What does it take to build a championship football program that shapes not just great athletes but exceptional leaders?

In this episode of Leadership Blueprints, host BJ Kraemer sits down with Frank DeLano, Head Football Coach at Haddonfield Memorial High School, to explore how to build a winning culture rooted in relationships, values, and community, and his leadership lessons from decades of success on and off the field.

Frank explains the origins of his “we” philosophy, the mission statement that guides his coaching, and how creating a sense of belonging for every player can change a team into a family. He delves into the challenges behind youth sports culture, the pitfalls of early specializations, and the importance of relationships, communication, and core values in a “me-first” world. He also shares how to cultivate team culture, develop leaders, and leave the game better than you found it.

Tune in to learn how to lead with purpose, passion, and humility with Frank DeLano.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Frank’s coaching mission statement and the values that shape his leadership.
• Why he chose to eliminate individual awards from his football program.
• Find out what his “we, not me” philosophy looks like on and off the field.
• Why relationships and communication are essential for meeting kids where they are.
• The benefits of multi-sport and the dangers of youth sports specialization.

Quotes:

“I have always loved the passion of the X and O part of football. I always knew that being a fan simply wasn’t good enough.” — Frank DeLano

“Rules are for people who don’t have discipline. Standards are for those who want to be elite.” — Frank DeLano

“[Coaches] didn’t invent [football] and our job is to make this game a little bit better than when we found it.” — Frank DeLano

“Clinic seasons are great; they’re also dangerous. Because you might sit in front of someone for 45 minutes, they’ve got this wonderful idea, and they never told you what went wrong.” — Frank DeLano

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Frank DeLano

Haddonfield Memorial High School

InSideOut Coaching: How Sports Can Transform Lives

Do You Love Football?: Winning with Heart, Passion, and Not Much Sleep

Fearless: How an Underdog Becomes a Champion

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BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

It’s easy to assume that growth comes from adding more, but it often actually requires doing less with greater intention.

Today on the Leadership Blueprints Podcast, BJ sits down with Jeff Evenson, Scaling Strategist at Scaling.com, where he helps clients 10x their business in three years or less, which Jeff describes as the “impossible goal”. Tuning in, you’ll find out what it really means to grow a business strategically, including compressing timelines to sharpen decision-making, learning how to distinguish signal from noise, and setting clear boundaries around what not to pursue. Jeff introduces the concept of “frame, floor, focus,” and explains how simplifying priorities can unlock higher-impact opportunities. He also explores the identity shift required of leaders as their roles evolve, and why coaching and accountability are essential to sustaining progress.

Listen in for a grounded, practical perspective on leading and scaling with intention!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Using time as a tool to force better decisions and innovation.
• The concept of signal vs. noise in business decisions.
• Identifying which opportunities are distractions rather than true growth paths.
• Introducing “frame, floor, focus” as a scaling framework.
• Setting a floor to define what work and clients to say no to.

Quotes:

“The impossible goal is a 10x goal, but the more impossible piece of it is to collapse and use time as a tool.” — Jeff Evenson

“If we use time as a tool, we can force people to think differently and create innovative pathways to get to that 10x goal in a much shorter timeframe.” — Jeff Evenson

“That floor will indicate what things we can do, and, more importantly, what things we say no to.” — Jeff Evenson

“Personally, professionally, having somebody [who] is always in your corner, yet is also relatively rigorous with accountability, is a superpower.” — Jeff Evenson

“Our goals and our future self really shape who we are today.” — Jeff Evenson

“The goal is just a tool. We don't want it to be a cudgel or a punishment or anything like that. We want it to be a tool, a useful tool that challenges our thinking and really shapes our decision making now.” — Jeff Evenson

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Jeff Evenson on LinkedIn

Jeff Evenson Email

Scaling.com

The Science of Scaling: Grow Your Business Bigger and Faster Than You Think Possible

Bill Watkins on LinkedIn

Dan Sullivan Books

Benjamin Hardy Books

Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork

10x Is Easier Than 2x: How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More by Doing Less

Freddie Kim on LinkedIn

MILSPEC TALENT

Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS)

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

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BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

Setting priorities and staying aligned is essential in business. But without the right systems, it’s only a matter of time before you get caught up in day-to-day operations and lose sight of the bigger picture.

Since 2018, MCFA has been using quarterly reviews to set a 90-day cadence, allowing teams to align efforts, set priorities, and ensure clarity across teams. In this solo episode of Leadership Blueprints, BJ Kraemer discusses the importance of quarterly reviews and how they connect your long-term vision with your daily actions. He shares why setting up robust systems is essential for staying focused on larger targets, emphasizing the role of weekly check-ins and accountability in turning plans into meaningful progress. BJ also explores how you can apply quarterly thinking beyond work to your personal goals and growth.

Listen in for a practical framework to reset your focus and make the most of the next 90 days!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Using a 90-day cadence to align efforts, set priorities, and get clarity.
• The gap between annual reviews and reactive daily work.
• Using quarterly reviews to connect your long-term vision with your daily actions.
• Understanding your limitations and how to make trade-offs.
• The 90-day challenge: define priorities, build a plan, and track weekly progress.

