Don’t Lead Yet with Jonathan Castillo

Don’t Lead Yet is a conversation about what happens when leadership stops being about having the answers and starts being about asking better questions. John sits down with Jonathan Castillo, CEO of San Diego Youth Services, to talk about a career shaped by “sure, why not?” moments, from social work and veterans services to systems leadership and the CEO seat. Jonathan shares what he has learned about staying close to frontline work, building trust, navigating change, and why his first year as CEO was centered on two simple priorities: listen and learn. They also talk about collaboration over competition, mental health, the value of peer support, and why some of the best ideas are not really innovative at all. They come from listening well enough to understand what people actually need. It’s a candid and practical conversation about growing into leadership without pretending to know everything, and why sometimes the smartest thing a leader can do is not lead yet. The Good For Others Show is where bold ideas turn into real impact. Hosted by John Valencia, each episode features leaders building stronger communities through workforce development, nonprofit innovation, and systems change. 👉 Learn more about Good For Others Foundation: https://goodforothers.org 📱 Explore our nonprofit hub (jobs, events, and more): https://app.goodforothers.org 🤝 Get involved, partner, or support the work: https://goodforothers.org/contact Follow, share, and join us in doing good, better.