A conversation with Dr. Calvin McDowall on recognizing overlooked talent, earning trust, and developing people who can lead confidently long after you leave the room.
Host: Adam Kleckner (Head of Strategy at LinkTech), Tia Kleckner (CEO at LinkTech)
Summary:
Dr. Calvin McDowall’s first leadership lessons came from his grandfather in St. Vincent and the Grenadines—learning to care for a household and discovering that growing peanuts takes patience. Those lessons carried into more than two decades of military service and a career in healthcare technology. The author of Unshelved explains how leaders help people see their own potential, why accountability depends on trust, and what it takes to create teams that thrive without constant supervision.
Main Topics:
Childhood lessons in responsibility, patience, and developing others
Why caring for healthcare technology teams ultimately supports patient care
Recognizing burnout behind conversations about daily operations
Seeing potential beyond someone’s title or industry experience
Preparing teams to keep going when their leader is absent
How consistency, care, and keeping your word earn trust
The difference between accountability and control
Helping people borrow confidence until they develop their own
Unshelved: turning overlooked potential into purposeful action
Intriguing Quotes:
“Leadership… happens long before authority is given.”
“My patients are my team.”
“Leaders who build accountability develop people who can think, decide, and lead without them.”
“Sometimes people have to borrow confidence from the leaders until they develop their own.”
“The world is a library. You are a book.”
“Listen with curiosity.”
Key Moments:
[01:51] Where leadership began: an eight-year-old Calvin learns responsibility from his grandfather, long before receiving any formal authority.
[03:46] The peanut lesson: growth takes patience. Calvin connects the experience to developing people who become leaders themselves.
[06:22] “My patients are my team.” Taking care of the people maintaining medical equipment is part of taking care of patients.
[07:42] Looking beyond the work conversation: Calvin notices a manager’s distress and makes room to address burnout and recovery.
[15:45] Trust under pressure: volunteers step forward to join Calvin on a dangerous supply convoy in Iraq.
[16:43] The military lesson that shaped his approach to succession: the mission must continue even when the leader cannot.
[20:34] Trust as an adhesive: like the repair on his old radiator, a strong bond needs time to set—and consistent behavior to hold.
[22:48] Control creates bottlenecks. Accountability means developing people who can think, decide, and act with confidence.
[26:16] Before Calvin became a sergeant, his leaders were already calling him one. Their belief helped him recognize his own potential.
[28:32] What it means to be “unshelved”: bring the knowledge, experience, and potential inside you into action.
[33:46] What never appears on his resume: his faith in God and his belief in what he can accomplish through leading people.
Notable Resources:
Unshelved by Dr. Calvin McDowall: https://a.co/d/09r1O00E
Concepts: Mentorship; succession planning; trust and accountability; leadership development; recognizing hidden potential
Connect with Dr. Calvin McDowall:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/calvinmcdowall/
Website: https://www.drcalvinmcdowall.com/
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