Aug 13, 2026
At 11 years old, Dusty Holcomb's parents pulled him out of school. No classroom. No curriculum. Just a library card and a world of books waiting to be devoured.
What felt like an oddity at the time turned out to be the greatest gift of his life.
Dusty spent his formative years reading biographies of Eisenhower, Rommel, and Lincoln — not because anyone told him to, but because he was fascinated by one idea: ordinary people doing extraordinary things. That curiosity planted a seed that grew into 28 years of leading organizations, 15 of them as President or CEO — and now a second career coaching the next generation of leaders through the most disruptive moment in business history.
In this episode, Dusty breaks down:
Why being homeschooled at 11 became the greatest inflection point of his life
What military history taught him about leadership before he ever ran a team
The first principle of leadership that most managers never figure out: it's not about you
Why clarity and alignment are the two most underrated tools in any leader's arsenal
How great leaders architect machines — and let go of who gets the credit
The 86% problem: why most organizations are paralyzed by AI and what to do about it
The three pillars every leader needs to evaluate AI decisions: return on capital, return on time, return on new opportunity
Why "designed by a human" needs to become the only acceptable standard
If you believe leadership is a craft worth mastering for life — this one's for you.