'Leading the Way' Podcast: Bill French, CEO Armed Services YMCA

Have you ever thought about the well-being of the families of those young men and women who enlist in the United States Armed Services?  Bill French, CEO of the Armed Forces YMCA, does every single day as his organization creates programs that specifically support families as they transition through the beginning of their military career.

This award-winning non-profit organization is ranked at the top of the list for effectiveness and fiscal responsibility. Bill tells us how they accomplished such an important and meaningful achievement. French retired in 2014 as a Vice Admiral in the United States Navy after 35 years of service and he shares with us his experience as a leader in the military and the similarities of leading in the non-profit sector. We discuss the collaboration between other major companies that make what they do so successful. Developing leaders, encouraging the power of family, and building a military community on the local level is essential to strengthening the backbone of America and ASYMCA is there every step of the way.

Also in this podcast, i4cp CEO Kevin Oakes shares what high-performance organizations are doing, more today than ever before, to support the agile family dynamic of an evolving workforce. He elaborates on the importance of the growing popularity of volunteerism in the workplace.

Key Soundbites  

• On volunteerism – “Only 1% of our population currently serves in the military in one of the services. So, 99% of it can spend a little bit of time volunteering to make a difference, and for those that make that commitment to live a life of service to make sure that our country continues to be safe and protected.”
  
• On collaboration – “If something comes up where there’s a need, we can see whether or not that falls within our authority, and then we work within the families we work with on the bases, we work with whoever we need to and in some cases, we work with other non-profits, so these families can get what they need to have the quality life that they deserve.”  
  
• On giving back – “I think every one of us can give back in some way, whether you serve in a non-profit, whether you work for a non-profit, whether you do something at your church, whether you volunteer at your school, whether you’re a coach, and make a difference in the community.”  
  
• On leadership – “It’s all about pulling people together in teams. It is just a matter of figuring out what the priorities are and then how do you invest in the folks necessary to go accomplish those goals and objectives you need.”                                                                                                           
  

About Leading the Way  

Leading the Way is a weekly radio show and podcast series that highlights influential business leaders and leading people practices from i4cp. Co-hosted by Emmy award-winning television anchor and radio host, Scott Murray, and i4cp’s Angel Carlton, the show features interviews with respected business leaders from the world of business, sports, entertainment, healthcare and philanthropy.  

The show airs live every Sunday at 4 pm CT on KLIF 570 in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, the global audience is invited to listen live on www.klif.com  and the weekly podcast debuts on iTunes or Google Play and the i4cp website the following week.