1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 1: M beautiful. If it doesn't work, you're just not using enough. 2 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:26,239 Speaker 1: You're listening to Software Radio Special Operations, military news and 3 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 1: straight talk with the guys in the community. Hello again, everyone, 4 00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:49,159 Speaker 1: Welcome back to Software Bradio, Software Pradio, on Time, on Target. 5 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:52,480 Speaker 1: We have a very special guest with us this afternoon, 6 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:57,480 Speaker 1: Pete Blabor, who was a Special Mission Unit commander. I 7 00:00:57,520 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 1: guess we could say Delta Force, right, I mean it's 8 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:05,760 Speaker 1: in you BUYO. Yeah, I was. Yeah. I always worry 9 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: about personal security there, but it's in your bio. So yeah, 10 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 1: Pete's gonna join us today. Uh. He served quite a 11 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:16,800 Speaker 1: few years in Delta. We're gonna talk about, you know, 12 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:19,400 Speaker 1: his military career, and we're gonna talk about his new book, 13 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:22,479 Speaker 1: The Common Sense Way, a New Way to think about 14 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 1: leading and organizing. He's written a couple of books, and 15 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 1: we'll we'll also mention his earlier book, The Men The 16 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:30,800 Speaker 1: Mission to Me, because I think they all kind of 17 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 1: tie in together. But before we go any further, let's 18 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 1: welcome Pete to the podcast. Pete, thanks for taking the 19 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 1: time to join us this afternote. We really appreciate it. 20 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 1: Great to be or Steven. So let's uh let's talk 21 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 1: a little bit about this. You you started off in 22 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:52,960 Speaker 1: the military. What possessed you to get down and write 23 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:58,560 Speaker 1: a book about it? Uh? Yeah, it's a great question. 24 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 1: Uh and uh I, of course I'm still piecing that 25 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 1: one together. I think, Uh, the same thing is is 26 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:09,640 Speaker 1: everyone who who winds up or a lot of people 27 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:13,400 Speaker 1: who end up right in a book. It's a combination 28 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:20,600 Speaker 1: of uh, you know, your experiences driving you toward putting 29 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:25,079 Speaker 1: it on paper and memorializing it. For me, I got 30 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 1: out of the military in two thousand and six. Uh, 31 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:33,080 Speaker 1: the Global War against terrorists was you know, I don't 32 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 1: know how to describe the ebbs and flows of it, 33 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:39,519 Speaker 1: but it was obviously still ongoing in two thousand and 34 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 1: six as it is today. And you know, as as 35 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:48,799 Speaker 1: I got out, I think anyone who who has gotten 36 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 1: out during the Global War against terrorists experiences the same thing. 37 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 1: It's kind of like, you know, you just finished a 38 00:02:56,080 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 1: marathon and you're catching your breath and now you're thinking 39 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:05,120 Speaker 1: about the race and trying to learn from it. And 40 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:07,800 Speaker 1: you know, when I get out, almost all my friends 41 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:12,640 Speaker 1: were still in and so obviously I was in touch 42 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:20,920 Speaker 1: with what was going on in all the different theaters Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa. 43 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:24,640 Speaker 1: And you know, one of the things, one of the 44 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 1: main takeaways was, m we don't appear to be learning anything. Um. 45 00:03:31,639 --> 00:03:36,760 Speaker 1: You know, where are these foundational lessons? Uh? Not complicated, 46 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 1: not tactical, just the simple foundational principles that so many 47 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 1: UH great UH soldiers have have learned over the past 48 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:53,120 Speaker 1: few years and in many cases paid the ultimate sacrifice 49 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 1: to learn UM. And you know it. It had an 50 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:02,560 Speaker 1: effect on me. And you know I was I had 51 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:06,320 Speaker 1: learned to write early in my career, and not to 52 00:04:06,480 --> 00:04:10,320 Speaker 1: write right, I guess is the quote. But I was 53 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 1: taught in my very first UH unit as a lieutenant, 54 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:18,680 Speaker 1: you know, to write things down and always carry a notebook. 55 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:22,920 Speaker 1: And I did, and I wrote everything down. You learned 56 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 1: right away that by writing it down, you remember it, UH, 57 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 1: and you pressure test it, you learn from it, which 58 00:04:31,360 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 1: you know is the main reason for writing it down 59 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:37,600 Speaker 1: in the military. You know, combat experience only matters if 60 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:40,359 Speaker 1: you learn from it. And so you know, I was 61 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:43,680 Speaker 1: already in that habit of writing things down, writing these 62 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:48,520 Speaker 1: foundational principles and UH. You know, I had this great 63 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:55,040 Speaker 1: H experience in the military, especially in the unit of 64 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:58,640 Speaker 1: being and just about every continent, uh, and being in 65 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:05,039 Speaker 1: combat and almost every continent. Uh. And you know, every 66 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:09,359 Speaker 1: time every place I went, every group of people I 67 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:14,240 Speaker 1: worked with, there was one or two lessons, big foundational 68 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:17,599 Speaker 1: lessons that I took away, and along the way, I 69 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:20,920 Speaker 1: wrote them all down and aggregated them. When we got 70 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:25,360 Speaker 1: to Afghanistan, uh in two thousand and one. You know, 71 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:28,679 Speaker 1: it was it was probably a unique period in modern 72 00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:33,039 Speaker 1: warfare and maybe in warfare in general, because the way 73 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:39,400 Speaker 1: that that conflict started was less than five hundred American 74 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 1: Special Mission Unit members and that's all the Special mission 75 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:48,719 Speaker 1: units along with a few government agencies. Handful of guys 76 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:51,640 Speaker 1: from a few of the government agencies were on the 77 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:56,640 Speaker 1: ground and we're able to drive out, um the entire 78 00:05:57,160 --> 00:06:01,320 Speaker 1: Taliban government along with all their four foreign fighter allies. 79 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:06,479 Speaker 1: And uh. You know, I I remember when we first 80 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:12,159 Speaker 1: got on the ground, ah, because everything happened so fast 81 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:16,200 Speaker 1: in the country collapsed so fast. Uh. There was no 82 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:23,440 Speaker 1: connectivity anymore to Tampa or d C or Bragg. The 83 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:30,479 Speaker 1: plan had been overrun by real world events, and the 84 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:35,000 Speaker 1: chain of command was out of country and mostly in communicado. 85 00:06:36,279 --> 00:06:39,320 Speaker 1: And so you know, here we were on the ground 86 00:06:39,839 --> 00:06:42,599 Speaker 1: with no guidance for what we were supposed to do 87 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:47,919 Speaker 1: next or how we were supposed to organize. And you know, 88 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:52,680 Speaker 1: I found it to be an incredibly valuable learning experience. 