S5:E26🎙️ LIVE with Daniel D. Young (Multi Tracks Audio)

Hi, I'm John Maxwell. When the top companies in the world are looking for trainers, speakers, and coaches, there's one name that stands above the rest, and that's Maxwell Leadership. Our certified team members have gotten proven results for companies all over the globe, and our reputation, I'm proud to say, is second to none. Some of our members have risen to the top of their profession including the one you're going to meet today. I proudly introduce you to my friend Bob Fabien Zinga.

Welcome to the Leadership Success Podcast with your host, Coach BZ, where we help you lead with purpose and succeed with impact. If you're ready to grow into the kind of leader others want to follow, this podcast is for you. If you're determined to elevate your success and leave a lasting legacy, This podcast is for you. As my mentor, Dr. John C. Maxwell, reminds us, everything rises and falls on leadership. Our goal is simple: to inspire you, challenge you, and equip you with insights that can transform the trajectory of your leadership journey. Welcome aboard to another episode of the Leadership and Success Podcast with Coach B.

Hello, everyone. My name is Daniel D. Young, and I am grateful to be here with Coach BZ and this incredible leadership community. At my core, I'm not a motivational speaker. I'm a systems architect for human potential. For over 2 decades, I worked across government, HR, emergency management, and community leadership. And I've learned something critical: leadership doesn't fail because people lack vision, it fails because they lack infrastructure. That insight led me to create a framework called Honor Mode, a practical system that helps leaders turn values like integrity, family, service, and excellence into daily non-negotiable action. My newest work, Honor Mode Companion Empowerment Agenda Workbook, is designed to help leaders close the gap between what they believe, how they actually live and lead, especially under pressure. In this conversation, we'll talk about how to stop relying on willpower, how to engineer environments where excellence becomes automatic, and how to build leadership that lasts at work, at home, and in the community. I'm looking forward to this conversation. Let's build something that holds.

All right, everyone, welcome to another edition of the Leadership and Success Podcast. We have a very special guest for you waiting in the green room. So as is our custom, let's start with our moment of gratitude. This is where we take just a moment, many times less than a minute, uh, just to be grateful every time we meet. And part of the reason why I do this is because especially in the military, it's about, uh, 21 service members who commit suicide every single day. It's really an epidemic. And I believe being grateful is definitely something we can do to help with our mental health. So if you would with me, Maybe close your eyes, take a deep breath, slow down your nervous system, and put yourself in your happy place. Now think about one thing you are grateful for today. And I think today, like most days, I am really grateful for America. There is no country like it. America is a dream worth dying for. That's why I joined the US Navy about 21 years ago. The light that shines in the darkness, like President Reagan said, right? The city upon the hill. I know some people may argue we might be going into the wrong direction in the last couple of years, but I still have hope for America and for my fellow Americans, and I know that eventually we will do the right thing. America is such an important country. Here, and that is because we have something that the rest of the world just doesn't have. And I believe that has to do with our value, you know, what we stand for in this country. So, hold on a second. What happened? Uh, okay, I, I don't know what, what, what happened there, but, uh, anyway, I, I am grateful for, for the United States of America, and you guys can let me know, uh, in the comment what you are, uh, grateful for. So let me see if I can properly introduce our guest today. Today we are going to be speaking with the one and only Daniel D. Young. I'm really excited to welcome him to the show. He's a system architect and author, a creator of the Honor Mode framework, for a powerful live conversation on leadership that actually holds under pressure, right? Daniel, like I said in the intro, He doesn't just motivate people to try harder, but he actually designed infrastructure where excellence becomes automatic. And I really like that. So if you've ever struggled with a gap between your vision and execution, this podcast is for you. So Daniel D. Young has earned an MBA and an MHRM. He has several advanced degrees, but he's a system architect for human potential, community-centered leader, and author of Honor Mode. Companion Empowerment Agenda Workbook. His work helps leaders move from good intention to durable execution at home, at work, and in the community. So if you would please help me welcome to the Leadership and Success Podcast, Daniel D. Young. Good morning, Daniel. How are you doing today, sir?

Hello, good afternoon, and good morning, everyone, depending on where you are.

Oh, that's right. You are in Florida, so it's afternoon to you. It's still 9 o'clock here in beautiful California. What is one thing you are grateful for, Daniel?

Today, I'm honestly grateful for gratitude. Gratitude—

Daniel? Just one moment. That's one thing that happens sometimes when you do a live show. Okay, Daniel is back. Sorry, Daniel, I don't know what happened. You were saying that you were grateful for gratitude?

Yes, that is correct. Because it is the stabilizing force in my leadership architecture. Gratitude keeps the foundation from cracking. When the load gets heavy, it's what's gonna allow me to lead from a a practice of abundance rather than a place of stress.

Hmm. Wow. That is quite insightful. And if people met you for the first time, what is something about you that most people do not know?

I'm an academic warrior.

Wow.

I will advocate. I will advocate for education. I have more schooling than your average person.

Yes.

So, you know, you know, I— and what I mean by, by the warrior, you know, I will advocate and, and fight that we have, um, a concrete, um, foundation for, for our education. It gives children hope. It gives international exchange students the opportunity to go in and out of this country to learn. So this, um, system that, that I need the world to help me to design is based on me being an academic warrior.

