1 00:00:17,239 --> 00:00:21,280 Speaker 1: If it doesn't work, you're just not using enough. You're 2 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: listening to Software Radio Special Operations, military news and straight 3 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:41,400 Speaker 1: talk with the guys and the community. Hello and everyone, 4 00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:44,920 Speaker 1: Welcome to Software Radio. I'm your host today, Steve Blastari 5 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 1: joining me today we have a very special guest, MACERELLI 6 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 1: was a Force Marine Force Recon n c O. He 7 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:58,320 Speaker 1: was a Navy Sale officer, did tours of duty in Iraq. 8 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 1: I think I believe Afghanistan as well. He's been around 9 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:06,160 Speaker 1: the world. He's uh, he's what I would call one 10 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:10,520 Speaker 1: of the subject matter experts on leadership and teaching leadership, 11 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 1: and there is a a darth of that in the 12 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 1: civilian world. And uh, he's just written a book and 13 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 1: it is a fantastic one. It's called The Talent War. 14 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 1: How special operations and great organizations went on talent and Uh. 15 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:30,319 Speaker 1: I think our listeners today are really gonna get into this. 16 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 1: I think they're gonna love it. And when you listen 17 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 1: to uh to Mike, I think you're gonna understand exactly 18 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 1: where he's coming from on this. So before I get 19 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:43,240 Speaker 1: any further, Mike, welcome to the podcast. We really appreciate 20 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:48,640 Speaker 1: you taking the time today, especially just before Thanksgiving did I. 21 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:50,920 Speaker 1: I'm humbled to be here and Steve, I, you know, 22 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:53,240 Speaker 1: appreciative that you would even have me on and thank 23 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:56,480 Speaker 1: you for that intro. Just one fact checked. UM didn't 24 00:01:56,520 --> 00:01:58,920 Speaker 1: make it to Force Recon. I was Italian Recon, first 25 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 1: recon company at the time. They turned into at the time. Uh, 26 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 1: tried it out Proportricon love those guys, but got picked 27 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:11,239 Speaker 1: up for an auser program before that that came to Fruition. Okay, 28 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:15,360 Speaker 1: but my mistake, I thought you were yeah, yeah, because 29 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 1: when you were in Recon, that was before they were 30 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:24,360 Speaker 1: special ops. Right. It was in the driving factor of 31 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:27,359 Speaker 1: why I switched over to the Seals is that you know, 32 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: as a recon marine when when we step on chip 33 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 1: with the Seals, Dude, they had more funding. Uh, they 34 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 1: were getting missions and you know, we were losing out 35 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:39,200 Speaker 1: in the Marine Corps because of that. And that's why 36 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 1: I switched over to two so common tried out for 37 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 1: the Seals. Okay, U just fill in our listeners just 38 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 1: a little bit. You don't have to go to in 39 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:52,800 Speaker 1: depth if you don't want to about your military career, UM, 40 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:55,720 Speaker 1: and how you ended up where you're at right now 41 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:58,920 Speaker 1: with the you know, being an author and you know 42 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 1: a talent coordinator or I guess you could say, yeah, 43 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:06,000 Speaker 1: it's it's funny that you say author that that still 44 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:09,240 Speaker 1: doesn't strike, you know, hit home with just the dude 45 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:12,079 Speaker 1: that wrote a book on a subject and he's fassionated 46 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 1: about with with with two other guys with the good dudes. 47 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:17,239 Speaker 1: But you know, I I enlisted in the Marine Corps, 48 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 1: uh fairly soon after high school. I've met a forced 49 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:24,080 Speaker 1: recon marine and I'm like, dude, I want to be 50 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 1: just like that guy. Humbly, competent, articulate, respectful of everyone. 51 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:31,480 Speaker 1: People just gravitated towards them. And you talk about it 52 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:34,840 Speaker 1: like the perfect recruiting tool. It's that that Army green 53 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: beret out there. He was just you know, showing the 54 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:40,880 Speaker 1: organization and just the best light. Um, that's what draws 55 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 1: young men into the military, like meeting for good reasons. 56 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 1: But I made it. The first recoon battalion went through 57 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 1: the same school that the forced recound guys went through. 58 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:52,480 Speaker 1: I was just to junior, became a Scott sniper in 59 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:54,520 Speaker 1: the Marine Corps, and then after a few years in 60 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 1: the Marine Corps said hey, we we want to make 61 00:03:56,480 --> 00:03:58,560 Speaker 1: you an officer, so they sent me back to school 62 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 1: to finish my degree the war kicked off. I finished 63 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 1: school three years, doubled up on credits to get out 64 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:08,120 Speaker 1: of there and enjoy the war effort um. And before 65 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:11,200 Speaker 1: I did, after Marino CS, I put it inn service 66 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:14,000 Speaker 1: transferring and went to buds fright out for the Seals. 67 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:17,640 Speaker 1: Served a few deployments, my first initial deployments, and I 68 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:21,360 Speaker 1: wrapped Battle of Ramadi, Battle of Solder City, and then 69 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:24,800 Speaker 1: after that went back to instruct young seal officers that 70 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 1: was their last line of defense, to turn them into 71 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 1: ground force commanders as we call it. And while I 72 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:32,400 Speaker 1: was there, I received in the invitation to trap j Jaysack. 73 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:35,839 Speaker 1: Made it through that assessment and selection, spent the majority 74 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:40,919 Speaker 1: of my career at jaysk Uh ten total combat deployments 75 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:46,080 Speaker 1: eleven deployments in total um, and just consider myself fortunate 76 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:50,760 Speaker 1: to have served alongside some of the most selfless men 77 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 1: and women who I truly believe are the very best 78 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:58,000 Speaker 1: of America has. And that's why I wrote this book 79 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:01,960 Speaker 1: to paint veterans in a different like and also businesses 80 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:07,039 Speaker 1: as they look to form their own elite teams. Yeah, 81 00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:09,159 Speaker 1: and uh, you know, when it comes to the book 82 00:05:09,279 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 1: and you talk about this, there's such a misconception I 83 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 1: think in the civilian world and you know, big business 84 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:22,360 Speaker 1: about what military leadership really is. And you know, I 85 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 1: think misconceptions about how military people are when they bring 86 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:30,919 Speaker 1: them into their organization. Excuse me, uh, And you talked 87 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:34,200 Speaker 1: about that in your book, and you know, um, I 88 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:37,920 Speaker 1: think we've all had experiences with that. Um. I know 89 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:42,240 Speaker 1: I did. When I got to a civilian company, I 90 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:45,440 Speaker 1: did an interview with people, and when they found out 91 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:48,839 Speaker 1: I was s F they were like, hey, uh, we 92 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 1: hope you don't get too stressed out here in the interview, 93 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:54,320 Speaker 1: and I was like, what, what would you think is 94 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 1: gonna happen here? You know, it was like they were 95 00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:02,000 Speaker 1: treating you with kid gloves because as they think, you know, um, 96 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:05,440 Speaker 1: that special operators as a whole, not just s of guys. 97 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:08,600 Speaker 1: I mean, they think we're kind of like these mindless 98 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 1: drones who just follow orders and go blow stuff up. 99 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:17,159 Speaker 1: And it was kind of I took it insultingly at 100 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:22,880 Speaker 1: the time. It's simple, Steve, I've got a theory on this, 101 00:06:23,360 --> 00:06:25,760 Speaker 1: and it's you know, it's both the good and the bad. 102 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:28,760 Speaker 1: But it comes from the same source. If I'm going 103 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:32,440 Speaker 1: to make an assessment about what like investment banking is, like, 104 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:35,360 Speaker 1: I'm gonna based on off of the movie Wall Street 105 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:38,600 Speaker 1: or Wolf of Wall Street. Um, because I've never been 106 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:42,880 Speaker 1: in that that community or books. I read Hollywood because 107 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:46,360 Speaker 1: Americans are in the military, their their opinions about the 108 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:50,800 Speaker 1: military are formed from Hollywood. Hollywood is the greatest recruiting 109 00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:54,159 Speaker 1: tools from the military. It's also the worst enemy in 110 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:57,799 Speaker 1: painting veterans in a negative light. You look at the tune, 111 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:01,040 Speaker 1: which is the Vietnam Are that. You know, a lot 112 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:03,200 Speaker 1: of Vietnam veterans hated that movie because they're like, hey, 113 00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:05,240 Speaker 1: that that that that paints us in a really horrible light, 114 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 1: and that's not That's not how we want to be, 115 00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:11,840 Speaker 1: uh conveyed. You know. My first time because I didn't 116 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:14,440 Speaker 1: come from the military lineage. I came from from the 117 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:16,960 Speaker 1: Bay Area, and so I was stationed at Camp Penalty 118 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:19,320 Speaker 1: one day because I was one of the only dudes 119 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:23,280 Speaker 1: with the car at a Nissan Pathliner. We literally squeezed 120 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:26,720 Speaker 1: ten dudes for the six hour drive from San Diego 121 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:29,440 Speaker 1: to the Bay Area to go stay at my folks 122 00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:32,880 Speaker 1: home for for one weekend of course, we partied our 123 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:36,400 Speaker 1: asses off, but when I came in, my mom was shocked. 