89 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:56,600 Speaker 1: And you know anyone who's listening right now can can 90 00:06:56,720 --> 00:07:00,240 Speaker 1: learn the same thing. Just imagine what you do and 91 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:03,839 Speaker 1: how you'd organize if you had no idea or no 92 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 1: guidance on what to do next or how to organize 93 00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:12,440 Speaker 1: for it. And the value of imagining that is we 94 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:16,040 Speaker 1: all do the same thing. We use common sense and 95 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:20,440 Speaker 1: then we do this instinctive process called developing the situation, 96 00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:25,040 Speaker 1: which is what humans have been doing to UH solve 97 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:31,239 Speaker 1: problems and make complex decisions since you know, the dawn 98 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:34,760 Speaker 1: of our species. And developing the situation is just bringing 99 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:38,760 Speaker 1: out the possibility and potential of what's going on around you. 100 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:44,320 Speaker 1: It's learning from, adapting to and interacting with what's going 101 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:48,400 Speaker 1: on around you. And UM, that alone that developed the 102 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:53,840 Speaker 1: situation concept UH is you know, a central principle we 103 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:58,480 Speaker 1: used throughout Afghanistan and a central reason we were successful 104 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:04,520 Speaker 1: in Afghanistan. UH one year almost UH to the month later, 105 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:10,800 Speaker 1: we found ourselves in almost the same predicament outside of 106 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:14,760 Speaker 1: a country getting ready to go into another country, Iraq, 107 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:21,080 Speaker 1: behind the lines with a small interagency UH international group 108 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 1: of special Mission Unit operators and for that mission. UM. 109 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:30,200 Speaker 1: You know, I I had the privilege of being the 110 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:36,200 Speaker 1: commander and the mission statement I wrote out for UH 111 00:08:36,360 --> 00:08:40,800 Speaker 1: that first in fill into Iraq was to develop the situation. 112 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:45,360 Speaker 1: That was the mission statement I gave to my team. So, 113 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 1: you know, bringing that back to two thousand six, that's 114 00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:54,400 Speaker 1: that's just one example of a very simple concept. UH. 115 00:08:54,559 --> 00:08:56,400 Speaker 1: That was you know, I didn't come up with that. 116 00:08:56,440 --> 00:09:00,440 Speaker 1: I should say, that was taught to me by you know, 117 00:09:00,559 --> 00:09:04,920 Speaker 1: senior and fellow unit members. UM. And I'm sure if 118 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:09,760 Speaker 1: you could access some World War Two veterans, some Korean 119 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:13,280 Speaker 1: War veterans, and some Vietnam veterans, they'd all if you 120 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:16,440 Speaker 1: explain to them what developed the situation is, they'd all say, 121 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:19,960 Speaker 1: that's it. That's what we did too. UH. And that's 122 00:09:20,400 --> 00:09:24,040 Speaker 1: one of the hallmarks of common sense. UH. Common sense. 123 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:28,840 Speaker 1: Whenever you find out what common senses or why something's 124 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:32,080 Speaker 1: common sense, it's always an aha moment. You always end 125 00:09:32,160 --> 00:09:35,559 Speaker 1: up going, of course it is, UH had your brain 126 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:40,400 Speaker 1: it's making sense. And so you know, again that's what 127 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:44,760 Speaker 1: drove me. It was not Um. It was not for 128 00:09:45,040 --> 00:09:49,480 Speaker 1: certainly for fame or fortune. You don't get any of those. 129 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:53,400 Speaker 1: And I didn't want that. I wrote that book because 130 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:55,600 Speaker 1: I felt I had a duty to write it my 131 00:09:55,679 --> 00:10:02,319 Speaker 1: first one, to pay something back uh those who worked 132 00:10:02,679 --> 00:10:06,439 Speaker 1: with me, uh and for me and the future warriors 133 00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:10,160 Speaker 1: who be going through the same thing, uh, you know 134 00:10:10,360 --> 00:10:13,040 Speaker 1: in the years ahead. And that's why I wrote it, 135 00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:17,080 Speaker 1: um And uh, you know, I felt good about it 136 00:10:17,120 --> 00:10:20,240 Speaker 1: after I did it. My second one turned out kind 137 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:24,360 Speaker 1: of the same thing. I learned more in the in 138 00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:27,920 Speaker 1: the ten years after I wrote the first one, I 139 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:31,800 Speaker 1: learned about the biologic and evolutionary under opinions of common sense. 140 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:36,240 Speaker 1: And so this new book is explains what common sense is, 141 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:39,720 Speaker 1: how we make sense, and how to put it into 142 00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:44,080 Speaker 1: practice across all context of leadership in life. You know, 143 00:10:44,120 --> 00:10:46,600 Speaker 1: it's funny when you talk about common sense. I think 144 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:50,480 Speaker 1: if you asked anybody you know you meet on the street, 145 00:10:50,559 --> 00:10:53,839 Speaker 1: regardless of if he was you know, a special Mission 146 00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:58,320 Speaker 1: Unit guy or just you know, Joe the plumber, you know, yeah, 147 00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:03,000 Speaker 1: everyone recognized is what common sense is. We see people 148 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:05,800 Speaker 1: with common sense, we see people all the time without it. 149 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:09,559 Speaker 1: But if you asked anybody, how con would you define 150 00:11:09,640 --> 00:11:13,880 Speaker 1: common sense? I think you'd get a gazillion and I'm 151 00:11:13,880 --> 00:11:19,840 Speaker 1: probably not exaggerating their different answers, wouldn't you? Yeah, you're 152 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:23,320 Speaker 1: you're spot on, you and anybody can do it. You can. 153 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:25,720 Speaker 1: Instead of a thousand or a hundred, you can just 154 00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:28,080 Speaker 1: do ten. You know, ask ten people if they know 155 00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:31,000 Speaker 1: what common sense is, you'll get ten. Of course I do, 156 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:35,720 Speaker 1: and ask people to define common sense, and you'll get 157 00:11:36,040 --> 00:11:39,320 Speaker 1: ten different answers. And the reason for that is there 158 00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:43,040 Speaker 1: is no agreed upon definition for common sense. There's no 159 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:47,440 Speaker 1: You can go online or into the dictionary. Online. I 160 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:51,640 Speaker 1: think there's ten thousand definitions. Uh. Uh. And in the 161 00:11:51,679 --> 00:11:55,080 Speaker 1: dictionary you're going to get a different definition depending on 162 00:11:55,120 --> 00:11:58,959 Speaker 1: what dictionary you look up. Uh. It turns out both 163 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:01,719 Speaker 1: science and philosoph of be have turned their back on 164 00:12:01,880 --> 00:12:08,199 Speaker 1: common sense. Uh. And they also have no scientific definition 165 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:13,520 Speaker 1: or explanation for it. Um. But as always, we the 166 00:12:13,600 --> 00:12:18,679 Speaker 1: people are the ultimate governors of what doesn't doesn't doesn't 167 00:12:18,679 --> 00:12:22,840 Speaker 1: make sense, and we know common sense is real. Uh. 168 00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:26,000 Speaker 1: And that's a big part of this second book. I 169 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:32,400 Speaker 1: just explain it very simple, uh, forms understandable to anyone. 170 00:12:32,920 --> 00:12:36,280 Speaker 1: You certainly don't need any kind of science background to 171 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:41,360 Speaker 1: understand the biologic underpinions of common sense. Uh. And it's 172 00:12:41,400 --> 00:12:45,880 Speaker 1: real simple. We all make sense a common way via 173 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:52,360 Speaker 1: our five primary senses uh, site, sound, smell, taste, and touch. 174 00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:58,760 Speaker 1: And uh, that's what makes it common the way we 175 00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:01,520 Speaker 1: perceive the world. The only way we perceive the world 176 00:13:01,679 --> 00:13:06,760 Speaker 1: is through our senses. Uh. And it's also why we 177 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:09,760 Speaker 1: all have two eyes, two ears, a nose, a mouth 178 00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:14,920 Speaker 1: of brain, spinal cord packaging inside of body elegantly wrapped 179 00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:18,760 Speaker 1: in skin. Evolution won't let us make sense any other way. 180 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:23,439 Speaker 1: And why is that important? You know, why is that 181 00:13:24,559 --> 00:13:28,920 Speaker 1: more than just uh, you know, cocktail party trivia. Because 182 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:32,120 Speaker 1: if we all make sense the same way, then we 183 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:36,280 Speaker 1: should have a language. Uh. And we should we should 184 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:40,599 Speaker 1: always fall back to that common ground uh to explain 185 00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:44,280 Speaker 1: what does or doesn't make sense and to pressure tests 186 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:48,360 Speaker 1: the sense we make. And you know that's that's part 187 00:13:48,960 --> 00:13:51,840 Speaker 1: also of what my new book, The Common Sense Way 188 00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:54,199 Speaker 1: does in it it has what I call the language 189 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:58,240 Speaker 1: a common sense, and it's a new way to think 190 00:13:58,280 --> 00:14:03,880 Speaker 1: about leading and organizing based on that biologic and evolutionary 191 00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:08,040 Speaker 1: under opinions. Uh. And like I said, you know, there's 192 00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:13,760 Speaker 1: nothing uh, there's nothing magical about it, but understanding it 193 00:14:13,960 --> 00:14:19,000 Speaker 1: enables you to make better decisions and think better thoughts. 