I’m a happily average surfer, pretty good storyteller, and damned good leader. I served thirty years in the United States Navy and practiced leadership from the lowest to the highest levels. Throughout the first two decades of my career, I worked in and led special operations teams as small as four people during high-risk training and multiple combat deployments. During these two decades I evolved and matured as a leader. I learned that tactical decisions have a strategic impact, that every person on the team brings their own creativity and resourcefulness, and that when you care for others, they will repeatedly exceed your expectations. 

In the last decade of my career, I was promoted to Command Master Chief, the Navy’s highest enlisted rank. I served in the military version of the C-suite for organizations, teamed with two and three-star Generals, leading organizations of more than 45,000 people with billions of dollars of equipment and inventory spread all over the world. Here I learned the impact that strategy and “Big Picture Thinking” have on the people making tactical decisions. I learned that culture determines the success or failure of an organization and that it’s a direct reflection of leadership. I learned that regardless of what they’re doing, people will always be “people” and that they are far more important than “things.” 

I blame my decades in the military for my never realizing greatness as a surfer, but I did earn ten lives’ worth of leadership lessons and became the leader I am today. I’ve debated strategic policy and the concept of creating a “Bias for Action” through leadership with dignitaries of the United States and multiple foreign countries. I’ve also discussed local issues over tea with tribal elders in extremely remote and hostile locations. But by far my favorite conversations happened with all the young people I led. I enjoyed sharing my leadership philosophy and lessons learned while also listening to what they considered important traits in leaders and the ever-changing landscape of a multi-generational workforce. 

Simply put, I’ve been exposed to thousands of different teams and leaders, and my key takeaway is that people’s performance is directly proportionate to how they are treated. I also firmly believe that to be a great leader, you must be a good human. 

I’m the author of the book “Good Humans Make Great Leaders” (due out in July 26), an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and Certified Authentic Leadership Coach (CALC). I’m also certified in EQ-i 2.0, Tilt 365, DiSC & Forte suites of assessments. I hold a Master of Science in Emergency and Disaster Management (MSEDM) and am an Adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. I’m currently the Director of Talent and Performance Excellence at a unicorn SaaS company.