The Driftless Trek Podcast is a production of Driftless Leadership, LLC
Strength In The Middle Of The Ring
S4 E10:
In a world of weaponized decisions and polarized voices, what does authentic leadership look like? Tom and I discuss how reverence and rules of engagement can steady leaders caught in culture wars. Through boxing lessons and military wisdom, they reveal that “strength in the middle of the ring” isn’t weakness—it’s strategy. Tom explains: “A good opponent makes you stronger.” Discover what modern courage really means when both sides are screaming.
10:14
Muscles Need Resistance, Minds Do Too
S4 E9:
In this episode, Tom and I discuss emerging technologies, including AI, and whether they are leaving us “information rich but maybe insight poor” as it takes over our writing, planning, and thinking. Through Tom's stories of dairy farmers, cardiologists, and century farms, we explore how real growth happens through resistance, patience, and temperance. Discover why “too much of a good thing is still too much” and how to cultivate strong minds while faithfully serving others.
12:23
S4 E8:
Today we’re talking about something that touches all of us: the difference between bullies who demand respect and leaders who earn it. We’ve all encountered people in positions of authority who resort to intimidation when their emptiness is exposed. But what does true leadership look like? How do we recognize virtue and courage in action?
My friend and mentor, Tom Thibodeau, will use personal stories to help us understand how virtue is learned by witnessing it in others, from everyday acts of moral courage to profound profiles like John McCain and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This conversation challenges us to ask: in 2026, who will we respect—the bullies, or those who stand for principle regardless of consequences?
9:18
Slow Down. Think. Lead With Purpose.
S4 E7: My friend and mentor, Tom Thibodeau, joins me again on The Driftless Trek, and this time, he steeps us in the practice of contemplation and why it is essential for authentic leadership. Always on point, Tom examines for us how contemplative practices improve workplace culture, citing Google’s 30% increase in civility and Emory Medical School’s integration of meditation into physician training. He make a compelling case for how slowing down—finding just 15 minutes daily to think—enables creative problem-solving, moral courage, and genuine service to others.
11:23
The Company of The Strangers We're Missing
S4 E6: In this episode, this season's guest, Tom Thibodeau, helps us understand why we’ve never been more connected and disconnected at the same time. Tom cites how the breakdown of primary relationships, the loss of neighborhood connections, and the decline of what he calls “third places” have left us substituting technology for genuine human friendship.
In connecting us again to the Cardinal virtues, Tom reminds us that we were born for connection, and nothing replaces human friendship and love.
10:39
Beyond Algorithms: The Human Creative Spirit Lives
S4 E5: In this thought-provoking episode, Tom Thibodeau and I explore humanity’s creative essence in an AI-dominated world. Tom shares profound insights about creativity, courage, and curiosity, drawing from Mayo Clinic’s innovative approach to storytelling festivals and natural wonder. As he beautifully states, “The creative spirit is part of all of us.” Discover how human creativity transcends artificial intelligence, connecting us to everything from musical performances to the communication networks of trees in our verdant Coulee region landscape.
9:59
S4 E4: In a world where artificial intelligence is QUICKLY reshaping everything from healthcare to education, how do we maintain our moral compass when many times, it feels out of control and catapulting forward without constraints? Today’s conversation with Tom Thibodeau, Distinguished Professor of Servant Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, examines this critical question through the lens of three ancient virtues: temperance, wisdom, and courage. Enjoy!
8:45
Welcome Back: Teaching Is Love Made Visible Every Day
S4 E3: Veteran educator, Tom Thibodeau, Distinguished Professor of Servant Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, WI, shares with us his profound insights on the true purpose of education in this inspiring back-to-school message. Exploring the Greek foundations of learning - Tom reminds us that “Teaching is an act of love each and every day,” emphasizing that all professional educators exist today because someone took time to love them. It's a special 'welcome back' message for the many educators who follow the 'Driftless Trek™' podcast.
11:06
'Virtues Are The Hinges You Build On'
S4 E2: Tom Thibodeau and I start our Season Four Driftless Trek with the Cardinal Virtues. From baseball diamonds to boardrooms, learn why “the first step to humility is embracing your strengths” and how character truly develops through challenges, not victories. As always, the conversation with Tom reveals poignant leadership insights. In this episode it's all about the balance one has in the Cardinal Virtues of wisdom, temperance and courage. Enjoy the message! Cherish the memorable 'nuggets'.
9:41
Leadership Dialogues: A Preview of Our Season 4 Topics
S4 E1: The 25-26 school year is soon upon us, and the Driftless Trek Podcast will deliver -- again -- a series of pertinent leadership topics in support of educators and all leaders. In this episode, I provide a list of topics that my friend and mentor, Tom Thibodeau, and I, will be discussing over the next several months. We are excited to have you join us. Share the Driftless Trek Podcast with other leaders as you wish!
8:44
S3 E10: Words have power. Words have meaning. We can use them to unite and provide dignity to one another, or we can use them to tear people and organizations down. As servant leaders -- as always -- let's choose the former as our mode of operation in everything we say and do.
7:33
Accountability: Mentor More Than Monitor
S3 E9: As educators, we are living in a world increasingly impacted by metrics and measures and KPI's and scorecards. There's certainly a place for numbers. But we should avoid the pressures to use numbers-for-the-sake-of-numbers for accountability. My friend and mentor, Tom Thibodeau, Distinguished Professor in Servant Leadership at Viterbo University, joins me in this episode to discuss accountability for servant leaders. Enjoy!
14 :52
Staying Positive In The Grinder
S3 E8: For educators, spring time can be the most challenging time of the year. There is so much going on, and it sometimes feels like things are coming at your faster than ever. It is difficult for leaders to stay positive when they find themselves overwhelmed. How does one handle that? Tom Thibodeau, Distinguished Professor of Servant Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wi has some insights. Enjoy!
6:45
"Sunday used to be a day of rest....."
S3 E7: Join me and my friend/mentor Tom Thibodeau, Distinguished Professor of Servant Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, WI, as Tom suggests ways in which leaders who find themselves feeling down or overwhelmed or just full of anxiety can reset themselves. It's great wisdom (as usual) from someone who knows!
5:27
".....does anyone really have privacy?"
S3 E6: Of course, a leader must be visible in the community and the organization they lead. My friend and mentor, Tom Thibodeau, distinguished professor of servant leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin, has some interesting things to say about visibility and privacy! Enjoy.
7:51
The Driftless Trek Podcast dates back to 2023. You can enjoy prior episodes here.
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