On today’s episode of the McCoy Leadership Podcast, we heard from Larry O'nan—a seasoned leader with over sixty years of experience in management, nonprofits, and fund development. Larry shared how his unexpected “left turns” in life became powerful opportunities for growth, and why embracing failure is essential to strong leadership. We also dived into the heart of intentional living and stewardship, discovering that true success comes from serving others and managing our resources with purpose. If you’re ready to lead with intention and find your “true north,” don’t miss this insightful conversation.
------
Download your free episode guide here!
------
00:00 Unplanned Career Shifts and Growth
05:39 Embracing Unexpected Opportunities
07:56 Unexpected Career Shift
10:11 Embrace Flexibility and Adaptability
16:37 Charity Motivation and Emotional Appeal
17:56 Stewardship Key to Fundraising Success
21:40 The Power of Giving and Asking
27:02 "Principles of Lifestyle Stewardship"
28:18 Degrees of Truth and Deception
31:37 "Life Isn't Disneyland"
35:19 "The Giver Needs to Give"
38:14 AI: A Blessing and a Curse
------
Here are 3 key takeaways that resonated with me:
-
Embrace Unexpected Turns: Larry’s story is a powerful reminder that career paths are rarely linear. Many of our biggest growth moments come from those “left turns” in life—unexpected challenges that become opportunities for leadership and reinvention.
-
Intentional Living & Stewardship: True stewardship is about managing resources—skills, time, money—on behalf of something bigger than ourselves. Larry emphasizes that intentionality, rather than just technique, is what drives lasting impact in both leadership and fund development.
-
The Importance of Flexibility & Team Ownership: As leaders, fostering adaptability and empowering your team to take ownership creates environments where both people and projects thrive. Larry’s approach of “managing by wandering around” shows that being present and attentive to your team’s real-time experiences fosters stronger results.
------
Want to learn more about McCoy Leadership? Check out our website, https://www.mccoyleadership.com/ and don't forget to subscribe to receive all the latest podcast episode.
------
Links
Larry's Website
Book Recommendation
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
The Brothers Ortiz
The Brothers Ortiz is the story of two brothers–both successful, but in very different ways. Gabe Ortiz becomes a third-highest ranking officer in all of Texas while his younger brother Larry climbs the ranks in Puro Tango Blast, a notorious Texas Prison gang. Gabe doesn’t know all the details of his brother’s nefarious dealings, and he’s made a point not to ask, to protect their relationship. But when Larry is murdered during a home invasion in a rented beach house, Gabe has no choice but to look into what happened that night. To solve Larry’s murder, Gabe, and the whole Ortiz family, must ask each other tough questions.