194 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:23,040 Speaker 1: That's metacognition. If we understand the way we think and 195 00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:27,200 Speaker 1: why we think that way, we can use that knowledge 196 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:31,040 Speaker 1: to make better decisions and think better thoughts. And that's 197 00:14:31,640 --> 00:14:34,760 Speaker 1: what you know, any reader will get out of the 198 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:37,960 Speaker 1: out of my new book, The Common Sense Way. And 199 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:40,680 Speaker 1: and this is not just for military people. This is 200 00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:45,960 Speaker 1: for corporate people and basically any walk of life. Um. 201 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:49,600 Speaker 1: You know, it's a better way of you know, leading 202 00:14:49,640 --> 00:14:53,760 Speaker 1: your people because that's what you know, corporate leaders are 203 00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:56,120 Speaker 1: supposed to still be leaders the way you know. And 204 00:14:57,560 --> 00:14:59,960 Speaker 1: I'm kind of getting ahead of myself here, but there's 205 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:04,480 Speaker 1: seems to be a leadership problem in this country. And 206 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:07,040 Speaker 1: I don't know if you want to get into that conversation, 207 00:15:07,120 --> 00:15:10,040 Speaker 1: but you know, it doesn't seem to be we we 208 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:14,000 Speaker 1: seem to be darkly sharp short of leaders in this 209 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:21,400 Speaker 1: country today. Uh, spot on, Steve, I think the problem. 210 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:25,040 Speaker 1: You know, it's pretty hard to get to the bottom 211 00:15:25,080 --> 00:15:30,000 Speaker 1: of the problem. Uh. But if I had to, you know, 212 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:33,200 Speaker 1: if I had to put my thumb on one thing 213 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:38,000 Speaker 1: right now, it would be leadership. And you know, if 214 00:15:38,040 --> 00:15:44,800 Speaker 1: you think about it in terms of just classic leadership traits, uh, 215 00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:50,400 Speaker 1: it's hard to find just a handful of those that 216 00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:53,800 Speaker 1: are practiced by you know, most of the people who 217 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:58,720 Speaker 1: are making these life changing choices, uh in our country 218 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:04,440 Speaker 1: right now at all levels. Um, you know. And that's 219 00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:10,080 Speaker 1: another part of you know, of the book that I 220 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:15,359 Speaker 1: also felt compelled to talk about. And you know, leadership 221 00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:19,840 Speaker 1: is not some amorphous thing that you know, no one 222 00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:25,040 Speaker 1: can define. Leadership is an evolutionary pattern of human behavior 223 00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:30,120 Speaker 1: that emerged the first few moments the first few members 224 00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:35,120 Speaker 1: of our species breathed their first few breaths. Those first 225 00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:38,960 Speaker 1: few leaders weren't kings or queens, presidents or prime ministers, 226 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:43,480 Speaker 1: sirs or man's. Those first few leaders were parents. Uh, 227 00:16:43,680 --> 00:16:50,120 Speaker 1: you know, and those parents, our ancient ancestor parents, uh, 228 00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:55,000 Speaker 1: had no walk in the park. Their lives were appropriately 229 00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:59,520 Speaker 1: described as nasty, brutish, and short. They lived their life 230 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:04,200 Speaker 1: in the moment, because every moment prevent presented a survival choice. Uh. 231 00:17:04,240 --> 00:17:06,960 Speaker 1: They either found something to eat and for heat, or 232 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:11,200 Speaker 1: they starved, frozen and were eaten by something else. Uh. 233 00:17:11,240 --> 00:17:15,919 Speaker 1: You know. For our ancient ancestor parents, their purpose drove 234 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:19,720 Speaker 1: everything they did, and their purpose was to ensure that 235 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:24,880 Speaker 1: both they and their offspring survived, thrived, and evolved. And 236 00:17:25,840 --> 00:17:29,720 Speaker 1: that is why our nervous system evolved the way it did. 237 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:35,240 Speaker 1: Its purpose is to help us survive, thrive, and evolve 238 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:39,840 Speaker 1: as a species. Uh. And one of the things people ask, 239 00:17:40,160 --> 00:17:43,680 Speaker 1: you know, again back to that, what is leadership. While 240 00:17:43,680 --> 00:17:48,360 Speaker 1: our ancient parents knew what leadership was, leadership was taking 241 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:51,080 Speaker 1: care of their people. That's the only way they could accomplish. 242 00:17:51,119 --> 00:17:54,600 Speaker 1: Their purpose was to which it was to ensure they 243 00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:59,080 Speaker 1: in their offspring survived, thrived, and involved. So you know, 244 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:03,600 Speaker 1: taking care of your people again, is not just some 245 00:18:03,960 --> 00:18:08,439 Speaker 1: platitude or some philosophic thing that's up for debate when 246 00:18:08,560 --> 00:18:13,920 Speaker 1: we talk about leadership. It's the purpose of leadership. The 247 00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:16,679 Speaker 1: purpose of leadership is to take care of your people, 248 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:23,359 Speaker 1: not rule them. So a simple principle and apply it today. 249 00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:26,639 Speaker 1: It's almost as if, you know, let's just talk in 250 00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:31,119 Speaker 1: our federal government today. Uh, every one of those leaders 251 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:35,800 Speaker 1: should be required to take at oath. They should almost 252 00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:42,560 Speaker 1: have to go through a course before they begin their Congressman, senator, 253 00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:45,359 Speaker 1: the head of the Department of Defense, the head of 254 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:49,159 Speaker 1: the CIA, the head of the FBI, the president, the 255 00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:53,080 Speaker 1: vice president, every one of them should have to take 256 00:18:53,160 --> 00:18:56,479 Speaker 1: a common sense leadership course. I'm not talking about for me. 257 00:18:56,520 --> 00:19:00,439 Speaker 1: I'm talking about basic common sense and they you'd have 258 00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:05,480 Speaker 1: to recite that oath because it's very obvious that it's 259 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:11,400 Speaker 1: you know, as far out of their awareness and their 260 00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:15,280 Speaker 1: you know, foundational principles as you can get right now, 261 00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:18,840 Speaker 1: and we, we the people, need to do something about 262 00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:23,240 Speaker 1: that to change it. Yeah, that's that leads me into 263 00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:26,200 Speaker 1: that's a question, and it's kind of open ended maybe, 264 00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:30,719 Speaker 1: but how do we make that an important I guess, 265 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:35,359 Speaker 1: uh part of our society again, because it seems like, 266 00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:38,520 Speaker 1: you know, maybe I'm looking at things through rose colored glasses. 267 00:19:38,560 --> 00:19:42,600 Speaker 1: But you know, I look back to my my parents generation, 268 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:46,920 Speaker 1: and there was so many great leaders, both politically, militarily, 269 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:52,000 Speaker 1: you know, civically. I think it's I think people, you know, 270 00:19:52,359 --> 00:19:57,280 Speaker 1: they I'm getting off on a tangent here, but you know, 271 00:19:57,400 --> 00:20:01,800 Speaker 1: I look back at my own as a journalist, and 272 00:20:02,280 --> 00:20:04,320 Speaker 1: you know, I worked for a couple of newspapers and 273 00:20:04,640 --> 00:20:08,760 Speaker 1: one of my newspapers said to me, and besides covering 274 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:11,720 Speaker 1: the things that I got hired to do, they said, 275 00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:17,080 Speaker 1: you're gonna have to cover local town politics. And at 276 00:20:17,119 --> 00:20:19,439 Speaker 1: first I didn't want to do it, and you know, 277 00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:22,560 Speaker 1: then I got into it. I started covering it, and 278 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:26,560 Speaker 1: then talking with the town manager one evening afterwards, we 279 00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:29,399 Speaker 1: got into that and he said, you know, the of 280 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:33,679 Speaker 1: the people could care less about local town politics, but 281 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:38,280 Speaker 1: this is what drives of their their lives, and we 282 00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:42,200 Speaker 1: need better leaders at the local level, not just up 283 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:45,280 Speaker 1: at this you know, national level, but locally because this 284 00:20:45,359 --> 00:20:47,960 Speaker 1: is what drives us. And I know I got off 285 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:49,960 Speaker 1: on a tangent there, but how do we make the 286 00:20:50,119 --> 00:20:57,080 Speaker 1: leadership of important again? Okay, it's first The question needs 287 00:20:57,080 --> 00:21:01,560 Speaker 1: to continually be asked. So I applaud you for for 288 00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:05,440 Speaker 1: bringing it to the forefront. Everyone needs to ask that question. 