Leadership Unscripted
My goal for this podcast, Leadership Unscripted: Navigating Your Leadership Journey, is to be a place for mentoring tomorrow’s leaders on discovering their own leadership paths. In each episode, I chat with various guests discussing their unique style of leadership and how they developed it, the approaches they took, what worked, what didn’t, and what they hope to accomplish in their careers. I want the episodes of this podcast to share information that demonstrates how leadership works – the good, bad, and ugly. The three I’s (integrity, intentionality, inclusiveness) will be a focal point of each conversation… intending to help you to discover your own path and enhance your capacity for leading.
To that end, I’m hoping to create episodes about those topics that will empower you to build strong leadership foundations and inspire you to seek out new and unique ways to enhance your leadership capacity.
Topics like:
- Leading through complexity
- Servant leadership
- Emotional intelligence and resilience
- Various leadership journeys
As you listen to the episodes, taking this leadership journey with me, let me know if you have suggestions for guests you would like me to interview. This content is for you!
Executive Producer / Engineer – Shayna Jones
WZMB 91.3 FM Broadcast Adviser
Shayna is responsible for creating the soundscape for the show. Shayna directs the host during recording sessions and is responsible for good-quality audio of the podcast recording. She uses her ear instincts and audio-editing skills to finesse the fades, give the proper pauses here and there, and create a seamless listening experience free of jarring transitions, sounds, or distractions.
Producer / Coordinator – Alton Daniels
Technology Support Analyst
As podcast producer, Alton also acts as a sound engineer, helping to manage the recording studio, edit the content, and evaluate content pitches from the host.
Outreach Manager – Jennifer Griggs
Executive Assistant Office of VCSA
Jennifer coordinates the guests being interviewed for each podcast episode. She plans and prepares the interview elements of the podcast, develop interview questions or talking points to assist the host and provides the podcast summaries for posting episodes to the website.
Graphic Design
The Pirate Media 1 design team developed the podcast logo (cover art).
Episode Posting – Emily McLamb
Chief of Communications, Division of Student Affairs
Emily formats and posts each episode on the LDA website and media host, Spotify.
SEASON ONE
EPISODE 1: EVOLVING AS A LEADER
Dr. Marilyn Sheerer, former Provost of East Carolina University, has 25 years of experience in higher education administration. Of her leadership journey she notes, “Each situation I went into I had the confidence to try.” – September 13, 2021
EPISODE 2: TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP – CREATING POSITIVE CHANGE
Dr. Karrie Dixon, 7th Chancellor of Elizabeth City State University believes, “Successful leaders use influence to create positive change by translating vision into action…Power is responsibility that should be utilized in a way such that people want to follow you.” – September 27, 2021
EPISODE 3: ETHICAL LEADERSHIP
Honorable Henry Frye has a law career that spans 50 years and hopes that his legacy is one of making change for good. His belief is that leadership requires listening and putting yourself in the other person’s shoes. – October 11, 2021
The 1980s: A Judge of Fine Character | Our State
EPISODE 4: EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATION
The ninth president of Elon University is the sixth child of nine children. Dr. Connie Book says a large family taught her the art of negotiation and compromise. She believes it is important for leaders to have lots of voices around the table and to offer transparency and accessibility to the decision-maker. – October 25, 2021
EPISODE 5: SERVANT LEADERSHIP
Former ECU Chancellor, Dr. Steve Ballard, believes that being a good leader is about values. Your values, character, and willingness to focus on the things that make a difference reflect the kind of leader you are. Good leaders lead with courage, integrity, and responsibility. According to Ballard, great leaders are great people. – November 8, 2021
EPISODE 6: WHAT MAKES A LEADER?
Author, teacher, journalist, and president of the John William Pope Foundation, John Hood notes that leadership is not a single thing but a bundle of skills and choices. Rather than being in front, John explains effective leadership sometimes require you to turn your back on those you are leading. – January 17, 2022
EPISODE 7: AN UNTRADITIONAL LEADERSHIP JOURNEY
Bob Aston co-founded TowneBank in 1999, and helped it grow to become one of the biggest banks in Virginia and the largest regional bank in Hampton Roads. Bob thinks of leadership more in terms of “walking behind” his team. However, when a fire breaks out, the leader must run towards the trouble rather than pushing the team into it. – February 21, 2022
EPISODE 8: LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE THE PIRATE WAY
ECU alumnus and former Pirate football player Ed Watkins says that his upbringing and athletics gave him a never give up mentality and the core values for life. Leadership, he says, is the ability to make a difference. The best way to make a difference is to lead by example. – March 7, 2022
EPISODE 9: AN ORGANIZATION CULTURE THAT EMPOWERS AND RETAINS
Kevin Kruger, CEO for NASPA, has more than 40 years of experience in higher education. He states, a strong organizational culture starts with an unclouded vision that identifies strategies and opportunities that empowers and values people. The actions of a leader must be consistent with the values they expound. The words of a leader must be followed-up with tangible acts. – March 21, 2022
EPISODE 10: COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP
Anita R. Brown-Graham is UNC’s Gladys Hall Coates Distinguished Professor of Public Law and Government, and the founder and director of the ncIMPACT Initiative at the UNC School of Government. Collaborative leadership is bringing people together to help them accomplish things they may not realize they can accomplish individually or collectively. An effective collaborative leader does this without leaving a lot of fingerprints. An analogy from a colleague likens the leadership style to being a midwife, critical to the process but no one remembers you afterwards. – April 4, 2022
EPISODE 11: EMBODYING YOUR STATED VALUES AS A SERVANT LEADER
CEO of Locklear Roofing, Jackie Locklear runs one of the few 100% woman and minority-owned roofing companies in the United States. Inheriting the family business from her father, whose handshake was his contract, Jackie is guided by values learned early. Those values are reflected day-today operations of her company. Jackie states building your reputation by focusing on quality is paramount to success. – April 18, 2022
EPISODE 12: A PASSION TO SERVE
Satana Deberry, elected District Attorney for Durham County is motivated by a desire to serve and give to a community that has often been failed by the system. She believes a leader should be open, honest, transparent, and willing to follow as well as lead. – May 2, 2022
EPISODE 13: YOUR LEADERSHIP IDENTITY
Dr. Sterling Freeman is a leadership coach, Christian minister, and activist. Leadership is about relationships, making room for people. Being a leader means being human, not perfect, but humble and authentic. Dr. Freeman discusses the intricacies of a more inclusive model of leadership. – May 16, 2022