Episode 44: “Leadership Is a Relationship: Character, Solitude, and Flourishing Leadership” with Mike Erwin

What if one of the greatest leadership challenges of our time is not strategy, scale, or speed—but the loss of relationship?

In this powerful episode of The Flourishing Leaders Podcast, Dr. Scott Parsons and Jason Viyar sit down with Mike Erwin—Army officer, social entrepreneur, positive psychology practitioner, co-author of Lead Yourself First and Leadership Is a Relationship, and founder or co-founder of Team Red, White & Blue, The Positivity Project, The Character & Leadership Center, and the Saint Sebastian Institute.

Drawing from years of service in combat, education, veteran wellness, character formation, and leadership development, Mike offers a deeply practical and deeply human vision of leadership. He reflects on the power of solitude, the richness of character, the importance of shared purpose, and the urgent need to put people first in an increasingly digital and transactional world.

You’ll learn:

• Why Mike believes leadership is fundamentally relational
• How he defines a flourishing leader—and why leadership is about getting others to do hard things because they want to
• Why solitude is not simply physical isolation, but a state of mental clarity
• How studying under Chris Peterson shaped Mike’s understanding of character strengths
• Why building a shared vocabulary around character helps deepen relationships and strengthen teams
• What civilian leaders can learn from veteran communities about belonging, purpose, and connection
• Why younger generations may be pushing us toward a healthier understanding of work, life, and flourishing

This episode is filled with wisdom for leaders in business, education, the military, nonprofit work, ministry, and everyday life.

If you care about character, relationships, community, solitude, and human flourishing, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Guest Bio
Mike Erwin is a decorated Army officer, social entrepreneur, and leadership expert. A 2002 graduate of West Point, he served three combat tours and later earned a master’s degree in positive psychology from the University of Michigan, where he studied under Dr. Chris Peterson. Mike founded Team Red, White & Blue, co-founded The Positivity Project, leads The Character & Leadership Center, and serves as Chairman of the Board for the Saint Sebastian Institute. He is also the co-author of Lead Yourself First and Leadership Is a Relationship.

Listen now and ask yourself:
How might your leadership change if you treated relationship—not efficiency—as the true center of your influence?

Thank you for listening to the Flourishing Leaders Podcast!
Hosted by Dr. Scott Parsons, this podcast explores how character, virtue, wisdom, and purpose can shape a more flourishing life and leadership journey.

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Flourish with us—because leadership rooted in character changes everything.