289 00:21:05,560 --> 00:21:10,080 Speaker 1: Think about it. Um, you know, part of it is 290 00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:15,600 Speaker 1: just we have to stop some of the almost anti 291 00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:21,239 Speaker 1: leadership rhetoric that goes on. Now. Um, you know, just 292 00:21:21,320 --> 00:21:25,399 Speaker 1: think about Because you were in the military, you know, 293 00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:29,800 Speaker 1: pretty much the same time I was, you understand this. Uh. 294 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:35,560 Speaker 1: You know, the military is at its best sprawling leadership academy, 295 00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:39,680 Speaker 1: and you know, after a couple of years of attendance, 296 00:21:40,119 --> 00:21:42,920 Speaker 1: you've seen and heard about the importance of taking care 297 00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:46,240 Speaker 1: of your people and doing the right things so many 298 00:21:46,280 --> 00:21:49,720 Speaker 1: times that it sticks with you for the rest of 299 00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:54,679 Speaker 1: your life. But hearing and reading it on banners in 300 00:21:54,720 --> 00:21:59,000 Speaker 1: the auditorium in the hallway only goes so far. To 301 00:21:59,080 --> 00:22:01,919 Speaker 1: learn how to fly it, you have to see it 302 00:22:01,960 --> 00:22:07,280 Speaker 1: in action. You have to have models, common sense leadership models, 303 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:12,639 Speaker 1: UH that you can pivot off of. And I talked 304 00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:15,960 Speaker 1: about that in UH chapter seven of my new book. 305 00:22:16,440 --> 00:22:18,600 Speaker 1: You know, I was very fortunate in the first part 306 00:22:18,600 --> 00:22:22,439 Speaker 1: of my career to work for just an amazing UH 307 00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:25,720 Speaker 1: group of leaders at all levels. And you know, my 308 00:22:26,280 --> 00:22:29,760 Speaker 1: everything from my squad leaders, my platoons start and my 309 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:33,520 Speaker 1: first start, and my sergeant majors, my company commander, my 310 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:39,120 Speaker 1: battalion commanders, these I was just incredibly fortunate. And I'm 311 00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:42,680 Speaker 1: saying that in retrospect. I did not know it at 312 00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:46,280 Speaker 1: the time, you know, I came in. And because my 313 00:22:46,359 --> 00:22:52,160 Speaker 1: first couple of units had such amazing leaders, it set 314 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:54,520 Speaker 1: a high standard for me for the rest of my career. 315 00:22:55,480 --> 00:22:59,800 Speaker 1: But more than that, and you know, of relevance to 316 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:02,679 Speaker 1: your question how we make it, how we get it 317 00:23:02,680 --> 00:23:06,199 Speaker 1: back front and center, the lessons I took away the 318 00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:12,159 Speaker 1: model for leading I took away from those amazing officers 319 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:15,240 Speaker 1: and n c O s would stay with me for 320 00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:18,119 Speaker 1: the rest of my life. It was foundational. It was 321 00:23:18,280 --> 00:23:22,040 Speaker 1: every everything I lad from then on was built on 322 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:26,080 Speaker 1: the foundation I learned from those great leaders early in 323 00:23:26,080 --> 00:23:29,840 Speaker 1: my career, and that includes in the corporate world. My 324 00:23:29,840 --> 00:23:32,760 Speaker 1: my big take away in the corporate world is the 325 00:23:32,800 --> 00:23:36,399 Speaker 1: same takeaway you get in the military from having the 326 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:40,680 Speaker 1: benefit of working on all these different continents, all these 327 00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:45,600 Speaker 1: different countries, all these different cultures. Uh. And what is 328 00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:50,520 Speaker 1: that takeaway that's the same for military as corporate or 329 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:53,880 Speaker 1: from going military to corporate. It's that we're all the same. 330 00:23:54,480 --> 00:23:57,840 Speaker 1: It's the people are people. That old adage is is 331 00:23:57,880 --> 00:24:02,640 Speaker 1: true today as it was for ancient ancestor parents. Uh. 332 00:24:03,040 --> 00:24:06,359 Speaker 1: We are all the same, and we now know that 333 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:10,800 Speaker 1: as a fact. The Human Genome Project in in the 334 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:17,720 Speaker 1: year two thousand validated and proved empirically that our genome, 335 00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:22,680 Speaker 1: that's your individual makeup of genes, is nine point five 336 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:27,040 Speaker 1: percent the same among all humans. Uh. There is no 337 00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:34,119 Speaker 1: as an example, there's no genetic basis of nationality, religion, 338 00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:39,120 Speaker 1: or race. Those are just surface features and man made 339 00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:46,120 Speaker 1: up cultural uh features that differentiate us but what connects 340 00:24:46,200 --> 00:24:48,760 Speaker 1: us in the common ground upon which we all stand 341 00:24:49,119 --> 00:24:51,720 Speaker 1: is our ninety nine point five percent the same D 342 00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:56,840 Speaker 1: n A uh. And you know, geneticists will tell you 343 00:24:56,840 --> 00:24:59,280 Speaker 1: if you brought together five D geneticists, they tell you 344 00:24:59,320 --> 00:25:02,479 Speaker 1: the same thing, that we're all the same. There is 345 00:25:02,840 --> 00:25:10,440 Speaker 1: no genetic basis for any for race, religion, or nationality. Um. 346 00:25:10,920 --> 00:25:14,399 Speaker 1: And you know we know that we can see it. 347 00:25:14,480 --> 00:25:18,280 Speaker 1: We've known it all the all along, and in today's 348 00:25:18,359 --> 00:25:24,439 Speaker 1: amazing interconnected global society, we can see it right in 349 00:25:24,520 --> 00:25:28,439 Speaker 1: front of us in real time. And UM. You know 350 00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:31,040 Speaker 1: those geneticists, if you ask them all why do people 351 00:25:31,400 --> 00:25:37,880 Speaker 1: have such different appearances? Skin, I shape, head shape, uh, 352 00:25:37,920 --> 00:25:42,400 Speaker 1: you know size uh, forehead, all the different things they 353 00:25:42,480 --> 00:25:46,199 Speaker 1: tell you those are all just what they refer to 354 00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:51,720 Speaker 1: as surface features, uh. And surface features that evolved based 355 00:25:51,840 --> 00:25:58,360 Speaker 1: on the human bodies amazing ability to adapt to different circumstances, 356 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:03,439 Speaker 1: which you can explain. As an example, you can explain 357 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:06,840 Speaker 1: skin color that way. It's a pigmentation thing. You know, 358 00:26:06,920 --> 00:26:09,560 Speaker 1: we have to have vitamin D from the skin. You'll 359 00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:13,800 Speaker 1: die without vitamin D. So when you're in a place 360 00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:17,600 Speaker 1: with a lot of sun, uh, there's no problem getting 361 00:26:17,680 --> 00:26:21,959 Speaker 1: vitamin D. So now your skin has to actually block 362 00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:24,760 Speaker 1: some of that sun in order to keep you from 363 00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:28,640 Speaker 1: getting skin cancers and other ailments. And so you'll get 364 00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:32,680 Speaker 1: darker in a place, uh that always has sun if 365 00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:35,760 Speaker 1: you go to a place that rarely has sun, like Europe. 366 00:26:36,240 --> 00:26:41,520 Speaker 1: Over time, the body adapts and our skin is the 367 00:26:41,560 --> 00:26:44,760 Speaker 1: first thing it starts lightening up, so that the vitamin 368 00:26:44,880 --> 00:26:49,840 Speaker 1: D can sink into that subderma level and feed our system. 369 00:26:49,960 --> 00:26:55,199 Speaker 1: Is the life saving vitamin that it is. So you know, 370 00:26:55,640 --> 00:26:59,480 Speaker 1: again we've known that all along, we've known we're all 371 00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:04,840 Speaker 1: the same. Uh. Anybody who has friends with people of 372 00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:10,400 Speaker 1: different nationalities, different religions, whatever, knows that intuitively. But now 373 00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:12,399 Speaker 1: we can see it. We can see it in a 374 00:27:12,440 --> 00:27:17,040 Speaker 1: couple of generations. Uh. You know, of of people who 375 00:27:17,119 --> 00:27:22,480 Speaker 1: intermarried between ethnicities, it only takes about two generations for 376 00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:27,040 Speaker 1: any ethnicity, whether you know it's skin color, I shaped, 377 00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:31,679 Speaker 1: you name it, to just disappear and get lost in 378 00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:36,840 Speaker 1: the genetic makeup of you know, those two generations. Um. 379 00:27:37,600 --> 00:27:41,520 Speaker 1: And again when you look at that person, you know, 380 00:27:41,640 --> 00:27:45,440 Speaker 1: two generations later the child or the children they produced, 381 00:27:46,280 --> 00:27:49,399 Speaker 1: you ask, you know what what race, religion, nationality is 382 00:27:49,440 --> 00:27:54,760 Speaker 1: that child um and it it reinforces that we're all 383 00:27:54,760 --> 00:28:00,000 Speaker 1: the same, we are one species. And it's incredibly important 384 00:28:00,440 --> 00:28:03,880 Speaker 1: to remember that right now because we have people who, 385 00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:07,920 Speaker 1: you know, for whatever reasons, are trying to divide us, 386 00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:10,520 Speaker 1: and we can never let them divide us. We can 387 00:28:10,560 --> 00:28:15,080 Speaker 1: never let them delude us into thinking that we're different. 388 00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:18,119 Speaker 1: We're not. We're all the same. And again, you know, 389 00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:24,359 Speaker 1: the irony of this is, uh, you know, military have 390 00:28:24,520 --> 00:28:29,760 Speaker 1: known this and known it before anybody else, uh, for 391 00:28:29,880 --> 00:28:33,560 Speaker 1: many many years. And we've known it because it's common sense. 