The VMI Leader Journey Podcast

When the Going Gets Tough, Control What You Can with Sam Trepp '20

On this remote podcast episode, we talked with Sam Trepp, VMI Class of 2020's class president. He discusses his unique leader journey which started with his initial decision to attend the University of Richmond. Remaining close to a buddy of his who was attending VMI, he decided to transfer to VMI sight-unseen and says it was the best decision he ever made. Said Trepp, it felt like home. During his time at VMI, he experienced personal growth as a result of his experiences through the VMI system but is careful to say that the school's tagline 'No Ordinary College' doesn't mean that his path to graduation and leadership was better than the path others follow, but was a good fit for him. Hear more about his leadership journey as class president, the impact of mentors he met on post, and how he completed his First Class (senior) year. 

Be Adaptive with Cadet Paul Boucher '21

Our Center's mission is to enhance the VMI citizen-soldier journey with programming that educates, engages and inspires critical thinking, ethical decision-making, and leader development. The VMI Leader Journey podcast is an outreach program where our guests can share insights from their own leadership journey, and where VMI may have contributed to their personal growth. 
In this episode, we touched on the following leadership competencies taught in the mandatory course on leadership in organizations and addressed in the publication VMI Leader Journey Booklet: adaptive leadership, decision-making, communications, teamwork, and organizational behavior.
Our guest Paul Boucher is currently a second-class cadet studying international studies and political science. He hails from Orangevale, California and plans to commission in the Army upon graduation. He has been involved in leadership positions in the Cadet Superintendent Advisory Board and the Annual Rat Challenge Event, as well as a member of the investment club. We discussed his transition to online learning,  keeping up with VMI requirements while being away from post and on Pacific time, and how his experience at VMI has shaped his views on leadership. 

Less than Picturesque with Carrie Papke '07

In this episode of the VMI Leader Journey podcast, our guest, VMI Class of 2007, former Marine, and entrepreneur Carrie Papke talks about how being open to new challenges and opportunities can be both exciting and rewarding. Though she had, as she describes it, a 'less than picturesque' cadetship at VMI, she still had a successful military career and founded her own 'ath-leisure' line of clothing. As if being a mother and entrepreneur weren't challenging enough, she also works in public relations - experiential learning that she then feeds back into her own business endeavors.  
Hear her comments at the 2019 Annual Leadership and Ethics Conference with her presentation titled Innovation-Driven Leadership. 
Our Center's mission is to enhance the VMI citizen-soldier journey with programming that educates, engages, and inspires critical thinking, ethical decision-making, and leader development. The VMI Leader Journey podcast is an outreach program where our guests can share insights from their own leader's journey, and where VMI may have contributed to their personal growth. 
In this episode, we touched on the following leadership competencies from the VMI Leader Journey Booklet: power dynamics, empowerment, service, goals, motivation.

VMI: The Right Kind of Challenge with Cadet Karl Skerry '20

In this episode of the podcast, we sat down with Cadet Carl Skerry Class of '20 to talk about his leadership journey and his experiences at VMI. Skerry explains the reasons why VMI presented the kind of challenge he sought after high school. Skerry is the F-Company Commander, an international studies major, and plans on commissioning into the Marines.
Our Center's mission is to enhance the VMI citizen-soldier journey with programming that educates, engages and inspires critical thinking, ethical decision-making, and leader development. For more information about our Center and its programming, please visit vmi.edu/cle. 
On this episode, we touched on the following leadership competencies from the VMI Leader Journey: credibility, testing oneself, getting involved, and putting others in a position for success.

A General's Advice on 'Personal' Leadership with Dennis Via

Each spring, VMI hosts a leader-in-residence to visit Post for a mutual exchange of ideas on leadership and ethics. The individual is a leader in business, industry, government, military, or academia. Their visit takes place, ideally, over a two-week period of time where they visit VMI academic departments, meet with staff and faculty, and give the keynote speech for the superintendent's Annual Leadership Dinner. 
In 2020, Gen. Richard 'Butch' Neal spent one week with us visiting various groups and classes on post with the intention of having him return for two more week-long visits. Due to the restrictions required by the Commonwealth as a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic, he was unable to return this year.  
We hope you will enjoy, instead, this interview we conducted with our 2019 Leader-in-Residence, General Dennis Via, US Army Retired.  Capt. Roy, Communications Specialist for the Center, sat down with Via to get his insights on leadership to share with the VMI community. 
Our Center's mission is to enhance the VMI citizen-soldier 'leader journey' with programming that educates, engages, and inspires.  For more information about our Center and its programming, please visit vmi.edu/cle. 
In this episode, we touch on the following leadership values from the VMI Leader Journey: vision, goals, positive attitude, responsibility, empathy, mentoring, inclusion, commitment, and character.
 

