You Need to Know the Why' to Lead Well, How Joey Struwe Built a Career on the Little Things

What do the military and educational athletics have in common? For Joey Struwe, a former first sergeant in the South Dakota Army National Guard and longtime athletic director at Sioux Falls Lincoln, the answer is everything.In this episode of Bound for Greatness, host Scott Garvis sits down with the 2026 NIAAA Hall of Fame inductee and NIAAA Leadership Training Program Coordinator to unpack a career built on discipline, presence, and the little things that define great programs. Joey shares how his military background shaped a leadership style rooted in explaining the "why," why he made a habit of showing up in the training room with nothing to offer but conversation, and how that presence built trust with students and coaches alike.Joey also opens up on turning club sports and travel programs from rivals into partners, why hiring coaches who connect with kids matters more than technical expertise, and what he's learned about identity and purpose since stepping away from the AD title.This is a conversation about leadership that isn't chasing big moments, it's about the daily discipline that quietly builds a culture. Tune in and ask yourself: what are the little things you're committing to today that will define your culture tomorrow?