124 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:39,040 Speaker 1: Is you know, hey, part of the military culture is 125 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:42,280 Speaker 1: sometimes guys have to sleep tattoos. And she's like, when 126 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:45,440 Speaker 1: you guys walked in, Uh, it was like a biker 127 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:49,920 Speaker 1: gang walked into the house, you know. And she she said, 128 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:51,960 Speaker 1: I made the snap judgment. And she telled me this 129 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 1: after the weekend. She's like, I've never met more respectful, 130 00:07:56,840 --> 00:08:02,080 Speaker 1: articulate like young men in my life. And she was like, 131 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:04,400 Speaker 1: she looks at me and she's like, I'm so proud 132 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:07,120 Speaker 1: of what you're doing. Because of course the NI they 133 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:10,800 Speaker 1: had reservations about me joining the military. You know, that 134 00:08:10,880 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 1: wasn't a highlight or a great time in the military. Uh. 135 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:16,680 Speaker 1: You know, funding wasn't great. We didn't have great training, 136 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:20,800 Speaker 1: and you know, every time as I went to the Seals, 137 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 1: I would take my platoon and my troop to Silicon 138 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 1: Value to meet with business leaders. The business leaders will 139 00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:29,280 Speaker 1: come to me and they're like, I have never met 140 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:33,800 Speaker 1: more result mission oriented then in my life. I actually 141 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:38,360 Speaker 1: took a group of Seal leaders from Jay Sack to 142 00:08:38,679 --> 00:08:41,720 Speaker 1: Silicon Valley in two thousand thirteen. We met with Larry Ellison, 143 00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:46,280 Speaker 1: Sergey Brin, Bill Campbell arranged this whole trip. The secret 144 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:48,240 Speaker 1: coach of Silicon Valley. He was no longer with us. 145 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:51,240 Speaker 1: Carol Barts of God who marked Dennie Off. I mean, 146 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:55,320 Speaker 1: the list goes on marking trees and authors themselves, and 147 00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:57,680 Speaker 1: each of them were like, if I had a talent 148 00:08:57,720 --> 00:09:00,120 Speaker 1: pool like this, I would hire all these guys as 149 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:06,840 Speaker 1: an heartbeat and people. Again, you know, we had a 150 00:09:06,880 --> 00:09:09,559 Speaker 1: purpose during the global warm terror. We believed in what 151 00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:11,960 Speaker 1: we were doing. And some of my guys and listen, 152 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:15,240 Speaker 1: guys have two master's degrees. Some of them are at 153 00:09:15,280 --> 00:09:19,000 Speaker 1: Harvard or Wharton right now, and they got their undergraduates 154 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 1: at American Military University or or or tried to Military 155 00:09:23,559 --> 00:09:27,800 Speaker 1: University or Norwich. They got it while they were on deployment. 156 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 1: And now they're getting masters from I V League schools. 157 00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:35,120 Speaker 1: That's how intelligent these guys are. That's how driven these 158 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:37,280 Speaker 1: men and women are. I mean, these are people that 159 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:42,000 Speaker 1: company companies couldn't pay enough money for it to step 160 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:44,920 Speaker 1: in run the respective department or team within their businesses 161 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:48,760 Speaker 1: and drive the organization to a new level. And that's 162 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:51,400 Speaker 1: what American But this book ain't about that it's more 163 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:55,120 Speaker 1: about how Special Operations assesses and flex and builds their 164 00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:58,000 Speaker 1: team based off character. But yeah, I think it hits 165 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:01,200 Speaker 1: home that you know, this talent pool, it is probably 166 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:03,080 Speaker 1: one of the most politic coun pools in America, and 167 00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:07,120 Speaker 1: it's the most overlooked as well. I firmly believe that, 168 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:09,880 Speaker 1: um and and you talk about it in the book 169 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:15,120 Speaker 1: because basically, you know, when when you're hiring talent, whether 170 00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:17,760 Speaker 1: it be in the special ops community or in the 171 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:21,839 Speaker 1: business community, it's all about finding the right person. And 172 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:25,040 Speaker 1: you know, when reading your book, you know, one of 173 00:10:25,040 --> 00:10:27,640 Speaker 1: the things that I stands out right away is the 174 00:10:28,559 --> 00:10:30,920 Speaker 1: you know, the forward was written by Jocko, who's a 175 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:33,800 Speaker 1: guy that I have a tremendous amount of respect for. 176 00:10:34,240 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 1: I've read some of this stuff, yeah Jocko. Yeah, and 177 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:43,440 Speaker 1: then then come to find out you guys served together. 178 00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:46,760 Speaker 1: I've watched some of his podcast. I think he's like, 179 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:49,280 Speaker 1: he's one of those guys that you put up there, 180 00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:52,640 Speaker 1: is like one of the most intriguing characters there are 181 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:55,679 Speaker 1: because he's just he's a guy you put up there 182 00:10:55,720 --> 00:10:59,920 Speaker 1: because I think he epitomizes everything that we look for 183 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:04,160 Speaker 1: are in a special operator and uh, you know, reading 184 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:06,839 Speaker 1: his his forward and they have set the tone for 185 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:09,120 Speaker 1: the book right away. But it's all about the people. 186 00:11:09,720 --> 00:11:12,959 Speaker 1: That's what it comes down to. People. Everyone looks for 187 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:15,440 Speaker 1: this or that, but it always comes down to people 188 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:19,280 Speaker 1: and leadership. And uh, that's what you know you were 189 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:21,319 Speaker 1: talking about in the book where you said talent and 190 00:11:21,440 --> 00:11:26,800 Speaker 1: leadership equal victory. And I thought that stood out right away. 191 00:11:26,880 --> 00:11:31,240 Speaker 1: And it all starts at the beginning about assessing, assessing 192 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:36,480 Speaker 1: and selecting the right people. And see that. Yeah, I've 193 00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:39,840 Speaker 1: got a highlight to the audience. Um, because we we 194 00:11:39,880 --> 00:11:42,360 Speaker 1: talked before we started recording, you got this book actually 195 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:45,760 Speaker 1: started starts talking about a story about the fifth Special 196 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:47,840 Speaker 1: Forces Group, which we all know, you know, that's your 197 00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:52,200 Speaker 1: community known, and what these small twelve man teams did 198 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:55,480 Speaker 1: against an estimated enemy force of Taliban and Alcada to 199 00:11:55,520 --> 00:12:01,520 Speaker 1: the tune of a few hundred dream Rays defeated a 200 00:12:01,679 --> 00:12:07,800 Speaker 1: far superior numerically force, numerical force by building coalitions with 201 00:12:07,880 --> 00:12:11,959 Speaker 1: friendly Afghan So I made it a very particular note 202 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:13,719 Speaker 1: that Seal wrote a book and started off with that 203 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:18,240 Speaker 1: only special portion. I've got a lot of actimunty highly 204 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:20,720 Speaker 1: respect it. I don't really play into the whole. Hey, 205 00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:24,920 Speaker 1: who's better Seals or Special Forces? If I were to 206 00:12:25,040 --> 00:12:27,600 Speaker 1: create my version of Rainbow six, it would just be 207 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:30,400 Speaker 1: that there'd be guys from the SF community. They'd be 208 00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:32,640 Speaker 1: dudes from Jay Sock. There would be some seals in there. 209 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:35,880 Speaker 1: There'd be some for Srikon Rings now marsok Uh, you 210 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:41,360 Speaker 1: know each community draws exceptional talent. But um Jocko writing 211 00:12:41,400 --> 00:12:44,680 Speaker 1: the forward, Jocko was a mentor of mine. I served 212 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:47,760 Speaker 1: in his task unit during the Battle of dy And 213 00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:49,760 Speaker 1: the funny thing about leadership is, I don't think there's 214 00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:53,240 Speaker 1: an original thought on the concept of leadership out there anymore. 