/25/2021 – Daniel Wachter w/ Francois Lopez-Ferrer: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047?i=1000514312297 • 10/14/2021 – Daniel Wachter w/ Julia Adolphe: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047?i=1000538531942 TIMECODES: 00:00 - Why leaders need to think like conductors 01:13 - Daniel Wachter’s return and journey to the Colorado Symphony 08:23 - What a conductor teaches leaders about vision and alignment 12:06 - Inside the immersive leadership workshop with the orchestra 21:43 - Why vision on paper is not enough 25:36 - How music, leadership, and healthcare connect 30:01 - Freedom of action, trust, and alignment 34:07 - Right people, right seats, right performance 36:11 - Shared accountability and why engagement cannot hide 50:47 - Creating a customer experience, not just a performance 01:00:54 - What unconventional leadership means to Daniel Wachter 01:02:56 - Why leaders are responsible for creating space and joy ⸻ Subscribe & Listen to more content here: ➡️ Web: https://www.talentmagnet.com/podcast ➡️ YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGtiiP79wCZ2ALPztpr-7XWMl7uQUFRvB ➡️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047 ➡️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4O6tNE9H2cuWba5Ovnum8C ⸻ Connect with the Mike Sipple, Jr! LinkTree: ➡ https://www.linktr.ee/mikesipplejr LinkedIn: ➡ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesipplejr ⸻ Connect with the Talent Magnet Institute! YouTube: ➡ https://www.youtube.com/@talentmagnetinstitute LinkedIn: ➡ https://www.linkedin.com/company/talentmagnetinstitute ⸻ Connect with the Centennial on LinkedIn: ➡ https://www.linkedin.com/company/centennial-inc

Succession Planning for Business Owners: How to Prepare Years Before a Transition

Connect & ask your leadership question here: https://www.talentmagnet.com/contactus Take the FREE Self-Care Inventory Quiz: https://www.talentmagnet.com/quiz Season 3, Episode 245 Succession Planning for Business Owners: How to Prepare Years Before a Transition (feat. Brent Rippe & Mike Sipple Jr.) What happens when a founder, owner, or key executive is no longer in the seat? In this episode of the Unconventional Leadership Podcast, Mike Sipple Jr. sits down with investment banker, business executive, business owner, and long-time strategist Brent Rippe to unpack a leadership challenge too many organizations delay for too long: succession planning. This conversation goes far beyond selling a company. Mike and Brent explore how leaders can think about long-term business strategy, stakeholder alignment, leadership bench strength, and value optimization years before a transition ever happens. They discuss why many founders keep succession too close to the vest, how uncertainty creates risk for employees and buyers, and why pre-planning can dramatically change the future of a business. You’ll hear practical insight on family business transitions, leadership development, key-person risk, organizational structure, and how to prepare the next generation of leaders with more intention. If you’re a CEO, founder, family business owner, or executive thinking about long-term continuity, this episode will challenge you to stop pushing succession planning to “someday” and start building a stronger future now. 🔗 Links and Resources: * Connect & ask your leadership question here: https://www.talentmagnet.com/contactus * Take the FREE Self-Care Inventory Quiz: https://www.talentmagnet.com/quiz * Connect with Brent Rippe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brent-rippe-095a116 TIMECODES: 00:00 - Why business owners need to think about transition earlier 01:23 - Why long-term strategy matters 3 to 5 years in advance 06:13 - Stakeholder alignment and defining the ideal outcome 08:35 - Family business risk, key roles, and buyer perception 18:09 - Why owners delay succession planning until it’s too late 21:03 - Succession planning as total value optimization 25:16 - Why leaders need to focus on only a few priority KPIs 26:12 - The cost of keeping transition plans too private 30:19 - Stop kicking succession planning to tomorrow 31:07 - Ownership succession, leadership succession, and team succession 34:09 - Why pre-planning matters when your bench is thin 38:38 - The “hit by a bus” test and key-person risk 41:02 - Building leadership depth across the whole organization 42:08 - How great leaders build a culture bigger than themselves 44:21 - From entrepreneur-led business to enduring organization --- Subscribe & Listen to more content here: ➡️ Web: https://www.talentmagnet.com/podcast ➡️ YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGtiiP79wCZ2ALPztpr-7XWMl7uQUFRvB ➡️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047 ➡️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4O6tNE9H2cuWba5Ovnum8C --- Connect with the Mike Sipple, Jr! LinkTree: ➡ https://www.linktr.ee/mikesipplejr LinkedIn: ➡ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesipplejr Connect with the Talent Magnet Institute! YouTube: ➡ https://www.youtube.com/@talentmagnetinstitute LinkedIn: ➡ https://www.linkedin.com/company/talentmagnetinstitute Connect with the Centennial on LinkedIn: ➡ https://www.linkedin.com/company/centennial-inc