Effective, Positive Influence with Court Whitman '99

Court Whitman '99 discussed his leadership journey with Emily and Derek on a break during the 10th Annual VMI Leadership Conference this past October where he was a guest speaker. Court is energetic and dynamic on stage and focusses his latest efforts on high performance in individuals and teams. He also hosts his own podcast, High Performance Pathways! 
Whitman is a former NCAA D1 Football player, retired US Army Special Forces Green Beret, speaker, International Coach Federation certified leadership coach and facilitator committed to unlocking the hidden potential in others and teams to develop competence so others perform at incredibly high levels.
Whitman began his Army career after graduation from VMI – where he was a walk-on linebacker. In the Army, his first assignment was with the 82nd Airborne Division, at Fort Bragg NC. After a few years with the 82nd Airborne, Court volunteered, assessed, and was selected for Special Forces training – earning his Green Beret in 2004. After a number of years serving the 7th Special Forces Group, Court volunteered, assessed, and was selected to serve with the Army’s Special Mission Unit – our nation’s precision surgical strike unit which undoubtedly was the highlight of his Army career. Court served in a number of positions with Army Special Operations to include Special Forces Team Commander, Special Forces Executive Officer, Special Forces Operations Officer and Commander with a number of interesting and varied assignments that included four tours in Afghanistan, two tours in Iraq, and two tours in South America.
Following his retirement from the Army, Court graduated from George Mason University’s Center for the Advancement of Well-being as a certified Leadership Coach. Court currently serves as CEO and Managing Director of Court Whitman - Inspiring High Performance LLC, the Chief Leadership Officer for WHIT|BAR LLC, and as an Executive Coach for The COMMIT Foundation. In addition to Coaching, Court facilitates off-site workshops for executive teams, consults with organizations to make informed hiring decisions and build optimal organizational culture, executes multi-day outdoor leadership experiences on the Appalachian and Black Mountain Crest Trails, keynote speaks, and is the creator and host of the High Performance Pathways podcast.
Whitman’s speaking engagements include the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, MVP Capital LLC, General Dynamics, Methodist University, and the United States Military Academy at West Point Football. Court’s comments encourage the listener to consider the way they think, organize, communicate, manage and lead. This reflection enables the listener to explore their current personal and professional habits, identify opportunities for growth, and consider possibilities to achieve different results in order to perform at a high level.
Connect with Court Whitman on his website at www.coutwhitman.com or LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtwhitman/ or listen to his podcast High Performance Pathways on APPLE Podcast, iHeartRadio, Spotify or Goggle Play.
Our Center's mission is to enhance the VMI citizen-soldier journey with programming that educates, engages and inspires critical thinking, ethical decision-making, and leader development. For more information about our Center and its programming, please visit vmi.edu/cle. Visit our YouTube page to see Court Whitman's remarks during the 2019 Annual Leadership and Ethics Conference.
On this episode, we touched on the following leadership competencies from the VMI Leader Journey: teamwork, initiative, mentoring, group development, personal values, self-understanding, and reflection.
 

Leverage Your Opportunities with Cadets Szczepanik and Neikirk '20

This is a mobile edition of the VMI Leader Journey podcast recorded live in the Green Room of Marshall Hall.
Our podcast hosts Emily Coleman and Derek Pinkham, staff members at the VMI Center for Leadership and Ethics, sat down with Cadets Brittany Szczepanik '20 and Will Neikirk '20 this past November just after our Annual VMI Leadership and Ethics Conference to discuss their leadership journeys. After brief introductions, Will and Brittany talked about their involvement in the Center for Leadership and Ethics programs and the importance of getting involved in leadership opportunities at VMI. Both commissioning into the U.S. Air Force as pilots. Szczepanik is involved in many activities including track and Neikirk is the cadet-in-charge for the Cadet Superintendent's Advisory Board, among other leadership roles as well. Both have a long history of involvement with a variety of programs offered through the Center for Leadership and Ethics.
Our Center's mission is to enhance the VMI citizen-soldier journey with programming that educates, engages and inspires critical thinking, ethical decision-making, and leader development. For more information about our Center and its programming, please visit Center for Leadership and Ethics. 
In this episode, we touch on the following leadership competencies of the VMI Leader Journey: self-development, personal contributions, positive attitude, motivation, and initiative.

The First Form of Leadership with John Urschel

In this episode with former NFL offensive lineman, PhD mathematics candidate at MIT, and author John Urschel, we spoke about his football and math careers and how he developed and applied his leadership style. He came to post spring 2020 as part of our Courageous Leader speaker series. 
This podcast is hosted by the VMI Center for Leadership and Ethics. The Center's mission is to enhance the VMI cadet's citizen-soldier journey with programming that educates, engages and inspires critical thinking, ethical decision-making, and leader development. For more information about our Center and its programming, please visit Center for Leadership and Ethics. 
The VMI Leader Journey podcast provides a forum for sharing the leader journey stories and experiences of VMI cadets, alumni, faculty and more plus those from the VIP guests who visit post. During our casual conversation style format, we pose questions to draw out leadership competencies which tie back to the VMI cadet leader journey to share with a broader, national audience. 
This episode touches on the following leader competencies: critical thinking, analysis, motivation, self-understanding, vision, setting the example, and mentoring.