#140, OTOH, Mike Hemphill, Co-director of Presidential Leadership Scholars program, part 1, Nov 14 2025

In this first part of our interview with Dr. Mike Hemphill, Co-director of the Presidential Leadership Scholars program, April and Glen learn how Mike's path from academia to leadership work shaped a simple but powerful belief: leadership grows out of real human interaction, not titles or formulas. He talks about why patience, curiosity, and reflection matter so much when we’re trying to communicate across differences, and how ideas from communication theory—and even jazz improvisation—help explain what good conversation really looks like. Mike also introduces the Presidential Leadership Scholars Program he co-directs, describing it as a hands-on “leadership lab” that brings together people from very different backgrounds and communities. Rather than teaching leadership from a textbook, the program focuses on storytelling, personal experience, and relationships, showing how listening, openness, and connection can broaden perspectives and help people lead more thoughtfully across political and cultural divides.