392 00:28:34,119 --> 00:28:40,160 Speaker 1: Now we know it biologically as as a fact. Yeah, 393 00:28:40,360 --> 00:28:44,800 Speaker 1: and UH, with that, we're gonna take a short pause 394 00:28:44,880 --> 00:28:47,720 Speaker 1: here for a second. We're talking with Pete Labor uh, 395 00:28:48,040 --> 00:28:51,120 Speaker 1: former Delta Force commander who has written the book The 396 00:28:51,200 --> 00:28:53,720 Speaker 1: Common Sense Way, a New Way to think about leading 397 00:28:53,720 --> 00:28:56,960 Speaker 1: an organizing And I have to read a quick statement 398 00:28:57,040 --> 00:29:00,640 Speaker 1: from soft reap here for a second. Software giving away 399 00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:02,760 Speaker 1: a top of the line smartphone as part of the 400 00:29:02,920 --> 00:29:06,560 Speaker 1: third quarter sweep stakes running from July one to September thirty. 401 00:29:06,760 --> 00:29:09,400 Speaker 1: If you remember a soft rep, use the link to 402 00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:13,920 Speaker 1: tell friends and family about soft Rep and you'll earn 403 00:29:14,040 --> 00:29:18,440 Speaker 1: points forever. Referral that becomes a member. The winner will 404 00:29:18,560 --> 00:29:22,600 Speaker 1: either get the choice of an iPhone twelve hundred twenty 405 00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:26,160 Speaker 1: eight gig or a Samsung Galaxy S twenty one Ultra 406 00:29:26,280 --> 00:29:31,720 Speaker 1: five G five g gig. Anyone who becomes a member 407 00:29:31,800 --> 00:29:34,840 Speaker 1: is automatically entered in our new Member sweep Steaks with 408 00:29:34,920 --> 00:29:39,040 Speaker 1: a chance to win and Emerson Commander Knife or Shorefire 409 00:29:39,440 --> 00:29:43,680 Speaker 1: l E D Flashly. So, folks, make sure you refer 410 00:29:43,760 --> 00:29:46,240 Speaker 1: your friends to soft rep dot com. Now we'll go 411 00:29:46,320 --> 00:29:51,240 Speaker 1: back to the podcast with Pete. Pete, you know you 412 00:29:51,320 --> 00:29:56,320 Speaker 1: spend time. I know, uh, I've read a little bit 413 00:29:56,360 --> 00:30:02,000 Speaker 1: about your background. Your first uh uh military assignment was 414 00:30:02,080 --> 00:30:04,520 Speaker 1: up on the d MZ in Korea, and then you 415 00:30:04,680 --> 00:30:08,200 Speaker 1: spent time in the seventy range of regiment before moving 416 00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:13,400 Speaker 1: on the Delta. Is there anything in your experience particularly 417 00:30:14,160 --> 00:30:17,360 Speaker 1: that made it easier for you to be successful to 418 00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:25,120 Speaker 1: lead either in the military or corporate world. Yeah, I 419 00:30:25,160 --> 00:30:29,000 Speaker 1: think yeah, I think it was. I think it was. 420 00:30:29,720 --> 00:30:34,960 Speaker 1: I think it was all above. I think again common sense. Um, 421 00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:38,520 Speaker 1: I'm very very fortunate as I, as I mentioned, to 422 00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:42,680 Speaker 1: have worked for great leaders. They were common sense leaders. Uh. 423 00:30:42,760 --> 00:30:46,080 Speaker 1: And then you know, to get to the unit at 424 00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:49,240 Speaker 1: this formidable point in my career and I got there 425 00:30:49,240 --> 00:30:55,680 Speaker 1: in uh spent thirteen years there. Uh. Everything in the 426 00:30:55,840 --> 00:31:00,200 Speaker 1: unit was about common sense. So you know, senior the 427 00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:05,360 Speaker 1: senior operators would tell you just use common sense. Uh. 428 00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:08,320 Speaker 1: You know, the last word of guidance you've got going 429 00:31:08,320 --> 00:31:12,680 Speaker 1: out the door was, you know, was common sense, whether 430 00:31:12,960 --> 00:31:15,880 Speaker 1: just pure used common sense or keep your head up 431 00:31:15,880 --> 00:31:19,320 Speaker 1: and eyes open. Uh. You know, it was all about 432 00:31:19,400 --> 00:31:25,120 Speaker 1: common sense. And the unique thing about that was, you know, 433 00:31:25,160 --> 00:31:29,240 Speaker 1: back then even I didn't have a definition for common sense. Uh, 434 00:31:29,480 --> 00:31:32,320 Speaker 1: no one ever told me what it was. You know, 435 00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:34,400 Speaker 1: you and I already talked about the ten people, ten 436 00:31:34,480 --> 00:31:38,720 Speaker 1: different ideas of what it is. Um. But even without 437 00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:43,040 Speaker 1: the definition, I knew what it was. The definition was 438 00:31:43,080 --> 00:31:47,960 Speaker 1: incredibly important. The understanding of its biologic and evolutionary under 439 00:31:47,960 --> 00:31:52,840 Speaker 1: opinions were incredibly important because one of the things I 440 00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:56,920 Speaker 1: think that trips people up about referencing common sense is, 441 00:31:57,560 --> 00:32:00,760 Speaker 1: you know, think of whether in the corporate world, their military, 442 00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:05,960 Speaker 1: you're in a debate or you know, a brainstorming session 443 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:11,040 Speaker 1: about what to do next. When you try to say 444 00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:15,960 Speaker 1: that doesn't make sense, or let's use common sense, it 445 00:32:16,040 --> 00:32:20,320 Speaker 1: doesn't hold any water because there's no definition of what 446 00:32:20,520 --> 00:32:26,200 Speaker 1: doesn't make sense or what common sense is. So once 447 00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:31,880 Speaker 1: you understand it's basis, it's biologic basis, how it's how 448 00:32:32,040 --> 00:32:37,160 Speaker 1: our entire nervous system is hardwired to interpret the world, 449 00:32:37,720 --> 00:32:45,360 Speaker 1: it becomes easier uh, to validate it as a principle, Uh, 450 00:32:45,480 --> 00:32:51,840 Speaker 1: to either support or uh, you know, show or go 451 00:32:51,960 --> 00:32:56,440 Speaker 1: against a particular course of action, because you know, a 452 00:32:56,560 --> 00:32:59,600 Speaker 1: unique thing about the fact that we all make sense 453 00:33:00,200 --> 00:33:05,520 Speaker 1: a common way is that we also recognize senselessness a 454 00:33:05,560 --> 00:33:09,120 Speaker 1: common way. And that's why you can go on no 455 00:33:09,280 --> 00:33:14,120 Speaker 1: more any military or corporate blog site and really see 456 00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:18,040 Speaker 1: the same things people complaining about the same things and 457 00:33:18,520 --> 00:33:24,760 Speaker 1: really talking about problems, the same problems, with different haircuts 458 00:33:24,800 --> 00:33:29,000 Speaker 1: and different outfits on them. Uh. So you know, we 459 00:33:29,120 --> 00:33:32,040 Speaker 1: all make sense a common way, and we all recognize 460 00:33:32,080 --> 00:33:35,840 Speaker 1: senselessness a common way. And you know, again, to me, 461 00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:41,600 Speaker 1: that's why it's so important to recognize common sense and 462 00:33:41,640 --> 00:33:45,560 Speaker 1: to recognize it's both the common ground and common language 463 00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:50,320 Speaker 1: upon which our species stands. Yeah. I was reading some 464 00:33:50,400 --> 00:33:53,280 Speaker 1: of the excerpts from your book and one that that 465 00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:58,720 Speaker 1: stood out to me. It was actually something that I 466 00:33:58,760 --> 00:34:03,120 Speaker 1: think we've all been taught the opposite and that's behavior 467 00:34:03,200 --> 00:34:08,160 Speaker 1: control thoughts rather than you know, I think we've all 468 00:34:08,200 --> 00:34:11,839 Speaker 1: been talked, oh your thoughts control your behavior. But it's 469 00:34:11,840 --> 00:34:15,719 Speaker 1: actually the opposite, isn't it. It is Steven Uh for 470 00:34:16,320 --> 00:34:19,080 Speaker 1: you know again back to wish I knew what I 471 00:34:19,120 --> 00:34:21,960 Speaker 1: know now back then and oh yeah, you know, for 472 00:34:22,040 --> 00:34:26,839 Speaker 1: all of our first responder listeners. Uh, it's just as 473 00:34:26,880 --> 00:34:29,640 Speaker 1: important in life or death situations as it is in 474 00:34:29,800 --> 00:34:34,040 Speaker 1: everyday situations. Decisions we make with our family, problems we 475 00:34:34,120 --> 00:34:39,640 Speaker 1: solve at work. Uh. And it's understanding how our brain 476 00:34:39,719 --> 00:34:43,280 Speaker 1: works in a very general way. Uh. You know, everyone's 477 00:34:43,320 --> 00:34:46,600 Speaker 1: heard of left brain, right brain, all that stuff. Hard 478 00:34:46,640 --> 00:34:49,759 Speaker 1: to take anything away from that or to apply it. 479 00:34:50,600 --> 00:34:53,960 Speaker 1: But there's another way to understand the brain, and that's 480 00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:56,880 Speaker 1: called the triune brain model. That's that we actually have 481 00:34:57,040 --> 00:35:00,040 Speaker 1: three brains in our head. And if you think of 482 00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:02,080 Speaker 1: a model of the brain, it looks a little like 483 00:35:02,120 --> 00:35:06,200 Speaker 1: a fist. This part on top is the neal cortex, 484 00:35:06,320 --> 00:35:10,400 Speaker 1: are thinking brain. That's the that's the wrinkled thing in 485 00:35:10,480 --> 00:35:14,239 Speaker 1: the middle is our emotional brain. It it governs all 486 00:35:14,280 --> 00:35:20,400 Speaker 1: of our especially social emotions, which you know are under 487 00:35:20,480 --> 00:35:27,600 Speaker 1: gamut from love to embarrassment, uh to confidence. To shame. 488 00:35:28,840 --> 00:35:32,399 Speaker 1: All those emotions and fear come from the emotional part 489 00:35:32,440 --> 00:35:34,120 Speaker 1: of our brain. And then the bottom of the brain 490 00:35:34,200 --> 00:35:38,360 Speaker 1: steam is our reptilian brain, and that's our most ancient brain, 491 00:35:39,160 --> 00:35:42,840 Speaker 1: the part of the brain that developed when are before 492 00:35:42,840 --> 00:35:46,400 Speaker 1: our species developed when we and that's why we share it. 493 00:35:46,719 --> 00:35:50,799 Speaker 1: That's our cold blooded brain. It monitors all of our 494 00:35:52,880 --> 00:35:57,200 Speaker 1: our systems, all right. So our breathing is unconsciously governed 495 00:35:57,200 --> 00:35:59,840 Speaker 1: by it, our heart rate is unconsciously governed by it. 496 00:36:00,360 --> 00:36:05,440 Speaker 1: Which is why, um, why the reptilian brain is the 497 00:36:05,480 --> 00:36:08,359 Speaker 1: first part of our brain to react. Uh. It does 498 00:36:08,440 --> 00:36:17,120 Speaker 1: not understand language. It only understands uh, visual and auditory experiences. 