The Leadership Playbook

In this engaging conversation, Tom McAndrew shares his journey from a Navy veteran to the CEO of cybersecurity company Coalfire, emphasizing the importance of authentic leadership, resilience, and community impact. He reflects on personal experiences that shaped his leadership style, the challenges faced in both military and business environments, and the significance of giving back to the community through initiatives like Gold Star Gamers. Tom's insights provide valuable lessons for aspiring leaders on building a strong foundation, navigating challenges, and creating a positive culture in organizations.

 

The Leadership Playbook asks top executives from the business world's most recognizable brands and companies about the stories behind their success, their leadership secrets, and the biggest obstacles they've faced and overcome. 

Follow us on leadershipplaybook.org to find out more about the show. Subscribe to listen to succeeding episodes.

Welcome to Epic Fails, Epic Comebacks: How Great Leaders Turned Setbacks into Success—the podcast where we uncover the true stories of visionary leaders who hit rock bottom … then rewrote the ending. Epic Fails, Epic Comebacks is an offshoot of The Leadership Playbook, the podcast of Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics and the Center for Leadership Formation. 

In this episode, we tell the story of Hal Sperlich, the quiet visionary who saw how people really lived and imagined a car no one else believed in: the minivan. Rejected at Ford, embraced at Chrysler, Sperlich’s persistence reshaped the auto industry and changed family life forever. It’s a story about vision, power, and what happens when the right idea meets the wrong boss—and why believing in it anyway can change the world.

Credit goes to the Wall Street Journal and Capital One Auto Navigator for providing details that went into this podcast episode—writing by Alicia Kan and music/production by Alvarez Audio. Follow Epic Fails, Epic Comebacks wherever you get your podcasts.

Subscribe now and join Viviane Lopuch as we explore the fall, the fight, and the rise of the world’s greatest leaders. Follow us on leadershipplaybook.org to find out more about the show.

What happens when someone who never planned on college ends up leading a global logistics company? In this episode, Dan Wall, President and CEO of Expeditors International and alum of Seattle University's Leadership Executive MBA program, reflects on his unlikely path from airport courier to the C-suite. 
 
Dan talks about Expeditors' "unlimited opportunity" culture, why titles don't define importance, and how he stays grounded while overseeing operations in more than 100 countries. He shares real stories of navigating constant supply chain disruption, cyberattacks, and regulatory complexity—while keeping people's livelihoods at the center of every decision. 
 

The Leadership Playbook asks top executives from the business world's most recognizable brands and companies about the stories behind their success, their leadership secrets, and the biggest obstacles they've faced and overcome. 

Follow us on leadershipplaybook.org to find out more about the show. Subscribe to listen to succeeding episodes.

Beverly Anderson, President and CEO of BECU—the fourth-largest credit union in the United States—shares her 30-year leadership journey in financial services on the Albers Executive Speaker Series. From her Kentucky small-town roots learning credit fundamentals at a local corner store to leading a major financial institution, Anderson reveals the career strategies and leadership principles that shaped her path to the C-suite.

In this conversation, Anderson discusses her leadership philosophy built on three pillars: authenticity, excellence, and courage. She offers practical advice for women executives navigating corporate leadership, emphasizing the importance of self-advocacy in career advancement.

Anderson details a pivotal career decision that changed her trajectory: leaving a toxic leadership environment, a bold move which ultimately positioned her for the CEO appointment at BECU. Her experience demonstrates how strategic career pivots can accelerate executive success in the financial services industry.

 

The Leadership Playbook asks top executives from the business world's most recognizable brands and companies about the stories behind their success, their leadership secrets, and the biggest obstacles they've faced and overcome. 

Follow us on leadershipplaybook.org to find out more about the show. Subscribe to listen to succeeding episodes.

This live recording of the Albers Executive Speaker Series features Swedish Health Services President and CEO Elizabeth Wako, who outlines her career trajectory in the context of the five leadership principles that have guided her. In the fireside chat with Seattle University President Eduardo Peñalver, she talks about the impact of AI on healthcare, the business challenges generated by tariffs and the value of mentors. More than anything, Wako emphasizes being strategic in making life choices. "You only have one life," she advises the audience. "Make sure you experience the life that you want. If you're unhappy, make a change."

 

Hosted by Joseph M. Phillips, dean of Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics, The Leadership Playbook asks top executives from the business world's most recognizable brands and companies about the stories behind their success, their leadership secrets, and the biggest obstacles they've faced and overcome. 

Follow us on leadershipplaybook.org to find out more about the show. Subscribe to listen to succeeding episodes.