Kyle McDowell Inc. Founder & CEO Kyle McDowell

In this episode of the CEO Podcast, we dive deep into the transformative world of leadership with our special guest, Kyle McDowell, the author of the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller, "Begin With We: The 10 Principles for Building and Sustaining a Culture of Excellence." With nearly 30 years of experience in corporate America, leading tens of thousands of employees, Kyle shares invaluable insights on what it means to be a leader today. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction  00:18 - Discussing Leadership and Historical Leaders 00:28 - Introduction to the Book "Begin With We" 00:43 - Guest's Background in Corporate America 01:10 - Paradigm Shift in Leadership Approach 01:32 - The Birth of the 10 Principles 02:04 - Feeling Disconnected in Corporate America 02:26 - Creating a Culture of Excellence 03:09 - Transformation and Results 03:31 - From Bosses to Leaders 04:04 - Leadership's Evolving Challenges 05:00 - CEOs' Roles Inside and Outside Companies 05:12 - Authenticity in Leadership 06:05 - The Shift in Leadership Dynamics 07:08 - The Impact of Remote Work and Gig Economy 08:12 - Establishing Leadership Principles 08:23 - The 10 Principles Overview 09:07 - Principle 1: We Do the Right Thing, Always 09:59 - Principle 2: Lead by Example 10:20 - Principle 3: We Say What We're Going to Do, and Then We Do It 11:03 - Principle 4: We Take Action 11:56 - Principle 5: We Own Our Mistakes 12:26 - Principle 6: We Pick Each Other Up 13:30 - Principle 7: We Measure Ourselves by Outcomes, Not Activity 14:47 - Principle 8: We Challenge Each Other 15:39 - Principle 9: We Embrace Challenge 16:31 - Principle 10: We Obsess Over Details 17:43 - The Importance of Simplicity in Principles 18:05 - Judging Ourselves on Outcomes 19:01 - The Problem with Busyness in Corporate Culture 20:29 - The Dependency on Meetings 21:10 - Writing the Book: Process and Challenges 24:01 - Reading Recommendations 26:13 - Daily Routine and Personal Discipline 28:27 - Coaching CEOs and Leaders 31:05 - Thoughts on AI and Future Challenges 34:37 - The Importance of Giving Chances 36:48 - Closing Remarks and Book Promotion