Wow, thank you so much for sharing. And by the way, that's Daniela. She says she's grateful the snow has stopped. I know a huge portion of our country right now is under a winter storm and do appreciate that. So, and I guess Florida and California, we almost always have good weather all year long, which is very, very nice, except when you guys have hurricanes. That's pretty scary stuff. Uh, yes, I used to live in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. We would get tornadoes and all kinds of stuff, but anyway, I don't have to deal with that anymore. So how did your early life and family background kind of shape your worldview about leadership and responsibility?

My family gave me values, and but the— my career gave me the math.

Hmm. So When did you kind of realize that you weren't just interested in leadership, but in architecting systems to enable leadership?

I can go back early as kindergarten when we started coloring outside of the lines, when there had to be some type of structure there. The structure was, was the alignment that, that, that triggered in my mind early as a kid, that you have to continually build your own structure. And as we dive deeper, I'm going to talk about more of your internal code. So the internal coding was, was, was put on as early as I can remember.

Wow. And you said you pretty much learned your values from your parents growing up. Can you tell us more about those values?

Absolutely. I come from a neighborhood where it takes a village to raise a person. So I wasn't just raised by my parents. And in my community, we don't have the traditional families where there's a mother and a father. Some of us are raised by our grandparents, which personally mine had heavily influenced. I was raised by my, my grandparents, which was my— why I may come off as a little mature for, for my age at times and things like that. As growing up, they instilled so many values in me, and I'm so proud of them for, for the way they that they helped to shape and mold me. Therefore, I live by the, the sayings that you have to lead by example. They set the example. They didn't just tell me to do something. They actually did it and executed it. Wow.

That is, that is really quite insightful. And growing up like that, what sense of responsibility did that kind of I guess, push, push, push you to kind of, uh, uh, on growing up in, in such a neat community?

Yes, sir. It's dynamic and it's unique and it's all mine, but what it allowed me to do is uphold the Constitution above my personal interests. So it wasn't just about me. Anybody who knows me outside of work knows that I love family, I love community, I love building, I love seeing people thrive, and I love planting mustard-sized of faith into people to ignite hope.

Wow. So what was maybe the turning point for you in your career when you moved from execution to system design and infrastructure?

It was fear. I'm not a person who lives based on fear, but when there's a reorganization of an organization that's out of your control, a lot of people need, need mental help when they don't know where their next paycheck is going to come from. You can be the best worker and do nothing wrong, but the company may have to come to a close. And that, that is outside of your, your infrastructure. But at the same time, it starts to be a system overload of what are my next steps going to be in the transition phase. And period, I have to think about, are my skill sets going to continue to be aligned? Because I come from a world of technology, and I go to lunch and they done changed a whole new system up on me. You have to quickly adapt and, and the client, client may have a new request that comes in, and you have to look at the new request, look at the new shaping of your already built system, and come up with a very quick and strategic way to stand on your feet and make it.

Wow. So can you share maybe a leadership failure early in your career that might have become foundational to who you are today?

Yes, sir. Uh, being a voice, and what I mean by that, I had to learn that respect is mutual. Because there is an authoritative voice doesn't mean that my voice has to be dimmed. Uh, prime example, I was, uh, years ago, I was under a leadership of someone who wasn't the most positive person, but I had to let them know that, hey, you have to listen to me. And that's a part of respect. So we have to continually demand that respect, and you have to lead by that example. So I put them, um, in a space where I can be heard.

Wow, that is very, very brave. But really, to me, that's the foundation of leadership. You have to treat everybody with respect and dignity, no matter who they are, especially those who report directly to you. Because to me, true leadership is really serving others, not being served by others, I guess, which leads me to the question, how do you define leadership today, especially in contrast to common motivational narrative? Like I said in the intro, you don't see yourself as a motivational speaker, but you are definitely a system designer. So how do you see leadership from your standpoint?

Well, let me go to this data point. Um, I often speak about being raised by a matriarchal infrastructure where strong women like my grandmother and my mother and my aunts all had major influence. Um, they drove my advocacy for female leadership today. So going on that data point of matriarchal and female leadership, I view our female leaders as the highest form of integrity. They have honest conversations, um, and that honesty build substance. So our leaders today have to back up anything they say and do with the substance.

Hmm, that is powerful because the next question I was going to ask you is, uh, what are some of the biggest misperceptions most leaders have about leadership behavior today? So, and then, you know, how do you address them? You've already mentioned one is they don't listen to their, um, direct report, and two, they may not have substance. Anything else you can add about misconception of leadership and most importantly, what to do to address them?

Yes, sir. To close that gap, they need to build strategic relationships. How to communicate the vision. When I roll out to them the Honor Mode vision, they have to couple that with the organization's vision as well. I'm currently in the process of mentoring some of our veterans how to translate their military thinking into a corporate vision. So the same thought process and the same honor can be taken into leadership. Leaderships, again, have to build strategic relationships. They have to communicate the vision.

Mm-hmm. Wow. That is so key. And throughout your experience, especially working with veterans, that's very, very dear to my heart. What have you learned so far through your experience with them? Because to me, they really are American heroes. It's incredible, the work that we do in the military, especially for the pay that we do get compared to the industry. So what have you learned so far?

