Thirty Minute Mentors Marks 350th Episode With General CQ Brown, Jr.

# What happened

Thirty Minute Mentors, the leadership podcast hosted by Adam Mendler, published its 350th episode on September 22, 2026. The milestone episode's guest is retired four-star General CQ Brown, Jr., who served as the 21st Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Before that role, Brown was Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force and the first African American to lead a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces.

# Why it matters

This episode pairs a long-running leadership series with a senior military leader whose career spans operational command and senior joint leadership. The conversation is positioned toward practical lessons listeners can apply to leadership roles across sectors: how to build trust, stay approachable and relatable, manage crises, and drive innovation within large organizations.

# What Mendler brings to the conversation

# Topics covered in the episode

• Leadership and career success: Brown reflects on formative experiences and the habits that shaped his trajectory.
• Approachability and relatability: how senior leaders stay connected to teams and maintain accessibility.
• Crisis management: principles for leading through high-stakes situations.
• Innovation and organizational change: balancing mission focus with adapting to new tools and ideas.
• Building trust: concrete behaviors that build and sustain trust in large organizations.

# How to access the episode

Episode 350 of Thirty Minute Mentors, featuring General CQ Brown, Jr., is available on all major podcast platforms. The podcast also publishes transcripts of interviews for listeners who prefer text.

# Practical next steps for readers

If you lead a team or are developing your leadership approach, listen to the episode with a single question in mind—what one behavior could I adopt this week to increase approachability or trust? Take notes on any concrete routines or phrases Brown describes, then test one change with your team and observe the effect over a week.

# Bottom line

The 350th episode is a concise, experience-driven conversation that connects a high-level military leader's perspective to everyday leadership challenges. For listeners focused on practical leadership takeaways—especially around trust, crisis response, and approachability—it offers targeted examples to try in their own roles.