Quotes:

“We are going to prioritize where we're going to invest our time, our energy, our creativity, and our focus for the next 90 days.” — BJ Kraemer

“This is our chance to synchronize everybody's efforts, get everybody back on the same page and make sure that we're really working on the hardest things.” — BJ Kraemer

“Even though I've been doing this for eight years, there are different parts of my life where I get out of sync with the discipline of a 90-day world.” — BJ Kraemer

“We can't do it all. – There is a limitation to what we can invest, whether that is our own time or reinvesting company profitability. There's always a limitation. So you have to really be good with understanding trade-offs.” — BJ Kraemer

“The quarter, [or] the 90-day world is short enough to create urgency, [and] long enough to actually give yourself time to create change.” — BJ Kraemer

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS)

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

Leadership Blueprints Podcast on YouTube

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

What does it take to lead major infrastructure projects when the work is complex, there are many stakeholders, and the outcome must last for decades?

In this episode of Leadership Blueprints, we sit down with Brian Pieplow, Chief Project Development Officer at MCFA, to explore how project development leaders transform big ideas into tangible, resilient realities. Brian shares the path that shaped his work in planning and the built environment, and he breaks down how he approaches planning and problem-solving across disciplines. He also explains why diverse teams create better outcomes and why strong coordination matters when projects involve public agencies, private partners, and long timelines.

Tune in now!

Key Points From This Episode:

• The “MCFA is ME” idea and how MCFA reinforces a people-first approach.
• Hear why diverse team backgrounds improve how projects get developed and delivered.
• Explore how curiosity and continuous learning show up in Brian’s day-to-day work.
• Learn why the built environment needs different skillsets working together to succeed.
• How professional networks can help solve problems more quickly and unlock new opportunities.

Quotes:

“Life is more than a sum of transactional experiences.” — Brian Pieplow

“When new developing staff or new talents come in and find an environment [and get to] create their own journey and thrive, it’s extremely exciting.” — Brian Pieplow

“I think a lot of challenges in our industry, particularly design professionals [and] engineering professionals, don’t know is that there is a business side as well.” — Brian Pieplow

“There really isn’t a problem we shouldn’t be able to figure out how to solve.” — Brian Pieplow

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Brian Pieplow

Brian Pieplow on LinkedIn

The 4-Hour Workweek

Make No Little Plans

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BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

Most leaders believe the lie that “hustle” is the only path to success. But true success is actually an optimized daily experience sustained over time. When you neglect your physical, mental, and spiritual health, you become a reactive leader-swinging a dull axe and working harder for fewer results.

In this episode, BJ explores the powerful intersection of servant leadership and personal sustainability. Through the classic leadership parable of the Two Lumberjacks and a personal story about how his mom embodied servant leadership, he unpacks what it truly means to lead by serving others. Most importantly, he explains why protecting your ability to serve requires intentional leadership maintenance and practical frameworks for long-term sustainability.

Don’t miss another insightful episode of Leadership Blueprints with BJ Kraemer.

Key Points From This Episode:

• What servant leadership is all about.
• Why we can’t forget about the sustainability of servant leadership.
• The importance of renewing ourselves: mind, body, and spirit.
• What it means to sharpen the saw.
• Why it’s essential to protect your ability to serve to build an incredible career.

Quotes:

“When your instinct, [and] your life or leadership philosophy is about serving others, and helping people and solving problems and leading and giving of your time, you can easily forget or run out of margin in your life for sharpening your soul.” — BJ Kraemer

“Leadership begins with the natural desire to serve others.” — BJ Kraemer

“The interesting thing about servant leaders, sometimes it's those people that give the most of themselves that are most likely to run themselves into the ground.” — BJ Kraemer

“Sharpening the saw is about maintaining the very instrument that allows you to serve others, which is you.” — BJ Kraemer

“The truth is, if you're going to lead people, if you're going to serve others, if you're going to help others grow, you can't do it effectively if you're exhausted.” — BJ Kraemer

“The leaders who truly build incredible careers, who influence people for decades, they understand they have to protect their own ability to serve – not because they are selfish, but because they know something way more important: that a sharp saw serves more people.” — BJ Kraemer

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Robert Greenleaf

Simon Sinek
Stephen Covey on Instagram

West Point
US Air Force

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change

David Allen — Getting Things Done

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BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

Time is the most precious resource leaders manage, and you can either drift with time or direct it.

In a world where there is not a lot you can control, your time is something you can take ownership of. In David Allen’s book Getting Things Done, he teaches readers his methods for stress-free performance and emphasizes that your productivity is directly proportional to your ability to relax. A few years ago, BJ interviewed David about this topic, and today, we are playing that conversation for you again.

Tuning in, you’ll hear all about David’s career and writing journey, the kinds of people who read his book, how to implement his system, and so much more! We delve into ambient anxiety before David tells us about the tools and resources he offers and where you can get his training. He even talks about how often we should be processing information.

