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Serge Savard ranks as one of the top 100 hockey players of all time, and won an incredible 8 Stanley Cups as a player, the most by any defenseman, and two more as a general manager. But in this conversation he says winning the 1972 Summit Series for Team Canada over the Soviet Union tops them all, where he was the only player to win or tie every game without any losses. Here he discusses coach Scotty Bowman, how teams come together – or don’t – and what it takes for a team to reach its potential, lessons he learned as a great player and as an executive who won two Cups as a general manager. Tune in for a fast, funny, and fascinating conversation.

In this episode Morton Schapiro explains how this grandson of Holocaust survivors, and son of a store owner, rose from an average community college student to the president of Williams College, then Northwestern University. One crucial figure: an inspiring professor who recognized his hidden promise. Here Schapiro talks about his love for learning and teaching, the importance of humility in leadership, his best and worst days leading two great schools, how big time athletics can work at top-notch universities, and the lessons he has learned along the way.

In this conversation, David Harlock, one of only two 3-year captains in the 100 year history of Michigan hockey, discusses what real leadership looks like, especially for a reserved personality like his; how college hockey compared to his experience winning a silver medal for the Canadian Olympic team, and playing for his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs in the NHL. Then he compares his career in hockey to his current profession in high-end insurance brokering and risk management. What translates, and what doesn’t? What advantages do former athletes have in the workplace? Traits like mutual accountability, teamwork, hard work, attention to detail, and countering failure, inevitable in any field, with persistence. He concludes by reflecting on his favorite teacher and the valuable lessons he learned from him.

John Wangler, a great Michigan quarterback in the 70s and 80s, became a successful businessman, and father of five children – three of whom played varsity sports at Michigan. Here he tells us what he learned playing for legendary coach Bo Schembechler, coming back from what they thought was a career-ending injury, and raising his kids to be resilient, handle failure, and be grateful.

This week I pay homage to one of my best mentors, role models, and friends: K. Ross Childs, who passed away a year ago at 84. Ross played goalie at the University of Michigan, almost won the award for lowest goals-against as a junior – then moved to forward as a senior because that’s what the team needed. He became Grand Traverse County’s administrator, and was awarded Michigan Civil Servant of the Year, with a rare ability to work with both sides of the aisle. Along the way, he ran the Ann Arbor Amateur Hockey Association for more than a decade -- where he also served as my first coach, leaving a lasting impression. When he stepped down, he received three or four standing ovations. He then started the Traverse City high school hockey program. He and wife Helen also raised three children: Mary, born paraplegic; Susan, who was hit by a car as a toddler, and not expected to survive, but did and now has a teenager of her own; and Scott, my best friend, killed in a car accident at 15. As my old U-M professor Ralph Williams said: “Happiness is not a state into which one falls; it is a choice of the will, and always against odds.” Ross’s greatest triumph, in my view, was the willpower to find happiness in life despite the incredible tragedies he had to endure. And I believe he knew he had to, if he was going to be of service to others. And you simply cannot find another man who served others so well. For info about the book or this podcast please visit our website: http://www.letthemleadbybacon.com http://www.johnubacon.com You can connect with John via these platforms: https://www.facebook.com/johnubacon https://twitter.com/Johnubacon

Join host John U Bacon on the Let Them Lead Podcast as he delves into the extraordinary journey of Pat Richter, a sports legend who excelled in football, basketball, and baseball, securing both athletic and academic All-American honors. Pat's remarkable path led him to an eight-season NFL career with the Washington Redskins, but his story didn't end there. Rising to the role of Vice-President at Oscar Mayer, he later returned to his alma mater, transforming the landscape of Badger athletics by recruiting icons like Barry Alvarez and Bo Ryan, ushering in a golden era celebrated with a statue outside Camp Randall Stadium. The legacy continues as Pat's son, Barry, carved his own unique path, earning national recognition, the esteemed captain's "C," and All-America honors in the one sport his father didn't partake in - ice hockey. Barry's journey extended to representing the U.S. Olympic team and competing in the NHL, before venturing into a successful business career. Today, Barry serves as the President of Hausman Group in Madison. In this episode, they share compelling stories about the influential leaders, coaches, and mentors who shaped their values, including a glimpse into their relationship with the legendary Vince Lombardi. Through their experiences, we uncover the timeless elements of leadership that have remained constants over the past sixty years. Tune in for an inspiring discussion on sports, success, and enduring leadership principles. For info about the book or this podcast please visit our website: http://www.letthemleadbybacon.com http://www.johnubacon.com You can connect with John via these platforms: https://www.facebook.com/johnubacon https://twitter.com/Johnubacon

Matt Maasdam, a Navy SEAL for 20 years, the SEAL training program’s head instructor, and for 2.5 years, the carrier of the President’s ‘nuclear football,’ is so good in this interview that we broke it up into two episodes: Part I: Training the SEALs, and Part II: Carrying the Nuclear Football. In Part II, Navy SEAL leader Maasdam returns for a riveting bonus round. Here he tells us how he got selected to carry the infamous “Nuclear Football” for the president, what the job entails, and what he learned from his 2.5 years carrying the nuclear football within a few feet of the leader of the free world, and the many top advisors the president consults every day. Maadam has stories! He also discusses his role working with the legendary Navy SEAL Team 6 before its raid on Osama Bin Laden’s compound to get the terrorist leader, and explains how a Navy pilot saved the operation by essentially crash landing his helicopter nose first, and protecting his passenger’s ability to complete their mission. So tune in for more great stories and leadership lessons. About our Host: For info about the book or this podcast please visit our website: http://www.letthemleadbybacon.com http://www.johnubacon.com You can connect with John via these platforms: https://www.facebook.com/johnubacon https://twitter.com/Johnubacon