499 00:36:17,200 --> 00:36:19,959 Speaker 1: So it's the part of our brain that is there 500 00:36:20,000 --> 00:36:25,640 Speaker 1: to snap you into fight or flight when something bad happens. Unfortunately, Uh, 501 00:36:25,680 --> 00:36:29,520 Speaker 1: you know, our brain. Human the human species is somewhere 502 00:36:29,560 --> 00:36:33,360 Speaker 1: between three and four million years old. Human species, not 503 00:36:33,440 --> 00:36:37,440 Speaker 1: Homo sapien. We came at the very end and over 504 00:36:37,520 --> 00:36:41,719 Speaker 1: that time period for nine point nine nine infinity of 505 00:36:41,760 --> 00:36:45,560 Speaker 1: the time, we were hunter gatherers, and our nervous system 506 00:36:45,760 --> 00:36:50,480 Speaker 1: is still calibrated for our hunter gatherer ways. What does 507 00:36:50,480 --> 00:36:54,200 Speaker 1: that mean. It doesn't mean our nervous system or our 508 00:36:54,239 --> 00:36:59,120 Speaker 1: emotions are irrelevant. It just means they're outdated. Um, we 509 00:36:59,160 --> 00:37:03,320 Speaker 1: don't have savor two tigers hiding behind every rock today. Uh. 510 00:37:03,360 --> 00:37:08,600 Speaker 1: You know, instead our lives, our normal daily lives. It's 511 00:37:08,719 --> 00:37:13,719 Speaker 1: very limited to come into a life or death survival situation. Uh. 512 00:37:13,880 --> 00:37:19,200 Speaker 1: Truth be told. Driving our car is the only real 513 00:37:19,280 --> 00:37:24,600 Speaker 1: life or death survival situation most of us have every day. UM. 514 00:37:24,680 --> 00:37:28,040 Speaker 1: So that's a reptilian brain, emotional brain, that neo cortex, 515 00:37:28,680 --> 00:37:31,959 Speaker 1: it's a it's an amazing part of our brain. And 516 00:37:32,360 --> 00:37:36,000 Speaker 1: you know I gave you the hand model. It's important 517 00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:38,279 Speaker 1: because think of the arm like the spinal cord. The 518 00:37:38,640 --> 00:37:44,279 Speaker 1: that's the main pipe that sends all of our all 519 00:37:44,280 --> 00:37:48,640 Speaker 1: of our sensory experiences up to our brain. So it's 520 00:37:48,680 --> 00:37:51,120 Speaker 1: important to see it this way because you can see 521 00:37:51,640 --> 00:37:56,840 Speaker 1: it's a bottom up uh, sensory delivery system. And what 522 00:37:57,000 --> 00:38:01,680 Speaker 1: happens is the first early as part of our brain 523 00:38:01,719 --> 00:38:05,560 Speaker 1: to get any sensory information is that reptilian brain, followed 524 00:38:05,560 --> 00:38:08,879 Speaker 1: by the emotional followed about a quarter second later by 525 00:38:08,880 --> 00:38:14,160 Speaker 1: our neal cortex, are thinking brain. So our first instinctive 526 00:38:14,200 --> 00:38:21,200 Speaker 1: reaction to any type of external stimulus is always emotional, 527 00:38:21,680 --> 00:38:27,840 Speaker 1: non contextual and instinctive. So a good example that is 528 00:38:27,960 --> 00:38:31,080 Speaker 1: road rage. You know, we're angry before we even know 529 00:38:31,120 --> 00:38:35,120 Speaker 1: what made us angry. And that's again our reptilian brain 530 00:38:35,600 --> 00:38:39,280 Speaker 1: kicking in fight or flight wise. It its only purpose 531 00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:42,759 Speaker 1: is to detect threats, is to keep us safe. So 532 00:38:42,920 --> 00:38:47,759 Speaker 1: anything that can be interpreted is danger. Your your reptilian 533 00:38:47,800 --> 00:38:51,880 Speaker 1: brain is gonna kick you into a fight or flight state. Um, 534 00:38:52,440 --> 00:38:55,000 Speaker 1: And the only way you're gonna turn that back is 535 00:38:55,040 --> 00:38:57,560 Speaker 1: to take about a quarter second and learn to turn 536 00:38:57,600 --> 00:39:01,920 Speaker 1: on your neo cortex. And you know, that's the part 537 00:39:02,280 --> 00:39:06,200 Speaker 1: that's so important, especially the first responders and especially to 538 00:39:06,239 --> 00:39:11,000 Speaker 1: anyone who's making decisions and solving problems. The your neo 539 00:39:11,080 --> 00:39:13,239 Speaker 1: cortex is the only part of your brain that can 540 00:39:13,320 --> 00:39:16,120 Speaker 1: understand language, it's the only part of your brain that 541 00:39:16,160 --> 00:39:21,759 Speaker 1: can monitor sensory information real time, and it's the only 542 00:39:21,760 --> 00:39:25,759 Speaker 1: part of your brain that can think forward. So it's 543 00:39:25,760 --> 00:39:31,319 Speaker 1: incredibly important to engage your neo cortex. And it's it's 544 00:39:31,400 --> 00:39:35,440 Speaker 1: simple to do as taking a couple of long, full 545 00:39:35,520 --> 00:39:39,919 Speaker 1: deep breaths in through your nose out through your mouth, yeah, 546 00:39:43,120 --> 00:39:46,840 Speaker 1: or just counting to ten or backwards from ten. Thomas 547 00:39:46,920 --> 00:39:52,200 Speaker 1: Jefferson uh said two hundred years ago, when angry count 548 00:39:52,239 --> 00:39:55,760 Speaker 1: to ten, when very angry count to a hundred. Uh. 549 00:39:55,800 --> 00:40:01,640 Speaker 1: So you know humans have understood this, this life hack 550 00:40:02,080 --> 00:40:05,399 Speaker 1: where you can literally change the way you think about 551 00:40:05,400 --> 00:40:09,640 Speaker 1: a situation. You can vanquish anger, fear, and panic, you 552 00:40:09,719 --> 00:40:11,960 Speaker 1: can stay cool, you can be who you really are 553 00:40:12,440 --> 00:40:17,320 Speaker 1: by simply engaging your neo cortext. And you know again, 554 00:40:17,520 --> 00:40:20,360 Speaker 1: it's so simple. All you have to do is breathe? 555 00:40:20,880 --> 00:40:24,360 Speaker 1: Why why is that? And you know, remember when I 556 00:40:24,440 --> 00:40:27,600 Speaker 1: told you initially about common sense. Whenever one of the 557 00:40:27,640 --> 00:40:30,560 Speaker 1: litmus of common sense is whenever you hear the explanation 558 00:40:30,719 --> 00:40:35,279 Speaker 1: for it, you go, of course, well, and breathing is 559 00:40:35,320 --> 00:40:38,959 Speaker 1: that way is? I told you that the reptilian brain 560 00:40:39,040 --> 00:40:43,080 Speaker 1: controls breathing. So the only part of your brain that 561 00:40:43,200 --> 00:40:48,320 Speaker 1: can take conscious control of unconscious processes is your neo cortext. 562 00:40:48,960 --> 00:40:50,839 Speaker 1: So the only part of your brain that can make 563 00:40:50,920 --> 00:40:53,839 Speaker 1: you breathe is your neo cortex. You've got to think 564 00:40:53,880 --> 00:40:57,359 Speaker 1: about it to make yourself breathe. The same thing goes 565 00:40:57,480 --> 00:41:00,239 Speaker 1: with smiling. A lot of people don't know this. You 566 00:41:00,280 --> 00:41:02,719 Speaker 1: can put a smile on your face, and when you 567 00:41:02,760 --> 00:41:06,880 Speaker 1: do that, you'll feel happy. And it's because those muscles 568 00:41:06,880 --> 00:41:10,759 Speaker 1: in your face are attached to your brain and they're 569 00:41:10,800 --> 00:41:12,759 Speaker 1: set up so that when they all go up in 570 00:41:12,840 --> 00:41:17,600 Speaker 1: that certain formation, you feel better, you feel happiness. Uh. 571 00:41:17,840 --> 00:41:22,600 Speaker 1: So these are life hacks and for first responders incredibly important. 572 00:41:22,600 --> 00:41:26,680 Speaker 1: When you feel you know, when you feel those uh 573 00:41:26,800 --> 00:41:30,200 Speaker 1: you know, your stomach titan or your you feel yourself 574 00:41:30,360 --> 00:41:34,399 Speaker 1: get nervous or whatever. Take a few deep breaths. If 575 00:41:34,440 --> 00:41:37,960 Speaker 1: you see someone going off in the equivalent of road 576 00:41:38,080 --> 00:41:43,080 Speaker 1: rage in combat, screaming uh purple, you know, veins popping 577 00:41:43,120 --> 00:41:45,720 Speaker 1: out of their foreheads, alive of flying out of their mouth. 578 00:41:46,160 --> 00:41:47,719 Speaker 1: All you gotta do is put your hand on their 579 00:41:47,760 --> 00:41:50,720 Speaker 1: shoulder and say, hey, hey, man, take a deep breath. 580 00:41:52,920 --> 00:41:57,400 Speaker 1: Count ten. And every time you do that, that person 581 00:41:57,640 --> 00:42:00,399 Speaker 1: will be grateful that you did it because you snap 582 00:42:00,480 --> 00:42:05,680 Speaker 1: them out of reptilian non thinking brain inability to understand 583 00:42:05,719 --> 00:42:09,880 Speaker 1: what's going on around it, and put them into thinking 584 00:42:10,719 --> 00:42:17,480 Speaker 1: all senses, scanning, monitoring, real life uh, sensory information. If 585 00:42:17,520 --> 00:42:20,479 Speaker 1: you if you want to have any chance of making 586 00:42:20,520 --> 00:42:23,160 Speaker 1: a good decision, you've got to engage in neal cortex 587 00:42:23,840 --> 00:42:27,279 Speaker 1: and it applies in everything you do. One of the 588 00:42:27,280 --> 00:42:31,000 Speaker 1: things that was taught to me in that in the 589 00:42:31,040 --> 00:42:34,840 Speaker 1: realm of that actions control thoughts was you have a 590 00:42:35,400 --> 00:42:39,160 Speaker 1: really focus on something. If you ever want to really 591 00:42:39,239 --> 00:42:41,719 Speaker 1: understand something, if you ever want to do it, is 592 00:42:41,880 --> 00:42:46,600 Speaker 1: good as you're capable of doing it. Then pay attention 593 00:42:46,640 --> 00:42:50,240 Speaker 1: like a cat who's looking for a mouse in a field. 594 00:42:50,800 --> 00:42:53,160 Speaker 1: And it's an incredibly powerful image. It was thought to 595 00:42:53,200 --> 00:42:58,160 Speaker 1: me by one of our sniper reconnaissance operators. Think about 596 00:42:58,200 --> 00:43:01,040 Speaker 1: a cat looking at a mouths in the field. They 597 00:43:01,080 --> 00:43:03,920 Speaker 1: set themselves up, their eyes are wide open, their ears 598 00:43:03,960 --> 00:43:09,040 Speaker 1: perked up, they're all sensed. Is one focused on that field, 599 00:43:09,800 --> 00:43:13,359 Speaker 1: and it's kind of amazing. If if you shoot with 600 00:43:13,960 --> 00:43:15,520 Speaker 1: if you ever have a chance to go to a 601 00:43:15,520 --> 00:43:19,600 Speaker 1: shooting school or shoot with elite shooters, there's there's so 602 00:43:19,680 --> 00:43:22,080 Speaker 1: many out there. Kyle Lamb is a good friend of mine. 603 00:43:23,000 --> 00:43:26,040 Speaker 1: Watch their eyes when they shoot every shot, not just 604 00:43:26,200 --> 00:43:29,160 Speaker 1: not just when the cameras on them. Watch their eyes. 605 00:43:29,880 --> 00:43:34,080 Speaker 1: You'll see them looking through those those looking at that 606 00:43:34,120 --> 00:43:36,919 Speaker 1: front side post like a cat looking for a mouse 607 00:43:37,080 --> 00:43:40,240 Speaker 1: in the field. And you know it applies to everything. 608 00:43:40,280 --> 00:43:44,200 Speaker 1: It It applies supports to uh the offer and you 609 00:43:44,200 --> 00:43:47,239 Speaker 1: want to hit the ball, better pay attention to that 610 00:43:47,280 --> 00:43:50,480 Speaker 1: ball like a cat searching for a mouse in the field. 611 00:43:51,040 --> 00:43:55,040 Speaker 1: And if you want to write something a paper, and 612 00:43:55,120 --> 00:43:58,640 Speaker 1: you want to write it as deeply as possible, thinking 613 00:43:58,800 --> 00:44:01,960 Speaker 1: that mental image and and focus yourself on what you're 614 00:44:01,960 --> 00:44:07,279 Speaker 1: doing that way, that's that action for forces you to 615 00:44:07,520 --> 00:44:11,279 Speaker 1: want to present. Engage your senses and your thinking brain. 