215 00:12:53,760 --> 00:12:56,120 Speaker 1: I know I don't have an original thought. I am 216 00:12:56,320 --> 00:13:02,240 Speaker 1: a compilation of great mentors and coaches, Jocko being one 217 00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:05,400 Speaker 1: of it, a lot of Marine officers and Marine senior enlisted, 218 00:13:05,600 --> 00:13:07,400 Speaker 1: a lot of Seal senior enlisted, and a lot of 219 00:13:07,559 --> 00:13:10,760 Speaker 1: SF officers and senior listed. Because I got to be 220 00:13:10,920 --> 00:13:14,400 Speaker 1: a guest instructor Phase two at the s F Qualification 221 00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:17,559 Speaker 1: course for about two months, I was blown away by 222 00:13:17,640 --> 00:13:19,920 Speaker 1: the systems that that that you guys have put in 223 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:23,400 Speaker 1: place to assess talent. And uh, you know Chris Bustle, 224 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:25,920 Speaker 1: who penned the book Team of Teams for Stamley McCrystal 225 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:28,679 Speaker 1: was one of my commanding officers. It's just a long 226 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:31,679 Speaker 1: line of great leaders that I have the privilege to 227 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:36,360 Speaker 1: serve for and hopefully I'm carrying on their name in 228 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:42,280 Speaker 1: a positive way. Yeah. And you know when you when 229 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:46,400 Speaker 1: you wrote the book, you had a couple of co 230 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:52,520 Speaker 1: authors that really intriguing people as well. Josh Cotton who 231 00:13:52,559 --> 00:13:57,320 Speaker 1: worked with Navy Special Operators Marine Corps of Special Operators 232 00:13:57,440 --> 00:14:03,120 Speaker 1: SF guys and George and I caught part of a 233 00:14:03,160 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 1: podcast you and George did that was really really good. 234 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:11,320 Speaker 1: How did you guys all get together? So? Dr Cotton 235 00:14:11,760 --> 00:14:15,280 Speaker 1: and I met after I retired. I had started a 236 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:19,360 Speaker 1: foundation with the help of General Tony Kukloh, Admiral Bobby 237 00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:22,800 Speaker 1: and Then who was also the former director of the CIA, 238 00:14:22,800 --> 00:14:27,800 Speaker 1: and ADELM creating um in. Dr Cotton had been hired 239 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:31,240 Speaker 1: by Special Operations to come in and assess how we 240 00:14:31,640 --> 00:14:36,600 Speaker 1: assess and select and hopefully designed some assessments to try 241 00:14:36,640 --> 00:14:39,120 Speaker 1: to predict who would have a higher chance of making 242 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:43,600 Speaker 1: it through the training. He was blown away by the 243 00:14:43,680 --> 00:14:46,040 Speaker 1: caliber of talent that we have in the community, to 244 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:48,560 Speaker 1: the point where He created something called the Elite Performance 245 00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:53,680 Speaker 1: Indicator that now businesses are using to assess potential, you know, 246 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:57,680 Speaker 1: high performing individuals during the hiring process. So he brought 247 00:14:57,720 --> 00:15:00,480 Speaker 1: what he learned by watching special operations, you have brought 248 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:03,480 Speaker 1: it to the business world, and so we we've remade close. 249 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:06,120 Speaker 1: We have conversations about talent and you know, funny enough 250 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:09,200 Speaker 1: about Dr Totton. What I love is the humility he'll 251 00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:11,600 Speaker 1: He'll give you a theory and he'll always follow it 252 00:15:11,720 --> 00:15:14,800 Speaker 1: up with but I don't know, like the data has 253 00:15:14,920 --> 00:15:20,240 Speaker 1: elected for decades, UH to validate it. And then George 254 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:24,440 Speaker 1: randall Um, an old army dog must stay enlisted. The 255 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:26,680 Speaker 1: officer back in the eighties and nineties had been in 256 00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:29,880 Speaker 1: talent acquisition for twenty years. This is I mean, this 257 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:32,520 Speaker 1: is the power of LinkedIn. Reached out to me said, hey, 258 00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:34,920 Speaker 1: I saw you in the space, highly admire what you're 259 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:37,760 Speaker 1: doing the d FO WATCH, which is my military executive 260 00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:40,920 Speaker 1: search firm, and said would love to meet at Kirby Lane, 261 00:15:40,920 --> 00:15:43,640 Speaker 1: which is an iconic directors place in Austin. We did. 262 00:15:43,960 --> 00:15:46,280 Speaker 1: We've been friends ever since, to the point where he 263 00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:50,240 Speaker 1: I actually asked him to serve as the pastor at 264 00:15:50,280 --> 00:15:53,160 Speaker 1: my wife and I his wedding, so you know, consider 265 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:56,560 Speaker 1: him a brother. And he definitely has the expertise in 266 00:15:56,600 --> 00:16:00,200 Speaker 1: the hiring room, talent acquisition and executive search. He's made 267 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:03,200 Speaker 1: over eighty thou hires or been involved in stood up 268 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:07,320 Speaker 1: the vesteran hiring program at Ewitt Packard KP KPMG before 269 00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:10,560 Speaker 1: it was bought by the boy in Boozel. Hamilton's um. 270 00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:14,920 Speaker 1: So in terms of him prepping like debts for interviews 271 00:16:14,920 --> 00:16:18,680 Speaker 1: in the job market, I've never found anyone as astute 272 00:16:19,160 --> 00:16:22,080 Speaker 1: or a skilled as he is. Yeah, and you know, 273 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:25,800 Speaker 1: one of the things you talked about in the book, um, 274 00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:28,640 Speaker 1: a lot of you know, when you talk in industry 275 00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:33,440 Speaker 1: and how people hire, they hire for experience, and a 276 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:37,760 Speaker 1: lot of times they hire from outside their own their 277 00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:41,240 Speaker 1: own organization, and and it goes against everything that you know, 278 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:44,360 Speaker 1: we believe in because you know, in special ops, whether 279 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:47,680 Speaker 1: it be in the Navy Seal Team or SF a team, 280 00:16:47,760 --> 00:16:52,040 Speaker 1: we promote from within because we trained um, you know, 281 00:16:52,080 --> 00:16:55,720 Speaker 1: we trained operators to basically take over our job, which 282 00:16:56,320 --> 00:16:59,320 Speaker 1: a lot of people in the civilian world a kind 283 00:16:59,360 --> 00:17:02,840 Speaker 1: of the kind of loathe on that because they try 284 00:17:02,880 --> 00:17:06,080 Speaker 1: to stare away from that they're always afraid somebody's going 285 00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:09,480 Speaker 1: to take their job. And it all and again it 286 00:17:09,600 --> 00:17:14,399 Speaker 1: comes down to, you know, hire for character, trained for 287 00:17:14,440 --> 00:17:17,560 Speaker 1: the skill. As you put out in one of your chapters. 288 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:19,640 Speaker 1: I know I'm kind of bouncing around here in your book, 289 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:24,280 Speaker 1: but you and see that's a great point to to 290 00:17:24,320 --> 00:17:28,359 Speaker 1: accentuate too. Let me preface to this, my response to this. 291 00:17:28,880 --> 00:17:33,880 Speaker 1: The default mode for human beings is actually to follow 292 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:37,680 Speaker 1: the path of least resistance, which means to be lazy 293 00:17:37,960 --> 00:17:41,000 Speaker 1: and to choose the easy things that are objective and 294 00:17:41,040 --> 00:17:44,800 Speaker 1: easy to measure, which if you're hiring somebody, it's very 295 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:47,000 Speaker 1: easy to look at somebody's best in man and say, oh, 296 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:50,439 Speaker 1: they have five years of marketing experience. But this candidon 297 00:17:50,520 --> 00:17:53,159 Speaker 1: over here, who has great character, has zero years of 298 00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:56,200 Speaker 1: marketing experience. Let's go with the path of least resistance. 299 00:17:56,840 --> 00:17:59,720 Speaker 1: The candidate that induces the least fear the person within 300 00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:04,840 Speaker 1: this experience and industry experience is not predictive of success. 301 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:08,399 Speaker 1: You've seen this. You've seen young kids come through the 302 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:11,359 Speaker 1: eighteen X ray program for the audience. That is what 303 00:18:11,480 --> 00:18:15,919 Speaker 1: the s F community designed. Mainly. I think Jerry Boykin, 304 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:20,440 Speaker 1: General Boykin was very uh transformative with that effort and 305 00:18:20,640 --> 00:18:22,800 Speaker 1: basically got kids out of college in high school to 306 00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:25,880 Speaker 1: become direct and try out directly for the Special Forces. 307 00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:27,560 Speaker 1: And what they found is that they don't bring any 308 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:32,000 Speaker 1: bad habits and that they were as successful at becoming 309 00:18:32,520 --> 00:18:36,200 Speaker 1: Special Forces green Berets as somebody that had five years 310 00:18:36,359 --> 00:18:41,000 Speaker 1: of experience in the army, if not more. Uh successful. 311 00:18:41,720 --> 00:18:45,960 Speaker 1: So you know, if Special Operations hired for industry experience, 312 00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:49,639 Speaker 1: we wouldn't have anyone to hire because it doesn't exist. 313 00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:52,080 Speaker 1: I can't go to a high school in an auditorium 314 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:53,560 Speaker 1: of a hundred kids and say, hey, raise your hand 315 00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:56,199 Speaker 1: if you have a Special Operations experience. You know read racist. 316 00:18:56,800 --> 00:18:59,399 Speaker 1: I say, oh, sorry, guys, that sucks. Go join the 317 00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:01,359 Speaker 1: French for Lee. You can come back after you have 318 00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:06,840 Speaker 1: five years now. But that didn't deter us from building 319 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:09,600 Speaker 1: these elite teams. All we had to do was say, Roger, 320 00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:12,600 Speaker 1: this is the talent pool that we draw from, so 321 00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:15,560 Speaker 1: we need to become very good at assessing character in 322 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:20,880 Speaker 1: people with high potential. And that's what Special Operations set 323 00:19:20,920 --> 00:19:25,040 Speaker 1: to task of designing something called assessment and selection, which 324 00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:27,840 Speaker 1: when you look at how Special Operations does this regardless 325 00:19:27,840 --> 00:19:32,240 Speaker 1: of community It basically is the world's longest behavioral interview. 326 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:36,280 Speaker 1: And we take people with zero industry experience and we 327 00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:38,679 Speaker 1: turn them into professionals in a matter of two years, 328 00:19:39,320 --> 00:19:42,119 Speaker 1: highly capable soldiers, in fact, the most capable soldiers in 329 00:19:42,119 --> 00:19:44,639 Speaker 1: the world. And then we deploy them in small numbers 330 00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:50,080 Speaker 1: against numerically superior forces. In time and time again they 331 00:19:50,119 --> 00:19:55,600 Speaker 1: emerge successful delivering strategic impacts for our nation. Um So, 332 00:19:55,920 --> 00:20:00,360 Speaker 1: as these companies look at the talent pools at our 333 00:20:00,520 --> 00:20:04,320 Speaker 1: applying for these positions, you have to change your mindset. 