The Heart of Leadership: Mike Erwin and Building Relationships that Matter

An Imperfect Leader

INTRO: In just a few weeks, I will be traveling with a small group of amazing volunteers from all over the United States and Australia to Omo Village in Papua New Guinea. I serve on the Board of Directors for Be the Change Volunteers, an organization committed to building schools all over the world for communities interested in providing opportunities to their children, especially their girls. Our co-founders, Jimi and Cristi Cook, believe that communities with educated women thrive - and they’re right! BTCV is also building schools in Peru, Malawi, Rwanda, India, and Puerto Rico, so, if you’re interested in joining us on a build, go to www.bethechangevolunteers.org.

I mention this human-centered work because my guest Mike Erwin embodies these same principles. In a moment, I’ll tell you all about his many accolades, but what I learned from him during his After-Action Review is that it is appropriate to look past one’s resume and consider how that person makes you feel when you spend time with them (resume versus eulogy is how he describes it). This was such a meaningful conversation about leadership.

BIO: Mike Erwin is my guest. Mike is the founder and executive director of Team Red, White & Blue, an organization dedicated to enhancing veterans’ lives (their mission is deeply personal to Mike as he served three deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan with the US Army and teaches at West Point). Mike is also the co-founder of the Positivity Project, the founder and CEO of the Character & Leadership Center, and is the co-author of his newest book, Leadership is a Relationship.

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An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast is supported by ILAA, LLC, a firm dedicated to supporting aspiring, new, and established leaders. For more information, please find them at www.human-centeredleaders.com.

Music for An Imperfect Leader was written and arranged by Ian Varley.

Sam Falbo created our artwork, a wood-print inspired daruma doll butterfly.

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My book, An Imperfect Leader: Leadership in (After) Action is available at Amazon.com or peterstiepleman.com to order a copy.