616 00:44:11,320 --> 00:44:14,719 Speaker 1: Your neo cortex allows you to make better You think 617 00:44:14,800 --> 00:44:17,960 Speaker 1: better thoughts, and be who you really are. You're not 618 00:44:18,160 --> 00:44:24,640 Speaker 1: that screaming saliva's feting person. That's a reptilian remnant of 619 00:44:24,640 --> 00:44:29,800 Speaker 1: our ancestors. You are the cool, calm, thinking person. And 620 00:44:30,640 --> 00:44:34,120 Speaker 1: believe in and trust your senses is the principle to 621 00:44:34,160 --> 00:44:37,280 Speaker 1: take away from that, You know, Ernst mock in eighteen 622 00:44:37,680 --> 00:44:41,520 Speaker 1: behind said, we know only one source of scientific fact, 623 00:44:41,640 --> 00:44:44,840 Speaker 1: and that's our senses. And that principle has stood the 624 00:44:44,880 --> 00:44:48,080 Speaker 1: test of time and real world feedback ever since then. 625 00:44:48,239 --> 00:44:53,680 Speaker 1: Every scientific hypothesis has to be able to be explained 626 00:44:54,360 --> 00:45:00,919 Speaker 1: through our senses or it always ends up not making sense. Uh. 627 00:45:01,000 --> 00:45:06,000 Speaker 1: So incredibly important. Uh, whether it's a life or death 628 00:45:06,040 --> 00:45:08,440 Speaker 1: situation or you just want to be better at what 629 00:45:08,520 --> 00:45:13,839 Speaker 1: you're doing. UH. Learn about engaging your neo cortex. Learn 630 00:45:13,920 --> 00:45:16,920 Speaker 1: about the three part brain. And again in my book, 631 00:45:17,719 --> 00:45:20,680 Speaker 1: I go through all three of them. It's very easy 632 00:45:20,760 --> 00:45:24,880 Speaker 1: to remember what each one does. And like I said, 633 00:45:24,920 --> 00:45:30,200 Speaker 1: the result of conscious awareness is is what's called metic ignition. 634 00:45:30,360 --> 00:45:34,840 Speaker 1: You can make better decisions and think better thoughts. You know, 635 00:45:34,880 --> 00:45:37,560 Speaker 1: it's funny when you were talking about you know, guys 636 00:45:37,600 --> 00:45:41,680 Speaker 1: in combat and getting that calming influence, immediately my mind 637 00:45:41,719 --> 00:45:45,880 Speaker 1: snapped back to the the miniseries Band of Brothers when 638 00:45:45,920 --> 00:45:49,719 Speaker 1: they were attacking the town of Foy and everything that 639 00:45:49,840 --> 00:45:53,400 Speaker 1: could possibly go wrong went wrong, and you know, the 640 00:45:53,520 --> 00:45:59,240 Speaker 1: unit was almost disintegrating before our eyes. And then Lieutenant Spears, 641 00:45:59,280 --> 00:46:03,120 Speaker 1: who's like the com guy, comes running up and he's like, 642 00:46:03,200 --> 00:46:05,279 Speaker 1: I'm taking over, and all of a sudden, you can 643 00:46:05,320 --> 00:46:08,239 Speaker 1: see everyone get focused and he ran right through the 644 00:46:08,280 --> 00:46:12,680 Speaker 1: German lines, get to the other side, you know, make 645 00:46:12,719 --> 00:46:16,080 Speaker 1: coordination with the other guys and comes back. And then 646 00:46:16,200 --> 00:46:19,600 Speaker 1: right then the whole unit everyone got their sense of 647 00:46:19,640 --> 00:46:25,160 Speaker 1: focus back and come back together. Yeah. Well, and you're 648 00:46:25,239 --> 00:46:28,640 Speaker 1: right in every all the great movies. Think about in Platoon, 649 00:46:29,080 --> 00:46:32,600 Speaker 1: you know, when uh, they're lighting that village on fire 650 00:46:32,800 --> 00:46:36,920 Speaker 1: and uh, William Dafoe runs up and you know, yells, barts, 651 00:46:37,520 --> 00:46:40,040 Speaker 1: what the f are you doing? You know, he's snappy 652 00:46:40,160 --> 00:46:43,000 Speaker 1: him out of it there, and it's almost like, you know, 653 00:46:43,040 --> 00:46:45,319 Speaker 1: a modern day version. We should run up to people 654 00:46:45,360 --> 00:46:48,520 Speaker 1: and go, hey, man, engage your knee of cortex. You're 655 00:46:49,080 --> 00:46:54,000 Speaker 1: right now. And I really believe because look, this is 656 00:46:54,000 --> 00:46:57,840 Speaker 1: another example. I've done it three times on combat missions 657 00:46:57,880 --> 00:47:04,560 Speaker 1: i've had, and I learned it from my original battalion commander. 658 00:47:04,680 --> 00:47:08,120 Speaker 1: He's the one who told me the most important thing 659 00:47:08,120 --> 00:47:11,840 Speaker 1: you can do when talking on the radio is to 660 00:47:12,080 --> 00:47:16,399 Speaker 1: speak slowly with a calm voice, no matter what's going 661 00:47:16,440 --> 00:47:24,040 Speaker 1: on around you. Remember that the human brain takes of 662 00:47:24,480 --> 00:47:29,920 Speaker 1: message from the tone and your body language if you 663 00:47:29,960 --> 00:47:33,799 Speaker 1: can see it, and only ten from the words. So 664 00:47:35,080 --> 00:47:39,200 Speaker 1: if you're a screaming, saliva spitting maniac, which I've seen 665 00:47:39,320 --> 00:47:44,000 Speaker 1: on the radio in every combat zone i've been in, uh, 666 00:47:44,200 --> 00:47:48,799 Speaker 1: you're not only not making sense, but you are passing 667 00:47:48,960 --> 00:47:55,719 Speaker 1: on a panic like mindset. So common sense is contagious, 668 00:47:55,960 --> 00:48:00,640 Speaker 1: so is calm, and so is panic. And that again 669 00:48:00,680 --> 00:48:03,440 Speaker 1: back to our reptilient brain. That's the way we're hardwired. 670 00:48:03,840 --> 00:48:07,160 Speaker 1: We are hardwired like a herd of deer in a field. 671 00:48:07,719 --> 00:48:12,800 Speaker 1: If one deer suddenly go stock still. Uh, with a 672 00:48:12,920 --> 00:48:15,800 Speaker 1: rigid body, looks over and then takes off. The whole 673 00:48:15,800 --> 00:48:18,360 Speaker 1: herd of deer takeoff. And they're doing that. It's an 674 00:48:18,400 --> 00:48:22,400 Speaker 1: instinctive reaction. It's why we able to call mirror mirror 675 00:48:22,440 --> 00:48:26,839 Speaker 1: neurons in our brain. We mirror behaviors and the real 676 00:48:26,960 --> 00:48:32,120 Speaker 1: purpose is the mirror survival behaviors. Uh. So you know, 677 00:48:32,960 --> 00:48:37,719 Speaker 1: panic and senselessness or contagious, so are common sense and 678 00:48:37,800 --> 00:48:43,520 Speaker 1: calm And again you know, leaders need to understand that 679 00:48:43,560 --> 00:48:47,040 Speaker 1: they need to practice it. Uh And no matter how 680 00:48:47,880 --> 00:48:50,560 Speaker 1: bad the situation is around you, just take a deep 681 00:48:50,600 --> 00:48:57,480 Speaker 1: breath and speak calmly. And when we speak calmly, we 682 00:48:57,640 --> 00:49:01,799 Speaker 1: calm the way we feel, we calm the people around us. 683 00:49:02,560 --> 00:49:08,240 Speaker 1: Because again, calum is contagious, just like panic is. Well. Pete, 684 00:49:09,680 --> 00:49:13,600 Speaker 1: tell our listeners and readers where they can find your book, 685 00:49:13,960 --> 00:49:16,960 Speaker 1: how they can go about ordering it, and uh, you 686 00:49:16,960 --> 00:49:19,279 Speaker 1: know how if someone wanted to get in touch with you, 687 00:49:19,360 --> 00:49:22,960 Speaker 1: how would they do that as well? Yeah? So, Uh, 688 00:49:23,040 --> 00:49:26,040 Speaker 1: I have a website Pete labor dot com linked to 689 00:49:26,480 --> 00:49:32,200 Speaker 1: my Instagram page and uh it also has excerpts, also 690 00:49:32,280 --> 00:49:36,080 Speaker 1: has hyperlinks take you right to Amazon. The books available 691 00:49:36,680 --> 00:49:41,600 Speaker 1: both the version and paperback it'll be available on audio 692 00:49:41,760 --> 00:49:46,640 Speaker 1: version sometime in the next month, but just go right 693 00:49:46,680 --> 00:49:49,239 Speaker 1: to Amazon or Barnes and Noble, whichever your favorite is, 694 00:49:49,320 --> 00:49:53,440 Speaker 1: and uh you can find it right there. Awesome. And uh, 695 00:49:53,680 --> 00:49:55,520 Speaker 1: before we let you go, I know we were talking 696 00:49:55,600 --> 00:50:01,240 Speaker 1: offline a little bit. Our readers and the listeners. Uh, 697 00:50:01,640 --> 00:50:04,680 Speaker 1: they have a great affinity for one of your former teammates, 698 00:50:04,719 --> 00:50:09,280 Speaker 1: George Hand. You guys actually served together. Geo is still 699 00:50:09,640 --> 00:50:12,520 Speaker 1: one of the most popular people here on software dot 700 00:50:12,520 --> 00:50:17,960 Speaker 1: com um and any amusing stories. You can tell our 701 00:50:17,960 --> 00:50:22,600 Speaker 1: listeners about the won't break ops sex. No, well, not 702 00:50:22,680 --> 00:50:26,120 Speaker 1: only won't break ops sex, but we'll merge right in 703 00:50:26,200 --> 00:50:28,920 Speaker 1: with the theme we're talking about in common sense. If 704 00:50:28,960 --> 00:50:31,759 Speaker 1: I had to describe Geo, I describe him as a 705 00:50:31,800 --> 00:50:37,600 Speaker 1: common sense operator and also an example of the type 706 00:50:37,960 --> 00:50:45,600 Speaker 1: of humans that that unit attracts. Uh. You know what. 707 00:50:45,760 --> 00:50:49,640 Speaker 1: I what I still loved about that places um the 708 00:50:50,560 --> 00:50:52,520 Speaker 1: you're always going to be a better person if you 709 00:50:52,560 --> 00:50:55,080 Speaker 1: hang around with people who are better than you at 710 00:50:55,120 --> 00:50:59,000 Speaker 1: everything you do. And uh, you know you need a 711 00:50:59,000 --> 00:51:02,560 Speaker 1: lot of you need an eclectic group to have that. 712 00:51:02,840 --> 00:51:07,520 Speaker 1: So you know, everybody's got their strengths and their areas. 713 00:51:07,600 --> 00:51:11,799 Speaker 1: They can they can get stronger in Geo, you know, 714 00:51:11,960 --> 00:51:19,160 Speaker 1: is in the category i'd call renaissance man um multitalented guy. Uh, 715 00:51:19,640 --> 00:51:24,160 Speaker 1: you know, speaks five languages and there's an asterisk on 716 00:51:24,239 --> 00:51:27,160 Speaker 1: those five. He's he's one of those people that can 717 00:51:27,200 --> 00:51:31,920 Speaker 1: pick up a language and internalize it in weeks. So 718 00:51:32,200 --> 00:51:35,439 Speaker 1: if there's a new country, a new hotspot, he can 719 00:51:35,480 --> 00:51:39,160 Speaker 1: focus on that area, that language and have at a 720 00:51:39,200 --> 00:51:45,040 Speaker 1: minimum survival ability to speak it, uh, within weeks, not months. 721 00:51:45,640 --> 00:51:48,160 Speaker 1: And so g O and I, you know, all of 722 00:51:48,760 --> 00:51:53,640 Speaker 1: all of our working together was in low viz operations 723 00:51:54,320 --> 00:51:58,120 Speaker 1: where most of the time we were not in standard 724 00:51:58,160 --> 00:52:03,280 Speaker 1: military garb. Um. You know, we were down south probably 725 00:52:03,320 --> 00:52:07,880 Speaker 1: the most dangerous time and uh, this was during the 726 00:52:07,960 --> 00:52:13,360 Speaker 1: drug wars of the nineties going after cartel kingpins, and 727 00:52:13,480 --> 00:52:19,200 Speaker 1: GEO was absolutely essential to the successes, the amazing successes 728 00:52:19,239 --> 00:52:23,640 Speaker 1: we had down there. And this was not a mission 729 00:52:23,760 --> 00:52:29,120 Speaker 1: that um, you know that anyone in the right mind 730 00:52:29,640 --> 00:52:34,800 Speaker 1: would volunteer for. Not only was extremely dangerous, Uh. GEO 731 00:52:35,120 --> 00:52:38,879 Speaker 1: and you can ask him about this, probably lived in 732 00:52:39,400 --> 00:52:43,239 Speaker 1: is an ausphere of environment for as long of a 733 00:52:43,320 --> 00:52:47,200 Speaker 1: period as he could ever have imagined during that time, 734 00:52:47,640 --> 00:52:50,600 Speaker 1: and you know, I bring that up because that's the sacrifices, 735 00:52:50,719 --> 00:52:55,560 Speaker 1: the behind the scenes sacrifices that nobody knows about. Drinking 736 00:52:55,600 --> 00:53:00,000 Speaker 1: contaminated water. Your gut is always, uh, you know between 737 00:53:00,040 --> 00:53:06,160 Speaker 1: lean okay and not okay. Um, You're there's no sleep, 738 00:53:06,520 --> 00:53:09,799 Speaker 1: You're you've got to hide the majority of time. Uh, 739 00:53:10,040 --> 00:53:13,640 Speaker 1: totally austere environment, no food, and the food you get 740 00:53:13,680 --> 00:53:17,160 Speaker 1: has to be checked to make sure it's not poisoned. Uh. 741 00:53:17,440 --> 00:53:21,640 Speaker 1: Really really difficult situation. And he was the main reason 742 00:53:21,840 --> 00:53:24,560 Speaker 1: we were able to come through that and accomplish our purpose. 