Yes, sir, that is correct. And to piggyback on what you're saying, serve with accountability.

Hmm.

Wow.

Very insightful. So let's talk about your Leadership philosophy framework, right? We're talking about system versus willpower. I think this is quite critical, probably one of the most important things we're going to be talking about today. You often say that infrastructure outperforms intent. What do you mean by that? What does it look like in practice?

I'll put it in a historical context. Um, when we look at history like the Jim Crow era, um, we often see what happens when humans use their brilliance to architect the systems of exclusion. It was a dark form of infrastructure that outperformed any individual's good intent.

Okay.

And when I add to that, today, you know, we talk about the diversity, the equity, and the inclusion of leadership frameworks. So we're simply re-engineering the infrastructure. And we're removing the structural bugs that pretty much prevent the excellence from flourishing. So my goal as the systems architect is to build safe havens.

So let's, let's bring it at the individual level, right? Let's say I'm an aspiring leader. I really like System vs. Willpower. I guess most people, I think they kind of know what they need to do, what they need to prioritize in order to achieve whatever goals they have. But for most of us though, we tend to be driven by the immediacy of the moment, right? Whatever is pleasurable right now or whatever is tempting us. And then we spend a lot of time and power or willpower and energy to fight the temptation instead of making it easier for us to really automatically focus toward our goal. Let me give you a simple example. When I was, for example, trying to lose weight, it was very difficult for me at first because everywhere I looked in my house, it was a bunch of junk food everywhere. So even if I wanted to eat healthy, I had to spend a lot of time and energy trying to fight the temptation to eat some snacks that was not healthy. So, once I decided to clean up my environment and make it easier for me to follow my proper diet, it became much easier, right? Because the energy I would have used to use my willpower to fight the temptation, now I could just focus on my goal. So, is it kind of how you see that applying at an individual level today?

Yes, sir. That is correct. And I call that— and this is a piece that's in my current book, it's Escaping the Validation Navigation, where we have to redefine the internal code with this. Earlier on in the conversation, I mentioned the internal code discovery as a kid growing up. Today we can put that into practice as an adult. For example, we often are navigating our lives looking in the lens of external checkpoints. Like you said, did I keep a folder or maybe some type of journal for the accountability? I talked about accountability and leadership, but we have to be accountable for ourselves if we haven't had an accountability partner assigned to us. So I often suggest and recommend having a partner for accountability. Hey Daniel, what are you doing today? Are you going walking? Are you going to the gym? You know, I need some motivation. You know, all in my fridge, all I see are the donuts, the cookies, the cupcakes, and all the good stuff that we want. Um, so with that being said, um, it's like a performance appraisal. You can assimilate that to working on your job, or even a student looking at their, their grades, um, looking at approval from others when, when it's self, when it's just you, when you don't have the accountability partner, that internal code comes to play.

Wow. That is so powerful. I really love having accountability partner. That's why even coaches have coaches, right? Because when I meet with my coach, we set goals and we say, okay, when I meet in 1 week or 2 weeks, then before we meet, I'm like, I need to make progress. I have to do something. I cannot just go and, oh, I'm sorry. I absolutely didn't do anything. We said I was supposed to be committed to. I was supposed to. So that forces me even when I don't really want to do it to actually get something done and get closer to my goal because I know my accountability partner is going to ask me, hey, what is your progress, Bizzy? What did you do since the last time we met? Just knowing that, I think, kind of motivates you to do the right thing, which reminds me again of another quote from one of my mentors. His name is Ardy. Actually, I have one of his books here. Darren Ardy, he says that people who are successful are very similar to those who are not. But one of the biggest difference between those who are successful and those who are not is that they are going to do what they need to do when they need to do it, whether they feel like it or not. Because successful people also don't like to do the things that are gonna make them successful, but they push themselves to just get it done whether they feel like it or not, and then they see results. So let me ask you, how do leaders then know when they need to build systems and not just set goals? We are still in the first month of the brand new year, 2026. Most people set their goals January 1st, and usually by February, the second week of February, they completely give up on all of their goals for the year. Why, why should we build system? When, when do we know when to do it?

When the system itself demands excellence from everyone, regardless of where, where you start. What you can do is, is find a leader who's tired of trying harder. And they're ready to start architecting, you know, when you— it's called the instantaneous rate of change. There's a mathematical formula, a calculation of when you identify that, You're tired of trying harder. It's almost like exercising your faith. It's an exercise, you know. Some people in our society today, for example, take the pandemic. People were just on their, their ends. The world was in a downward slope, but we cannot stop there. We have to heal, we have to rebuild, we have to keep loving, we have to keep living, we have to keep giving. And so that's a part of ready to start the architecture.

Okay, let's talk about your best-selling book, uh, Arnold Mode Companion Empowerment Agenda Workbook. How would you define Arnold Mode? What is it at its core?

Well, I, I, I want to go— I want to pivot on this piece for overcoming self-doubt, specifically in corporate America, because during my current transition phase, I was unsure of myself. For example, It was normal for me to doubt my own professional values, my ability to resume my career with success. However, I redirected my path and chose to refine my values through thought leadership, where I identified what was missing between my purpose and following my dreams. So I defined what I love, and therefore I pivoted into leadership, independence, research roles, and where I started treating every obstacle as a data point for a new success case study. In developing that, coupled with faith, uh, activation plan, which includes visualizing what you, you want to do, then actually doing it. And by exercising, um, that has spiritually matured me at the same time. So by, by redefining overcoming your self-doubts, which is major pivots all throughout the, the honor mode, which is why I entitled Empowerment. We get empowerment for overcoming. Overcoming self-doubt can be just our authentic, basic part of life.