334 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:07,359 Speaker 1: You have to become this JOCKO says deep, all aggressive 335 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:11,800 Speaker 1: and assess for character. Ultimately, the reason Special Operations has 336 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:14,040 Speaker 1: designed the training the way it is is not because 337 00:20:14,040 --> 00:20:17,080 Speaker 1: we're sadistic and we'd like to see people in pain. No, 338 00:20:17,920 --> 00:20:22,000 Speaker 1: we understand that it is only at one's limits, their 339 00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:25,840 Speaker 1: mental and physical limits, that true character emerges, and that's 340 00:20:25,840 --> 00:20:29,399 Speaker 1: what we're looking for. Funny enough, Brian Decker, who we 341 00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:33,160 Speaker 1: both discussed before we hit recorded, a well known Special 342 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:36,960 Speaker 1: Forces attendant colonel that sort of is credited with revolutionizing 343 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:41,600 Speaker 1: how Special Forces assesses and select talent, said that is 344 00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:45,399 Speaker 1: also the point at one's limits that skills hard skills 345 00:20:45,440 --> 00:20:48,639 Speaker 1: actually degrade and all your left with this character. COVID 346 00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:51,560 Speaker 1: is a perfect example of where people thought they had 347 00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:55,520 Speaker 1: a great workforce, but actually when chaos hit a luke 348 00:20:55,680 --> 00:21:00,120 Speaker 1: environment volatility of certainty, complexity and mute the environment, we thrive. 349 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:03,680 Speaker 1: I've been a special operations. The business world felt that 350 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:06,080 Speaker 1: and a lot of their workforces were not equipped with 351 00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:11,840 Speaker 1: the character needed to thrive in a very uh environment 352 00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:16,439 Speaker 1: described by hearing uncertaintly. Yeah, in fact, you were. You 353 00:21:16,480 --> 00:21:20,840 Speaker 1: were mentioned in Brian Decker earlier because you know when uh, 354 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:24,960 Speaker 1: I'm gonna date myself here. But back in I was 355 00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:29,280 Speaker 1: one of the instructors when they first started uh selection 356 00:21:29,320 --> 00:21:33,080 Speaker 1: and assessment. Back then we just call it Special Forces 357 00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:36,040 Speaker 1: Orientation and Training. We call s f o T. The 358 00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:40,080 Speaker 1: first few classes and because we had never had an 359 00:21:40,119 --> 00:21:44,080 Speaker 1: assessment and selection corpse, you know, when they brought instructors 360 00:21:44,119 --> 00:21:48,680 Speaker 1: from the different groups into the Special Warfare Center, they 361 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:51,280 Speaker 1: said to us, well, you guys gonna be working that 362 00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:54,760 Speaker 1: selection or s f O T, which is now s 363 00:21:54,840 --> 00:21:59,480 Speaker 1: f A S. And they said, before you can assess people, 364 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:02,320 Speaker 1: you have to actually go through the course, which didn't 365 00:22:02,359 --> 00:22:05,080 Speaker 1: go over well because you know, for the older guys 366 00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:09,040 Speaker 1: that would been in you know, the operational groups being 367 00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:12,760 Speaker 1: reduced back to a candidate for a couple of weeks 368 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:15,439 Speaker 1: while you go through that wasn't on the top of 369 00:22:15,480 --> 00:22:18,600 Speaker 1: everyone's list. But then it all sunk in and how 370 00:22:18,640 --> 00:22:22,159 Speaker 1: it's all supposed to work, Because this is where I 371 00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:24,040 Speaker 1: think that's that you know, and you talk about it 372 00:22:24,040 --> 00:22:28,320 Speaker 1: in the book. You know, when when somebody they can 373 00:22:28,359 --> 00:22:30,760 Speaker 1: go into an interview and always put their best foot 374 00:22:30,800 --> 00:22:34,359 Speaker 1: forward and you know, be personable and be charming and 375 00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:38,240 Speaker 1: you know, schmooz and but you don't really know that 376 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:45,200 Speaker 1: person's character until he's cold, he's wet, he's tired, he's starving, uh, 377 00:22:45,240 --> 00:22:47,199 Speaker 1: and he has a bunch of things being thrown in 378 00:22:47,280 --> 00:22:51,080 Speaker 1: his face and he has to make sound decisions and 379 00:22:51,119 --> 00:22:53,280 Speaker 1: work as a member of a team. That's when you 380 00:22:53,359 --> 00:22:56,400 Speaker 1: find out who these guys are. And I remember when 381 00:22:56,480 --> 00:23:00,560 Speaker 1: classes started, and I'm sure guys in this sale teams 382 00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:03,160 Speaker 1: did it. You know, we'd all look at guys and say, oh, 383 00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:05,680 Speaker 1: this guy looks like a stud. He's probably gonna be fine. 384 00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:08,000 Speaker 1: Those are the guys that kind of dropped off the 385 00:23:08,720 --> 00:23:11,880 Speaker 1: you know then right as you call it ringing the bell, 386 00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:14,840 Speaker 1: but our guys would just you know, raise their hand 387 00:23:14,920 --> 00:23:17,160 Speaker 1: that they want out those of There are a lot 388 00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:20,639 Speaker 1: of times the first guys that that failed and the 389 00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:24,760 Speaker 1: guys that you know, you wouldn't think would be standing 390 00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:27,760 Speaker 1: there at the end were and it was because they 391 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:30,879 Speaker 1: had those character traits that we're all looking for. And 392 00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:35,679 Speaker 1: it definitely it carries over into the civilian world, does 393 00:23:35,720 --> 00:23:40,639 Speaker 1: it not, without a doubt us. The thing is a 394 00:23:40,680 --> 00:23:43,879 Speaker 1: lot of people hiring their image, or they hire for 395 00:23:44,160 --> 00:23:49,040 Speaker 1: what they think is culture fit, which actually is likability. 396 00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:52,560 Speaker 1: And that's what a lot of companies, uh companies in 397 00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:55,879 Speaker 1: the business world tend to grab onto these these buzz words. 398 00:23:56,320 --> 00:24:00,840 Speaker 1: It goes in phases, um like you know, when it 399 00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:05,600 Speaker 1: was diversity inclusion being one of them, or I'm trying 400 00:24:05,600 --> 00:24:08,080 Speaker 1: to think of like the other one is it's about candles, 401 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:11,240 Speaker 1: And a lot of people are grasping onto this concept 402 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:13,320 Speaker 1: of culture. The culture is important, you have to be 403 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:15,800 Speaker 1: very intentional about the cultures. But what a lot of 404 00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:19,919 Speaker 1: people are confusing with culture fit is actual likability. And 405 00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:23,520 Speaker 1: because you want to share a beer with somebody does 406 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:25,520 Speaker 1: not mean that they are get fits of the team 407 00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:29,080 Speaker 1: or because they think like you. Ultimately within special operations. 408 00:24:29,119 --> 00:24:30,600 Speaker 1: And I tell this to people as I'm like, if 409 00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:32,480 Speaker 1: you think I liked all the seals on my team, 410 00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:34,200 Speaker 1: or to fall the seals on my team like me, 411 00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:37,240 Speaker 1: you're wrong. But as professionals, we knew we were a 412 00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:39,360 Speaker 1: high performing team that could put their egos and their 413 00:24:39,359 --> 00:24:42,399 Speaker 1: feelings aside to achieve a common goal. And that's what 414 00:24:42,600 --> 00:24:45,160 Speaker 1: really a company is. You're building a high performing team. 415 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:48,440 Speaker 1: You're not building a family. We all have those. You're 416 00:24:48,480 --> 00:24:51,320 Speaker 1: building a high performing team. You don't need to like 417 00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:55,720 Speaker 1: everyone on your team. Even from a sports perspective, if 418 00:24:55,760 --> 00:24:57,879 Speaker 1: you go back and watch about you know, the Michael 419 00:24:57,920 --> 00:25:02,240 Speaker 1: Jordan's era the Bowl, or the New York Yankees, when 420 00:25:02,320 --> 00:25:06,480 Speaker 1: you know they had Jeter and uh In a Rod no, like, 421 00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:08,719 Speaker 1: not all of them got along, but they could perform 422 00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:11,840 Speaker 1: as a team. And that's what matters. The business world 423 00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:14,919 Speaker 1: has to be very careful here. Your talent is not 424 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:20,000 Speaker 1: gonna look like a particular size, sex, gender, sexual orientation. 425 00:25:20,400 --> 00:25:22,360 Speaker 1: It's all over the place. And Steve, let me share 426 00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:26,040 Speaker 1: this last story with you. In Buds, there was a 427 00:25:26,119 --> 00:25:29,320 Speaker 1: kid who was really unassuming and here I am a 428 00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:32,879 Speaker 1: recon marine and scout sniber sending it stepping in the 429 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:36,520 Speaker 1: heel training, and I had instant sort of respect from 430 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:39,720 Speaker 1: the other students, and they did gravitate towards me Um, 431 00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:42,480 Speaker 1: and that was sort of, you know, the standout leader 432 00:25:42,480 --> 00:25:45,080 Speaker 1: in that class, because I've been through those environments before. 433 00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:48,280 Speaker 1: Thrived out of every school I went to, was usually 434 00:25:48,280 --> 00:25:52,560 Speaker 1: the honored man, even out of Marino cs UM and 435 00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:56,120 Speaker 1: I just sort of looked past this one kid, shrugged 436 00:25:56,119 --> 00:25:58,119 Speaker 1: my shoulders and thought, you probably won't be here in 437 00:25:58,160 --> 00:26:00,680 Speaker 1: a week or two. That kid went on to pass 438 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:03,120 Speaker 1: seal training, stood right next to me in Hell week, 439 00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:06,560 Speaker 1: then checked into Seal Team three with me. Um became 440 00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:09,639 Speaker 1: a special Operations medic, which we call him a team Deltas. 