Finally, our guest answers our rapid-fire questions. This episode is jam-packed with pearls of wisdom about one of the most popular and timeless productivity methods in the world, so be sure to press play now!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Why time is the most valuable resource a leader has.
• How you can direct your time instead of drifting with it.
• The importance of scheduling your priorities in your calendar.
• BJ gives listeners a three-step time-management challenge.
• What it takes to implement his GTD (Getting Things Done) system.

Quotes:

“I will be bold enough to say that my book, Getting Things Done, was really the seed for the whole life-hack movement that started in the 2000s.” — @gtdguy

“You don’t need time, you need space. How long does it take to have a good idea? It takes no time to have a good idea. What you need is no distraction in your head so you can take that idea, grab it, and do something with it!” — @gtdguy

“One of the things my stuff delivers is hope.” — @gtdguy

“Your head is for having ideas, not for holding them!” — @gtdguy

“You can have very, very high-performing people, but if your process sucks, the outcome sucks. But the [converse] is also true. You can have a fabulous process, but if you have people who personally can’t manage themselves and their role in that process, your outcome sucks. You need both.” — @gtdguy

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

David Allen on LinkedIn
David Allen on X

David Allen on Instagram

Getting Things Done

GTD Focus

Installation Guide

Crucial Learning

Getting Things Done

Humankind

My Plan for Living to 156

Hitster

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MCFA

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BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

Part of being a great leader is being self-aware and understanding the blind spots in your leadership approach.

In this episode of Leadership Blueprints, we sit down with Jill Macauley to unpack the concept of blind spots through the lens of Martin Dubin’s book Blindspotting. Jill is the Chief Operating Officer at Behavioral Essentials and brings over 15 years of experience in business and non-profit consulting. Her work centers around helping leaders grow, plan strategically, and communicate well with their teams. She supports leaders in analyzing behavioral patterns, navigating role transitions, and fostering healthier and more effective workplace cultures.

They discuss what a blind spot is, the misconceptions around the concept, and why being self-aware as a leader is vital. Learn how not recognizing your blind spots impacts your team, the hidden costs of blind spots for an organization, how leaders can balance empathy with accountability, and how to get the most out of your employees while keeping them happy. They also talk about why sustainable performance requires cycles of intensity and recovery, what the Blindspotting model and assessment focus on, and more.

Tune in to learn how spotting your blind spots, building awareness, and leading with agency and dignity can help you show up stronger for your team, your organization, and yourself.

Key Points From This Episode:

• How blindspots and being self-aware act as the foundation for better leadership.
• Explore the concept of a blind spot in leadership and why it is hard to identify.
• Discover what turning self-awareness into self-reflection looks like in practice.
• Learn how fostering dignity and agency in the workplace drives performance.
• What dignity means in the workplace and how fear-based leadership impacts results.

Quotes:

“We’re not factory workers, we’re thinkers. Thinking work is the dominant work in the workplace now.” — Jill Macauley

“The definition of business success, quarter to quarter and shareholder output, is not wholesome, it is not sustainable, and it is not how businesses actually have compounding success.” — Jill Macauley

“I think a lot of people forget about awareness of the organization and they forget the organization is bigger than any one of us.” — Jill Macauley

“You can’t have a greater understanding unless you understand yourself first.” — Jill Macauley

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Jill Macauley on LinkedIn

Behavioral Essentials

Blindspotting: How to See What's Holding You Back as a Leader

The Song of Significance: A New Manifesto for Teams

The Dichotomy of Leadership: Balancing the Challenges of Extreme Ownership to Lead and Win

Poor Charlie’s Almanack: The Essential Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger

Blindspotting

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

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MCFA

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BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

What hard conversation are you avoiding right now?

In this solo episode of Leadership Blueprints, BJ reflects on Valentine’s Day, Presidents’ Day, and even the Winter Olympics to unpack one central leadership tension: compassion and accountability must coexist. Real leadership is not choosing between love and standards - it is holding both.

Through presidential vignettes, youth sports culture, and lessons from business and family life, BJ introduces a practical three-part framework for developing leaders: Compassion, Clarity, and Courage. This episode challenges listeners to examine whether they are truly leading with compassion - or simply avoiding discomfort.

Thanks for listening in!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Why growth - for you and your team - is determined by the number of uncomfortable conversations you’re willing to have.

• The difference between compassion and comfort, and why lowering the standard helps no one.

• Lessons from presidential leadership such as Lincoln’s empathy paired with accountability, Washington’s self-discipline and moral restraint, and Roosevelt’s belief that high standards are a form of respect.

• The three-part leadership blueprint: compassion, clarity, and courage

• What Norway’s youth sports philosophy and Olympic success reveal about balancing joy and standards in development.

Quotes:

“Love without accountability is a leadership weakness.” — BJ Kraemer

“Accountability begins with self-discipline and self-governance.” — BJ Kraemer

“I think when you have high-love, high-expectation leadership, performance will increase. The mission will get accomplished. The culture will be improved.” — BJ Kraemer

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

The Dichotomy of Leadership

Lincoln on Leadership

The Art of Manliness

Do Hard Things

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

Leadership Blueprints Podcast on YouTube

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn