Episode 4: Michael Stephens From Air Traffic Control to Airport CEO: The Power of Mentorship

In this episode, Kinard Robinson sits down with Michael Stephens, CEO of Tampa International Airport, to trace an unlikely path — from enlisted Air Force air traffic controller, to Morehouse grad and Army JAG officer, to attorney, to airport general counsel, and finally CEO of "America's favorite airport." Michael opens up about the mentors who shaped him along the way — a grandfather with a third-grade education who taught him how to treat people, a high school teacher who refused to let him fail, and the brothers who quietly modeled the paths he'd later walk. He and Kinard dig into what real mentorship looks like in practice: being intentional about seeking it out, staying coachable, following up and showing accountability, and paying it forward by mentoring others. The conversation also covers moving differently as you level up (employee to executive, entrepreneur to leader), the discipline behind lasting change, and why no one gets to the top by themselves.