We recently connected with John Bentley and have shared our conversation below.

John, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

My mission is to help people lead themselves well so they can build trust, communicate with clarity, and take ownership—not just for results, but for the culture they’re creating.

It’s called I Lead Me, and it wasn’t born in a boardroom. It was born in a moment of truth—one I’ll never forget.

I was in a coaching session, frustrated with my team and honestly worn down from carrying too much. As we talked, I was holding a can of Coke in my hand. My coach noticed how tightly I was gripping it and asked, “Why are you holding on so hard?”

Before I could answer, he took the can from me.
He gave it a good shake.
Then he handed it back and said,
“This is you. Pressurized. Reactive. And when you get shaken up and pop your top, you spew all over the people around you.”

He let that sit. Then he followed it with the line that cut deep—and changed everything:
“That’s what your team feels like—controlled. No room to breathe. You don’t trust them. And you don’t trust yourself.”

That was the moment. Not when I created a model. Not when I built a business. But when I realized the problem wasn’t “out there.”
It was me.

I Lead Me became a mission that day—not just to lead better, but to live better. To show others how to lead from ownership, not overwhelm. From trust, not tension.

It matters deeply to me because I’ve lived the cost of ignoring self-leadership. And I’ve seen the transformation when leaders choose to go first—not with more pressure, but with more presence.

That’s the mission: Own yourself. Free your team. Build the culture you’ve been hoping for—starting with you.

John, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m John Bentley—leadership coach, veteran, and founder of I Lead Me. I help business owners, executives, and teams build cultures they can trust—by starting where leadership really begins, leading yourself.

My journey into leadership development wasn’t part of a grand business plan. It was born from lived experience. After 21 years in the Air Force and later facilitating workshops across various industries to include, finance, government, healthcare, technology, I kept seeing the same pattern: talented people were getting stuck. Culture was talked about but rarely lived. And leaders were exhausted from carrying the emotional weight of their teams.

I know that feeling well—because I was that leader.
That’s why I started I Lead Me—to help people stop managing chaos and start leading with clarity, trust, and emotional presence.

At iLeadMe.us, we offer:

Keynotes like I Lead Me and Help Each Other WIN—designed to move hearts and change habits

The I Lead Me Fundamentals Workshop, which helps every team member take ownership of their mindset, communication, and emotional response

The I Lead Me Academy, a cohort-based development experience that equips leaders with tools like DiSC®, Agile EQ®, Productive Conflict, and our own Mindful Communication framework

Culture-building tools that embed trust, self-awareness, and accountability into everyday behaviors

What sets us apart? We don’t believe in surface-level training or motivational hype. We go deeper by beginning with the person—their habits, triggers, and mindset gaps that actually drive behavior. And we do it with honesty, vulnerability, and a whole lot of practicality.

What I’m most proud of isn’t the program. It’s the transformation. When leaders go first and model ownership, everything changes. Teams communicate more clearly. Trust goes up. Tension goes down. People start solving problems instead of avoiding them.

If you’re tired of carrying the weight alone, I Lead Me was built for you.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I believe my reputation was built on one thing: trust—earned through presence, truth-telling, and results.

Clients don’t come to me for flashy slides or off-the-shelf training. They come to me because they’re carrying too much, their culture feels heavy, and they want someone who will help them get honest about what’s really going on beneath the surface. That’s where I thrive.

What I teach isn’t abstract theory—it’s lived experience. I’ve led from reactivity. I’ve lost trust and had to earn it back. I’ve carried the weight of a team when no one else would. That’s why when I walk into a room, people listen. I don’t speak at leaders. I walk with them. And I help them do the one thing that changes everything: lead themselves well.

What truly built my reputation was staying committed to depth over popularity. I don’t chase attention. I help people shift mindsets, repair trust, and build cultures worth being part of.

One of my long-time clients, Mel Koller, CEO of Alabama Farm Credit, said it best:

“There are no silver bullets for the challenges of growing and leading people. But John has been a tremendous advantage for us to bridge the divides that do exist… We’ve grown more than 40% in the time we’ve worked with him—double our industry’s average.”

When leaders grow, teams follow. When trust is restored, momentum returns. That’s the reputation I’ve built—not as a consultant who checks boxes, but as a partner who helps people rewrite how they lead themselves better.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

The best advice I can give? Start by managing yourself.
Because your team will mirror your emotional state—whether you mean for them to or not.

High morale doesn’t come from perks or motivational speeches. It comes from trust. And trust is built when leaders show up consistently—calm in conflict, clear under pressure, and kind even when expectations are high.

One of the first things I teach is what I call the “Tone Trio”:
Clear. Calm. Kind.
Those three words can change the culture of a team when they become your default setting. People feel safer. Communication opens up. Performance improves—not out of fear, but out of ownership.

Also, don’t wait for a crisis to connect. Morale is often lost in the everyday moments—when people feel unheard, unappreciated, or unsure where they stand. That’s why I encourage leaders to create rhythm: regular check-ins, real-time feedback, and space to celebrate progress (not just results).

Managing a team isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about creating an environment where people feel trusted, supported, and challenged to grow.
And that starts with you—modeling the mindset and behavior you want to see in others.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ileadme.us
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/john.bentley.1656/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbentleyspeaks/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jbentley1005

Image Credits

Samantha Southerland Photography