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The Leadership PlaybookAuthor: Albers School of Business and Economics
Ever wondered about the journeys successful business leaders took to get to where they are? Looking to learn more about leadership to build a better team or advance your own career? Going through work challenges and want to know how top executives resolved similar situations? The Leadership Playbook podcast asks top executives from the business worlds most recognizable brands and companies about the stories behind their success, their leadership secrets, and the biggest obstacles theyve faced and overcome. Candid, often humorous, and always inspiring, the Leadership Playbook is hosted by the Dean of the Albers School of Business and Economics, Joe Phillips. Language: en Genres: Business, Careers, Entrepreneurship Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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The Mustang, the Minivan, and the Man Who Saw Both Coming
Episode 31
Friday, 2 January, 2026
Welcome to Epic Fails, Epic Comebacks: How Great Leaders Turned Setbacks into Success—the podcast where we uncover the true stories of visionary leaders who hit rock bottom … then rewrote the ending. Epic Fails, Epic Comebacks is an offshoot of The Leadership Playbook, the podcast of Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics and the Center for Leadership Formation. In this episode, we tell the story of Hal Sperlich, the quiet visionary who saw how people really lived and imagined a car no one else believed in: the minivan. Rejected at Ford, embraced at Chrysler, Sperlich’s persistence reshaped the auto industry and changed family life forever. It’s a story about vision, power, and what happens when the right idea meets the wrong boss—and why believing in it anyway can change the world. Credit goes to the Wall Street Journal and Capital One Auto Navigator for providing details that went into this podcast episode—writing by Alicia Kan and music/production by Alvarez Audio. Follow Epic Fails, Epic Comebacks wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe now and join Viviane Lopuch as we explore the fall, the fight, and the rise of the world’s greatest leaders. Follow us on leadershipplaybook.org to find out more about the show.