441 00:26:09,680 --> 00:26:11,760 Speaker 1: So went through that school, which is not an easy school, 442 00:26:12,160 --> 00:26:14,560 Speaker 1: went to Snipper School, and on our first employment, we 443 00:26:14,680 --> 00:26:16,879 Speaker 1: ended up in the same tasking during the Battle of 444 00:26:16,920 --> 00:26:20,680 Speaker 1: the Money. This individual was awarded the Silver Star. Then 445 00:26:20,720 --> 00:26:23,119 Speaker 1: went on another deployment with me to the Battle of 446 00:26:23,119 --> 00:26:25,560 Speaker 1: Soder City, where he performed maybe said we want to 447 00:26:25,560 --> 00:26:27,159 Speaker 1: make you an officer. They sent him to the University 448 00:26:27,160 --> 00:26:29,040 Speaker 1: of San Diego where he got a three point ninety 449 00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:33,600 Speaker 1: in mathematics, which I don't know who takes mathematics as 450 00:26:33,640 --> 00:26:37,400 Speaker 1: a a undergrad subject, but he got a three point 451 00:26:37,520 --> 00:26:40,240 Speaker 1: nine eight, decided he wanted to become a doctor. The 452 00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:42,760 Speaker 1: Navy sent him to Harvard because he got in become 453 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:47,480 Speaker 1: became a medical Harvard medical educated doctor, served as a 454 00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:49,400 Speaker 1: doctor for a few years, and said why not all 455 00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:53,119 Speaker 1: apply for NASA at an eighteen thousand applicants. Uh. He 456 00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:56,040 Speaker 1: was one of twelve selected and he did this all 457 00:26:56,320 --> 00:27:01,119 Speaker 1: steal medic silver star. Uh. You know, Harvard educated doctor 458 00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:04,360 Speaker 1: and NASA NASA astronaut, all by the age of thirty four. 459 00:27:04,720 --> 00:27:06,880 Speaker 1: And I'm the guy who thought I knew what town 460 00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:11,840 Speaker 1: looks like. That was wild. The name is Dr Him 461 00:27:11,840 --> 00:27:15,680 Speaker 1: and he's one of the most amazing human beings you'll 462 00:27:15,720 --> 00:27:18,560 Speaker 1: ever meet. But I out of tend people would have 463 00:27:18,560 --> 00:27:20,639 Speaker 1: glanced right past him because he was just, you know, 464 00:27:20,680 --> 00:27:24,800 Speaker 1: at the time, a scrawny Asian kid Korean American from 465 00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:27,960 Speaker 1: from l Yeah. I saw a story on him in 466 00:27:28,160 --> 00:27:31,800 Speaker 1: Military Times not too long ago, because they talked about 467 00:27:31,840 --> 00:27:35,240 Speaker 1: the same thing. And we're gonna get into culture fit 468 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:38,600 Speaker 1: in just a minute, but real quick, I have to 469 00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:41,199 Speaker 1: pause for a second and read. Uh. An ad from 470 00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:45,840 Speaker 1: one of our sponsors from Express VPN and uh, and 471 00:27:45,880 --> 00:27:48,160 Speaker 1: then we'll get right back to this. Have you ever 472 00:27:48,240 --> 00:27:50,600 Speaker 1: had a time when you search for something online and 473 00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:53,199 Speaker 1: you didn't want others known about. I know most of 474 00:27:53,240 --> 00:27:55,880 Speaker 1: you are probably thinking, well, why don't you just use 475 00:27:55,920 --> 00:27:59,280 Speaker 1: incognito mode on your computer. Let me tell you something, folks. 476 00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:04,080 Speaker 1: Incognito mode doesn't hide your actual activity. 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So, Mike, when you talked 504 00:29:41,360 --> 00:29:46,080 Speaker 1: about culture fit, you know, and you read wrote about 505 00:29:46,120 --> 00:29:49,240 Speaker 1: this in the book, it immediately struck something in my mind. 506 00:29:49,320 --> 00:29:52,840 Speaker 1: And you talk in the book about sports teams. One 507 00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:56,360 Speaker 1: and of the jobs I've had that I've covered the NFL, 508 00:29:56,840 --> 00:29:59,480 Speaker 1: which is a big passion of mine, and I sat 509 00:29:59,560 --> 00:30:02,320 Speaker 1: in on an interview with Bill Belichick from the New 510 00:30:02,360 --> 00:30:05,640 Speaker 1: England Patriots that won six Super Bowls in the last 511 00:30:05,640 --> 00:30:09,320 Speaker 1: two decades and they're probably one of the most successful 512 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:15,920 Speaker 1: teams ever really, And it's fascinating talking to him because 513 00:30:16,200 --> 00:30:19,080 Speaker 1: and you talk about this in the book. They said, 514 00:30:19,120 --> 00:30:24,240 Speaker 1: what's the toughest part of coaching modern day athletes? And 515 00:30:24,280 --> 00:30:27,440 Speaker 1: he said, getting them to buy into a team first mentality. 516 00:30:27,800 --> 00:30:30,840 Speaker 1: He said, you would think, you know, everyone talks about 517 00:30:31,440 --> 00:30:36,000 Speaker 1: team this and team that, but getting fifty three individuals 518 00:30:36,040 --> 00:30:40,479 Speaker 1: to completely buy in to being selfless, but putting the 519 00:30:40,520 --> 00:30:45,560 Speaker 1: team ahead of their own personal success, maybe individual success 520 00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:48,440 Speaker 1: for the you know, for the betterment of the team, 521 00:30:48,600 --> 00:30:52,080 Speaker 1: is the toughest part of coaching. And I think you 522 00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:54,479 Speaker 1: hit the nail on the head right there when in 523 00:30:54,520 --> 00:30:57,640 Speaker 1: your book and you talked about, you know, the culture fit. 524 00:30:57,800 --> 00:31:02,400 Speaker 1: It's not so much um, like you said, likability, but 525 00:31:02,480 --> 00:31:05,680 Speaker 1: it's putting the team first. And that's a big thing 526 00:31:05,720 --> 00:31:09,240 Speaker 1: with special operators. We always put the team ahead of 527 00:31:09,280 --> 00:31:14,920 Speaker 1: everyone else. Yeah, and that stuff for any humans do. 528 00:31:15,600 --> 00:31:18,560 Speaker 1: Let's be honest here, the men and women in special 529 00:31:18,560 --> 00:31:22,040 Speaker 1: operations and against the audience, there are women in special 530 00:31:22,040 --> 00:31:28,160 Speaker 1: operations that hold in multitude of functions and roles um 531 00:31:28,200 --> 00:31:30,840 Speaker 1: and their screen just just as heavily as our our 532 00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:35,360 Speaker 1: our special operators. But these are a type personalities with 533 00:31:35,400 --> 00:31:40,760 Speaker 1: their own agendas, their own ideas. Um, And that's okay. 534 00:31:40,800 --> 00:31:43,640 Speaker 1: We we encourage, yet we we want people to to 535 00:31:43,880 --> 00:31:47,080 Speaker 1: to challenge the way we approach problem steps. We want 536 00:31:47,120 --> 00:31:49,720 Speaker 1: them to challenge the way we think. We almost demand 537 00:31:49,920 --> 00:31:54,200 Speaker 1: a I call it a healthy disrespect for authority with 538 00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:57,840 Speaker 1: our own culture. Um, the way I coined it. If 539 00:31:57,840 --> 00:32:01,080 Speaker 1: we want people to push back and think outside the box. 540 00:32:01,800 --> 00:32:04,200 Speaker 1: But um, at the end of the day, even though 541 00:32:04,240 --> 00:32:06,840 Speaker 1: you have your own egos and egos in your own agendas, 542 00:32:07,040 --> 00:32:10,120 Speaker 1: if you don't have the ability to put your needs 543 00:32:10,240 --> 00:32:14,680 Speaker 1: as secondary to the overall organization, uh, then then you're 544 00:32:14,680 --> 00:32:16,760 Speaker 1: not gonna be in that community for very long. And 545 00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:18,920 Speaker 1: you're not a team player. But here's the thing too, 546 00:32:19,240 --> 00:32:21,520 Speaker 1: You've got to explain it to a young twenty three 547 00:32:21,600 --> 00:32:25,280 Speaker 1: year old uh you know, uh feel or Green Beret 548 00:32:25,320 --> 00:32:28,000 Speaker 1: or Mars operator. Here's why you want to put the 549 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:32,600 Speaker 1: team first because if the team wins, that ultimately comes 550 00:32:32,600 --> 00:32:36,200 Speaker 1: back to benefit benefit you in the long term to 551 00:32:36,280 --> 00:32:38,920 Speaker 1: a greater extent. And a lot of people in the 552 00:32:38,920 --> 00:32:41,640 Speaker 1: business world to understand that. You know, Hey, I'm the 553 00:32:41,680 --> 00:32:45,240 Speaker 1: top sales person for this organization. I made the most revenue, 554 00:32:45,240 --> 00:32:47,960 Speaker 1: which means I made the most commissions. But as a whole. 555 00:32:48,480 --> 00:32:52,680 Speaker 1: The organization is not needing its metrics and it's it's 556 00:32:52,680 --> 00:32:56,800 Speaker 1: getting decimated by its competition. Does that number one salesperson 557 00:32:56,960 --> 00:33:02,080 Speaker 1: in a underperforming organization? Does that title William matter? But 558 00:33:02,080 --> 00:33:04,080 Speaker 1: if I'm not top sales person, I say, hey, you 559 00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:06,480 Speaker 1: know what, I've got some best practices that I can 560 00:33:06,560 --> 00:33:09,000 Speaker 1: share with these other sales people. Because if I can 561 00:33:09,040 --> 00:33:11,240 Speaker 1: bring all the other sales people in this organization up 562 00:33:11,280 --> 00:33:14,080 Speaker 1: to my level, well guess what, We'll start to dominate 563 00:33:14,080 --> 00:33:17,520 Speaker 1: our competition. We'll start to dominate our respect as industry 564 00:33:17,600 --> 00:33:19,960 Speaker 1: and market space. And you just don't see a whole 565 00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:23,880 Speaker 1: lot of that in the business world. No, And I've 566 00:33:23,960 --> 00:33:26,920 Speaker 1: run into that, like I told you myself. You know, 567 00:33:27,080 --> 00:33:30,240 Speaker 1: it's it's eye opening when after you've spent most of 568 00:33:30,320 --> 00:33:32,960 Speaker 1: your you know, adult life in the military, and then 569 00:33:34,200 --> 00:33:37,080 Speaker 1: you know, I don't want to say we're institutionalized, but 570 00:33:37,680 --> 00:33:40,520 Speaker 1: we we get a little institutionalized when it comes to 571 00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:44,200 Speaker 1: the way we're used to seeing things done and the 572 00:33:44,240 --> 00:33:48,600 Speaker 1: way we treat the leadership and we foster it, and 573 00:33:48,680 --> 00:33:51,680 Speaker 1: that there's really not a lot of that. There's not 574 00:33:51,840 --> 00:33:54,040 Speaker 1: enough of it, I should say, in the civilian world. 575 00:33:54,040 --> 00:33:57,800 Speaker 1: I'm not saying it's totally absent, but it's definitely lacking 576 00:33:57,840 --> 00:34:01,760 Speaker 1: in a lot of places, and um, you know it's 577 00:34:01,760 --> 00:34:06,240 Speaker 1: it's it's very interesting because they again I go back, 578 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:09,960 Speaker 1: I think it was around page in your book you 579 00:34:10,040 --> 00:34:15,480 Speaker 1: talk about the higher industry experience over character and that's 580 00:34:15,320 --> 00:34:18,040 Speaker 1: just one of those things that you know, we look 581 00:34:18,080 --> 00:34:21,240 Speaker 1: at in special operations. You talk about susment in selection. 582 00:34:21,719 --> 00:34:24,200 Speaker 1: We do this all the time, and a lot of 583 00:34:24,239 --> 00:34:28,120 Speaker 1: people are under this misconception. Once you pass, you know 584 00:34:28,760 --> 00:34:31,920 Speaker 1: your assessment and selection, you get to go, you're being 585 00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:34,640 Speaker 1: assessed for the rest of your career. It's just as 586 00:34:34,680 --> 00:34:36,480 Speaker 1: you pass you talk about in the book, as you 587 00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:40,759 Speaker 1: pass one gate, another gate opens and you're expected to 588 00:34:40,800 --> 00:34:43,879 Speaker 1: do more and more and more, and with that comes 589 00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:48,840 Speaker 1: to more responsibility. And that's something that I think could 590 00:34:49,160 --> 00:34:56,040 Speaker 1: definitely carry over more to the civilian community. So you interesting, 591 00:34:56,880 --> 00:35:00,279 Speaker 1: and Steve, if you look back and try to stand 592 00:35:00,320 --> 00:35:03,560 Speaker 1: why you use that word institutionalized, I think you probably 593 00:35:03,560 --> 00:35:07,960 Speaker 1: agree with me that because that's how we're described by 594 00:35:08,080 --> 00:35:12,880 Speaker 1: the private sector, like, well, these veterans are institutionalized it 595 00:35:13,160 --> 00:35:17,760 Speaker 1: and maybe we are in in the context of that word. 596 00:35:18,360 --> 00:35:27,280 Speaker 1: But when you're institutionalized in values like selflessness, drive, resiliency, adaptability, 597 00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:33,440 Speaker 1: emotional strength, team ability. Is that really institutionalized or is 598 00:35:33,480 --> 00:35:36,239 Speaker 1: that the right way of doing things? That's the absolute 599 00:35:36,400 --> 00:35:41,239 Speaker 1: right way. And one of the things that you talked 600 00:35:41,239 --> 00:35:43,359 Speaker 1: about it in your book, And I think a lot 601 00:35:43,400 --> 00:35:47,160 Speaker 1: of people, especially in the civilian community, are under some 602 00:35:47,320 --> 00:35:50,960 Speaker 1: misconceptions when it comes to special operators. You talk about 603 00:35:51,080 --> 00:35:55,080 Speaker 1: how the Navy seals realized that, I mean we all, 604 00:35:55,120 --> 00:35:58,120 Speaker 1: I mean we didn't get to where we were in 605 00:35:58,160 --> 00:36:01,560 Speaker 1: the military without having an e go. Because when you 606 00:36:01,960 --> 00:36:04,279 Speaker 1: say to yourself, I want to be one of the 607 00:36:04,280 --> 00:36:08,640 Speaker 1: best of the best, and I mean that takes a 608 00:36:08,719 --> 00:36:10,799 Speaker 1: little bit of ego and we all have that and 609 00:36:10,840 --> 00:36:13,640 Speaker 1: you talk you just mentioned that a minute ago. I mean, 610 00:36:13,680 --> 00:36:17,440 Speaker 1: but at the same time that humility steps in because 611 00:36:17,840 --> 00:36:20,360 Speaker 1: even though you're very confident in your own ability, you 612 00:36:20,400 --> 00:36:23,800 Speaker 1: have to understand one, there's always room, you can always 613 00:36:23,800 --> 00:36:26,680 Speaker 1: get better. There's gonna be other people that are gonna 614 00:36:26,760 --> 00:36:29,840 Speaker 1: be strong in other areas. I think a lot of 615 00:36:29,880 --> 00:36:32,200 Speaker 1: people think, oh, well, he's a Navy Seal, he's a 616 00:36:32,200 --> 00:36:36,200 Speaker 1: Green Beret, he's gonna be you know, this arrogant person 617 00:36:36,280 --> 00:36:39,400 Speaker 1: that nobody can talk to in the room, and that's 618 00:36:39,480 --> 00:36:44,360 Speaker 1: the exact opposite of what makes us what we are, 619 00:36:44,400 --> 00:36:48,680 Speaker 1: you know. So I've had this conversation with Jocko and 620 00:36:48,680 --> 00:36:51,200 Speaker 1: and actually another guy named Rich to Benny, who uh 621 00:36:51,680 --> 00:36:54,719 Speaker 1: I starved with at Naval Special War for the development group. 