I see. Actually, I like what you say about visualization too, because basically if you visualize something, that means you've already done it in your mind. So when you actually get to do it in your life, it's not the first time that you are exposed to it. That's probably one of the best ways I think our military is so strong, because we have a lot of exercises. We use a lot of visualization, virtualization. So we, we pretty much go through the entire exercise several times so that we know what our contingencies are and how we are going to react, so that when you are actually in the midst of it, in the fog of war, your muscles are already trained. You know exactly what to do, how to do it, and you just get into Action. So that is quite insightful. So how do you then differentiate Anomode with some other productivity or personal development framework?

I highly talk about integrity, which is like a circuit. If you say your identity doesn't match what you do is actually the action. So the circuit is going to break. Therefore, I created the Vision Cascade tool as an operating system that keeps that circuit closed.

Can you tell us more about that?

Yes, sir. And actually, I came up with the actual coin. See if it's able to get it— get in. There we go.

Yeah.

And what I was doing I was recycling the signal. There's a signal in the book, and it's inspired actually by Frederick Douglass, who was recently, uh, circulated. And, uh, while he was moved out of the 2026 currency program, I chose to recycle the signal to make sure that his standard of discipline remains a staple in our leadership today. So our leaderships have to remain disciplined Bob, when somebody comes in with an 8-piece bucket of chicken, like you said, in your diet, you may only be able to eat one piece. You don't have to eat the whole bucket, right?

Yes. Yes. Wow. Okay. That's, that's interesting. So let's talk a little bit about the gap between the vision and the execution. Why do you think most leaders kind of struggle to execute long-term vision, especially under stress?

They're putting their feelings in it. For example, expertise is not a feeling. It's the documented history of your consistency. People, what happens when you're a leader? You come in with the— what the French say, with the je ne sais quoi. You know what I mean? What happens when the je ne sais quoi fades? Nobody's going to follow you on your charisma. They're going to follow you on your consistency. For example, I use my 34-count of certificates or certifications from my corporate resume building experience to show that documentation is the infrastructure that actually makes, makes a leap safe if you want to leap into better leadership.

Wow.

Let's talk a little bit more about your book, Honor Mode. What inspired you to write This book?

Very good question. Going back to the academic warrior, in my studies in university, I was so inspired. I wrote How to Study Like an Honor Student. I was able to accomplish getting two master's degrees in the time that it would take to get just one. And people wanted to know, how did I do it? What were the—

and that's via Master of Business Administration and of HR management.

Human Resources Management. Yes, sir, that is correct. Wow. So I, I started out on the path. Thank you. Um, you know, I did a— and I also talk about pivoting and shifting a lot. I, I, um, I've always been a, a lifetime giver, and what better industry would human resources management, you know? So I went back to school, uh, changed jobs, changed careers, and everything in my life just shifted. And so in my studies Um, I wrote the How to Study Like an Honor Student. I was on giving panels and speeches and things like that, and the school was so proud. I ended up getting published in the Society for Human Resources Management, um, in the student section, and the school blew it up and put it on the wall. And when I walked out of the classroom, I was just blown away. And, you know, they were like, you know, you need to expand this into a book. So the history is there that this has been 10 works 10 years in the works. This is not something that I just wake up and one day I want to be great or known for this. It— hard work, legwork goes into anything that we want and need to make successful. So the, the thought, the idea, and the process stemmed from extensive education, research, study, and things like that to make our world a better place.

Now when we talk about academia, research, and study, usually everything is pretty much a theory, right? It's theoretical. So what do you think allowed you to go from theory to practical guided implementation? Because I think that's what your, your book is.

I call it the fishbowl effect. Uh, it's a state of operating within your true purpose where external pressure becomes silent and execution becomes effortless.

So in your book then, How does this workbook kind of structure to take someone from knowing their values to operationalizing them? How do you do it?

I coach or teach them to deliberately design their own systems, which is going to encompass your habits and environmental cues that make execution the path of least resistance.

So is there maybe somebody you had in mind when you wrote this book? Who is this book for?

Absolutely. It stemmed from, again, the matriarchal structure from my family, the strong women who bridged the gap and what a traditional family should be. You know, a lot of the people in my community did not have fathers, and our women are arsenal where they're, they're wearing the hat of a mother. They're going to work. They're being the father. They're being the What do you call them when the kid goes to school after studies, um, and gets their, their studies done? You know, they're taking out time to help you with your homework. They are so strong, and we have to continue to honor their legacy. So the legacy of the strong women in my family, it, it was already passed down. We just add to it.

That is quite fascinating. Can you maybe walk us through a real example of of someone you coach using your workbook and how they kind of saw some measurable change and what did that look like?

