The Dr. John Bedker Leadership Podcast John Bedker

The issue of homelessness is a far too frequent presence in our lives. Cities across our nation offer a disturbing display of a challenging and multivariate public health issue. From resource funding, to training, knowledge, and experience for public health leaders, to every one of us; we must be aware and sensitive to help those in need. The challenges are numerous and the time to mitigate homelessness may be lengthy, but we all must be aware of our common call to help those in need. A particular mention of homeless veterans is offered.

Our world is troubled and it is turbulent. Leadership today is more needed and necessary than ever before. There is leadership strength in numbers. Each of us must speak up, speak out, and defend the truth, defend facts, and as we are all called to do: do the right thing. We know what the right thing is; the call to action for each of us is to do the right thing. 

This episode showcases an exemplary leader, Thurgood Marshall. The first African-American to serve as a Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States. A believer in realism, not textualism. A believer in equal protection.  Justice Marshall was a notable supporter of human, individual, and civil rights. In doing this he personified the quest of this podcast: do the right thing.

In this episode Dr. Bedker goes back to the very reason for this podcast; the halcyon call for leaders to “do the right thing.” In our troubled and turbulent world, leaders may find difficulty in doing the right thing. The case is made that doing the right thing, even in the most difficult of times, is the ultimate responsibility of leaders. Tell the truth, do not operate from fear, and give hope to those you lead.

In this episode, Dr. Bedker follows up on the Boeing leadership story that began in Episode 22. Follow-up is an important leadership competency and Dr. Bedker models this competency in this episode. Judgment and decision-making are highlighted. Incidents and events by suppliers and Boeing’s regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are documented. 

In this most important episode, Dr. Bedker discusses the current inflection point of U.S. global leadership. Does the United States retreat to isolationism and unravel the many global alliances that have accounted for peace and prosperity, or do we persevere in the grand experiment of democracy? Thought leaders and elected officials are quoted in this episode, from radio host Charlemagne Tha God to Ambassador John Herbst, to Dr. Fiona Hill. The article concludes by quoting Vice President Kamala Harris's remarks at the Munich Security Conference.