What if the greatest leadership breakthroughs begin with owning your truth? In this conversation with Joe Machicote about his book, Own Thy Stuff, we explore what it really means to take responsibility for your impact—on yourself, your relationships, and the culture at large. Joe shares deeply personal and practical insights from decades of leadership, all rooted in his lifelong commitment to leaving every person and situation better than he found it. You’ll hear stories that will challenge the way you think about communication, presence, and the stories you create in your own mind.

You’ll also discover the power leaders have to create spaces of trust, especially during grief, conflict, and moments of emotional strain. Joe’s candor about his own journey, including profound personal loss, opens the door to a compassionate and courageous view of leadership. He offers simple, meaningful practices that help you slow down, listen more deeply, and act with intention so you can strengthen culture, relationships, and your own self-mastery.

Joe is Chief Culture Officer at Premier, where he partners with the CEO, the Executive Team, and other stakeholders across the company. His role is to enhance and formalize a mission-driven culture of equal opportunity, high performance, and belonging. Joe has served in senior HR positions over the past 30+ years. His new book, Own Thy Stuff: The Continuous  Improvement Journey to Becoming an Extraordinary Human Being,  captures his most important insights and lessons from life and work:

You’ll discover:

• Why “owning your stuff” creates trust and credibility
• How to support team members experiencing grief with compassion, not fixes
• A simple mindset shift that transforms assumptions into clarity
• Practices for increasing presence and reducing distraction
• The difference between mentoring and sponsoring—and why both matter

Watch the episode:

Connect with Joe

Joe’s Resources

Website

Joe’s employer, Premier Inc.

Book

Own Thy Stuff: The Continuous Improvement Journey to Becoming an Extraordinary Human Being 

What does it mean to lead without fanfare or recognition? In this solo episode, I reflect on the life and legacy of my beloved mother, Doris Melancon—a woman whose quiet strength, unwavering love, and deep wisdom shaped generations. Though Doris never saw herself as a leader, her influence was undeniable and profound.

I honor my mother’s legacy by highlighting the qualities that defined her: humility, generosity, patience, and a steadfast faith that guided her every action. Through personal stories and reflections, you’ll come to understand how true leadership can radiate from a calm, gentle presence—and how one person’s values can ripple out to impact the lives of many.

I’m the co-founder and president of Grow Strong Leaders. We’ve created online resources that help leaders strengthen their character and communication skills to build strong relationships and inspire others to perform at the highest level.

You’ll discover:

• Why quiet leadership can have the most lasting impact
• How humility and love become a powerful guiding force
• What makes a person truly wise and deeply respected
• The strength behind patience and emotional steadiness
• How one life of service can shape an entire family legacy

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Connect with Meredith

Meredith’s Resources

Website

Grow Strong Leaders

Books

Connect with Your Team: Mastering the Top 10 Communication Skills

Grow Strong Character

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What wisdom could you extract from someone who’s had over 40 years of experience as a leader? An amazing amount if that leader is Oakland McCulloch. You’ll hear practical ideas and stories that will inspire you to elevate your own leadership.

Better known as Oak, our guest’s 40-plus years of leadership experience includes 23 in the U.S. Army, followed by various civilian positions. While in the Army, he was deployed overseas multiple times. Oak’s last position in the Army was a three-year tour as Professor of Military Science at the University of South Alabama, where he led the training and commissioning of Lieutenants and tripled the size of the program.

Oak is the author of an excellent book, Your Leadership Legacy: Becoming the Leader You Were Meant to Be, and he’s now an internationally recognized keynote speaker on leadership and success. As you listen to this conversation, you’ll see that Oak is a true servant leader.

You’ll discover:

• What two high school mentors taught Oak about leadership
• How Oak defines leadership
• What’s required to build a culture of trust
• Why Oak says, “Becoming a micromanager is the #1 mistake a leader can make.”
• The importance of preparing young people for leadership roles—and what to focus on

Watch the episode:

Connect with Oak

Oak’s Resources

Website

LTC Oak McCulloch

Book

Your Leadership Legacy: Becoming the Leader You Were Meant to Be