Yes, sir, that is correct. And in one of my recent roles, I worked as a cadre, a special— a specialist in emergency management. I have a lot of certifications and experience working in emergency management. And one of my mentees was, was someone who reported to me. His name is I don't know if I can mention his name, but nonetheless, one of my reportees, I would often do one-on-ones with them and I would take it from a coach perspective versus just me being your leader, your supervisor, or me telling you what to do. I always led by example, coached him to let him know that, hey, that you have to identify your inner GPS. Where are you going after our seasonal or temporary assignment ends? I want to set you up for success that way, that any position that you get in after being under my leadership, you're going to thrive, not just survive.

Wow, that is quite powerful. And you do have now several sections and exercises in your workbook. Which one do you think is one of the most transformative?

Really simple. As soon as you open that page up, and I've done extensive research, I've got focus groups together. I did different age groups, and the seniors love page number 1. They, they— it's, it's so— and we cannot forget about them. They are our gems and pillars in our communities, our seniors. They're full of great wealth and knowledge and information, and I love to be up under them, um, for those reasons. Um, but what I— what— when I did the focus group in the study with them, they like the fact that the visualization of a to-do list. They are old-fashioned, and it's kind of hard to change their minds from just a little notepad. And they liked how it was vivid. It seemed formalized, and it expanded their minds. Even at their age, they were receptive into taking what can be interpreted as high-level information and reduced to layman's terms.

Wow. That is quite powerful. I guess that's really what leadership is all about because Colin Powell, one of my primary mentors, I've read all of his work and I had a chance of meeting him. I think it was in 2015. I met him face to face. Great, great guy. But one thing he always says is leaders are great simplifiers, right? Because an educator usually, they take things that are usually pretty simple and they make it very complicated. You have to have like a PhD to understand what they're talking about. Whereas leaders, they take something that's very complex and complicated and they just make it simple where you can understand it, bring it down to where people can actually make use of it. So I think that's really what your book does. So today, how can leaders use Arnum Mode principles to build resilient team? For people who are listening right now, how can they use your work to build resilient teams?

As a contribution to the world, do understand that you do not deserve the Nobel Peace Prize without doing the work. Therefore, I would plant a mustard seed size of faith inside of everyone through a faith activation plan. I've talked about this plan earlier where there is an understating that faith without works is dead and needs and hopes to shape and challenge their belief policy through their own works and deeds.

So we're living in 2026, right? It's the age of artificial intelligence. There is a lot of volatility and complexity in society right now. Based on your book and your work, what do you think is the first thing a leader should do to stabilize a team?

True transformation. For example, from what I have seen, recognizing a pattern, a lot of people are waking up most days with anxiety and low mood due to the lack of intention. So leaders have to continually instill intention, which can signal— I'll put it this way, due to lack of intention can signal chronic stress. So to remedy, I actually created an intention tracker guide, and that's going to help others map out their day-to-day tasks with purpose and productivity. So we're mixing multiple things in, you know, that's why I incorporated a lot of emotional intelligence out there. You know, you can have the, the intention, but intention is not the, the main pillar of the formula. You have to add it with purpose and couple it with the productivity.

So it looks like really, based on your work, what's really important, uh, your core values and then your purpose. That's really what seems to be driving everything. So for somebody who's listening right now, especially if it was just starting in the workflow, workforce, what would you advise them? How do they find out what their core purpose or core values are? Do you have something for them to do to start that period of discovery?

Yes, sir. You have to take the— my one main action recommendation is to become an environment engineer where you take the ownership of working to fix underlying systems of your life so that Excellent reflects the leadership it takes to become the path of least resistance. For example, if, if at home personal things are going on, when you get to the workplace they may sprout out some type of way subconsciously. You may not want to— want it to— or you may think you have it all handled and together, but those things can, can, can, can easily slip out and manifest into your professional life.

Wow.

Very insightful. Okay. Let's get into the last segment of the show where I kind of focus on leadership principles that have helped you become who you are today. And maybe we can learn from your story, your experience, and your wisdom. I guess one of the first questions I'm gonna ask is, what do you think is the greatest lesson you have ever learned, whether in life, in leadership, or in general?

I would say greatest to date. I, I, I, in my, my belief system, the, the best is yet to come. I believe wisdom comes with, with age and, and maturity as well. Um, I'll go on the Grace piece. Um, just, uh, becoming the, the, the, the, the very best you. It's about grace. It's about Um, for example, forgiving the boy for what he didn't have to empower the man to give it to everyone else.

Hmm, wow. I guess you use psychology too. That's pretty profound. Say that one more time, please.

Yes, sir, that is correct. Um, uh, the grace piece. Um, for example, one day you'll use your experience to build a sanctuary of excellence. Let's say you're at a master's level right now, and what's after that? PhD. Or for the young person starting college that you and I are inspiring right now, the YouTube channel. Or for that person who's got that finesse, the podcast. So becoming the very coach you never had. Bob, I think earlier in conversation we mentioned about you may not have had what you wanted coming up, what you are today.

Yes.

So with that in mind, it's about grace. It's about forgiving the boy for what he didn't have, to empower the man to give it to everyone else. So people like you and me, we're actually writing out— uh, yes sir, we're creating the building blocks. You know, there, there hasn't been something like you and me. Wow.

