Martin Gutmann is an expert on the history of business and has written extensively about styles of past leaders. In this episode, he shares his thoughts on everything from today’s political climate, to whether he thinks Ernest Shackleton is overrated (spoiler alert –he does), to the underrated excellence of less well-known figures in history.

Blayne Smith and Brandon Young are two US Army combat veterans who came together in civilian life to start their own company. They’ve now published a new book, Co-Authors of Perseverance > Endurance: Lead with Resilience. Grow Through Adversity. Win Together, in which they describe invaluable lessons that they’ve learned from their training, the battlefield, and life since their time in the service.

This episode explores the work of Echoing Green, an international non-profit that invests in social entrepreneurs and their dreams and ideas. An accomplished leader and executive herself, Cheryl Dorsey explains how she first came to the organization and the great work they continue to do under her leadership.

David McCullough got the idea for The American Exchange Project (AEP) after a cross-country trip showed him how diverse and accepting were the people he met. Today, AEP creates opportunities for recent high school graduates to experience life in a different part of the US, building bridges of understanding and creating lifelong friendships. It’s McCullough’s hope that these trips will someday be as common for high schoolers as the senior prom.