622 00:36:54,800 --> 00:36:58,120 Speaker 1: He ran assessment in selection and sort of you made 623 00:36:58,120 --> 00:37:00,759 Speaker 1: some sweeting changes to how they about that as well. 624 00:37:01,040 --> 00:37:04,600 Speaker 1: He's got a book called The Attributes twenty five Hidden 625 00:37:04,680 --> 00:37:07,920 Speaker 1: Drivers to Optimal Performance, which comes out in January. And so, 626 00:37:08,360 --> 00:37:11,040 Speaker 1: you know, ego, we actually like to say it's pride. 627 00:37:11,800 --> 00:37:15,040 Speaker 1: So pride can drive you to do amazing things. If 628 00:37:15,080 --> 00:37:17,640 Speaker 1: your pride gets out of balance, it develops into ego, 629 00:37:18,360 --> 00:37:23,080 Speaker 1: and ego can be your downfall. But what Rich Divinni 630 00:37:23,120 --> 00:37:26,520 Speaker 1: also talks about it, and he's he studied high performers, 631 00:37:26,800 --> 00:37:31,239 Speaker 1: is there is a bit of narcissism in all high performers. 632 00:37:31,280 --> 00:37:34,560 Speaker 1: There is a bit of narcissism. And as he was 633 00:37:34,600 --> 00:37:37,040 Speaker 1: explaining this to me, I'm like that that makes total sense. 634 00:37:37,480 --> 00:37:41,279 Speaker 1: It doesn't mean they're off the chart, off the charts narcissists, no, 635 00:37:42,280 --> 00:37:45,839 Speaker 1: but they are driven to the point of where they're 636 00:37:45,880 --> 00:37:49,360 Speaker 1: going to drive results and nothing's gonna stop them. And 637 00:37:49,719 --> 00:37:52,120 Speaker 1: as he's explained. It totally makes sense. There there is 638 00:37:52,160 --> 00:37:56,200 Speaker 1: a bit of narcissism in all high performers that drives 639 00:37:56,239 --> 00:37:59,760 Speaker 1: them to to accomplish create things. But yeah, definitely pride 640 00:37:59,760 --> 00:38:02,359 Speaker 1: with in the Special Operations communities what drives us to 641 00:38:02,360 --> 00:38:07,520 Speaker 1: to continually elevate the bar. But we've you, you and 642 00:38:07,560 --> 00:38:11,320 Speaker 1: I have seen seen it, uh Steve, where that pride 643 00:38:11,760 --> 00:38:15,080 Speaker 1: can turn into ego, which can turn into complacency. And 644 00:38:15,080 --> 00:38:18,120 Speaker 1: we've seen you know, we we hate. We're not saying 645 00:38:18,120 --> 00:38:22,040 Speaker 1: that Special Operations is immune to underperformers. We're not saying 646 00:38:22,080 --> 00:38:25,880 Speaker 1: that we've seen certain units, certain oh bias or c 647 00:38:26,040 --> 00:38:30,359 Speaker 1: oble tunes that have bad leadership, that develop ego, become complacency. 648 00:38:30,480 --> 00:38:33,360 Speaker 1: And guess what, we've made a mistake of deploying the obracies. 649 00:38:33,719 --> 00:38:36,520 Speaker 1: And it's those units that actually do bad things, sometimes 650 00:38:36,600 --> 00:38:39,759 Speaker 1: do unethical things, that make the front page. Because when 651 00:38:39,760 --> 00:38:42,759 Speaker 1: Special Operations does something not ethical, you can guarantee it's 652 00:38:42,760 --> 00:38:45,680 Speaker 1: on the cover of Wall Street Journal or USA to Day. 653 00:38:46,000 --> 00:38:51,279 Speaker 1: UM's absolutely, but um, we we've seen our our share 654 00:38:51,320 --> 00:38:54,759 Speaker 1: of bad leaders in the Special Operations community. Um. But 655 00:38:54,880 --> 00:38:57,880 Speaker 1: we learned from it, and that's actually the feedback loop 656 00:38:58,080 --> 00:39:00,799 Speaker 1: we talked about in the book. It's when somebody made 657 00:39:00,840 --> 00:39:03,880 Speaker 1: it through our very long two year assessment and selection 658 00:39:03,960 --> 00:39:06,799 Speaker 1: process and goes on to take a leadership build in 659 00:39:06,840 --> 00:39:11,319 Speaker 1: Special Operations and then does something unethical. We as communities 660 00:39:11,360 --> 00:39:14,640 Speaker 1: come together and say, what did we miss in assessing 661 00:39:14,640 --> 00:39:17,200 Speaker 1: and selecting that into the dual of our community, and 662 00:39:17,239 --> 00:39:20,120 Speaker 1: how do we change the process. So we never let 663 00:39:20,200 --> 00:39:23,600 Speaker 1: somebody like that in again? Or was it they served 664 00:39:23,680 --> 00:39:27,280 Speaker 1: under some very bad mentors within the Special Operations community 665 00:39:27,320 --> 00:39:30,319 Speaker 1: that led them to believe a certain behavior was acceptable. 666 00:39:31,239 --> 00:39:35,080 Speaker 1: But we have those competitions. Businesses don't do that most 667 00:39:35,120 --> 00:39:40,680 Speaker 1: of Yeah, I'm sorry I kept interrupting you. I was 668 00:39:40,719 --> 00:39:44,040 Speaker 1: just gonna say, I remember my first team sergeant and 669 00:39:44,680 --> 00:39:48,160 Speaker 1: s F. Who's the guy I looked up to, Especially 670 00:39:48,239 --> 00:39:50,520 Speaker 1: when you're a young guy, you're just fresh out of 671 00:39:51,040 --> 00:39:53,480 Speaker 1: you know, the Q course, and you look to your team. 672 00:39:53,520 --> 00:39:56,640 Speaker 1: So and that's your mentor, he's your coach, he's your trainer, 673 00:39:56,800 --> 00:39:59,560 Speaker 1: he's the guy that's gonna as he used to say, 674 00:39:59,560 --> 00:40:01,800 Speaker 1: I'm going to train you to do my job, because 675 00:40:01,880 --> 00:40:05,440 Speaker 1: that's my job is to make you. You know, the 676 00:40:05,520 --> 00:40:08,799 Speaker 1: eventual team started, he used to say. And one of 677 00:40:08,840 --> 00:40:11,120 Speaker 1: the things that it's stuck with me. And I think 678 00:40:11,120 --> 00:40:14,360 Speaker 1: you mentioned it in your book. There's not bad teams, 679 00:40:14,760 --> 00:40:18,720 Speaker 1: there's bad leaders because when a team fails, it starts 680 00:40:18,760 --> 00:40:21,360 Speaker 1: at the top with the leadership. And I think that, 681 00:40:22,200 --> 00:40:25,879 Speaker 1: I mean, I think that strikes home pent of the time. 682 00:40:26,080 --> 00:40:28,440 Speaker 1: And we're not immune. Like you said, we're not immune 683 00:40:28,480 --> 00:40:31,760 Speaker 1: to it. I mean we're not perfect either. Our sex 684 00:40:32,480 --> 00:40:37,400 Speaker 1: excuse me, assessment and selection guys have slipped through that 685 00:40:37,480 --> 00:40:40,880 Speaker 1: probably shouldn't have been on the teams. We're not perfect, 686 00:40:40,920 --> 00:40:43,040 Speaker 1: but I think we do it a lot better than 687 00:40:43,080 --> 00:40:48,239 Speaker 1: everyone else's. Yeah, hey, did I I coverment community, which 688 00:40:48,239 --> 00:40:50,279 Speaker 1: in the last year of the Seal Community, we've we've 689 00:40:50,320 --> 00:40:53,359 Speaker 1: had a lot of front page moments and you know, 690 00:40:53,760 --> 00:40:57,200 Speaker 1: attachment to the camaraderie between the different special operations communities. 691 00:40:57,520 --> 00:40:59,680 Speaker 1: My green bread buddies will call me to be like, hey, 692 00:40:59,719 --> 00:41:02,000 Speaker 1: you got that are really representing well right now? I'm like, 693 00:41:02,040 --> 00:41:07,840 Speaker 1: I know, um, But the second something you identify a 694 00:41:07,880 --> 00:41:09,960 Speaker 1: bad behavior in your organization, you've gotta get it out. 695 00:41:10,120 --> 00:41:14,080 Speaker 1: And we're pretty good about that, um. And again you've 696 00:41:14,080 --> 00:41:16,640 Speaker 1: got to learn from it. A lot of businesses, as 697 00:41:16,640 --> 00:41:18,560 Speaker 1: I was saying, when they have a bad higher, They're like, oh, 698 00:41:18,600 --> 00:41:20,000 Speaker 1: it was just a bad higher, and they move on 699 00:41:20,520 --> 00:41:23,719 Speaker 1: and start the process over again without thinking about what 700 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:26,600 Speaker 1: led to that moment and how they could potentially avoid 701 00:41:26,640 --> 00:41:31,120 Speaker 1: those those behaviors or or or select a candidate that 702 00:41:31,120 --> 00:41:34,719 Speaker 1: that representative values that they really aligned. And I want 703 00:41:34,719 --> 00:41:37,719 Speaker 1: to come back to culture fit. The good definition of 704 00:41:37,760 --> 00:41:42,680 Speaker 1: culture for companies moving forward is do this candidates values 705 00:41:42,800 --> 00:41:47,239 Speaker 1: aligned with our organization. That's what culture fit is. Do 706 00:41:47,320 --> 00:41:50,840 Speaker 1: they have the same values? Now, their personality may be different. 707 00:41:51,360 --> 00:41:54,560 Speaker 1: They may be sort of a grumpy character. And again 708 00:41:54,640 --> 00:41:56,560 Speaker 1: going back to Richard any and they see all I 709 00:41:56,600 --> 00:41:59,919 Speaker 1: served with with the book coming out, he talks about authenticity. 710 00:42:00,760 --> 00:42:04,560 Speaker 1: I would rather have somebody whose values aligned with me. 711 00:42:04,760 --> 00:42:07,839 Speaker 1: But maybe they're just a grumpy character. But if they're 712 00:42:07,840 --> 00:42:10,600 Speaker 1: grumpy all the time, then they're actually being authentic, which 713 00:42:10,600 --> 00:42:14,759 Speaker 1: means I can trust that person. They're genuine um And 714 00:42:14,800 --> 00:42:17,120 Speaker 1: a lot of companies look for again, that big personality 715 00:42:17,160 --> 00:42:19,200 Speaker 1: that everyone likes and everyone wants to have a beer with. 716 00:42:19,800 --> 00:42:22,239 Speaker 1: But you and I have seen those personalities in the 717 00:42:22,239 --> 00:42:25,719 Speaker 1: special operations communities that make it through the process, and 718 00:42:25,719 --> 00:42:27,759 Speaker 1: it's usually there's loud guys that are nowhere to be 719 00:42:27,800 --> 00:42:31,919 Speaker 1: seen when the work requires rolling up the sleeves, they're 720 00:42:31,920 --> 00:42:36,640 Speaker 1: off smoozing somebody else and running them off. Yeah. Yeah, 721 00:42:37,200 --> 00:42:40,640 Speaker 1: we've all seen those guys. And you know they we 722 00:42:40,719 --> 00:42:44,880 Speaker 1: scalled politicians and sf because you get somewhere and they 723 00:42:44,880 --> 00:42:47,440 Speaker 1: were off, you know, trying to build rapport with somebody 724 00:42:47,480 --> 00:42:50,359 Speaker 1: while everyone else is doing the work. But you know, 725 00:42:50,440 --> 00:42:54,800 Speaker 1: exactly again, we're not perfect. I mean we've let guys 726 00:42:54,840 --> 00:42:57,520 Speaker 1: in that probably shouldn't have been. You know, I'm sure 727 00:42:57,600 --> 00:43:00,239 Speaker 1: somebody out there is saying, yeah, Steve, you're one of them. 728 00:43:00,680 --> 00:43:03,440 Speaker 1: But uh, you know, it's just you know, what's the 729 00:43:03,480 --> 00:43:06,080 Speaker 1: way it is. But you know, one of the things 730 00:43:06,120 --> 00:43:08,759 Speaker 1: you talked about, and again I'm bouncing around your book 731 00:43:08,800 --> 00:43:12,960 Speaker 1: because I have all these notes scribbled the special operations 732 00:43:13,040 --> 00:43:17,960 Speaker 1: truths that we all know and how it relates to 733 00:43:18,000 --> 00:43:22,040 Speaker 1: the business truths. Number one is always the butt. The 734 00:43:22,040 --> 00:43:25,440 Speaker 1: best humans are more important in hardware, and again you 735 00:43:25,520 --> 00:43:28,560 Speaker 1: talked about that in your book. Human capital is the 736 00:43:28,600 --> 00:43:33,640 Speaker 1: most critical resource qualities better than quantity. I think that 737 00:43:33,680 --> 00:43:37,920 Speaker 1: speaks for itself. I mean a lot of these companies 738 00:43:38,040 --> 00:43:41,000 Speaker 1: try to hire, as you said, just to fill a seat, 739 00:43:41,600 --> 00:43:44,640 Speaker 1: and they're not worried about you know, are they getting 740 00:43:44,640 --> 00:43:48,600 Speaker 1: the right people? Special operations forces can't be masked for dudes. 