That is very, very, very powerful. I think that's definitely maybe part of the reason why I was motivated most of my adulthood, right? Seeing something that you didn't have as a child and you're like, no, I'm gonna make sure the, my descendants, my children, my future children are going to get what I didn't get from so-and-so, from my parents or whatever. That's why that is quite powerful. So, uh, what do you think is the greatest leadership advice you have received?

So far, let me piggyback in just a second, Bob. When you mentioned, you know, again, wishing you had a coach growing up, it hit home with me. We often look at the lack of a lack as a weakness, but the system's architecture, that void is actually where the strength is being forged. So I would tell, you know, anybody coming up that, that, you know, your strength is being forged. You know, people may look at you, how did Bob survive or how did he get here today? They don't know your resilience going way back. You know, earlier when I talk about that internal code as a kindergartner, you know, I don't know what your transition age was where you identify, you know, you didn't have a culture or you wish, you know, just looking back, you know, that age frame. Yeah, things like that.

Wow, that is powerful. So what, what do you think is the greatest leadership advice you've received so far?

Well, Bob, you, you've said that integrity is the alignment with identity in, in previous shows, so that's a very technical way to look at character. How does the alignment work in the real world? A lot of times we get these, these rules and these groundworks, these things are outdated, so we have to, uh, just use a lot of wisdom, uh, from older people. They say just use common sense. We have to with that, uh, take a look at our character again and align it to what is going to work in the real world.

Wow. So let me ask you this then. What do you think is, uh, the secret of your success, right? People would say, just looking at where you come from, maybe broken family, raised by your grandparents, you've had a lot of, uh, challenges, but now you have two master's degrees, you are working with the military in emergency management, you are a bestselling author. Like, why Why do you think you are so successful? Why do you defy the odds, you think?

Very good question. Give me a second to think about that. Can I, can I ask you to actually repeat the question?

Yes. What is the secret of your success? Why, why are you so successful despite all of the challenges you've had to face throughout your entire life?

Uh, instantly I can just think about, about women again. For example, uh, my, my dream team, in no specific order, uh, Michelle Obama, Mrs. Oprah Winfrey, and even Martha Stewart. Yeah, because I have always strongly supported and respect women in leadership because they have shown consistent professionalism and morality is shown in their works and lives. Wow.

That is powerful. I think this is the third time you are mentioning women in leadership. Just a quick plug. I'm probably going to do this again at the end of the show, but on Wednesday I'm going to be speaking to an expert. Her name is Alison Walsh. She's the author of She Believed She Could. We're going to be talking about She Believed She Could, a masterclass in women's leadership. Now I do believe that leadership doesn't have a gender. Whatever these women have done to be successful, you can apply the same principle even being a man and you should see the same result. But I think it's kind of good. Like I sometimes joke, if it wasn't for my dog, right, I would be the only male in my house. I have a wife and I have two daughters. But yeah, my mother is probably one human being who had the most impact on my life trajectory in my life for sure. So I completely understand where you come from and thank you so much for sharing that. I actually think if we had more women in leadership, we probably would have a much more peaceful world. That's just my opinion. Okay. Let me ask you this. What are you learning right now? I know leaders are learners. What have you been learning lately?

You know, often great scholars say kind of in a reference to the Bible, you know, you learn by listening, which is why I have a recommendation, the Behavioral Infrastructure Podcast. I launched that platform because in my work as also as an instructional design specialist, and I'm also a Google Certified Coach. I noticed a critical gap. Leaders have great intent, but their systems don't support it. If you want to understand how to design an audit-proof environment from an online classroom to federal training materials, um, the show is going to break down the technical and the cultural blueprints required to make excellence the path of least resistance. Um, it's specifically designed for the academic warrior who varies who values very verified credentials and systemic results over empty space fillers. So a lot of times we're just filling stuff in with jargon and empty space when we have a whole arsenal of validity. For example, when I teach— I did a masterclass on rockstar resumes and LinkedIn profiles. A lot of the military men on there, and even It was for a global class. So we had people from India, the Philippines, and it was UK. It was really exciting. And a lot of them asked, you know, you know, how can you best present all of your credentials? And is it a bad thing to have those credentials? Absolutely not. No, like the military, they want all of the goodies that you have. So again, it's putting in perspective your verified credentials. And systemic results over that empty space fillers. You have things to fill in, valid, high credential, high level things, you know, to best showcase the best you.

Wow, that is quite powerful. So we've talked a lot about your successes, your books, your degree, and all of the great work you are doing. What about failure? How has failure shaped your life?

I want to talk about appreciate— uh, an appreciation before I get into that. A must-watch is Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s complete sermon, uh, which includes the I Have a Dream speech. Because with that thought and appreciation of the behavioral infrastructure, um, is the continued need for, um, all types of rights. For example, civil rights protection and the hope for those rights to have a lasting legacy.

Yes.

So if we take— think about that, about Dr. King's, uh, speech, his sermon, uh, coupled with an appreciation for the behavioral infrastructure, we're going to constantly be looking at that internal code. So therefore, when there's any type of doubt, any type of, uh, refinement needed through a failure. For example, failure taught me that grit is a system. So not just as an emotion that we feel, where it shifted my focus from willpower to building the actual behavioral infrastructure itself. Okay.

Hmm. And what do you think is one of the greatest fears you've ever had to overcome?