Matt Maasdam, a Navy SEAL for 20 years, the SEAL training program’s head instructor, and for 2.5 years, the carrier of the President’s ‘nuclear football,’ is so good in this interview that we broke it up into two episodes: Part I: Training the SEALS, and Part II: Carrying the Nuclear Football. In Part I, Maasdam recounts his journey: after winning a Nebraska state championship in swimming, he became a University of Michigan water polo player, then trained 18 months to prepare for the Navy SEAL’s unbelievably demanding test, which he describes in amazing detail. After seeing combat in Afghanistan, including capturing high-ranking Al Qaeda leaders, he returned to lead SEAL training as the head instructor, including the famous ‘Hell Week.’ Along the way he tells us several unforgettable stories, and explains how the tests were designed to reduce the pool to 30-percent of those who start, and on what basis: not merely physical prowess, but uncommon mental toughness, with an unshakeable commitment to the team, at all costs, and the highest ethical standards. One lie, for example, and you’re done. Join us for an incredible conversation, a peek into a world few ever see. About our Host: For info about the book or this podcast please visit our website: http://www.letthemleadbybacon.com http://www.johnubacon.com You can connect with John via these platforms: https://www.facebook.com/johnubacon https://twitter.com/Johnubacon

In this week's Let Them Lead podcast, John Bacon and WTKA's Sam Webb discuss Michigan State University football coach Mel Tucker, who has been accused by sexual assault prevention leader Brenda Tracy of engaging in unwanted phone sex, thoughTucker claims it was consensual. The story raises more questions than answers. Can MSU fire Tucker, even if his claim is true? Who knew what at MSU, and when? Who leaked Tracy's name to the media, and why? And most important, from a leadership point of view: could MSU have avoided this mess, and how should MSU handle it going forward? Join for a timely conversation. About our Host: For info about the book or this podcast please visit our website: http://www.letthemleadbybacon.com http://www.johnubacon.com You can connect with John via these platforms: https://www.facebook.com/johnubacon https://twitter.com/Johnubacon

Scott Miller learned worked under leadership legend Stephen Covey, author of the classic “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.” But Scott has become a leader in his own right, writing 7 books, including his latest, “The Ultimate Guide to Mentorship,” while producing his popular podcast and columns. His insights are unconventional, funny, irreverent, and bold, including this: Not everyone should be a leader, and it’s a mistake to push them to do so. In this fun, fast moving 30 minute conversation, Scott discusses what he learned from Stephen Covey, “a man who not only knew his strengths, but his weaknesses. He also underscored the difference between being efficient and being effective,” and the gist of his books “Management Mess to Leadership Success” and “Everyone Deserves a Great Manager,” and his latest hit, “The Ultimate Guide to Mentorship.” “In great companies, it’s not a democracy,” he says. “The leader has to make the final decision. But she has to listen, too. This is 2023. People no longer want to work for the ‘smartest guy in the room.’ They want to be heard, they want to be part of something. “Stephen Covey often said, ‘When you’re working with people, fast is slow, and slow is fast.’ Take the time to hear them out. That’s how you get buy-in.” Scotts Books: https://www.scottjeffreymiller.com/books/ About our Host: For info about the book or this podcast please visit our website: http://www.letthemleadbybacon.com http://www.johnubacon.com You can connect with John via these platforms: https://www.facebook.com/johnubacon https://twitter.com/Johnubacon

Brad Park has been voted one of the 50 best hockey players of all time. The nine-time All-Star finished second of the Norris Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s best defensemen, a record six times, thanks to his one mistake: being born the same year as Bobby Orr, considered the best defenseman of all time. Here he talks about Team Canada coach Harry Sinden, who led the country’s first “Dream Team” of NHL All-Stars against the Soviet Union in the 1972 Summit Series. Team Canada was supposed to win every game, but after winning just one game in the first five, plus a tie, Team Canada had to win all three games in Moscow. “We weren’t in the kind of shape they were, they played a style of hockey we’d never seen before, and we didn’t take them seriously – at first!” Park recalls. But Team Canada discovered they had certain advantages, too: led by Sinden, they were smart enough to adjust, they knew how to handle a long series – unlike the Soviets -- and they created a team spirit where none had existed before during a two-game layover in Sweden, on the way to Moscow. They also had their country behind them. More Canadians watched the last three games in Moscow than the moon landing three years earlier. As Wayne Gretzky told me, “This was more important! Under unprecedented pressure, and with Bobby Orr out with a bad knee for the entire series, Brad Park played some of the best hockey of his life, and Team Canada actually did win all three games, each by a goal, including Paul Henderson’s famous game winner with 34 seconds left in the final game. “We learned humility and respect, and how to rely on each other,” Park recalls. “Hey, when it’s you against the world, you gotta come together! I’ll never forget it – and no one else will, either.”

This week we're sharing an interview I just did on Jeff Cohen's popular "Heart of Sports" radio show from Philadelphia's WWDB, 840AM. While it's focused on college football, the themes are all leadership, in real time: at the NCAA, where a vacuum of leadership is being filled by conference commissioners and others; at the University of Michigan, where the administration and head coach Jim Harbaugh are trying to figure out how to respond to potential NCAA sanctions, and more. As I say, the NCAA is great at misdemeanors and horrible at felonies, and they prove it here. About our Host: For info about the book or this podcast please visit our website: http://www.letthemleadbybacon.com http://www.johnubacon.com You can connect with John via these platforms: https://www.facebook.com/johnubacon https://twitter.com/Johnubacon