741 00:43:48,800 --> 00:43:52,480 Speaker 1: I think we both know that is. It's never been 742 00:43:53,080 --> 00:43:56,239 Speaker 1: you know, it's never been an easy process. And you 743 00:43:56,320 --> 00:43:59,160 Speaker 1: just can't say. You know, we ran into this in 744 00:43:59,360 --> 00:44:02,839 Speaker 1: the in the late eighties. Uh, you know, when they 745 00:44:02,840 --> 00:44:06,279 Speaker 1: were trying to build up the Special Operations Command. The 746 00:44:06,360 --> 00:44:09,280 Speaker 1: people from the Pentagon said we need this many guys 747 00:44:09,360 --> 00:44:14,200 Speaker 1: this year. Well that's not gonna work because the standards 748 00:44:14,239 --> 00:44:18,000 Speaker 1: are saying the same. You know. It's like, if we 749 00:44:18,080 --> 00:44:21,160 Speaker 1: get that many guys in that are meeting the standards 750 00:44:21,239 --> 00:44:24,000 Speaker 1: by all means, they're gonna be green berets. But if 751 00:44:24,000 --> 00:44:28,200 Speaker 1: they don't, if we're only getting of that, then guess what, 752 00:44:29,160 --> 00:44:32,680 Speaker 1: and we're gonna be short. But that's the way it is, 753 00:44:32,840 --> 00:44:38,880 Speaker 1: and you can't create uh, you know, competent operational s 754 00:44:38,880 --> 00:44:42,600 Speaker 1: s o F guys after emergencies occur. It has to 755 00:44:42,640 --> 00:44:45,839 Speaker 1: be a long drawn up you as you said, a 756 00:44:45,840 --> 00:44:48,480 Speaker 1: two year process just to get your foot in the door. 757 00:44:49,520 --> 00:44:55,000 Speaker 1: And you know, we talked about I think you mentioned earlier. Um, 758 00:44:55,040 --> 00:44:58,480 Speaker 1: you know, it's it's a world class talent pool, but 759 00:44:58,680 --> 00:45:02,080 Speaker 1: it's shrinking every year. It's getting harder and harder to 760 00:45:02,239 --> 00:45:05,200 Speaker 1: find those kind of guys. And the last one, most 761 00:45:05,239 --> 00:45:10,040 Speaker 1: special operations forces required non s of assistance, and you know, 762 00:45:10,360 --> 00:45:14,480 Speaker 1: you talk about that in the book. We have some 763 00:45:14,640 --> 00:45:20,239 Speaker 1: of the best logistics and support personnel that support s 764 00:45:20,280 --> 00:45:23,799 Speaker 1: of operations, and those people are assessed and selected for 765 00:45:23,840 --> 00:45:27,239 Speaker 1: their own, you know, jobs that they'll have. They might 766 00:45:27,280 --> 00:45:30,600 Speaker 1: not be operators, but they're just as important as us 767 00:45:30,640 --> 00:45:32,799 Speaker 1: to make sure that we were able to go out 768 00:45:32,800 --> 00:45:35,600 Speaker 1: and do our job. And again, in the business world, 769 00:45:36,120 --> 00:45:38,560 Speaker 1: it's the same thing. They have to have all departments 770 00:45:39,080 --> 00:45:43,279 Speaker 1: pulling in the same way. I think that this is like, uh, 771 00:45:43,480 --> 00:45:46,080 Speaker 1: this is in a nutshell, and I don't think enough 772 00:45:46,120 --> 00:45:51,280 Speaker 1: companies do this. Excuse me. Yeah, you know the funny 773 00:45:51,440 --> 00:45:54,000 Speaker 1: one about if you look at all of those for 774 00:45:54,040 --> 00:45:58,160 Speaker 1: a business leader listening, there's there's five special operations. Truths 775 00:45:58,760 --> 00:46:02,759 Speaker 1: are the foundation of special operations, and each one of 776 00:46:02,800 --> 00:46:05,960 Speaker 1: the five talked about how important people are. It's not 777 00:46:06,080 --> 00:46:11,360 Speaker 1: your technology, it's not your systems, it's your people. Technology 778 00:46:11,400 --> 00:46:17,120 Speaker 1: doesn't commercialize itself. People do. Technology doesn't sell itself. People do. 779 00:46:17,920 --> 00:46:22,439 Speaker 1: And that's why you're yeah, the quality is better than quantity. Hey, dude, 780 00:46:22,760 --> 00:46:25,200 Speaker 1: no one summed this up better than a guy named 781 00:46:25,480 --> 00:46:30,319 Speaker 1: Colonel Charlotte Beckwith, who was a Vietnam veteran um a 782 00:46:30,400 --> 00:46:34,800 Speaker 1: very big personality. He drove the creation of what today 783 00:46:34,880 --> 00:46:39,600 Speaker 1: is is the army component of Jay Sock. And he said, 784 00:46:39,680 --> 00:46:43,520 Speaker 1: I would rather go down the river with seven studs 785 00:46:44,600 --> 00:46:49,319 Speaker 1: then heads, And that's stuff that up. If you've got 786 00:46:49,320 --> 00:46:52,319 Speaker 1: a leader like this, he was very disruptive in a 787 00:46:52,520 --> 00:46:57,000 Speaker 1: pioneer within his respective area, say I'd rather go with 788 00:46:57,080 --> 00:47:01,240 Speaker 1: a handful of absolute high performers then take a hundred 789 00:47:01,280 --> 00:47:05,560 Speaker 1: people with me. That said something, especially into a scenario 790 00:47:05,840 --> 00:47:09,759 Speaker 1: where your life is on the line. And that's why 791 00:47:09,920 --> 00:47:13,920 Speaker 1: those few dozen oders of green Berets went against a 792 00:47:14,000 --> 00:47:17,319 Speaker 1: much larger force and came out on top. They had 793 00:47:17,400 --> 00:47:20,719 Speaker 1: higher character, they had all the attributes that the Taliban 794 00:47:21,360 --> 00:47:27,359 Speaker 1: and al Qaeda black. That's uh, it sums it up 795 00:47:27,360 --> 00:47:29,600 Speaker 1: in a nutshell. What's the same thing you guys went 796 00:47:29,640 --> 00:47:34,000 Speaker 1: through in Ramadi? And you know in part of your 797 00:47:34,000 --> 00:47:39,000 Speaker 1: book you talk about preparing for war, which business. It's 798 00:47:39,040 --> 00:47:42,480 Speaker 1: war without people getting killed. But it's the same thing. 799 00:47:42,600 --> 00:47:47,520 Speaker 1: And you know you hire for character, you're trained for skill, 800 00:47:48,320 --> 00:47:51,680 Speaker 1: and you know it comes down to that. I think 801 00:47:51,719 --> 00:47:55,200 Speaker 1: a lot of companies. Again you talk about they don't 802 00:47:55,800 --> 00:47:58,520 Speaker 1: have the right people in HR, they don't have the 803 00:47:58,640 --> 00:48:03,480 Speaker 1: right I guess mindset of what they're actually trying to find, 804 00:48:04,719 --> 00:48:08,399 Speaker 1: you know, for these companies. And again it comes down 805 00:48:08,440 --> 00:48:12,160 Speaker 1: to like the s o F people, the special operations community, 806 00:48:12,960 --> 00:48:16,759 Speaker 1: you know, we have the kind of I think, and 807 00:48:16,840 --> 00:48:20,360 Speaker 1: you talked about it in the book generalists who have 808 00:48:21,320 --> 00:48:25,160 Speaker 1: all this experience all over the world, you know, and 809 00:48:25,480 --> 00:48:28,160 Speaker 1: they're looking for a guy with a little niche in 810 00:48:28,200 --> 00:48:32,080 Speaker 1: the private sector where they're over specialized. And I think 811 00:48:32,120 --> 00:48:37,000 Speaker 1: this is a big thing that where you know, special 812 00:48:37,000 --> 00:48:41,440 Speaker 1: ops guys are hands down a better higher than some 813 00:48:41,560 --> 00:48:46,040 Speaker 1: of these, uh guys who didn't have that kind of background. 814 00:48:47,920 --> 00:48:50,920 Speaker 1: Brian Jecker and I have talked about this at length. 815 00:48:51,520 --> 00:48:55,680 Speaker 1: Is there seems to be an over specialization within the 816 00:48:55,719 --> 00:48:59,000 Speaker 1: market space. If you're hiring for a very select role 817 00:48:59,520 --> 00:49:02,920 Speaker 1: for some that has to be a coder. Yes they 818 00:49:03,239 --> 00:49:06,960 Speaker 1: have to, they have to have that competency. But when 819 00:49:07,000 --> 00:49:12,800 Speaker 1: you look at your management leadership, actually generalists are more equipped. 820 00:49:12,800 --> 00:49:14,680 Speaker 1: I mean, this is what David Epstein wrote about in 821 00:49:14,680 --> 00:49:18,560 Speaker 1: the book range Why generalist triumph in a specialized world? 822 00:49:19,320 --> 00:49:21,640 Speaker 1: And the reason that I chose to make an executive 823 00:49:21,640 --> 00:49:24,840 Speaker 1: search from only sourced military leaders, and that's who we 824 00:49:24,840 --> 00:49:27,680 Speaker 1: put in front of companies is because they're the ultimate 825 00:49:27,719 --> 00:49:32,520 Speaker 1: definition of generalists. If you look at an Army green beret, one, 826 00:49:32,560 --> 00:49:37,040 Speaker 1: they've been through the most rigorous selection process that that 827 00:49:37,120 --> 00:49:40,000 Speaker 1: no business can replicate. Then they were sent to Iraq, 828 00:49:40,600 --> 00:49:44,760 Speaker 1: a very specific culture with a very unique set of challenges. 829 00:49:44,800 --> 00:49:46,719 Speaker 1: And on the next appointment, they were in Afghanistan the 830 00:49:46,760 --> 00:49:49,840 Speaker 1: same thing, a very unique culture with a very unique 831 00:49:49,880 --> 00:49:51,960 Speaker 1: set of challenges. And then after that they went to 832 00:49:52,040 --> 00:49:54,719 Speaker 1: Somalia and the same thing. And they've been placed in 833 00:49:54,840 --> 00:49:59,000 Speaker 1: all these different scenarios. And when that green beret chooses 834 00:49:59,040 --> 00:50:01,800 Speaker 1: to get out after ten years one, they probably already 835 00:50:01,800 --> 00:50:04,560 Speaker 1: have a graduate degree, I'm sorry, undergrad degree if they 836 00:50:04,560 --> 00:50:08,280 Speaker 1: were enlisted, possibly a master's. And you're talking to somebody 837 00:50:08,280 --> 00:50:11,959 Speaker 1: that faced so many different problems as in so many 838 00:50:11,960 --> 00:50:16,640 Speaker 1: different scenarios under the most extreme pressure, and now they 839 00:50:16,680 --> 00:50:20,000 Speaker 1: have one of the widest experience spaces in the world 840 00:50:20,480 --> 00:50:23,200 Speaker 1: for which you can throw any challenge at them, and 841 00:50:23,239 --> 00:50:26,399 Speaker 1: they are more equipped than a specialist to solve an 842 00:50:26,520 --> 00:50:31,920 Speaker 1: array of problems. COVID again is a perfect example for 843 00:50:32,040 --> 00:50:35,600 Speaker 1: which you know, military members have proved proven for the 844 00:50:35,600 --> 00:50:39,120 Speaker 1: most part, unflappable during these last six to eight months. 845 00:50:39,440 --> 00:50:43,040 Speaker 1: They're like, yep, this this, this like totally hails in 846 00:50:43,040 --> 00:50:46,399 Speaker 1: comparison to anything, uh that we saw during the Jordan 847 00:50:46,480 --> 00:50:49,399 Speaker 1: global warring terror were good almost like wipe the dust 848 00:50:49,400 --> 00:50:52,680 Speaker 1: off their shoulder and says business as usual. We'll we'll 849 00:50:52,719 --> 00:50:56,040 Speaker 1: find a way to maneuver within this environment. Um. And 850 00:50:56,200 --> 00:50:58,279 Speaker 1: a lot of companies we do the leadership consulting side, 851 00:50:58,640 --> 00:51:02,360 Speaker 1: when they ran into COVID, their workforces lacked the character 852 00:51:03,040 --> 00:51:08,759 Speaker 1: to to to thrive in a BUCA environment. Yeah. And 853 00:51:08,760 --> 00:51:11,439 Speaker 1: and a lot of that is adaptability, and you talk 854 00:51:11,480 --> 00:51:13,839 Speaker 1: about that in the book. I mean the one thing 855 00:51:13,880 --> 00:51:17,560 Speaker 1: that you know special operators can do is adapt to 856 00:51:17,560 --> 00:51:20,320 Speaker 1: any of you talk about that. You know, any environment, 857 00:51:20,760 --> 00:51:27,080 Speaker 1: uh if it's Afghanistan, Iraq, you know, Somalia, all very different. 858 00:51:27,560 --> 00:51:29,799 Speaker 1: But you know, our guys can adapt to that. And 859 00:51:29,840 --> 00:51:32,520 Speaker 1: I think a lot of the people that are out 860 00:51:32,520 --> 00:51:36,080 Speaker 1: there in the civilian workforce, they they're they're not they 861 00:51:36,160 --> 00:51:39,759 Speaker 1: don't wire to adapt. I don't think you know, it's 862 00:51:39,800 --> 00:51:43,040 Speaker 1: just um, you have to have that, you have to 863 00:51:43,040 --> 00:51:46,359 Speaker 1: have that drive to succeed. But you also think, you know, 864 00:51:48,280 --> 00:51:53,360 Speaker 1: the one thing that special operators do is we accept 865 00:51:54,000 --> 00:51:57,000 Speaker 1: the fact that you're gonna throw something matus that we've 866 00:51:57,000 --> 00:51:59,759 Speaker 1: probably never done before, but we're gonna find a way 867 00:51:59,760 --> 00:52:02,520 Speaker 1: to get it done. And I think that's you know, 868 00:52:02,520 --> 00:52:05,840 Speaker 1: when you're talking about adaptability, that's what I think what 869 00:52:06,200 --> 00:52:11,520 Speaker 1: the SF community does absolute best. Yeah, And you know 870 00:52:11,640 --> 00:52:16,680 Speaker 1: why is adaptability so important is because the business space, 871 00:52:16,719 --> 00:52:19,520 Speaker 1: the private sector is defined as an ever changing environment. 872 00:52:19,640 --> 00:52:22,799 Speaker 1: You know, the digital transformation has changed everything. Um, we're 873 00:52:22,800 --> 00:52:25,919 Speaker 1: still very much in the midst of that that transformation. 874 00:52:26,560 --> 00:52:29,200 Speaker 1: And when you hire somebody, why adaptability should always be 875 00:52:29,239 --> 00:52:33,400 Speaker 1: a hiring requirement if you're asking yourself, Hey, I'm hiring 876 00:52:33,400 --> 00:52:35,839 Speaker 1: this person for what I need now, but does this 877 00:52:35,880 --> 00:52:38,880 Speaker 1: person have the curiosity and adaptability to be relevant to 878 00:52:38,920 --> 00:52:43,040 Speaker 1: this organization into drive results ten years from now when 879 00:52:43,080 --> 00:52:45,799 Speaker 1: the market space in our company look very different. And 880 00:52:46,120 --> 00:52:48,400 Speaker 1: of all the interviews we did because this book also 881 00:52:48,800 --> 00:52:51,800 Speaker 1: we interviewed a lot of what I call private sector 882 00:52:51,840 --> 00:52:56,680 Speaker 1: warriors who are around within their space, particularly the HR space. 