Um, in corporate America, it was a, a feeling, a feeling that I had to do something for my boss. I have to do this because of how I'm going to receive, what their expectations are. But I had to refine, um, myself through, through that fear. For example, when you have to do something for the boss, that's called the compliance. However, to do this because of who I am, that's the internal demand.

Hmm. And what did you kind of learn through that experience?

Again, I would encourage anybody through any type of feelings of fear, doubt, or failure, you have to develop a faith action plan, which has to include again that visualization, what you want to do, then actually doing it. And by exercising that, those thoughts and those beliefs constantly, you know, we have to revisit them. Have you ever had to think about it, a time you had to go back and and say, hey, this paper was written well, but let's put a second pair of eyes on it and maybe work together to help refine it.

Yes. Wow. So let me ask you this. If you could choose 3 people to have dinner with, right, they could be alive, dead, or even fictitious characters, who would you choose and why?

I'm going back to my— I'm sticking with my same answer. It's the same. My dream team, Michelle Obama, Miss Oprah Winfrey, and even Martha Stewart, um, because I've always strongly supported and respected women in leadership because that's who I was raised by. Again, my story is mine and, and it's my own. Um, I want to go back to their consistent professionalism, and morality is key. They've shown those things in, in their, their works, in their, their lives. So if we were to cut on the television today and we're just looking for a, a leader, we should be able to zero in on our government and make sure that any of those elected leaders sitting in those seats often are exercising morality, instilling hope and protection into our lives, and therefore we're creating a lasting legacy together.

Yeah, Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Martha Stewart— that's a very, very good, good list. Now, usually I'll talk at least about one book outside of your own. In the green room, you mentioned this book. I've never read it. Black Labor, White Wealth. Why should my audience read this book?

Bob, we were just talking about the difference between compliance, doing it because you're told to, on demand, doing it because the system that you have built for yourself requires it. And in this book, Dr. Claude Anderson dives deep on those things. He also talks about gratitude as well, which is a stabilizing force in my leadership architecture.

Yes.

Another one I want to highly suggest and recommend that I'm reading as well. It is The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.

Yeah. By Stephen Covey. Actually, I have it here. Yeah, that has been recommended several times on this podcast just the last couple of years. Thank you so much for, for sharing that. I love that book. And is there maybe a song, a book, or even a movie that would be your life's theme or anthem?

Absolutely. Immediately I can think of a poem as a life anthem. Dr. Maya Angelou's "Still I Rise" is a defiant anthem of resilience, dignity, and self-worth. And I personally resonate with that poem. With the theme the most because it ensures that no leader's vision is lost due to a lack of supporting infrastructure and rising above oppression, then reclaiming power.

Yeah, that poem, it really breaks me every single time I hear it. It is quite powerful, especially the verse It almost makes me cry every, every, every, it doesn't matter how often I hear this poem. Towards the end when she says, man, out of the hurts of East Richemont, I rise up from a past that's rooted in pain, I rise. I am a black ocean, leaping and wide, wailing and swelling, I bear in the tide. Leaving behind nights of terror and fear, I rise in a daybreak that's wondrously clear. I rise bringing the gift that my ancestors gave. I am the dream and the hope of the slave. Every time I read this, my heart just breaks and I start crying. It's just so powerful. I Rise, I Rise, I Rise.

Wow.

Thank you for sharing that. One of my best poems ever. It really talks about resilience and what we are as a people. You really cannot destroy the human spirit no matter what. Out of nothing, we can rise from the ashes and still build a future. It's just too powerful. Okay, I'm going to stop talking. I'm going to start crying. Okay, thank you. Thank you so much for sharing that. If you had one and only one day to live, what would you have liked your final contribution to be?

Okay, let me think about that. Well, as a servant leader, I always identify that there is always sunshine after the rain. So therefore, when there's the darkest and most difficult season arising in your life, you can always choose the best path, which is to remain positive. On that last day, I look at it as a positive, positive day and a positive thing to do. I will still put a mustard seed size of faith into people. My lasting contribution and gift would still be to give. Wow.

Very inspirational. We're talking about legacy long after You are gone. Your life did matter. Wow. So if you had a magic wand and you could solve any problem at all, what is the one problem you'd like to solve first thing tomorrow morning?

Oh, um, concrete role models. Again, I, I would encourage anyone to turn on their television, click that button, and get immediate access to the constitutional leaders. For example, President and Vice President, not because of who they are as individuals, but because of what their role should constantly exercise. For example, when to build strategic relationships, how to communicate vision, who to mentor and prepare successors. What to serve with accountability, and how to uphold the Constitution above personal interests. Those role models' networking, mentorship, and their responsibility are at the highest level. They show the world what leadership looks like when it's grounded in service, clarity, and integrity, honest conversations, substance, and legacy for everyone. So Bob, me and you, we the people, must remember at the end of the day to understand that these are norms, standards, and traditions in relation to what's important to us as a nation, verifying American values by enforcing what rules we are to follow and how to make them accountable when they are not.

So basically, if you could solve any problem, you would like to make sure that everybody who's in leadership is actually a role model and living by our national values. Is that what you're saying?

Yes, sir, that is correct. And I want to elaborate. Translation: we want to have our leaders lead by example.

Yes.

