The VMI Leader Journey Podcast

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.

The Importance of Culture and the Academy Advantage with Alejandro Villanueva

This is a mobile edition of the VMI Leader Journey podcast recorded live on the stage of Gillis Theater in Marshall Hall.
Our podcast hosts Emily Coleman and Derek Pinkham, staff members at the VMI Center for Leadership and Ethics, sat down with our first Courageous Leaders speaker from February of 2019 Alejandro Villanueva to discuss his insights on leadership based upon his experiences as a West Point graduate, Army veteran, and offensive lineman in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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 programs, please visit our website.
In this episode, we touch on the following leadership competencies of the VMI Leader Journey: teamwork, initiative, goals & planning, responsibility for personal behavior.

Challenging Yourself with Sean Matson '05

VMI Center for Leadership and Ethics' conference project manager Derek Pinkham and conference assistant Emily Coleman sat down last spring with Sean Matson '05, co-founder & CEO of MATBOCK and the co-founder and president of Strike Force Beverage. Matson spent 13 years (2005 - 2018) as a Navy SEAL Officer, with multiple deployments in strategic locations. Matson is currently an entrepreneur.  We heard from him spring of 2019 during VMI's Business Leadership and Innovation Conference.  He has been instrumental in the success with MATBOCK and Strike Force by leveraging the leadership skills from his time on active duty.
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 Matson's BLIS conference remarks.
In this episode, we touch on the following leadership competencies within the VMI Leader Journey: communication, supervision, inclusion, self-development, initiative, decision making.

The Rat Line and Leadership Transformations with 2nd Lts. Townsend & Forehand '19

This mobile episode captured in our Center's Green Room features our 2019 summer interns and brand new VMI alumni 2nd Lt. Jeybriel Townsend and 2nd Lt. John 'Jay' Forehand. They spoke with Emily and Derek about experiences at VMI before they left town for duty assignments. They talked about the unique VMI experience, the Rat Line, and leadership transformations. 
Hailing from Fayetteville, NC, Townsend was introduced to VMI by a high school teacher. He was a computer science major here at VMI now a 2nd Lt. in the Army Reserves.
Forehand is a Roanoke, VA native, graduate with a degree in international studies, and commissioned in the Marines as a 2nd Lt. Jay became acquainted with VMI as a kid and would visit post frequently with his dad.  He knew he wanted to be in the military since junior high school.
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. 
In this episode, we touch on the following leadership competencies from the VMI Leader Journey: motivation, personal values, mentoring, teamwork, inclusion, helping others.

It's Not About You Anymore with Stewart Spurry '20

This is a mobile edition of our podcast (on remote location) taped in the Center's Green Room (speaker lounge).
VMI Center for Leadership and Ethics' conference project manager Derek Pinkham and conference assistant Emily Coleman sat down at the beginning of the 2019-20 academic year to talk leadership with Stewart Spurry '20 including his journey to becoming the Rat Disciplinary Committee (RDC) president and his future goals. During this episode, Spurry talks about a tactic unique to VMI called 'the strain.' A strain is when you march very erect with your chin pulled in as far as you can to your neck. It is required of all 'rats' or incoming freshmen. VMI defines it as 'An exaggerated position of attention;' what rats are supposed to do [whenever they walk in barracks] as part of VMI's traditional 'rites of passage' phase until their 'breakout' when they earn the right to being called official members of the VMI Corps of Cadets. For more on the VMI Leader Journey, access the booklet here: https://vmi.box.com/v/VMILeaderJourney2019.
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. 
In this episode, we touch on the following leadership competencies of the VMI Leader Journey: responsibility for personal behavior, self-development, mentoring, teamwork, and social responsibility.