Mar 8, 2024
Today’s guest is Oakland McCulloch, retired Lieutenant Colonel with over 40 years experience in the United States Army. Throughout his career, Oak held various leadership positions and was involved in training and mentoring young leaders in the Army. He shares valuable lessons and tips he learned along the way on leadership, legacy, and relationships.
Listen to this episode to learn more:
[00:00] - Intro
[00:44] - Oak’s bio
[02:47] - Journey from high school to the military
[06:10] - Oak’s path to West Point and meeting his wife in ROTC
[07:43] - Time in the army and how it helped Oak develop as a leader
[12:25] - Importance of legacy in leadership
[14:28] - Ego in leadership
[17:06] - Authoritarian and chaotic leadership styles
[20:30] - How Oak empowers his team members
[22:01] - Power of relationships in leadership
[25:24] - The role of small gestures in building relationships
[28:47] - Oak’s decision to retire after 30 years and transition from military life to civilian life
NOTABLE QUOTES:
“To me, the majority of your legacy is that next generation of leaders that you produce, and what they do, and then the next generation of leaders they produce, and it just keeps walking down that way.”
“Great leadership handed down from generation to generation is what develops great nations.”
“Every organization in every profession needs good leadership, and your legacy is those leaders that you help produce that are making those organizations better.”
“Good leaders know when to put their ego aside so that they can use other people's skills, talents, and knowledge that they don't have. That's what makes a good leader in life.”
“The way you're going to get better leadership and better long-term results is by investing in your people, by building them up, and by helping them become what they were created to be.”
“Leadership is not about you; it's all about you and how you treat and empower the people you have the privilege to lead.”
“One of the things that I see lacking in today's leaders is that they're afraid to get to know the people that they're working with.”
“Leaders forget how important it is to understand how much the people you lead want that personal touch. They want you to show them that we're worth sitting down and actually repaying by writing a note.”
“Legacy has two parts to it. Very small part of it is what you actually did...the majority of your legacy is that next generation of leaders that you produce.”
USEFUL RESOURCES:
https://www.ltcoakmcculloch.com
https://www.instagram.com/ltcoakmcculloch
https://www.facebook.com/LTCOakMcCulloch
https://www.linkedin.com/in/oakland-mcculloch-34293256/
https://twitter.com/LtcOakland
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1Ep1eqF3o0X5CBamtVgClQ
Your Leadership Legacy: Becoming the Leader You Were Meant to Be (https://a.co/d/j6DPIr1)
CONNECT WITH JOHN
Website - https://thejohnhulen.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnhulen
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/johnhulen
Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/johnhulen
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhulen
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLX_NchE8lisC4NL2GciIWA
EPISODE CREDITS
Intro and Outro music provided by Jeff Scheetz - https://jeffscheetz.com/