Again, we're not just handing out Nobel Peace Prizes is. Yeah, we do the legwork. You don't become Commander Bob. Yeah, the minute Daniel waves the magic wand and says you're Commander Bob, you went to infantry. You show up every day with your beautiful polished shoes, creased pants. Yes. And you follow all the processes and the norms, and you build yourself. You earn that spot. You earn that reward. You know what I mean? You don't just earn a platform. It may be given to you, but it may quickly dissipate if we're not being accountable.

No, I think that is, that is very insightful. We definitely need more leaders who really truly lead by example, especially in the highest position in the country or within organization. So we are getting toward the end of our podcast. That's where I ask, what can my audience do to give value back to you? Thanks so much for giving us your time today. So I have your LinkedIn page here, if it works. So I'm asking people to follow you on LinkedIn. Anything else they should do to add value back to you, sir?

Uh, definitely, uh, follow me on, on, on all platforms. Um, and, um, I'll make sure, sure to have that in the comments after after the show.

Very good. And, uh, okay, it's, it's not working, but I was, I was showing your, your LinkedIn profile. And also, I want everybody to get a copy of your book. Now, before we end, is there a question I should have asked you that I didn't get a chance to ask?

Let me think about that.

Um, anything else you wanted to share?

Not that I can think of right now.

Okay. So one of the most important questions I ask on the show is if you could go back and give a piece of advice to your 17-year-old self standing at the edge of this incredible career you've had, what would you say to 17-year-old Daniel?

Daniel, what would I say to you? To 17-year-old Daniel? Um, actually, I'm gonna include you into this answer. I would tell that the 17-year-old version of us, that chip on your shoulder is actually a microchip, and that feeling is not having a coach. That's your internal strength builder. You aren't being neglected, you're being self-coded. I talk all throughout the book about the internal code. Now we switch to self-coding So go back and tell him again that internal strength builder is a good thing.

Hmm. Well, that's a good way of looking at it. Okay. We are at the end, so it's going to be just a couple of minutes. We're going to do rapid fire, right? I'm going to ask questions, you answer quickly. Don't take too long to think. Okay. What is one word that defines great leadership? One word.

Integrity.

Okay. Morning routine or practice that keeps you grounded? Prayer. A book or a quote that changed your life?

Still I Rise.

Who inspires you most today?

My family.

Leadership habit you refuse to compromise on? Leadership habit you will do no matter what, you refuse to compromise?

Remain honest.

Okay. What is a question that every leader should ask themselves frequently?

What's a strength I can build on?

Hmm. So what did you want to be when you were a kid?

Believe it or not, the dream has come to full fruition. An author, a writer, a scholar.

Congratulations. So very few people actually do what they wanted to do when they were kids. Pretty cool. What are 3 adjectives describing you as a child?

Wow. Okay. Hmm. Creative, dynamic, and bold.

As an adult?

Creative, dynamic, and bold.

Good. So you're very consistent. All right. I like to end on a high note. What is something you are feeling optimistic about?

Hmm. Encouraging someone today.

Hmm. Powerful. All right. And the very, very last question is, what is one word that represents our shared experience in this podcast today? Hmm.

Safe haven.

Well, thank you so much, Daniel Deyoung, for sharing your expertise and being one of our master teachers today. And again, I encourage everyone to please get a copy of the Honor Mode Companion Empowerment Agenda Workbook. Book. Thank you for the contribution you do to our community on the Leadership Success podcast. Really a great honor and pleasure to speak to you. Thank you. Appreciate that.

Thank you.

Well, everyone, this was quite one for the book. Again, please follow Daniel on LinkedIn.com/meetdanielyoung and get a copy of his book. And he's also mentioned his podcast is something to watch for. All right. I really appreciate you being here with me today. Just a quick reminder, I think in about an hour I will continue on the ancient wisdom mentoring from the book of Proverbs. This is a special edition of the Leadership and Success Podcast, which we started on January 1st. We're gonna continue until the end of the month, the 31st. Today on January 26th, we're gonna be studying Proverbs chapter 26. Again, nothing to do with religion, but it's about ancient wisdom from a book written more than 2,000 years ago, how it still applies today. We're going to be looking at the leadership lessons. So I will do Proverbs chapter 26 today and 27 tomorrow. And then on Wednesday, I will have a privilege— I already mentioned I'll be speaking with Allison Walsh. She's written, uh, She Believes She Could, best-selling book by Wiley. She's a transformational brand builder, a growth strategist, best-selling author. I believe she was Miss Florida too. So we're going to be, uh, really discussing— it's going to be a master class in women's leadership. And like I said, uh, to Daniel, women's leadership applied to male as well. So I wish, I hope you are going to be here and bring in your question. And we're going to be answering those live. Okay, that's all I have planned for you today. Thank you so much for watching this edition of the Leadership and Success Podcast. Hope to see you in about an hour for the study in the book of Proverbs chapter 26. Bye for now.

Thank you for tuning in to the Leadership and Success Podcast with your host, Coach BZ. If today's episode added value to your leadership journey, be sure to subscribe, share, and join us again for more wisdom nuggets on how to lead better and achieve greater success. Remember, leadership is the most critical skill of our time. The world will always need leaders to inspire others, drive innovation, and execute meaningful strategy. So why not count yourself among the bold leaders shaping the 21st century? Until next time, stay inspired, stay committed, and keep leading with excellence.