Leadership At All Levels
Caring Smarter: The Future of Nursing Home Leadership
Release Date: 03/27/2025
Enjoying the Journey: Leadership Lessons from Leadership and Personal Growth Insights
Caring Smarter: The Future of Nursing Home Leadership
In this episode, Dan Stockdale shares leadership and personal growth insights while hiking at Fontana Dam on the Appalachian Trail. Reflecting on a key organizational theme from 2008, "enjoy the journey," Dan discusses how appreciating the path — not just the destination — leads to greater success, both personally and professionally. Dan outlines three essential principles for individuals and organizations to thrive: Enjoying the Journey: Focus not just on end goals, but also on daily experiences and relationships. If your current journey isn't fulfilling, don't be afraid to pivot. ...
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The Power of Personal Time and Journaling
Caring Smarter: The Future of Nursing Home Leadership
In this episode, Dan Stockdale dives deep into the underrated power of personal time and journaling—and how these simple practices can transform your success, mindset, and clarity. Dan challenges the common excuse of "not having time" by reframing personal time as a non-negotiable habit, much like saving money. He shares how making even small windows of time to reflect and write can lead to massive long-term growth—both professionally and personally. Referencing Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, Dan discusses the “morning pages” technique and offers his own practical...
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5 Steps To Fire An Employee
Caring Smarter: The Future of Nursing Home Leadership
In this episode, I dive into one of the most challenging (but necessary) parts of leadership: handling difficult conversations. Whether it's addressing underperformance, delivering tough feedback, or letting someone go, avoiding these conversations only makes the situation worse over time. I share why addressing issues early is a sign of strong leadership—not conflict. Letting small problems slide can quickly snowball into major challenges, so I walk you through why transparency and timely communication are key. I outline five practical strategies that have helped me navigate these moments...
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How to Create Iconic Customer Experiences
Caring Smarter: The Future of Nursing Home Leadership
In this episode, Dan Stockdale explores how businesses can create unforgettable brands by delivering consistent, memorable moments—no matter the industry. Drawing inspiration from Elton John’s legendary performances, Dan shares how attention to detail, preparation, and standout customer experiences are what truly set businesses apart. He recounts a personal moment on stage with Elton John to illustrate the power of creating emotional, lasting impressions. Dan wraps up by emphasizing that it's not just marketing that makes a brand iconic—it's the experience. ...
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The Secret to Profitability: Why FUN Drives Business Success
Caring Smarter: The Future of Nursing Home Leadership
In this episode, Dan Stockdale breaks down the universal drivers of profitability across organizations—whether nonprofit, governmental, or for-profit. He highlights the importance of revenue generation as the foundation for long-term sustainability and success. Dan emphasizes the need for daily metric monitoring, covering key areas like labor costs, advertising, supply utilization, and logistics. He cites Ben Franklin’s wisdom about counting pennies, reinforcing the idea that financial discipline leads to overall profitability. A major focus of the conversation is...
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Leadership At All Levels
Caring Smarter: The Future of Nursing Home Leadership
Leadership at all levels, titles don’t define great leaders—actions do. In this episode, Dan Stockdale introduces himself and shares his professional journey, highlighting over 40 years of leadership experience across multiple industries, including real estate, concert promotion, retail, and healthcare—with a strong focus on nursing homes and long-term care. Dan reflects on his educational background, from earning a psychology degree with a focus on organizational behavior at Kent State University to completing a master’s in corporate communication at Austin Peay State University...
info_outlineLeadership at all levels, titles don’t define great leaders—actions do.
In this episode, Dan Stockdale introduces himself and shares his professional journey, highlighting over 40 years of leadership experience across multiple industries, including real estate, concert promotion, retail, and healthcare—with a strong focus on nursing homes and long-term care.
Dan reflects on his educational background, from earning a psychology degree with a focus on organizational behavior at Kent State University to completing a master’s in corporate communication at Austin Peay State University and pursuing MBA coursework at Vanderbilt. He also shares insights from his early career, including working with a bankruptcy trustee at 25, where he developed a passion for turning around struggling assets.
where he developed a passion for turning around struggling businesses.
A key theme of the episode is leadership at all levels, emphasizing that titles don’t define great leaders—actions do. Dan shares stories of influential leaders like Joel Manby and Dolly Parton and introduces his vision for the podcast: creating an interactive space for leadership discussions, learning, and growth.
Tune in to hear Dan’s unique leadership insights, personal experiences, and expert strategies for making a real impact—whether in business, healthcare, or everyday life.