743 00:53:25,400 --> 00:53:29,040 Speaker 1: Uh my, my. More time than that I spent with 744 00:53:29,120 --> 00:53:32,840 Speaker 1: him was in Bosnia, and of course his uh, his 745 00:53:33,840 --> 00:53:37,760 Speaker 1: capacity for languages shined again there. He picked up Serbo 746 00:53:37,880 --> 00:53:42,440 Speaker 1: Croatian uh like that, and was able to speak. We 747 00:53:42,440 --> 00:53:44,719 Speaker 1: we could go into a cafe and he could order, 748 00:53:45,200 --> 00:53:49,160 Speaker 1: he could chat and uh. You know, people I knew 749 00:53:49,200 --> 00:53:52,440 Speaker 1: he wasn't from there, but they definitely didn't, you know, 750 00:53:52,600 --> 00:53:56,879 Speaker 1: believe he was an American. UM. And you know, that's 751 00:53:56,880 --> 00:53:59,319 Speaker 1: where I saw his common sense, his ability to think 752 00:53:59,360 --> 00:54:04,040 Speaker 1: on the feet. We had some incredible micromanaging uh s. 753 00:54:04,080 --> 00:54:08,320 Speaker 1: Four generals, they were the guys running the show in Bosnia. 754 00:54:08,480 --> 00:54:13,160 Speaker 1: Four star generals for some reason, anytime a capture or mission, 755 00:54:13,200 --> 00:54:15,879 Speaker 1: anytime we tied one up, you know, that's when they 756 00:54:15,880 --> 00:54:20,200 Speaker 1: wanted to come in and begin exercising command authority over 757 00:54:20,239 --> 00:54:24,880 Speaker 1: every part of the decision. And it it got absolutely 758 00:54:25,120 --> 00:54:30,120 Speaker 1: at times to real uh at how at the details 759 00:54:30,160 --> 00:54:33,399 Speaker 1: that caused missions to be derailed. Well, there was one 760 00:54:33,480 --> 00:54:36,400 Speaker 1: where we have been searching for this guy, uh for 761 00:54:36,480 --> 00:54:39,920 Speaker 1: about six months, and we finally had a good source 762 00:54:39,960 --> 00:54:43,520 Speaker 1: who gave us good information about where he'd be at 763 00:54:43,520 --> 00:54:47,680 Speaker 1: a certain time in place, and if we could confirm that, 764 00:54:48,400 --> 00:54:52,960 Speaker 1: we very simply would have a sault force standing by. Uh. 765 00:54:53,040 --> 00:54:55,960 Speaker 1: I won't mention how they were standing by, but if 766 00:54:55,960 --> 00:54:58,480 Speaker 1: we could confirm he was at this meeting, we could 767 00:54:58,520 --> 00:55:01,640 Speaker 1: go in and just grab him, get out and no 768 00:55:01,760 --> 00:55:05,319 Speaker 1: collateral damage, no one hurt. Uh. The ultimate in the 769 00:55:05,400 --> 00:55:09,880 Speaker 1: capture operation, Well, when we got to the general, he 770 00:55:10,200 --> 00:55:13,120 Speaker 1: was all up in arms about yeah, well this car 771 00:55:14,040 --> 00:55:16,840 Speaker 1: that your wreckie people are gonna use this you know, 772 00:55:16,960 --> 00:55:20,439 Speaker 1: lovis car. How are we going to be able to 773 00:55:20,480 --> 00:55:23,680 Speaker 1: tell where that car is? And our answer was, well, 774 00:55:23,719 --> 00:55:25,520 Speaker 1: they have a sat coom radio and they can give 775 00:55:25,560 --> 00:55:27,560 Speaker 1: you a grid. He said, no, we what if the 776 00:55:27,600 --> 00:55:32,480 Speaker 1: sat coom goes down, Well, you know, we'll drive close 777 00:55:32,600 --> 00:55:35,359 Speaker 1: enough to them to use site radio. Yeah what if 778 00:55:35,360 --> 00:55:38,360 Speaker 1: that goes about? Uh, we just truck the guy. No, 779 00:55:38,600 --> 00:55:42,239 Speaker 1: you know, I can't do this mission. So we said, 780 00:55:42,239 --> 00:55:44,640 Speaker 1: well what do we need to do it? And he said, well, 781 00:55:44,680 --> 00:55:49,880 Speaker 1: you need a location tracking system on that vehicle. Now 782 00:55:50,719 --> 00:55:58,480 Speaker 1: this is uh eight uh give or take again, a 783 00:55:58,760 --> 00:56:03,440 Speaker 1: practicing opset here. So there wasn't no there were no 784 00:56:03,520 --> 00:56:06,000 Speaker 1: beacons that you could slap on a car. Then there 785 00:56:06,040 --> 00:56:09,160 Speaker 1: was no Google Maps, and believe it or not, in 786 00:56:10,520 --> 00:56:14,120 Speaker 1: uh there was there was nothing you could use to 787 00:56:14,280 --> 00:56:16,799 Speaker 1: track or to give real time feedback or where that 788 00:56:16,880 --> 00:56:19,600 Speaker 1: person was. There was no Apple phone. We wouldn't have 789 00:56:19,640 --> 00:56:23,160 Speaker 1: been using one anyway. Uh. So what you had to 790 00:56:23,200 --> 00:56:25,000 Speaker 1: do was use what you see on a lot of 791 00:56:25,000 --> 00:56:29,640 Speaker 1: police cars today. It's the triangulated the three antennas, uh 792 00:56:29,760 --> 00:56:31,480 Speaker 1: that you see on a lot of police car. Those 793 00:56:31,520 --> 00:56:35,920 Speaker 1: are position location antennas. They can either send or receive 794 00:56:36,560 --> 00:56:40,279 Speaker 1: positions other vehicles or that vehicle. So we had to 795 00:56:40,320 --> 00:56:42,520 Speaker 1: put it on the car. Now, a Lovi his car 796 00:56:42,600 --> 00:56:45,080 Speaker 1: with three antennas sticking out of the roof is not 797 00:56:45,280 --> 00:56:50,160 Speaker 1: really his car anymore. We put him on showed him 798 00:56:50,160 --> 00:56:51,960 Speaker 1: to the General and he said, yeah, you didn't have 799 00:56:51,960 --> 00:56:54,040 Speaker 1: to drive around like that. We said we can't. This 800 00:56:54,120 --> 00:56:59,080 Speaker 1: is you know, Serbian territory. Compromise the mission. He's not 801 00:56:59,120 --> 00:57:02,080 Speaker 1: gonna be there, the guy is. He was like a cat. 802 00:57:02,239 --> 00:57:07,080 Speaker 1: He was always looking for suspicious clues that he needed 803 00:57:07,120 --> 00:57:10,279 Speaker 1: to high tail it out of there. Well, it looked 804 00:57:10,280 --> 00:57:13,759 Speaker 1: like the mission was over, and uh, remember this is 805 00:57:13,800 --> 00:57:17,640 Speaker 1: out we have We're out by the car. Everyone's standing 806 00:57:17,640 --> 00:57:20,080 Speaker 1: there and he said, no, you gotta you gotta have that. 807 00:57:21,040 --> 00:57:25,160 Speaker 1: And we just looked at each other and I looked 808 00:57:25,160 --> 00:57:30,640 Speaker 1: at Geo and he turned walked over. There was the 809 00:57:30,760 --> 00:57:34,640 Speaker 1: equivalent of a Bosnian dumpster. We were on the ferry base. 810 00:57:35,040 --> 00:57:37,360 Speaker 1: Geo walked over that and go, what is he doing? 811 00:57:37,800 --> 00:57:42,040 Speaker 1: He's sling it. Opened the lid, pulled out this giant 812 00:57:42,080 --> 00:57:44,960 Speaker 1: cardboard box. It looked like a TV you know, old 813 00:57:45,200 --> 00:57:50,040 Speaker 1: square TV box, walked over the vehicle, put the open 814 00:57:50,160 --> 00:57:54,520 Speaker 1: end down over the antennas. UH had some hundred mile 815 00:57:54,560 --> 00:57:57,720 Speaker 1: an hour tape, taped the thing on and said how's that, General, 816 00:57:58,320 --> 00:58:02,880 Speaker 1: And he, uh, well, yeah it still works. You can 817 00:58:02,960 --> 00:58:06,240 Speaker 1: use that. And of course it's still worked. And in 818 00:58:06,320 --> 00:58:10,640 Speaker 1: Bosnia drives around with mattresses boxes top of their car. 819 00:58:10,760 --> 00:58:15,200 Speaker 1: So you know, it was simple genius at a very 820 00:58:15,280 --> 00:58:19,920 Speaker 1: critical moment. Uh, but it was common sense, you know, 821 00:58:20,560 --> 00:58:24,560 Speaker 1: like how do you hide something in the open? Well, 822 00:58:24,880 --> 00:58:29,919 Speaker 1: you do something that you know to camouflage it that 823 00:58:30,280 --> 00:58:34,120 Speaker 1: blends in with everything else. And sometimes it's as simple 824 00:58:34,200 --> 00:58:37,080 Speaker 1: as going to the dumpster, grabbing a cardboard box and 825 00:58:37,160 --> 00:58:39,920 Speaker 1: thrown in on top of your car and taking it. 826 00:58:40,360 --> 00:58:42,600 Speaker 1: And remember Geo is the one who is going to 827 00:58:42,680 --> 00:58:46,240 Speaker 1: be driving that car, so he wasn't doing it lightly. Uh, 828 00:58:47,200 --> 00:58:49,640 Speaker 1: And so that that would be how I describe him 829 00:58:49,840 --> 00:58:56,919 Speaker 1: common sense, Uh, incredibly uh proficient and every aspect of 830 00:58:57,040 --> 00:59:01,760 Speaker 1: what he did, and uh an incredible member of the 831 00:59:01,800 --> 00:59:05,600 Speaker 1: whole Special Operations contingent because he also had, as you know, 832 00:59:05,640 --> 00:59:10,240 Speaker 1: an illustrious career in the first group on water Team. 833 00:59:10,360 --> 00:59:15,200 Speaker 1: So nothing but positive and uh, you know, nothing but 834 00:59:15,280 --> 00:59:19,240 Speaker 1: great memories of my time with Geo. Well that's a 835 00:59:19,320 --> 00:59:23,600 Speaker 1: perfect way to put a bow on this because everybody here, 836 00:59:23,800 --> 00:59:26,280 Speaker 1: you know, we we love Geo and he's been going 837 00:59:26,320 --> 00:59:30,080 Speaker 1: through some summer a rough patch right now. But his 838 00:59:30,200 --> 00:59:35,040 Speaker 1: book just was published, so we wanna congratulate him on that. 839 00:59:35,120 --> 00:59:38,560 Speaker 1: But uh, yes, uh we want to thank our guests. 840 00:59:38,560 --> 00:59:42,120 Speaker 1: They thank you, sir, Pete Blaberg. The common Sense Way 841 00:59:42,160 --> 00:59:45,440 Speaker 1: a new way to think about leading and organizing, and uh, 842 00:59:45,640 --> 00:59:49,280 Speaker 1: it's been really interesting to talk with you. We would 843 00:59:49,320 --> 00:59:52,000 Speaker 1: love to have you back on the podcast again in 844 00:59:52,040 --> 00:59:57,439 Speaker 1: the future if your schedule uh, you know, uh can 845 00:59:57,680 --> 01:00:00,520 Speaker 1: work around that. And but before we oh, if you 846 01:00:00,520 --> 01:00:03,160 Speaker 1: want to get soft Rap on your phone, download our 847 01:00:03,160 --> 01:00:06,600 Speaker 1: free mobile app and get easy access to our articles, podcast, 848 01:00:06,640 --> 01:00:10,600 Speaker 1: gear reviews, all perfectly formented to your device. Please subscribe 849 01:00:10,640 --> 01:00:12,880 Speaker 1: to soft rep dot com to get access to our 850 01:00:13,920 --> 01:00:17,480 Speaker 1: library of e books and our exclusive team room, forums 851 01:00:17,480 --> 01:00:23,640 Speaker 1: and content. All are available on Apple and Android devices. Sir, 852 01:00:23,800 --> 01:00:25,840 Speaker 1: thank you for taking the time with us today. We 853 01:00:25,960 --> 01:00:30,120 Speaker 1: really appreciate it. Good luck with the book sales, and 854 01:00:30,400 --> 01:00:34,440 Speaker 1: please join us again. Thanks Steve enjoyed it all right 855 01:00:34,880 --> 01:00:37,520 Speaker 1: for all of us here at SOFTWAREPP. Thanks for listening. 856 01:00:37,520 --> 01:00:55,640 Speaker 1: We'll be back with another podcast real soon. You have 857 01:00:55,680 --> 01:00:58,840 Speaker 1: been listening to self Rep la MH