883 00:52:57,360 --> 00:53:00,239 Speaker 1: Patty McCord, uh, you know, we we we we talked 884 00:53:00,239 --> 00:53:03,440 Speaker 1: about patting record. We did an interviewer Tracy Kio, who's 885 00:53:03,440 --> 00:53:06,239 Speaker 1: the second highest paid hr O in the world. She's 886 00:53:06,239 --> 00:53:10,319 Speaker 1: the c r O Ulett Packard. The actual person that 887 00:53:10,400 --> 00:53:13,879 Speaker 1: found made women to lead that organization is they all 888 00:53:14,080 --> 00:53:16,839 Speaker 1: talked about they hired not only for what they need now, 889 00:53:16,880 --> 00:53:19,239 Speaker 1: but for what they need ten years from now, and 890 00:53:19,280 --> 00:53:23,640 Speaker 1: how that that curiosity they attribute to curiosity and adaptability 891 00:53:23,640 --> 00:53:27,560 Speaker 1: are key in their decision making process. So uh, you 892 00:53:27,560 --> 00:53:29,520 Speaker 1: know people that were not adaptable. Again, you go to 893 00:53:29,560 --> 00:53:32,560 Speaker 1: COVID and a lot of organizations are no longer with 894 00:53:32,680 --> 00:53:42,000 Speaker 1: us because they've lacked that organization create Okay, and you know, um, 895 00:53:42,320 --> 00:53:45,520 Speaker 1: and again I'm bouncing around your book because I made 896 00:53:45,920 --> 00:53:49,319 Speaker 1: so many notes here you talk about the you know, 897 00:53:49,440 --> 00:53:54,040 Speaker 1: in the civilian world, the hiring process. One of the 898 00:53:54,120 --> 00:53:59,439 Speaker 1: things that always, you know, irks me when I've done 899 00:53:59,520 --> 00:54:03,480 Speaker 1: interviews is when they asked the question and you write 900 00:54:03,480 --> 00:54:06,400 Speaker 1: about it in your book. And that's why I circled 901 00:54:06,400 --> 00:54:09,160 Speaker 1: that because I was like, damn, this is like one 902 00:54:09,200 --> 00:54:12,760 Speaker 1: of those things that grinds my gears when when hiring 903 00:54:13,400 --> 00:54:18,120 Speaker 1: managers says why should we hire you? It's like you 904 00:54:18,200 --> 00:54:20,200 Speaker 1: talk about in the book. That's one of the things 905 00:54:20,520 --> 00:54:23,279 Speaker 1: I was like, isn't that the question I should be 906 00:54:23,320 --> 00:54:28,080 Speaker 1: asking you. You should be at answering that yourself. It's like, 907 00:54:28,520 --> 00:54:34,080 Speaker 1: I hate that question. And uh, you know it's no 908 00:54:34,120 --> 00:54:38,320 Speaker 1: one knows, like you said, their own company like they do. 909 00:54:38,640 --> 00:54:42,600 Speaker 1: It's not their job to know why you should hire 910 00:54:42,640 --> 00:54:46,239 Speaker 1: them if that's your job, right, So, I don't know, 911 00:54:46,880 --> 00:54:49,400 Speaker 1: It's just one of those things I'm bouncing around. I 912 00:54:49,440 --> 00:54:52,400 Speaker 1: know I'm bouncing. I'm probably driving you crazy here. I'm 913 00:54:52,440 --> 00:54:54,959 Speaker 1: bouncing all around your book. But you make so many 914 00:54:55,000 --> 00:54:59,240 Speaker 1: good comments in here, and this is like great stuff. 915 00:54:59,719 --> 00:55:04,879 Speaker 1: But um so tell me and tell our listeners how 916 00:55:05,000 --> 00:55:07,319 Speaker 1: is the leadership going? I know you teach a lot 917 00:55:07,360 --> 00:55:11,839 Speaker 1: of that. Our companies actually, uh are they being receptive 918 00:55:11,920 --> 00:55:16,279 Speaker 1: to what you guys are teaching? Now? Yeah, you know, 919 00:55:16,360 --> 00:55:19,919 Speaker 1: I've got to hit it to what Jocko Willington, Lafe 920 00:55:19,920 --> 00:55:22,680 Speaker 1: Bat and the two co authors and Extreme Ownership have 921 00:55:22,800 --> 00:55:26,000 Speaker 1: done one. You know, Jockoby the first to tell you 922 00:55:26,120 --> 00:55:29,520 Speaker 1: that this is not proprietary information. Jocko and Wave are 923 00:55:29,640 --> 00:55:32,960 Speaker 1: like avid readers and all they read is books about 924 00:55:32,960 --> 00:55:39,080 Speaker 1: military leadership in war, and um they took it, took 925 00:55:39,239 --> 00:55:42,239 Speaker 1: all these great nuggets from leaders like General Pattent and 926 00:55:42,440 --> 00:55:46,920 Speaker 1: David Hackworth. And the list goes on, and they basically 927 00:55:46,920 --> 00:55:50,640 Speaker 1: took military leadership and even the leadership manuals designed by 928 00:55:50,680 --> 00:55:53,080 Speaker 1: the army in the military and basically package something in 929 00:55:53,160 --> 00:56:00,000 Speaker 1: such a simplistic, easily digestible leadership system called Extreme Ownership 930 00:56:00,000 --> 00:56:02,600 Speaker 1: in And so they've been working with companies since I 931 00:56:02,640 --> 00:56:05,400 Speaker 1: want to say, like two thousand eleven. The book came 932 00:56:05,400 --> 00:56:09,320 Speaker 1: out in two thousand fifteen. The amount of consulting engagements 933 00:56:09,360 --> 00:56:13,400 Speaker 1: we have through the companies called Echelon front Um is 934 00:56:13,440 --> 00:56:17,399 Speaker 1: hard to keep up with um. And the companies that 935 00:56:17,960 --> 00:56:22,160 Speaker 1: take ownership over Extreme Ownership have seen their cultures change. 936 00:56:22,719 --> 00:56:24,840 Speaker 1: And it's also it's a humility to, you know, for 937 00:56:24,920 --> 00:56:26,799 Speaker 1: a lot of these business leaders who have built these 938 00:56:26,800 --> 00:56:30,960 Speaker 1: amazing organizations who never went through the leadership development program 939 00:56:31,080 --> 00:56:32,880 Speaker 1: some of us and say, hey, you know what, I 940 00:56:32,880 --> 00:56:35,040 Speaker 1: don't think I actually anyone sort of formally taught me 941 00:56:35,040 --> 00:56:37,640 Speaker 1: how to lead. And so because of that, I'm not 942 00:56:37,760 --> 00:56:41,960 Speaker 1: like the best equipped to teach my people, uh in 943 00:56:42,000 --> 00:56:46,360 Speaker 1: the correct forms of leadership. And so when a company 944 00:56:46,400 --> 00:56:50,680 Speaker 1: owner or CEO says that it's just like the it's 945 00:56:50,719 --> 00:56:52,400 Speaker 1: the driving fact with me, you know, this company is 946 00:56:52,400 --> 00:56:54,800 Speaker 1: gonna buy in. And when the company is buying, getting 947 00:56:54,920 --> 00:56:58,960 Speaker 1: in the cultures shift through a much more positive mindset 948 00:56:59,680 --> 00:57:02,880 Speaker 1: to people working together as a team, communicating in a 949 00:57:02,880 --> 00:57:06,000 Speaker 1: different way. And again the metrics in terms of dis 950 00:57:06,239 --> 00:57:10,840 Speaker 1: business metrics from increased revenue, decreased safety incidents if there 951 00:57:10,840 --> 00:57:13,920 Speaker 1: are in a blue caller environment, um, you know, higher 952 00:57:13,920 --> 00:57:20,000 Speaker 1: profit margins, higher customer satisfaction, and equally is important high 953 00:57:20,280 --> 00:57:24,360 Speaker 1: employee engagement. People are engaged, there's a growth mindset. The 954 00:57:25,040 --> 00:57:29,200 Speaker 1: results have been phenomenal. Again, that company's echelon Front. You 955 00:57:29,240 --> 00:57:32,680 Speaker 1: can go to echelon front dot com um in contact 956 00:57:32,760 --> 00:57:36,600 Speaker 1: the director of operations there. But beyond the keynote, speaking 957 00:57:36,600 --> 00:57:40,480 Speaker 1: in the workshops, the what they call the leadership development 958 00:57:40,520 --> 00:57:43,960 Speaker 1: and alignment programs have have proven their work for a 959 00:57:44,000 --> 00:57:49,520 Speaker 1: lot of organizations. All right, well, I've taken up a 960 00:57:49,560 --> 00:57:51,760 Speaker 1: lot of your afternoon, and I know I've bounced all 961 00:57:51,800 --> 00:57:55,480 Speaker 1: around your book probably and going in circles, but I 962 00:57:55,600 --> 00:57:57,720 Speaker 1: really want to thank you for taking the time today. 963 00:57:57,920 --> 00:58:00,520 Speaker 1: Is there anything else you'd like to talk about with 964 00:58:00,640 --> 00:58:03,919 Speaker 1: your book? What your training seminars before we uh cut 965 00:58:03,960 --> 00:58:08,640 Speaker 1: this off and we all go enjoy our Thanksgiving weekend. Absolutely? 966 00:58:08,840 --> 00:58:10,600 Speaker 1: You know, well, the book, the talent where you can 967 00:58:10,600 --> 00:58:13,280 Speaker 1: pick it up anywhere books are sold. Um. And we 968 00:58:13,320 --> 00:58:16,200 Speaker 1: do have a company called e f overwatch dot com 969 00:58:16,560 --> 00:58:18,680 Speaker 1: if you need help sourcing talent or if you need 970 00:58:18,840 --> 00:58:22,560 Speaker 1: help creating it weren't world talent acquisition process. I've got 971 00:58:22,640 --> 00:58:27,440 Speaker 1: a group of very uh season proven uh you know 972 00:58:27,760 --> 00:58:29,960 Speaker 1: c h R O s and talent acquisition executives. But 973 00:58:30,800 --> 00:58:35,320 Speaker 1: uh one. Steve always good to connect with former special 974 00:58:35,320 --> 00:58:39,160 Speaker 1: operations leaders. You set the stage for my generation to 975 00:58:39,280 --> 00:58:41,400 Speaker 1: come in and crush it, and hopefully we did the 976 00:58:41,440 --> 00:58:43,840 Speaker 1: same for the next generation. I will tell you this, Steve, 977 00:58:43,920 --> 00:58:47,760 Speaker 1: I spoke to about eighty marine and maybe option that 978 00:58:47,880 --> 00:58:51,640 Speaker 1: shipman from the Ohio State University last week. We had 979 00:58:51,680 --> 00:58:55,560 Speaker 1: to do it virtually, of course. And you know when 980 00:58:55,560 --> 00:58:58,920 Speaker 1: I spoke with these young men and women about leadership, uh, 981 00:58:58,920 --> 00:59:01,720 Speaker 1: in some of their questions, it hit me on like 982 00:59:01,800 --> 00:59:04,760 Speaker 1: this generation is so much better than we were in 983 00:59:05,680 --> 00:59:07,600 Speaker 1: the next generation is going to pick up the torch 984 00:59:07,960 --> 00:59:11,360 Speaker 1: in all the line. Uh. And then to everyone, happy Thanksgiving, 985 00:59:11,520 --> 00:59:15,360 Speaker 1: God bless America. Thanks for the opportunities. Steve. Absolutely it 986 00:59:15,480 --> 00:59:17,480 Speaker 1: was a pleasure having you, and you know you you 987 00:59:17,560 --> 00:59:19,920 Speaker 1: talked about Brian Decker a couple of times in your 988 00:59:20,000 --> 00:59:25,320 Speaker 1: book and uh, you know, uh as a special operator, 989 00:59:25,680 --> 00:59:28,840 Speaker 1: I worked at selection and assessment. And then you know, 990 00:59:28,880 --> 00:59:31,600 Speaker 1: we talked offline how Brian came in and made a 991 00:59:31,600 --> 00:59:34,560 Speaker 1: bunch of changes. And you know, at first, when you're 992 00:59:35,240 --> 00:59:37,520 Speaker 1: you know, you when you're there at the outset, and 993 00:59:37,560 --> 00:59:40,600 Speaker 1: we talked about that. You know, that's kind of like 994 00:59:40,640 --> 00:59:44,120 Speaker 1: your baby. You don't like hearing anyone changing anything. Then 995 00:59:44,280 --> 00:59:47,240 Speaker 1: after talking with Brian and how we changed the selection 996 00:59:47,280 --> 00:59:50,880 Speaker 1: and assessment course, how much better it is now. And 997 00:59:51,280 --> 00:59:53,880 Speaker 1: you know, at the time we didn't realize we were 998 00:59:54,160 --> 00:59:59,520 Speaker 1: we were teaching them to maybe uh be successful in 999 00:59:59,640 --> 01:00:05,080 Speaker 1: a certain exercise rather than assessing their character. And I think, 1000 01:00:05,280 --> 01:00:08,640 Speaker 1: you know, when it comes to assessment and selection, your generation, 1001 01:00:09,000 --> 01:00:11,880 Speaker 1: it's light years ahead of where ours was. And as 1002 01:00:11,920 --> 01:00:15,000 Speaker 1: you said, these next group of people, they're gonna make 1003 01:00:15,080 --> 01:00:17,560 Speaker 1: us all proud of what they can do, you know, 1004 01:00:17,640 --> 01:00:21,560 Speaker 1: in the special operations and in our in economy. I think, 1005 01:00:21,880 --> 01:00:24,200 Speaker 1: you know, I know a lot of people are kind 1006 01:00:24,200 --> 01:00:27,440 Speaker 1: of jaded about the way the direction our country is heading. 1007 01:00:27,440 --> 01:00:30,320 Speaker 1: I think it's it's still we still have a lot 1008 01:00:30,400 --> 01:00:35,280 Speaker 1: to look forward to. I could not agree more that 1009 01:00:35,280 --> 01:00:39,000 Speaker 1: that's just emotions with with this last election. Uh, no 1010 01:00:39,160 --> 01:00:40,720 Speaker 1: one leader is going to take this country in a 1011 01:00:40,880 --> 01:00:44,280 Speaker 1: drastically different direction that people wouldn't allow it. We're we're 1012 01:00:44,360 --> 01:00:47,560 Speaker 1: we're in good hands, I agree with all right. Hey, 1013 01:00:47,560 --> 01:00:51,400 Speaker 1: thanks again for taking the time today. I really appreciate it. 1014 01:00:51,720 --> 01:00:55,440 Speaker 1: And folks, make sure you read the book The Talent War. 1015 01:00:55,680 --> 01:01:00,760 Speaker 1: This is fantastic stuff, especially for some of our veterans 1016 01:01:00,800 --> 01:01:06,960 Speaker 1: who are maybe active duty soldiers and sailors, Marines, airmen 1017 01:01:07,320 --> 01:01:09,160 Speaker 1: who are getting ready to get out. I mean, this 1018 01:01:09,960 --> 01:01:13,400 Speaker 1: will definitely help you along because I think this is 1019 01:01:13,680 --> 01:01:17,640 Speaker 1: the direction our our business leaders need to take. 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